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Archives for August 2016

AL East News & Rumors: A-Rod, Rays, Marlins, Pearce

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Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • Alex Rodriguez didn’t close the door on continuing his career beyond his final game as a Yankee on Friday, but playing in his home state of Florida might not be in the cards.  The Rays don’t have interest in A-Rod, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports, while MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro believes it is “highly doubtful” that the Marlins sign the veteran slugger. (Both links to Twitter.)
  • The two Florida teams were listed by ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required) as speculative fits if Rodriguez decided to keep playing, with the Twins and Astros also being cited.  A-Rod could help on the field if he has anything left in his bat, though Olney noted that Rodriguez’s vaunted game preparation could make him a mentor for young players on the four teams.  Once Rodriguez is released, of course, a new team would only owe him a prorated minimum salary, with the Yankees responsible for the rest of his hefty remaining contract.
  • Steve Pearce left the fifth inning of yesterday’s game due to a right elbow strain, and Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko) that Pearce was feeling much better after receiving a cortisone injection.  The team will wait a couple of days to gauge Pearce’s improvement, though Showalter hinted that Pearce could still be worked into games in a non-throwing capacity.  The O’s re-acquired Pearce in a deadline trade with the Rays, adding the veteran to provide versatility and to boost the team’s productivity against left-handed pitching.

AL West News & Rumors: Paxton, Walker, Angels

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Here’s the latest from around the AL West…

  • Mariners lefty James Paxton was two outs away from a complete game victory yesterday when he was hit on his throwing elbow by an Andrelton Simmons line drive.  Fortunately for Paxton and the M’s, x-rays were negative and manager Scott Servais told reporters (including Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune) that he’s hoping Paxton may not even miss a start, thanks to an off-day this week in Seattle’s schedule.  The injury has been diagnosed as a deep bruise, and Paxton will be able to pitch if the swelling subsides.  Paxton has been a big part of the Mariners rotation, posting a 3.53 ERA, 4.06 K/BB rate and 8.04 K/9 over 81 2/3 IP this season, and any missed time for Paxton would undoubtedly be a blow to Seattle’s wild card hopes.
  • In other Mariners pitching news, Taijuan Walker was optioned to Triple-A to create a 25-man roster spot for the newly-acquired Arquimedes Caminero.  Ariel Miranda will continue in the Mariners’ rotation filling Walker’s spot.  [Updated Mariners depth chart at Roster Resource.]  Walker got off to a strong start this season that fueled his solid year-long stats (4.10 ERA, 8.0 K/9, 4.0 K/BB rate), though he has had trouble pitching deep into games.  Walker has also struggled in his last two outings, sandwiched around a month-long DL stint due to right foot tendinitis, and the M’s couldn’t allow for Walker time to regain his form with the team in a playoff race.  “His last 13 starts, he’s had three quality starts.  It may be different if we were 10 or 15 games below .500.  We’re not,” Servais told Dutton and other reporters.
  • Despite the demotion, the Mariners haven’t given up on Walker and aren’t looking to trade him, Dutton tweets in response to a reader question.  Walker received a lot of attention from other teams prior to the trade deadline but GM Jerry Dipoto said the young hurler wasn’t available.
  • With the Angels already looking ahead to 2017, both MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez and the Los Angeles Times’ Pedro Moura addressed the team’s future in separate mailbag pieces.  Gonzalez believes the Halos will have an offseason similar to last, when they look to upgrade with relatively low-cost or cost-neutral moves since the payroll will still be bogged down by several large contracts (albeit with some relief since C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver will be off the books).  Aiming for contention in 2018 may be a wiser move since Josh Hamilton’s contract will also be up, and Gonzalez feels Kole Calhoun could be an interesting trade chip to address other needs, though Calhoun is obviously a valuable piece of the current roster.
  • Moura’s mailbag addresses such topics as whether or not Arte Moreno would consider selling the team (Moura doesn’t believe so), the possibility of Yunel Escobar being traded and Kaleb Cowart possibly stepping in as a low-cost third base option in his place, plus how Angels GM Billy Eppler really can’t be judged on his job performance since Eppler is still dealing with poor organizational decisions made prior to his hiring.

Mets Make Two Waiver Claims; Place D’Arnaud, Flores, Three Others On Revocable Waivers

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The Mets have made waiver claims on two unknown players, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports, though they haven’t been able to work out a trade with either player’s team.  One of the players is a relief pitcher, which isn’t surprising given how the Mets were unable to land a desired bullpen upgrade prior to the August 1 trade deadline.  Teams have 48.5 hours to work out a trade once a player is claimed, and it is unclear if that deadline has already in the case of either player claimed by the Mets, or if the club still has time to work something out.  The fact that trades were being discussed between the two sides implies that the Amazins had at least some interest in the players, and the claims weren’t made just to block a rival club.

In other Mets waiver news, Ackert hears from an industry source that the club has also placed five players on revocable waivers: catcher Travis d’Arnaud, infielder Wilmer Flores, utilityman Ty Kelly and relievers Erik Goeddel and Josh Edgin.  The New York Post’s Mike Puma reports (Twitter link) that the Mets will eventually put their entire roster on waivers throughout August, a procedural move commonly used by several teams so they can either gauge the market for several players or keep hidden the identities of the players they’re actually interested in trading.  As a team can pull back any claimed player, it costs the Mets nothing to put their entire club on the waiver wire.

Still, d’Arnaud’s presence in the first wave of Mets waiver placements is notable given that the catcher has already been linked to one high-profile trade rumor prior to the deadline.  New York reportedly offered d’Arnaud to the Brewers both straight-up and as part of a trade package for Jonathan Lucroy, prior to Lucroy eventually being dealt to the Rangers.  D’Arnaud has shown glimpses of his hitting potential when healthy, though those instances have been rather few and far between, as d’Arnaud has been plagued by multiple injuries over his brief MLB career.  While it’s understandable that the Mets would be interested in parting with d’Arnaud for a proven star like Lucroy, it’s fair to wonder if the Mets are considering parting ways with d’Arnaud entirely since he can’t seem to stay healthy.

AL Central News & Notes: Twins, Buxton, Ryan, Royals, Indians

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Here’s the latest from around the AL Central…

  • The Twins demoted Byron Buxton to Triple-A yesterday, the fourth time the heralded prospect has been sent back to the minors since his initial call-up in June 2015.  Buxton has simply not been able to figure out big league pitching, hitting just .199/.248/.319 over 356 Major League plate appearances.  It’s too soon to panic over Buxton, however, as Fangraphs’ August Fagerstrom notes in an analysis of Buxton’s various issues at the plate.
  • Braves director of baseball operations Billy Ryan is one of the names under consideration in the Twins’ general manager search, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link).  Despite being in his mid-thirties, Ryan has an extensive resume in the game, working in the Commissioner’s office as well as in the front offices of the Rangers, Indians and Diamondbacks, including four seasons as Arizona’s assistant GM.  As Nightengale notes, Ryan is one of “several young executives” on the Twins’ radar as a replacement for former GM Terry Ryan (no relation).
  • Cheslor Cuthbert has played well as Mike Moustakas’ replacement at third base, leaving the Royals with some depth options for next season, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star writes.  Beyond Moustakas and Cuthbert, top prospect Hunter Dozier is hitting well and getting close to a promotion.  The hot corner is still slated to belong to Moustakas in 2017, as the others have more defensive versatility — Dozier has been action at first and in both corner outfield spots, plus the Royals feel Cuthbert is capable of handling several spots around the diamond.  The DH spot could also be open if the Royals led Kendrys Morales go in free agency.  Long-term, it seem as though K.C. could be prepared at third if Moustakas himself leaves as a free agent after the 2017 campaign.
  • In a mailbag piece, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian feels the Indians won’t be too active in the August waiver trade market, though the club will keep an eye on potential bench or bullpen help.  Yankees catcher Brian McCann is an unlikely fit, as while the veteran has cleared waivers, Bastian feels McCann is much too pricey for the Tribe’s liking (whereas trade target Jonathan Lucroy had a much less expensive contract).

Injury Notes: Bochy, Pillar, Withrow, Guerra, Cobb

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Giants manager Bruce Bochy was checked into hospital this morning after feeling ill, according to a statement from the team.  Bochy will be monitored overnight and is expected to return to the dugout tomorrow, while bench coach Ron Wotus will manage the Giants tonight against the Marlins.  Let’s check in on some on-field injury situations…

  • The Blue Jays have placed center fielder Kevin Pillar on the 15-day DL with a left thumb sprain.  Darrell Ceciliani has been recalled from Triple-A to fill a backup outfield role while Melvin Upton Jr. will take over regular duty in center.  [Updated Blue Jays depth chart at Roster Resource.]  Pillar told reporters, including MLB.com’s Alykhan K. Ravjiani, that he expects to be back after the minimum 15 days.  Even if it’s only a short-term absence, however, the Jays’ pre-deadline acquisition of Upton looms large in the wake of this injury, as Toronto previously lacked a solid backup center field option.  Upton hasn’t provided much at the plate since joining the Jays, and even his good center field glove will be a defensive downgrade from Pillar, who leads all MLB outfielders in UZR/150 (32.9) and is tied for second in Defensive Runs Saved (17).
  • The Braves placed righty reliever Chris Withrow on the 15-day DL with an inflamed elbow, and the recently-claimed Chaz Roe will take Withrow’s spot on the roster.  [Updated Braves depth chart at Roster Resource.]  Withrow has posted a 3.31 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 1.79 K/BB rate over 32 2/3 IP for Atlanta this season.  He drew some trade attention from the Mets prior to the deadline, though this injury could scuttle the Braves’ chances of dangling Withrow as trade bait in the August waiver period.
  • The Brewers will place Junior Guerra on the 15-day DL on Tuesday due to right elbow inflammation, manager Craig Counsell told media (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  Wily Peralta had already been announced as the starter for Tuesday’s game, taking Guerra’s scheduled turn in the rotation.  Guerra, a 31-year-old rookie, has been a surprise breakout performer for Milwaukee this season, posting a 2.93 ERA, 7.55 K/9 and 2.43 K/9 over 107 1/3 innings for the Brew Crew.
  • Rays starter Alex Cobb will take the next step in his injury rehab by moving to Triple-A starts, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link).  Cobb will start for Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.  The righty underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2015 and his rehab has taken slightly longer than expected, though he is still tentatively slated to return to the Rays in late August or early September.

Lourdes Gurriel Declared Free Agent

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Cuban star Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen reports (Twitter links).  Gurriel is subject to international bonus pools now since he is just 22 years old, though he’ll be free of any spending restrictions when he turns 23 on October 19.

The expectation is that Gurriel won’t sign until after his next birthday, as his market will be open to all 30 teams.  Ten teams (including such big spenders as the Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs, Yankees) are currently limited to signings of no more than $300K for pool-eligible international players, as the clubs exceeded their pool limits in either of the last two years.  Since teams beyond those ten may not want to exceed their own pool for a big splash on Gurriel, it only makes sense that Gurriel and his representatives at WMG would wait until after October 19 to ensure the maximum number of suitors given the wide interest in Gurriel’s talents.

Gurriel has a career .277/.362/.426 line over 1098 career plate appearances in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, with much of his success coming in the last two years.  In a scouting report from April 2015 (subscription required), Baseball America’s Ben Badler ranked Gurriel as the fourth-best player in Cuba at the time, crediting his patient approach at the plate, bat speed and good command of the strike zone.  Gurriel has “a chance to be a plus hitter with a high OBP” with potential 20-homer power.  Gurriel has played all four infield positions and in left field during his brief career, mostly recently getting a chance at shortstop.  Badler doubts he has the range to stick at the position in the majors, though he could be a plus defender at third base.  There are some cons, however, as Longenhagen tweets that Gurriel has received some “mixed” reports from scouts — he has a long swing and may be a “bit of a project for 23.”

Concerns notwithstanding, Gurriel will certainly receive a bonus well into the eight-figure range.  Many teams will check in, though the Astros stand out as an obvious candidate since they have already signed Gurriel’s older brother Yulieski.  The younger Gurriel will require probably a year or two of minor league seasoning, which could give Houston give to figure out where exactly it would fit him into a lineup already stocked with established and young talent (Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, A.J. Reed and Yulieski himself) at Gurriel’s potential positions.  Yulieski has spoken in the past about playing with his brother under ideal circumstances, though he acknowledged the difficulties in such an arrangement given how the two are at such different stages of their careers.

AL Notes: Gurriel, Swihart, Benintendi, Royals, Mariners

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The Astros announced today that infielder Yulieski Gurriel has been promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi and will join that affiliate tomorrow. Since signing a five-year, $47.5MM contract with Houston last month, Gurriel has played six games between Houston’s Gulf Coast League and Class-A Advanced affiliates, going 8-for-21 with a homer, three doubles and five strikeouts. MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart tweets that Double-A is expected to be Gurriel’s final stop before arriving in the Major Leagues. It’s not entirely clear what type of alignment the Astros will utilize to work the 32-year-old Cuban star into the lineup, but Alex Bregman’s struggles upon his first taste of the Majors may have made it easier for manager A.J. Hinch to work Gurriel into the mix.

A bit more from the American League…

  • Red Sox manager John Farrell suggested to reporters this weekend that surgery could very well be required to fix the severe ankle sprain that is currently plaguing Blake Swihart (links to Twitter via Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald and Tim Britton of the Providence Journal). Swihart, who is waiting for a second opinion on the injury, hasn’t played since June 4, and surgery would seemingly jeopardize his chances of returning at all in 2016. Boston had been playing the 24-year-old top prospect in left field after concerns about his glovework behind the plate surfaced.
  • Mastrodonato writes today that outfielder Andrew Benintendi, who made his big league debut last week, could begin to find himself in the Red Sox’ lineup with greater frequency. The Sox planned to ease Benintendi into the Majors by limiting his at-bats against left-handed pitching, but Farrell explained that the “easing-in period has happened relatively quick,” referencing Benintendi’s hot start to his big league career. Extra playing time for Benintendi would likely come at the expense of Bryce Brentz, with whom he’d been slated to platoon early in his career.
  • MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan tackles a host of roster-related questions in his latest Royals Inbox, noting right off the bat that there’s “not a chance” the Royals will decline Alcides Escobar’s $6.5MM option in spite of his .279 OBP and recent rumors suggesting that the team may look to go with prospect Raul Mondesi Jr. at short in the near future. He also expects the Royals to try to work out a new two-year contract with Edinson Volquez, whom they like very much and who loves both the city of Kansas City and the Royals organization, according to Flanagan.
  • Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto spoke to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune about his weekend acquisitions of relievers Arquimedes Caminero and Pat Venditte, praising Caminero for rebounding from a poor start to the 2016 and pitching well since June 1. (Indeed, Caminero has a 2.28 ERA with 6.9 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 47.8 percent ground-ball rate in 23 2/3 innings since early June.) “He also provides another controllable and experienced arm for our pen,” said Dipoto. “Additionally, he’s among the hardest throwers in the game.” Speaking about Venditte, he said the Mariners were drawn to the ambidextrous hurler’s proficiency versus left-handed hitters as well as the fact that he has minor league options remaining.

Poll: Most Surprising Non-Trade Prior To The Deadline

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Heading into last Monday’s non-waiver deadline, there was no shortage of trade candidates that many expected to be moved (or hoped would be moved). While 20 of the names on MLBTR’s final list of top trade candidates did indeed find new homes, there were still quite a few that stayed put. A quick rundown…

  • Jeremy Hellickson, Phillies: As an impending free agent that is enjoying a resurgent campaign on a rebuilding team, Hellickson was the prototypical trade candidate. He’s affordable, effective and was seemingly in demand, with as many as a eight teams connected to him at various points throughout deadline season. However, he’s still with the Phils and now looks likelier to end up the recipient of a qualifying offer than to be traded in August.
  • Jeanmar Gomez, Phillies: Gomez entered the season as a middle reliever that was ticketed more for a multi-inning role than high-leverage spots, but he was placed into the ninth inning by manager Pete Mackanin out of necessity early in the year and hasn’t looked back. Gomez is controllable through 2017, so there’s still time to move him if the Phillies wish (be it this month, in the offseason, or next year), but late July was arguably the highest his trade value has ever been.
  • Derek Norris, Padres: The Friars reportedly shopped Norris quite heavily in the weeks leading up to the deadline, likely hoping to move him in order to clear a spot on the roster for Austin Hedges. The Rangers, Astros and Brewers were among the teams to show late interest, but Norris ultimately stayed put. He’s controllable through 2018, so the Padres can explore trades for quite some time, but with his replacement absolutely obliterating Triple-A pitching and the Padres aggressively shopping veterans, he seemed a likely candidate to move.
  • Kurt Suzuki, Twins: A well-timed hot streak for Suzuki looked like a stroke of good fortune that would allow Minnesota to extract some value in exchange for the free-agent-to-be heading into the deadline. Suzuki was quietly one of the league’s hottest hitters in June and July (.333/.362/.533), making his $6MM salary look plenty affordable. He could go in August, but a trade is obviously more difficult now.
  • Jim Johnson, Braves: Atlanta has been willing to trade virtually everyone on its roster other than Freddie Freeman and Julio Teheran, and Johnson was a natural candidate to be dealt. He’s on a cheap one-year deal and has pitched brilliantly since returning from a DL stint in early June. His name was all over the rumor mill heading into last Monday’s deadline, but he’s still in Atlanta a week later. A waiver deal can’t be ruled out, but the Braves will be faced with a much more limited market.
  • Zack Cozart, Reds: Cozart looked to be on his way to Seattle early last Monday with the deadline just hours away, but the medical hangups in the Reds’ Jay Bruce trade with the Mets reportedly slowed their ability to finalize the details on the Cozart deal with the Mariners. Cozart is controlled through 2017 and could be shopped again this winter, but an August deal looks unlikely since he’s a lock to get claimed — probably by a team with higher waiver priority than the Mariners. The Reds know they’ll be able to market him to more clubs and drive up the price this offseason.
  • Yasiel Puig, Dodgers: There’s some hindsight in play here, as Puig looked like a trade candidate as the deadline loomed but looks more likely to be done as a member of the Dodgers a week later now that they’ve added a new right fielder (Josh Reddick) and demoted Puig to Triple-A. Knowing how much Los Angeles had soured on Puig, it’s fairly surprising that no agreement was reached prior to the non-waiver deadline.
  • Danny Valencia, Athletics: Despite the fact that Valencia has been one of Oakland’s most productive hitters this year, the A’s called up prospect Ryon Healy and gave him Valencia’s everyday job at third base. Valencia is bouncing around the diamond now, but with just one year of club control remaining beyond the 2016 season, he looked like a very solid bet to be on the move following his displacement at the hot corner.
  • Jake Odorizzi, Rays: Odorizzi and teammate Matt Moore were rumored to be drawing interest from seemingly half the league prior to the deadline, but it was Moore who ended up moving. Odorizzi can be controlled through 2019, so there was no rush to move him, and the Rays ultimately elected to move just one of their young arms.
  • Yunel Escobar, Angels: What’s perhaps most surprising about Escobar, who is hitting well on a fourth-place team and has a reasonable club option for the 2017 season, is that his name scarcely surfaced on the rumor circuit. Escobar seemed like an obvious candidate based on his productivity and contract, but perhaps questions about his reputation and the Angels’ desire to compete in 2017 made trade chatter minimal.
  • Chris Sale, White Sox: I never considered a Sale trade to be all that likely, but there was plenty of speculation about it, and many were captivated by the idea of one of the game’s best pitchers (and one of the game’s best contracts) changing hands. His clubhouse tirade a week prior to the deadline only fueled speculation about his availability.

All that said, it’s time for everyone to weigh in (link to poll for Trade Rumors app users)…

NL Notes: Brewers, Kershaw, Peralta, Rockies

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Brewers general manager David Stearns spoke with Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel about the difference between the would-be return for the vetoed Jonathan Lucroy trade with the Indians and the actual return he received from the Rangers in exchange for Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress. While Milwaukee will end up with three players in exchange for Lucroy and Jeffress in the Rangers trade (as opposed to the four they’d have received from Cleveland for Lucroy alone), the Brewers landed players that are much closer to the big leagues in Lewis Brinson and Luis Ortiz than they would’ve in a Cleveland package that was headlined by Class-A catcher Francisco Mejia. Stearns also added that he’d received “indications” that Lucroy would approve a trade to Cleveland, though he declined to get into specifics about those indications and what they entailed. Lucroy’s rejection of the trade didn’t alter negotiations with other clubs much, according to Stearns, who tells Haudricourt that there was a robust market for his now-former catcher both before and after talks with Cleveland.

A few more notes from the Senior Circuit…

  • Clayton Kershaw played catch yesterday for the first time since suffering a setback after throwing a simulated game on July 17, as MLB.com’s Jack Baer writes. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has already stated that Kershaw won’t be back until September, and as Baer notes, that rules out a possible minor league rehab assignment for Kershaw, as the minor league season comes to a close at the end of August. Kershaw, instead, will rely on bullpen sessions, live batting practice and simulated games to get back up to speed in an effort to help the Dodgers down the stretch.
  • Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta, who was placed on the disabled list for the third time this season yesterday, will undergo an MRI on his bothersome right wrist today, writes MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert. This stint marks the second of Peralta’s three DL trips that has stemmed from inflammation in his right wrist, and Gilbert writes that Peralta was informed last year (when he injured the wrist for the first time) that he may have irritated a ligament.
  • The return of Gerardo Parra from the disabled list gives the Rockies four left-handed-hitting outfielders for three spots now that rookie David Dahl has cemented his place in the lineup, writes the Denver Post’s Nick Kosmider. “I’m not sure how it’s going to work out,” said manager Walt Weiss of the moderate logjam with which he is now faced. “I’ve got four really good outfielders, and they are all major league-quality outfielders. I’ve got to keep them all involved. … We can play matchups, those kinds of things. I can’t look into the future and say exactly how it’s going to go. … Parra’s a big part of this moving forward, as are the other three guys. It’s a nice issue to have.” While it seems unlikely that any of the four would be moved in the month of August, the presence of all four outfielders on the Rockies’ roster figures to lead to further speculation surrounding a possible trade of Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon or Parra this offseason.

Cubs Outright Brian Matusz

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Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the league…

  • Left-hander Brian Matusz cleared outright waivers and will remain with the Cubs organization after being designated for assignment on Aug. 1, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Matusz will return to Triple-A Iowa, where he pitched well before being promoted to make a spot start on the eve of the non-waiver trade deadline. Matusz was tagged for six runs in just three innings in his lone big league start with the Cubs but has compiled a 3.58 ERA with a 39-to-7 K/BB ratio in 27 1/3 minor league innings this season — including a 1.93 mark in 9 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. Formerly a mainstay in the Orioles’ bullpen, Matusz has yielded 14 earned runs in a total of nine Major League innings this season.

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