Archives for August 2016

Yankees Place Nathan Eovaldi On DL, Recall Luis Severino

By Steve Adams | August 12, 2016 at 11:23am CDT

The Yankees announced today that right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who left his most recent start after one inning due to an elbow issue, has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a “right elbow tendon injury.” Fellow righty Luis Severino has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes/Barre to take his spot on the roster.

[Related: Updated New York Yankees Depth Chart]

While the DL placement obviously isn’t an ideal outcome for team or player, the fact that the announcement indicates a tendon injury is a silver lining. There was some concern about the possibility of a ligament issue at the initial time of the injury, but there’s no word from the team of any damage to Eovaldi’s UCL (thus, seemingly removing Tommy John surgery as a possibility). Severino will join Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda in the New York rotation, although right-hander Chad Green has been an oft-utilized option for the Yanks this year, making eight appearances (four starts) at the big league level. Long reliever Anthony Swarzak could be another option, though he hasn’t tossed more than 2 2/3 innings in any given appearance in 2016.

Severino, 22, had been optioned out just days prior to his recall but was eligible to be brought back more quickly than the 10-day minimum due to the fact that he’s replacing an injured player. The former top prospect hasn’t followed up on his brilliant rookie campaign (2.89 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 in 11 starts) this year, however, as he’s limped to a 6.42 earned run average in 47 2/3 innings at the Major League level. However, with Eovaldi on the shelf and right-hander Ivan Nova having been traded to the Pirates just prior to the non-waiver deadline, Severino could have an opportunity to finish the season on a strong note.

Braves Designate Roberto Hernandez For Assignment

By Steve Adams | August 12, 2016 at 8:55am CDT

The Braves have designated right-hander Roberto Hernandez for assignment as part of a series of roster moves, reports MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (on Twitter). In addition to Hernandez’s DFA, the Braves have optioned right-hander Brandon Cunniff to Triple-A Gwinnett, recalled right-hander Akeel Morris from Double-A Mississippi and selected the contract of right-hander Jason Hursh from Gwinnett.

Hernandez, 35, made two starts within the past week for the Braves but served up eight runs on 13 hits and a walk with six strikeouts in nine innings. Four of those hits cleared the outfield fence, thus accounting for the vast majority of the runs he surrendered. While those results, clearly, are uninspiring, Hernandez proved at least capable of delivering a mid-4.00 ERA from 2013-15 with the Rays, Phillies, Dodgers and Astros, as he pitched to a 4.45 earned run average with 5.8 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a ground-ball rate near 52 percent. His Triple-A work this season, split between the Jays and Braves, was largely similar, as he posted a 4.60 ERA in 86 innings of work. If he doesn’t get another crack in the Majors this season, Hernandez should still be able to secure another minor league pact to serve as rotation depth for a club heading into the 2017 campain.

As for the players being added to the Braves’ roster, Morris was acquired from the Mets earlier this year in exchange for Kelly Johnson. The return for Johnson was somewhat of a surprise, as Morris ranked as a solid prospect within the Mets’ system. Morris is a relief prospect with a big fastball, gaudy strikeout numbers and questionable control, and none of that changed when he switched organizations. He’s posted a 2.78 ERA and averaged 11.9 K/9 in 22 2/3 innings with Atlanta’s Double-A affiliate, but he’s also issued 17 walks in that time. The 24-year-old Hursh was a first-round pick by the Braves back in 2013 (No. 31 overall), but he’s moved from the rotation to the bullpen in recent seasons. In 64 innings of relief between Double-A and Triple-A, he’s turned in a 1.83 ERA this year, though that pristine mark comes with a less exciting 45-to-26 K/BB ratio.

Matt Holliday Diagnosed With Fractured Thumb

By Jeff Todd | August 11, 2016 at 11:25pm CDT

The Cardinals received some bad news tonight, as outfielder Matt Holliday was diagnosed with a fractured right thumb, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). He left tonight’s action after being struck by a pitch.

[Related: Updated Cardinals Depth Chart]

While the prognosis remains unknown, the loss of Holliday even for a few weeks would constitute a significant blow to a St. Louis organization that is battling for a post-season berth. While the division may well be out of reach, the Cards are in position for a Wild Card spot, but face several tough competitors to make it into the one-game playoff.

Holliday, 36, hasn’t produced to his typical levels thus far with a .241/.315/.451 slash over 419 plate appearances. Though he has regained the power he didn’t show last year — he already has 19 home runs — the veteran’s typical on-base abilities have been lacking. After posting double-digit walk percentages for each of the last eight years, Holliday has slipped to an 8.1% mark thus far in 2016. He has also been stung by a .250 BABIP despite a healthy 38.8% hard-hit ratio.

Despite those relative struggles, there’s plenty of reason to believe that Holliday is capable of putting up quality numbers. Indeed, after a rough month of July, he has hit more like himself through the first two weeks of August. Whether a full turnaround is in the cards may now have to wait.

In the near term, the Cardinals’ flexibility will be reduced — particularly with first baseman Matt Adams and also shortstop Aledmys Diaz already on the DL. Tommy Pham and Randal Grichuk represent right-handed-hitting outfield options to go with Stephen Piscotty, with Brandon Moss and Jeremy Hazelbaker available from the left side. Without Adams and Holliday in the mix, though, the club’s match-up options are greatly reduced.

Looking beyond this season, the injury only heightens the uncertainty surrounding Holliday’s future in St. Louis. He is controllable via a $17MM club option that comes with a $1MM buyout, and it was already unclear whether that would be exercised. It’s a hefty pay rate, but one that is unquestionably worth it for a typical Holliday season. After all, he carries a .292/.379/.493 slash over his eight years with the Cards. Even with his output dipping of late, Holliday was a well-above-average hitter before the present season. But without the chance to observe his play down the stretch, the investment becomes all the more questionable.

West Notes: Angels Stadium, Richards, Reynolds, Mariners, Hultzen

By Jeff Todd | August 11, 2016 at 10:16pm CDT

The Angels’ bid to put together a stadium deal in Tustin has not panned out, leading the team to resume talks with the city of Anaheim, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. While teams like the Braves, Rangers, and D-Backs are in various stages of replacing their still-serviceable ballparks, the Halos are still playing in Angel Stadium, which opened in 1966. The current lease runs through the 2029 season, but includes a provision allowing the club to opt out before 2019. That, naturally, spurred talks of renovation work and a new agreement, with the Angels exploring alternatives when discussions didn’t proceed as hoped.

Here’s more from out west:

Angels righty Garrett Richards could be cleared to throw next week if his check-up on Monday goes as hoped, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. The 28-year-old is attempting to avoid Tommy John surgery despite a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He has been ramping up his workout regimen as his PRP/stem cell treatment has continued to show promise, and the next step may be to build up toward throwing and then full-blown mound work. The outlook remains uncertain, but Richards expressed loads of optimism. “I literally feel like my arm is just refreshed,” he said yesterday. “Everything feels great. My shoulder feels nice and loose. I feel zero discomfort in my arm. Nothing even close to what I was feeling when I was put on the DL.”
Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds left today’s action with an injury to the hamate bone in his left hand, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports. It has actually been a problem for some time, per the report, but Reynolds felt heightened discomfort after a swing. The expectation is that he’ll require a DL stint, though the severity isn’t yet known with an MRI scheduled for tomorrow. Colorado is already in a bit of a bind with Trevor Story likely out for the year. The team had avoided a sell-off at the trade deadline in hopes of making a post-season run, but the odds against it continue to build.
The Mariners’ trade deadline tightrope walk has paid off thus far, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. GM Jerry Dipoto ultimately settled on a few relatively modest moves to tweak the club’s roster and set of contractual obligations, but the M’s have responded by pushing to seven games over .500 — putting them right in the thick of the Wild Card hunt. The veteran executive suggested that the team looked at more significant transactions. “I’m a big fan of trying to pounce on opportunity,” he said. “We talked with a variety of clubs about acquisitions that maybe would have been more notable — I don’t want to say star quality, but more household-type names. We also talked about the possibility of moving players out who were more household names. … In the end, the best moves we could make were holding steady.”
Meanwhile, tough-luck Mariners lefty Danny Hultzen isn’t yet ready to give up pitching, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports. He has undergone another shoulder procedure in hopes of making it back to the hill. The former second overall pick, now 26, threw 124 innings back in 2012 but hasn’t even cracked fifty total in the four seasons since.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Wilson Ramos

By Jeff Todd | August 11, 2016 at 7:51pm CDT

With 380 outstanding plate appearances under his belt this year, it seems fair to say that Wilson Ramos has finally arrived for the Nationals. And he’s done so at an opportune moment for himself as well as the team, as he’ll hit the open market after the season.

Ramos, who turned 29 just yesterday, has had quality campaigns before, but injuries and inconsistencies had raised questions about his future. Coming into the year, it wasn’t even clear whether the Nats would stake an important campaign on the aptly-nicknamed “Buffalo.” Though he was back at full health last year, Ramos had compiled only a .245/.275/.375 batting line over his prior two campaigns, and the Nationals were often cited as a possible suitor for a new backstop via trade or free agency.

Instead, the team bet on Ramos’s talent, and that decision has paid off in spades. Over his 96 games of action entering play today, Ramos owns a .336/.384/.549 slash with a career-best 18 home runs. Even better, he has done that while improving his strikeout (12.6%) and walk (7.4%) rates. Offseason LASIK surgery was cited as a reason for optimism heading into the year, and it certainly seems as if there’s reason to buy into that explanation. Ramos is hitting the ball hard and on a line more than ever before, which helps to support his .347 BABIP (which does still also point to some expected regression). Plus, as noted above, it’s not as if this outburst comes totally out of the blue. Ramos ran up a .269/.327/.449 batting line over 2011-13, though he only managed 834 plate appearances in that span due to an ACL tear suffered in 2012.

There obviously are some limits to Ramos’s game. He is one of the worst baserunners in baseball, owing to his monster frame. And that bulk also creates some questions about how he’ll age, particularly given that he has dealt with hamstring issues in the past (along with the unfortunate ACL injury and a hamate break). On the other hand, Ramos is rather agile for his size. And he credits an improved offseason workout program for his successes in 2016 — even moreso, perhaps, than the LASIK procedure.

Those factors also tie into Ramos’s work behind the dish, which hasn’t always drawn rave reviews. He has received fairly solid ratings from Baseball Prospectus (as you can find at his BP player card, with a subscription that is well worth considering). Ramos rates well as a pitch framer, though the Stat Corner metrics don’t quite agree on that front. Though he scoops more than he blocks pitches in the dirt, Ramos draws average marks in stopping errant balls. And he’s also rated well with a .349 caught-stealing percentage on the year, which is down a shade from his league-leading .444 mark from 2015. While it’s hard to assess pitch calling and the other nebulous duties of a receiver, Nats manager Dusty Baker says he likes what he sees from Ramos and thinks he still has the ability to improve.

In the aggregate, Ramos leads all catchers with 3.6 fWAR thus far in 2016. His re-emergence ranks as one of the biggest drivers of D.C.’s division-leading effort to this point. Given his importance to the team, and the lack of a clear successor, it is fair to wonder whether there’ll be a late attempt at an extension. Though GM Mike Rizzo has said recently that he’s a believer in Ramos’s talent and thinks a new deal could happen at any time, Ramos has been left waiting on contract talks thus far.

Assuming he does reach free agency, Ramos will join a fairly long list of backstops. At this point, though, he has staked a claim as the top target, especially with Francisco Cervelli already extended by the Pirates. Matt Wieters accepted a qualifying last winter in hopes of a turnaround season, but he’s not delivering thus far. Jason Castro’s excellent 2013 effort is further and further in the rearview mirror. Kurt Suzuki, has had a nice year, but he has an uneven track record and will be entering his age-33 season. Other current or former starting backstops — Nick Hundley, A.J. Ellis, A.J. Pierzynski, Geovany Soto, Alex Avila, Chris Iannetta, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Carlos Ruiz among them — don’t come with nearly the upside of Ramos and probably aren’t really even part of the same market.

Indeed, Ramos recently cracked the free agent power rankings of MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes, taking the number eight slot alongside other players who will likely be looked upon as potential impact veterans. Dierkes calls a five-year deal a reasonable target, and that does indeed seem plausible — especially when one considers that Ramos won’t turn thirty until next August. The two clear targets in free agent catching contracts are Russell Martin (five years, $82MM) and Brian McCann (five years, $85MM). These comps may not be as much of a stretch as they seem at first glance. Martin had a monster platform year offensively and was a highly-regarded field general, but he was also entering his age-32 campaign and lacked much of a track record of big results at the plate. And though McCann was a top-tier player for some time before his contract, he also had injury issues and one recent season of sub-par offensive production on his record when he signed that deal with the Yankees.

It’s far from certain at this point that Ramos will be able to command that kind of money, but it also seemed questionable that Martin would reach McCann’s stratosphere until his market came together. With relatively few impact players available at premium defensive positions, and Ramos having put some daylight between himself and the other available catchers, demand could be strong. Even teams with solid but non-premium backstops could consider him an upgrade — at least if he keeps this up the rest of the way. The Nats certainly seem like a leading contender for Ramos’s services. Otherwise, the division-rival Braves are said to be hunting for a catcher while organizations like the Tigers, Red Sox, Angels, Orioles, and Astros are among those that could conceivably join the hunt.

Needless to say, there’s plenty of time for interest to materialize and for Ramos to change his fate through his play on the field. He’ll need to stay healthy and productive to maximize his earning ceiling. But as things stand, there may not be a single pending free agent who has improved his stock as much as Ramos has thus far in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heyman’s Latest: Yankees, Braun, Miller, O’s, Marlins

By Jeff Todd | August 11, 2016 at 6:10pm CDT

In his column for Today’s Knuckleball, Jon Heyman takes a lengthy look at the Yankees’ rebuilding process, including the numerous deadline deals struck by the club. GM Brian Cashman says that the club would have traded Carlos Beltran to the Red Sox had their offer topped that of the Rangers, but obviously it did not. Per the report, New York was also willing to consider moving Brett Gardner, but “no serious takers” emerged.

Here are some other highlights:

While the Braves checked in with the Brewers on Ryan Braun before the deadline, talks never progressed — in large part because it didn’t seem worth pursuing given his no-trade clause. As Heyman notes, the six teams that can acquire Braun without his permission are all based upon geographic preference, and it was deemed unlikely that he’d waive his protection for a switch to Atlanta. Braun’s wife is expecting, Heyman notes, and that factor (in conjunction with the no-trade clause) may well explain why trade buzz never picked up on him this summer.
The Braves also were one of the teams to ask the Diamondbacks about struggling righty Shelby Miller, who famously changed hands between those teams before the season. That deal seemed favorable to the Braves at the time, and looks even better for them now. Arizona was prepared to move Miller, Heyman notes, but never was offered anything close to what was deemed needed to make a deal.
In August shopping news, the Orioles are looking to add a left-handed reliever, per the report. As Baltimore’s depth chart shows, the club doesn’t have any southpaws in the pen other than ace closer Zach Britton.
The Marlins are also still looking for pitching this month. Though the team hopes that Wei-Yin Chen can return for the stretch run in September, the team still wants a starter after sending Colin Rea back to the Padres. That move brought back prospect Luis Castillo, who remains a useful trade piece for the club as it pushes hard for the post-season.
One bullpen piece that is freely available is veteran righty Joe Nathan, who was designated recently by the Cubs. Heyman says that there’s “strong interest” given the solid (albeit quite brief) showing the 41-year-old put on in his brief time in Chicago.

Pedro Strop Diagnosed With Torn Meniscus

By Jeff Todd | August 11, 2016 at 3:38pm CDT

Cubs reliever Pedro Strop has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus, the club announced (via Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, Twitter links). He’ll undergo surgery tomorrow, with the expectation that he could be back within four to six weeks.

Under the circumstances, that’s largely a positive outcome for the Cubs, who likely would have lost Strop for the year had he suffered a more significant knee injury. As things stand, he’ll seemingly be back in time for the end of the regular season. Righty Justin Grimm will be recalled to take Strop’s place on the roster for the time being.

[Related: Updated Cubs Depth Chart]

Strop, 31, has been nothing short of outstanding since coming over along with Jake Arrieta in the 2013 deal that delivered Scott Feldman to Baltimore. Over 207 2/3 frames in Chicago, Strop owns a 2.69 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. It has been more of the same this year, as he not only carries a career-best K-BB% (24.9%) but also has drawn grounders on nearly six of ten balls in play.

Losing that kind of productivity from the back of the pen undoubtedly hurts, especially with Hector Rondon dealing with his own medical issues (albeit not as serious). Still, the Cubs just bolstered their relief corps with Aroldis Chapman and are sitting on a 12-game lead in the NL Central. Since Strop will likely be able to keep his arm in shape during his absence, the hope will be that he’ll hit the ground running and be at full strength before the final build-up to the post-season.

Red Sox Outright Sean O’Sullivan

By Steve Adams | August 11, 2016 at 2:41pm CDT

The Red Sox announced today that they’ve activated right-hander Sean O’Sullivan from the 15-day disabled list and sent him outright to Triple-A Pawtucket, thereby removing him from the 40-man roster.

The 28-year-old O’Sullivan had been on the DL with tendinitis in his left knee since early July. He’s pitched in five games for the Sox this season but struggled to a 6.75 ERA in 21 1/3 innings (four starts, one relief appearance). He’s pitched in the Majors in seven of the past eight seasons (2012 being the lone exception) in spite of sub-par results; O’Sullivan owns a 6.01 ERA with 4.4 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 in 323 1/3 innings at the big league level that have been split between the Angels, Royals, Padres, Phillies and BoSox. He has a career 4.28 ERA in 769 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level, though, making him a nice depth option for any team.

O’Sullivan has been outrighted in the past and, as such, has the right to reject this assignment in favor of free agency. However, he’s already accepted an outright assignment with the Red Sox once this season, so there’s a good chance he’ll do so once again, especially at this stage of the year.

Braves Pull Jim Johnson Back After Waiver Claim; Jeff Francoeur Clears Revocable Waivers

By Steve Adams | August 11, 2016 at 2:15pm CDT

Outfielder Jeff Francoeur and right-hander Jim Johnson were both placed on revocable trade waivers by the Braves this week, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, though their placements had very different outcomes. Francoeur cleared waivers and is now free to be traded to any team, whereas Johnson was claimed off waivers and ultimately pulled back after a trade could not be worked out.

[Related: How August Trades work]

Johnson, 33, was somewhat surprisingly not traded prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline, and he’ll now remain in Atlanta for the remainder of the year, it seems. (The Braves could put him back on waivers, but the waivers would no longer be revocable, and an affordable right-hander with Johnson’s results certainly wouldn’t clear.) While the former Orioles closer struggled following a 2015 trade to the Dodgers and got off to a rough start in 2016 after re-signing in Atlanta, he’s been nothing short of excellent since his activation from the disabled list in early June. Since that time, Johnson has a 1.57 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 54.7 percent ground-ball rate in 28 2/3 innings. Considering his $2.5MM salary and those recent results, it’s hardly surprising that he drew interest (or, at least, was claimed by one contender to block others from adding him). Heyman doesn’t specify which club placed the claim on Johnson, but it’s worth noting that the Mets were said to have claimed a reliever earlier this week, and given the lack of news since the reporting of that claim, no deal was reached.

While there’s a school of thought that the Braves should’ve been willing to move Johnson for virtually anything due to his status as an impending free agent, Atlanta clearly didn’t feel it received anything of long-term value before or after the non-waiver trade deadline. And, there’s some benefit to Johnson serving as a steadying force as the team’s interim closer with Arodys Vizcaino on the shelf while providing some leadership for younger arms in the ’pen. (It’s also possible that the Braves could explore an extension for Johnson, as he’s performed well in each of the last two seasons while wearing their uniform.)

That line of thinking — valuing veteran leadership over fringe prospects or mild salary relief — was reportedly a large factor in the Braves’ decision not to trade Francoeur prior to the non-waiver deadline. Atlanta was said to only be willing to move Francoeur for a legitimate return. While that doesn’t indicate that the Braves were demanding a top 10 type of prospect from the systems of rival clubs, it does suggest that they weren’t willing to move him for what would amount to a warm body that would simply fill a minor league roster spot. The same thinking almost certainly applied to Johnson in this instance.

Francoeur could yet draw some interest from other teams, though a trade doesn’t seem overly likely based on Atlanta’s reported asking price. The 32-year-old has a lackluster .247/.287/.387 batting line on the season overall, though his .280/.320/.432 slash against left-handed pitching could be a genuine asset on a contending club’s bench down the stretch.

Marlins Have Had Internal Discussions About Alex Rodriguez

By Steve Adams | August 11, 2016 at 1:30pm CDT

1:30pm: MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets that a pursuit of Rodriguez is largely dependent on how long Miami expects first baseman Justin Bour to remain on the disabled list. Bour has been out since July 6 with an ankle sprain.

12:41pm: The Marlins have at least had some internal discussions about signing Alex Rodriguez once he is formally released by the Yankees this weekend, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Heyman notes, however, that there’s no real evidence yet that A-Rod’s hometown team will try to sign him. Meanwhile, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson tweets that he was told earlier this week that while a signing shouldn’t be considered likely, it shouldn’t be completely ruled out, either.

Heyman adds that a Rodriguez signing almost certainly wouldn’t be able to happen until after rosters expand on Sept. 1, which makes some sense. At age 41, Rodriguez can’t be counted upon to play defense with any sort of regularity, if at all (he hasn’t taken a single inning in the field this year). As such, dedicating a precious 25-man roster spot to a strict pinch-hitter in the midst of a playoff push would be an ill-advised move. Owner Jeffrey Loria is a Rodriguez fan, Heyman points out, but the Marlins didn’t show any interest in picking up Rodriguez prior to the non-waiver trade deadline.

Rodriguez will be released on following Friday’s game, as the Yankees announced last week. He’ll become a special advisor and instructor within the organization following his release, but A-Rod wouldn’t rule out the possibility of signing with another team if there was interest. With a .203/.251/.355 batting line on the season, he’s looked overmatched at the plate, but he is less than a year removed from batting .250/.356/.486 with 33 homers in 151 games in 2015. He’ll still be owed $25.5MM through the end of his contract at the time of his release, but the Yankees will be on the hook for that sum. A new team would need only pay Rodriguez the pro-rated portion of the league minimum for any time spent on the roster once he clears release waivers.

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