Jurickson Profar could be one of the Rangers’ biggest trade chips this offseason in their search for starting pitching, writes MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, although GM Jon Daniels spoke highly of Profar and said he expects him to be with the team next year. “As we sit here today, I expect him to be a part of the club in a winning role,” said Daniels of the 23-year-old Profar, who missed both 2014 and 2015 due to shoulder injuries but returned to play 90 games for Texas in 2016. The former No. 1 overall prospect batted just .239/.321/.338 in 307 plate appearances while playing first base, second base, shortstop, third base and left field. Daniels did acknowledge that he’s aware of Profar’s desire to play shortstop on an everyday basis, though there’s no avenue for him to do that with Elvis Andrus coming off a career year. However, as Daniels noted, the increase in roster versatility around the league has allowed utility players to effectively become regulars — a role that Profar could hold next year. Profar is under control through the 2019 season.
More from the division…
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow tells Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle that he and the rest of his front office are leaving this week’s GM Meetings with a lengthy list of “leads” to pursue in terms of both free agents and trades. “I think we’re going to start making some offers right away, both with teams as well as with agents and players,” said Luhnow. “Whether or not it leads to anything next week, I don’t know. But I would like to have one or two things done before the winter meetings if possible.”
- Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets that Angels GM Billy Eppler has informed Huston Street that he’ll have to win the closer’s role in a competition during Spring Training. Young righty Cam Bedrosian, who took over the ninth inning when Street hit the disabled list with a season-ending knee injury, will also be in the mix. The 33-year-old Street missed a month with an oblique strain early in the year before requiring knee surgery in August, limiting him to just 22 1/3 innings. Street recorded a brutal 6.45 ERA in that time and posted a 14-to-12 K/BB ratio while his fastball averaged a career-low 88.2 mph. Bedrosian, meanwhile, turned in a dominant 1.12 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 49.5 percent ground-ball rate in 40 1/3 innings. The 25-year-old saw his own season end preemptively as well, however; he first hit the DL due to a tendon strain in the middle finger on his right hand before undergoing surgery to repair a blood clot in his arm.
- Fletcher also reports that the Angels turned down a trade offer for an offensive-minded second baseman at this week’s GM Meetings due to the fact that the unnamed player was a defensive liability (Twitter link). It’s not clear who, exactly, is being referenced with the report — speculate away in the comments section — but Fletcher gets the impression that defense will be a high priority for the Halos as they look to fill add a second baseman. (Of note, Fletcher implied in a followup tweet that the second baseman in question wasn’t exactly a big name.)
- Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto suggested that his club will pursue a more targeted offseason than it did last year, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports. “Last year was about heavy lifting and effectively re-creating the way we played,” he said. “This year is about focusing on ways we can get better in the parameters we set up last year.” With some “freedom” in the payroll, Seattle will still be looking to add a right-handed-hitting option at first, a righty-swinging outfielder, and a lefty reliever. Divish ticks through some of the many options on the market.
Best guess for whom the Angels turned down: Scooter Gannet.
is his defense sub par?
cause i was thinking that they maybe turned down Kendrick
I also think it was Kendrick
Problem is, Kendrick isn’t very good offensively.
Maybe Brett Lawrie
Starlin Castro?
I’m not sure how his defense is but could it be Dozier, cause the only time you hear his name is for hitting.
no, Dozier is a big name.
my guess is Jed Lowrie
Was thinking the same thing
^^^for sure
man y’all are slow. pretty obviously derek Dietrich of the marlins.
Agreed
My guess is Howie Kendrick
Howie Kendrick
I thought Bedrosian was shut down due to a blood clot issue in his right arm…
That was after the finger injury
Yeah but it was the clothes that determined the shut down right?
You’re correct
Yeah you’re correct — I spaced on the blood clot and added it to the post last night. Thanks.
I don’t see why people are suggesting Kendrick. Even in his prime years Kendrick wasn’t an offensive minded 2B, he was more known for D. Dozier would make sense since his value will never be higher. Or it could be Castro. He’s never been known for his glove and NY has Refsynder to fill in at 2B. In either case both of those players still have solid trade value. If it was either of those players i’m sure their respective teams were asking for a lot. Kendrick’s value is at an all time low so the Dodgers couldn’t have been asking for much.
it’s not Dozier. Angels can’t afford him
I can’t see Dozier – Angels don’t have the pieces to trade for him. Obviously they aren’t dealing Trout and they aren’t dealing from the rotation. Certainly don’t have the farm for it.
I was curious if it could be Jean Segura. D-Backs could be looking to flip him and sell high. Chris Owings could slide in at 2nd. Thought that would be interesting with Jean Segura being an Angels prospect a few years ago. I know he didn’t rate well as an SS so I’m just guessing he also didn’t do well as a 2B, Maybe someone can correct me if my assumptions are wrong at 2B but he certainly hit last year.
I would describe him as a solid above average hitter (more than anyone can ask for at 2B) with a very good glove. And a good guy to have in the clubhouse.
I would guess Howie Kendrick or Brett Lawrie.
2 below average hitters…
Brett Lawrie’s defense is gold glove caliber. Have you never seen him play?
How was Phillips D last yr?
On his twitter he says it was a guy much much lower than Kinsler. So we’re looking at low-mid tier 2B.
Well Kinsler is elite so…..
Daniel Murphy?
Ultimate sell-high candidate…
he’s legit, and angels have nowhere near the prospects to get him
Dodgers might have an interest in Profar at 2B. Would Wood, Stripling or Stewart interest Rangers?
I’d think they’d definitely be interested in Wood. Although I would assume that they believe that Profar could fetch someone with more value.
I’m thinking it was Devon Travis.
no.
First thought was Lowrie. Seeing in the comments where someone mentioned Castro since the Yankees have Refsnyder reminds me of Refsnyder. So Refsnyder is my main guess.
More likely to be Castro though. Refsnyder has very little trade value.
It ain’t Kendrick people – he doesn’t swing much of a stick.
Does for a second baseman. You want a stick you look at 1B or OF. Not 2B.
I bet it was Ryan Schimpf
why would a rebuilding team trade a guy with 6 more years of control?
Because Schimpf is pushing 30 and there’s a reason he was a minor league free agent last year. He had a nice season but it’s not happening again I’d guess. Also, he’s not a good second baseman.
but who do they have to replace him? spangengburg? lol… you don’t trade a guy who will cost the minimum for 2 years to create a whole when he doesn’t have a ton of value anyway.
Spangenberg was the starter at second on Opening Day, but a leg injury he kept re-injuring wasted his year. The favorite is probably Carlos Asuaje, who can hit for average and is an above average glove with speed at 2B. He was originally considered a solid utility type when acquired, but his hitting and coachability in triple A helped him move up to starter consideration. Plus, my sister says he has beautiful eyes.
If they have depth at that position then there’s your reason. Aside from what davidcoonce74 suggested. And if they have depth then they deal him to fill needs elsewhere. Same reason the Angels have a good shot at acquiring Hernandez.
I think it was Jerry Remy.
No, Bobby Grich.
derek deitrich obviously.
I’m thinking Jonathan Schoop.
I think it was Donald Trump.
Must be Cano
It was scooter gennett. Not very good defensively..good offensively though…the angels should pick up Valbuena and sean rodriguez to fill 2nd and back up the outfield..
gennett has an 85 wRC+ the last 2 years. he is not good offensively.
I say school or Dietrich. Although I’d lean more towards the latter.
Orioles don’t have another second basemen. marlins have dee Gordon. it’s Dietrich for sure.
Schoop*
He is not a defensive liability… Dietrich is. I’m thinking Logan Forsythe.
My main guess is Dietrich from miami
Outside shot. Wilmer Flores. That’s the first name that came to mind. Defensively challenged and 2B is possibly his safest position.
I hope it’s not true though because if he ever gets regular playing time, I think he’s going to become an offensive juggernaut.
The Angels turned down an offer. Who the hell do they have that another team was asking for? The only real prospects they have left are Ward and, uhh, Fletcher??? Other than those two I can’t think of anyone else on the farm I’d want from them and even those two guys aren’t that great.
You need to learn how the system really works and not take those top prospect lists for granted. Every organization has an opinion on every prospect, and it’s about scouting a particular team’s top prospects. And if scouts like what they see, without all the BS hype, then that club will make an offer. That’s how it really works. People who don’t fully understand how farm systems work have kept saying that the Angels don’t have the farm pieces to make trades or contend, and yet they keep making trades and contending (minus 2016), and won 98 games just two years ago after so many were saying they’d be bad for a long time after a miserable 2013 season. Their system was dead last when they acquired Huston Street. And they keep bringing up players who contribute despite their system’s rankings. One of which just won the AL HR crown after being traded from the Angels for starting pitching depth…
Ehh? Angels haven’t won a playoff game since ’09. That’s not contending at all and the question still remains.
Who do the Angels have on their farm that another team would be asking for lol? Their farm system is so poor that players they sign off waivers hit their top 10 prospects list.
Contending is contending for a playoff spot. Your question doesn’t change the fact that every organization has an opinion on prospects, and that the Angels have managed to still make trades and bring up successful major leaguers despite their farm system’s rankings. There are top prospects within organizations who’s farm systems are ranked higher than the Angels that have had worse numbers in the minors than Angels prospects.
As a few others have said, I’m thinking it was Dietrich. The Marlins need SP, so I’m guessing for Tropeano.
Tropeano’s arm fall off in the Big A parking lot. They’d make that trade all day Id venture.
I assume that “wasn’t exactly a big name” likely means a “Who cares” type player.
It could have been jedd gyorko for the cardinals. Big power year last year, and they might have been looking for potential trades to upgrade defensively?
Gyorko makes sense.. Hoping to sell high on that power. His only skill set really. Cardinals could stand to get younger. Angels center field prospect Jones could be the target.
Padres could move Schimpf for similar reasons. They like Asuaje who hit .320 in AAA, a prospect in the Kimbrel trade.
Depending upon their decision with Escobar, Cowart’s versatility yields between 3B, 2B, OF, and I think they would be measuring against him before they make a trade. Glove is there, bat has improved and still projects. They might be aggressive with pursuing Cespedes this off-season with money falling off the books. My best guess with that player discussed: Adam Frazier
The Pirates have a slew of 2B’s on their 40 man roster and Frazier showed spark batting .311 in 66 games with them.