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Archives for August 2016

Mariners Acquire Ben Gamel From Yankees

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The Mariners have acquired outfielder Ben Gamel from the Yankees, reports MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes (via Twitter). Shortly after Dierkes’ report, the teams announced the trade, adding that they’re sending right-handed pitchers Jio Orozco and Juan De Paula to the Yankees in return.

Ben Gamel

The 24-year-old Gamel is the younger brother of former Brewers top prospect Mat Gamel and made his Major League debut with the Yanks earlier this year in May. He’s logged just 10 plate appearances at the big league level (eight official at-bats), collecting one hit and one walk, but turned in a very solid season at the Triple-A level with the Yankees’ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate. In 533 plate appearances, Gamel batted .308/.365/.420 with six homers and 19 stolen bases while appearing at all three outfield positions.

Prior to this trade, Gamel rated 24th among Yankees prospects in the eyes of Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. That duo praised Gamel’s line-drive, all-fields approach at the plate and rated both his hit tool and speed as above-average, noting that while he lacks the plus speed of some center fielders he makes up for some of that with terrific instincts and quick reads off the bat. Gamel hit a career-high 10 home runs but is more of a threat to rack up doubles and triples — a skill set that would seem to fit well in Seattle’s spacious home park. Gamel figures to, at worst, profile as a fourth outfield candidate for the Mariners but could play his way into a bigger role if he’s able to carry over the success he’s enjoyed in 245 career Triple-A games (.304/.361/.447).

Of the two arms going back to the Yankees in this deal, Orozco appears to be the headliner. The 19-year-old rated 20th among Seattle farmhands, per Callis and Mayo, who praise the teenager’s “advanced feel for three pitches,” referencing the former 14th-rounder’s fastball, curveball and changeup. At 6’1″ and 208 pounds, Orozco is a bit undersized but has a more advanced feel for pitching than most prospects his age, per the MLB.com report. In 70 professional innings since being drafted last year (all of which have come with Seattle’s rookie-level affiliate in the Arizona League), Orozco has a 3.73 ERA with 11.2 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9.

De Paula, 18, signed with the Mariners as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic and made his debut in the Dominican Summer League last year. He’s pitched alongside Orozco in the Arizona League in 2016, working to an impressive 3.07 ERA with 11.6 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 in 41 innings (seven starts, four relief appearances).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jeremy Jeffress Enters Rehab, Will Not Be Suspended By MLB

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Rangers setup man Jeremy Jeffress has checked into an inpatient rehab clinic following last week’s DWI arrest but will not be suspended by Major League Baseball, reports Yahoo’s Jeff Passan. According to Passan, Jeffress will spend about a month in a Houston-area clinic, lending uncertainty as to whether he’ll rejoin the team for the remainder of the regular season. Even if he does not, a postseason return is still possible.

Jeffress was arrested last Friday for driving while intoxicated and reportedly had a blood-alcohol content of .115 at the time of the arrest. Police found marijuana in the car’s glove compartment, according to Passan’s report, but Jeffress denied that it was his and was ultimately not charged with possession. However, Jeffress has a history of marijuana usage, which resulted in a pair of suspensions while he was in the minor leagues. Jeffress attributed that use to self-medication for his epilepsy in a candid interview with MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, during which the 28-year-old also spoke about his ongoing anxiety issues. Marijuana use typically does not result in suspensions for Major Leaguers, but FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets that Jeffress was asked to choose between a suspension and entering a treatment program, and he opted for the latter.

Via a press release from the Major League Baseball Players Association, Jeffress has issued the following statement:

“First, I would like to offer a sincere apology to the Texas Rangers, my teammates, my family, and to the fans for the incident that took place last Friday morning. Make no mistake, drinking and driving is wrong. I made a mistake that not only jeopardized my wellbeing, but the wellbeing of others, and I thank God that nobody was hurt because of my mistake. I have faced and overcome much adversity in my life, some of it self-inflicted, and I try very hard, every day, to be a positive influence in the lives of my family, friends, fans and, most importantly, my daughter, Jurnee.  Moving forward, I promise to do everything I can to live my life the right way, as I look to put this incident behind me.  I promise to do whatever it takes to get back on the field playing the game I love.  And I will begin this process by being away from the team while I get the help I need to overcome these difficult personal issues. I am also making a commitment to speak out against impaired driving for the rest of my life, as I hope others will learn from my mistake.  I also would like to thank the police department for their professionalism in handling the situation as well as they did.  Lastly, I ask that others respect my privacy during my absence, just as I ask for their forgiveness.  Thank you and God bless you all.”

The Rangers acquired Jeffress alongside Jonathan Lucroy in an Aug. 1 trade that sent Lewis Brinson. Luis Ortiz and a player to be named later to the Brewers. His absence will only further magnify what has been a shaky Rangers relief corps for much of the season. Of course, it’s worth noting that the group has performed better as a unit in the season’s second half, working to a 3.82 ERA that is markedly better than the collective 5.10 ERA posted by Texas relievers prior to the All-Star Game.

Marlins Place David Phelps On 15-Day DL

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The Marlins have placed righty David Phelps on the 15-day DL with a left oblique strain, the club announced. Righty Jake Esch is coming up to take a start for Phelps.

The move is retroactive to August 27th, so Phelps can be available to return before mid-September. It’s not yet clear whether the injury will keep him out past that point or not.

Losing Phelps is a major blow to a Miami club that is already showing signs of cracking in the postseason race. He has been remarkably effective all year long, first posting top-quality results over 54 1/3 relief innings and then turning in five excellent starts when a need arose in the rotation.

Regardless of how things turn out over the final month or so of the season, Phelps has turned himself into quite a value for Miami. He will earn a raise on his current $2.5MM salary, but comes with two more seasons of arbitration control.

Indians Acquire Coco Crisp

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2:43pm: In total, the Indians will pay around $500K of the tab for Crisp, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets.

2:15pm: Cleveland will receive $1,673,497 in cash from Oakland in the deal, per Tom Withers of the Associated Press (via Twitter). By my count, Crisp has just under $2MM remaining in salary the rest of the way, so clearly the bulk will be retained by the A’s. It isn’t clear who is on the hook for a $750K buyout of next year’s $13MM option.

10:33am: The Indians and Athletics have announced a deal that sends veteran outfielder Coco Crisp to Cleveland in exchange for lefty Colt Hynes. MLBTR’s Steve Adams first reported that a deal was nearing and that Crisp had waived his no-trade protection (Twitter links), and John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reported that the swap was finalized.

Aug 16, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Coco Crisp (4) runs to third base during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Crisp is a 36-year-old, switch-hitting outfielder who is set to hit the open market after the season — assuming that he doesn’t reach the 550 plate appearances or 130 games played that he’d need for his $13MM option to vest. Odds are, that won’t occur at this stage, particularly since Crisp is likely ticketed for part-time duty in his new home.

Though he understandably isn’t playing at his career-best levels, Crisp has managed to put up just-below-average overall offensive production with a .234/.299/.399 slash and 11 home runs over 434 plate appearances. Defensive metrics no longer view him as a plausible option in center, but Defensive Runs Saved credited him with average glovework in left this season.

As has long been the case, and as a glance at Cleveland’s current depth chart shows, the organization has made do thus far with a somewhat surprising mix of players in the outfield. Lonnie Chisenhall, Tyler Naquin, Abraham Almonte, Rajai Davis, Brandon Guyer, and Michael Martinez are all on hand as options, though one wonders whether the switch-hitting Martinez would lose his roster spot if Crisp is brought in.

Covering for the loss of Michael Brantley hasn’t been easy, but that group has rather remarkably combined to post the third-highest fWAR tally of any outfield in the game. Crisp will deepen the mix down the stretch and potentially provide another bat in the postseason.

For the A’s, facilitating a playoff run for a veteran while freeing up playing time for younger players appear to have been the primary considerations. The 31-year-old Hynes has been a popular waiver wire target at times, but still has only limited time in the majors. He is carrying 9.9 K/9 against just 1.7 BB/9 this year over 47 1/3 minor league frames, but he didn’t impress enough to receive a call-up from either the Blue Jays or the Indians.

The move represents something of a homecoming for Crisp, who began his major league career in Cleveland way back in 2002. From there, he moved on to the Red Sox, where he played under current Indians skipper Terry Francona, and stopped with the Royals before moving on to Oakland, where he has been since 2010. He is currently playing out the tail end of an extension he signed with the A’s in the spring of 2014.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Orioles Acquire Kyle Lobstein, Designate Ashur Tolliver

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The Orioles have acquired lefty Kyle Lobstein from the Pirates in a deal that will send fellow southpaw Zach Phillips to Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Baltimore has designated yet another lefty, Ashur Tolliver, for assignment to create roster space.

Lobstein, 27, was designated by the Bucs after providing 25 middling frames on the year. His 3.96 ERA was serviceable, but with just 15 strikeouts against a dozen walks there were signs of trouble. On the other hand, Lobstein was as good against same-handed hitters as he was susceptible to those who carried the platoon split. While the O’s will surely hesitate to let him face any righty bats, he may well prove useful as a pure LOOGY with rosters expanded in September.

Having already placed Lobstein in DFA limbo, the Pirates had little leverage. But they’ll add a non-40-man southpaw in Phillips who can provide an option if a need arises. The 29-year-old owns a 4.45 ERA with 12.5 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9 over 60 2/3 Triple-A frames on the year.

Adding to the price for Lobstein is the possible loss of Tolliver — who may yet remain in the organization if he clears waivers. The 28-year-old reached the majors briefly for the first time this year, and has shown some promise in the upper minors in recent years. His walk rate has been unsteady, but Tolliver has struck out more than a batter per inning in each of the last three seasons on the farm.

Neil Walker Diagnosed With Herniated Disk

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3:24pm: Surgery is an option for Walker, despite Alderson’s optimism, Collins told reporters (Twitter links via DiComo). Collins added that the Mets don’t want to put Walker in the lineup until receiving a second opinion on his back (via ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin). And, even if Walker does continue to play for the remainder of the season, Collins stated that Walker would “probably not” be able to play on an everyday basis.

12:21pm: The specific injury that has limited Mets second baseman Neil Walker is a herniated disk in his back, Mets GM Sandy Alderson told reporters including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). Alderson reiterated that Walker can play through the injury, which he painted as being somewhat less serious than it had seemed yesterday after comments from manager Terry Collins.

Walker seems to be experiencing problems most directly to his lower body, with the disk issue causing some weakness in his foot per ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin. That’s something that the veteran has dealt with previously, but he will nonetheless be pursuing a second opinion.

At this point, then, it’s not entirely clear how the problem will impact Walker down the stretch and in his upcoming free agency case. New York’s acquisition of Walker looks even better in retrospect than it did at the time, and he has set himself up for a nice payday with a high-powered season at the plate. But teams weighing lengthy commitments will surely be watching closely to see whether the herniated disk hampers him over the next several weeks.

MLBTR Mailbag: Waivers, Martinez, Tigers, Hamilton

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Today represents the end of the August revocable waiver trade period. While players can still be dealt to new organizations tomorrow, such players will not be eligible to play in the postseason with their new organizations. That rule plays a role in a few of this week’s mailbag responses …

In honor of Yasiel Puig [who has reportedly been claimed on revocable waivers], I am curious: who was the last player to be placed on revocable waivers where the claiming team was just allowed to assume the contract? Has placing a claim ever backfired on an organization, claiming a player to block a rival just to get stuck with the player’s bad contract? — Anthony C.

The last instance that I can recall of that happening is 2014, when the Nationals claimed Matt Thornton off waivers from the Yankees, and New York simply elected to let the remainder of Thornton’s two-year, $7MM contract go to the Nats. Thornton was a great pickup for them in 2014, tossing 11 1/3 shutout innings in the regular season, and he posted a 2.18 ERA for them in 41 1/3 innings the following season as well. The largest contract that’s changed hands that way in recent history is Alex Rios, whom the White Sox claimed from the Blue Jays back in 2009 when he had roughly $60MM remaining on his contract. Rios had an up-and-down career with the ChiSox but ultimately played pretty well in Chicago and netted the team a controllable utility option in Leury Garcia when he was finally traded.

Is J.D. Martinez the type of player who will be in the 175-200 million dollar range? Or does his age, defense, and injury history limit his earning potential? — Jason

Martinez’s age won’t be much of a detriment to his free agency. He’ll play next season at age 29 and enter the open market in advance of his age-30 season. (He’ll turn 30 late next August.) That’s a pretty reasonable age for a free agent, though it might prevent him from garnering the leverage of an opt-out clause in a free agent deal, as we’ve typically seen younger hitters secure those provisions in lengthy contracts.

At any rate, if Martinez keeps hitting like he has since his 2014 breakout, I do think he can land a contract worth something in the vicinity of $150MM. Obviously a lot needs to go right between now and then, and injuries or continued defensive decline could make that a difficult scenario to come to fruition, but in a best-case-scenario, it’s possible. We don’t know what will come of the qualifying offer system and if there will be a new, more limiting (or less limiting) stipulation for free-agent compensation attached to players by that point, so there’s no need to make absolute statements one way or another. But, we’ve seen a 31-year-old Shin-Soo Choo land $130MM in recent years, and Chris Davis pulled in $161MM on the brink of his own age-30 season last offseason.

Do you think you could see the Tiger’s picking up Ervin Santana? I see starting pitching as a need and I see Santana as a good addition. — Jason K.

Santana would be a fine addition for the Tigers given his reasonable contract, recent excellence on the mound and the Tigers’ struggles at the back of the rotation. But, the Twins aren’t interested in parting with him for anything shy of a significant return, and that would mean asking for high-end talent in return from a Detroit club that is lacking in the way of impact, MLB-ready talent at the upper levels of its minor league system. The Twins have the worst record in the American League, so the Tigers could technically deal any of their young starters — e.g. Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd — to Minnesota in order to acquire Santana, but that’s a steep price to pay for two years (or possibly three, depending on his option status) of Santana, who will turn 34 in December and isn’t necessarily an enormous upgrade over the younger, cheaper arms Minnesota would covet in return.

Since the Texas Rangers released Josh Hamilton are the Angels still on the hook to pay part of his salary? — Andrew T.

Yep. Hamilton’s release doesn’t impact what he’s owed by either the Angels or the Rangers. The move was a procedural one anyhow, as multiple reporters covering the Rangers reported at the time that he’d be re-signed to a minor league deal this offseason. That may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s effectively just a measure to let him play with Texas early in the 2017 season if he’s healthy. MLB rules stipulate that a player released after Sept. 1 can’t return to the Majors with the team that released him until May 15 or later of the following season.

Jonathan Papelbon Will Not Sign Before Postseason Deadline

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Veteran reliever Jonathan Papelbon will not reach a deal today with the Red Sox or any other organization, according to WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. As a result, he will not be eligible to appear on a postseason roster.

That decision makes it seem all but certain that Papelbon will not look to pitch again this season. The long-time closer is known as a fiery competitor, and it is hard to imagine he’d go through the process of trying to ramp back up without the potential for suiting up in the playoffs.

Whether or not Papelbon will seek to make a comeback in the future remains to be seen. We haven’t heard any suggestion that he is mulling retirement, of course, but there is now at least an open question. After all, Boston and other organizations did express real interest in picking up the 35-year-old after he was cut loose by the Nationals earlier this month.

Reactions To The Tim Tebow Workout

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Tim Tebow’s baseball workout drew plenty of attention yesterday, and it wasn’t solely from the media. It is fair to note that 28 teams were represented by scouts, with several sending rather high-level personnel to have a look. Only the Cubs and Athletics ultimately did not put eyes on the college football great, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Even if a lack of alternative scouting opportunities and sheer intrigue had a role in that tally, it seems clear there was some genuine interest in seeing how the former quarterback looked in a baseball uniform — even at 29 years of age.

Here are a few sources of information if you’re curious how things went:

  • From an athletic perspective, Tebow looked to be in fantastic shape and put up a strong time in the 60-yard dash. But one scout’s overall impression was that Tebow seemed more like “an actor trying to portray a baseball player” than a budding talent, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). As Josh Peter of USA Today further reports, the Heisman winner flashed a slightly below-average arm, though some viewed him as an approximately average potential defender in the outfield after watching his full fielding workout.
  • The raw power that Tebow displayed seemingly raised the most eyebrows. One scout actually gave it a top-of-class 80 grade, per Taylor Blake Ward of Scout (Twitter links). Another classed it more modestly at a 65, which is still quite impressive, though that second source noted that the pop might only play at a 55 level.
  • Pure power is certainly an intriguing commodity, standing alone, particularly in an otherwise athletic player. But the biggest question will be whether it can translate one day to major league pitching, especially given Tebow’s long layoff from hitting and his extremely advanced age for a potential prospect. As Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post reports, the overall view of scouts ranged from relatively positive — “he’s definitely intriguing,” said one — to downright laughable — one said flatly that “he sucked.” But those who took a close look seemingly witnessed both the potential and the areas of concern, including whether his “grooved swing” and overly-muscular frame would allow the power stroke to come through in game action.
  • Tebow’s representatives at CAA said that five or six clubs engaged with Tebow directly after the workout, as Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. While that suggests some genuine interest, there was also reason to be skeptical. The long balls that the hulking slugger drove during BP didn’t quite continue when he faced live pitching, scouts noted to Davidoff — who says the scene actually became a bit awkward as it unfolded. Tebow’s agents hope that he’ll sign in time to participate in fall instructional league, with an Arizona Fall League or perhaps a winter ball appearance to follow. But it remains to be seen whether Tebow would be deemed ready for that level of competition.

Kurt Suzuki Unlikely To Be Traded

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The interest around the league in Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki is “muted at best,” Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports (Twitter links). It seems rather unlikely, then, that he’ll end up joining a new organization today, before the deadline for teams to add postseason-eligible players.

While Suzuki has produced a roughly league-average batting line (.275/.318/.417), which is quite good for a catcher, we’ve heard mention on several occasions about increasing concerns with his work behind the dish. That may help explain the lack of interest in the veteran, who has helped teams fill needs down the stretch in years past.

Suzuki has cleared waivers, so he can be traded freely. But that has been the case for some time. A few contenders have gone on to add different backstops while others are, perhaps, satisfied with what they have on hand. “It would take an injury to create any kind of market,” a source tells Berardino.

Suzuki is owed $1.05MM from the start of September to year’s end, by Berardino’s calculations, which is a fairly modest but not inconsequential sum. His vesting option is no longer a consideration, so that isn’t a hindrance. Even if Minnesota finds a surprise, late-breaking taker, the report suggests that the team would anticipate only a minimal return — perhaps largely consisting of some salary relief.

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