Archives for 2016

Cafardo’s Latest: Orioles, Bautista, Hellickson, Reddick

By Connor Byrne | September 24, 2016 at 9:03pm CDT

The Orioles and agent Scott Boras discussed impending free agents Matt Wieters and Pedro Alvarez in a meeting last week, but no progress was made toward extensions for either, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. As a result, Wieters and Alvarez look likely to depart Baltimore at season’s end. Wieters, the Orioles’ top catcher since 2009, accepted a qualifying offer from the club for $15.7MM a year ago, but they probably won’t tender him for $16.7MM during the upcoming offseason. The 30-year-old is in the midst of one of his worst offensive seasons, having batted .241/.300/.401 in 438 plate appearances. Alvarez, a former Pirate, took a $5.75MM deal with the O’s last March and has since slashed .248/.319/.506 with 22 homers in 367 PAs. Those are right in line with the numbers the designated hitter/corner infielder regularly produced in Pittsburgh.

NL Notes: Pirates, Melancon, Dodgers, Cardinals

By Connor Byrne | September 24, 2016 at 7:58pm CDT

Given the dearth of quality starting pitchers set to hit free agency during the offseason, it might make sense for the Pirates to use their money on bullpen upgrades if they’re unable to re-sign Ivan Nova, writes Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Pirates and Nova have engaged in extension talks, but the 29-year-old’s late-season breakout could price him out of the team’s range. If so, Sawchik suggests a reunion with soon-to-be free agent closer Mark Melancon, whom the Bucs traded to the Nationals at this year’s non-waiver trade deadline. As a 31-year-old who lacks eye-popping strikeout numbers, Melancon is likely to garner the cheapest contract among fellow impending free agent bullpen aces Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman. Melancon made his return to Pittsburgh on Friday as a visitor and received an ovation from its fans, though he suffered his first blown save as a National in a 6-5 loss.

Wilmer Flores Done For Season?

By Connor Byrne | September 24, 2016 at 6:43pm CDT

If the reigning National League champion Mets are going to maintain their spot atop the wild-card race, they might have to do it without infielder Wilmer Flores. The 25-year-old hasn’t seen action since Sept. 10 because of a right wrist injury he suffered in a collision with Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski, and Flores isn’t sure if he’ll be able to return this season.

“I am worried,” Flores told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “But I’m very positive that I’ll feel good.”

Flores, who has a right bone bruise, has received a pair of cortisone shots over the past two weeks. One of the Mets’ team doctors recommended more rest for him Friday. With time running out this year, that could be problematic, notes DiComo. Still, Flores recently began taking aggressive swings in an indoor cage and hopes to progress to full batting practice next week.

If Flores is able to return, his presence would likely benefit a Mets offense that has scored the third-fewest runs in the NL this season. Flores has done his part, having batted .267/.319/.469 this year with 16 home runs in 335 plate appearances – including .281/.322/.496 in 149 second-half PAs. Most of the damage has come versus left-handed pitchers, against whom Flores has slashed .340/.383/.710 line in 107 trips to the plate.

The right-handed Flores’ prowess against southpaws could make him a platoon option at first base with the recently activated Lucas Duda, a lefty, or he could vie for playing time at second base with Kelly Johnson and T.J. Rivera. In addition to first and second, Flores has logged extensive time at third base this year, but the Mets are in fine shape there with midseason signing Jose Reyes, who has hit .263/.322/.451 and swatted eight homers in 245 PAs since returning from a domestic violence suspension.

Regardless of whether Flores comes back this season, he’ll be eligible for arbitration for the time during the upcoming winter. The 32 homers Flores has hit in 845 PAs since last season should set him up for a nice raise over his 2016 salary of $526,000-plus.

Brandon Phillips On Future

By Connor Byrne | September 24, 2016 at 5:41pm CDT

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips took advantage of his no-trade clause last winter to block a deal to the Nationals. If the Reds attempt to move Phillips again during the upcoming offseason, the 35-year-old isn’t sure which approach he’ll take.

“That one thing that’s not really on my mind. I’m just trying to finish the season strong and whatever happens, happens. I can’t really control what’s going on, what the Reds want or what I want,” Phillips told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. “All I know is I want to finish strong for this team. I’m still a Red. I’m happy. I still have another year on my contract and I’m happy with that. You never know what the future really holds. Just look at the present and enjoy it while you can.”

When the Nationals pursued Phillips, he had two years and $27MM remaining on his contract, but the three-time All-Star was only willing to approve a move to Washington if it came with an extension. Phillips’ refusal to relocate to the nation’s capital has worked out well for the Nats, whose fallback plan was to sign ex-Met Daniel Murphy in free agency. In the first year of a $36MM contract that runs through 2018, Murphy has enjoyed an elite-level season, having batted an astounding .347/.391/.596 with 25 home runs in 581 plate appearances for a playoff-bound club.

With his .290/.321/.418 line in 566 PAs, Phillips hasn’t been nearly as effective as Murphy this year, but the longest-tenured Red has totaled double-digit home runs and steals (11 apiece) for the ninth time. He has also slashed .336/.356/.486 in 223 second-half trips to the plate, which could lead to offseason interest from teams looking for a capable stopgap at the keystone. Of course, that might come down to whether Phillips would be open to playing out his deal for $13MM in 2017 without an extension from an acquiring club. It’s possible Phillips would sign off on a trade to a contender, as he told Sheldon that winning a World Series is among his main goals.

“The reason we all play this game is to win a championship,” he said.

Phillips certainly won’t be part of a World Series champion next year in Cincinnati, which is amid a rebuild. In the event the Reds trade Phillips over the winter and end their 11-year relationship with him, they have a pair of replacement candidates on hand in Dilson Herrera and Jose Peraza – both of whom are 22. Herrera hasn’t yet debuted with the Reds since they acquired him from the Mets for outfielder Jay Bruce at this year’s non-waiver trade deadline, while Peraza has batted a solid .327/.349/.423 with 16 steals over 218 PAs this season.

Zack Greinke’s Season Likely Over

By Jeff Todd | September 24, 2016 at 4:00pm CDT

SATURDAY: Manager Chip Hale says he does not believe Greinke will pitch again this season, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets.

FRIDAY 10:26pm: The MRI cleared Greinke of structural damage, as Piecoro tweets, though he’ll likely miss his next scheduled start. That’s obviously good news for Arizona, though it would certainly be preferable if Greinke is able to return for at least one more outing before shutting things down for the offseason.

7:12pm: The Diamondbacks will send righty Zack Greinke in for an MRI on his right shoulder, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. He isn’t with the team at present and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to make his final two starts of the year.

Greinke did not show any indications of a problem during his last outing — he was effective, though it was his third-straight with at least four walks — but reported shoulder inflammation thereafter. He did report improvement as of today, per manager Chip Hale, but the team is obviously concerned enough to order up imaging.

Needless to say, this isn’t the way Arizona hoped that Greinke’s already-rough season would wrap up. The soon-to-be 33-year-old sports an uncharacteristic 4.37 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 over his 158 2/3 innings on the year. He missed time previously with an oblique strain.

While most of Greinke’s peripherals fell within range of his career norms, he was particularly susceptible to the long ball this year, allowing 1.3 dingers per nine. His average fastball largely held steady, dropping about half a mile an hour from his prior three campaigns, but both his four-seam and two-seam offerings were markedly less effective than in the recent past (by measure of Pitch F/X pitch values).

Greinke still profiles as a highly useful starter — he’d surely secure the largest contract in this winter’s weak free agent class were he again eligible — but the remainder of his massive contract looks to be under water at this point in time. Greinke is owed $157.5MM over the next five years, a monumental sum for a hurler his age, which has led some to suggest that the D-Backs ought to seek a trade partner. While the club’s current front office has stated that it isn’t inclined to take that path, organizational change could shift the calculus. Any uncertainty in Greinke’s shoulder, though, would largely scuttle any such ideas — at least until he can demonstrate that he is healthy.

Pablo Sandoval Could Return This Season

By charliewilmoth | September 24, 2016 at 3:26pm CDT

Red Sox manager John Farrell says third baseman Pablo Sandoval is “well ahead of schedule” in his rehab and could potentially be an option for the Red Sox next month, as Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports (Twitter links). Farrell seems to be suggesting that the Sox would likely treat Sandoval as an option only in the case of an injury to another player, such as current third baseman Travis Shaw.

In May, Sandoval had shoulder surgery and appeared likely to be out for the season. Since then, though, he’s reportedly lost 22 pounds, as WEEI’s Rob Bradford tweeted last month. Sandoval is currently playing DH in Red Sox instructs.

Sandoval, of course, had a miserable first season in Boston in 2015, batting just .245/.292/.366 while also struggling defensively. This year, he’s collected just seven plate appearances and doesn’t have a hit. Given his previous struggles, the length of time he’s been away and the approaching end of the regular season, it would be quite a story if Sandoval were to contribute this season, even in the playoffs. That possibility seems unlikely, to say the least.

Still, it bodes well for Sandoval that he’s progressed quickly enough that the Red Sox are open to the possibility of an early return. He still has three years and $58MM remaining on his contract, so there’s still time for the team to recoup a bit of value from the $95MM investment in Sandoval they made in the 2014-15 offseason.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Trumbo, Yankees, Preller

By charliewilmoth | September 24, 2016 at 2:55pm CDT

Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a video at FOX Sports:

Orioles slugger Mark Trumbo will be an interesting free agent to watch, Rosenthal writes. He’s something like the opposite of Jason Heyward, who got $180MM last year — unlike Heyward, whose calling card was his defense, Trumbo is a clear liability in the outfield but has spent the 2016 season hitting home runs by the bushel. It will, indeed, be interesting to see how teams value a player who already has 44 home runs this season but who will be 31 in January and doesn’t have much in the way of OBP or fielding ability.
The Yankees will likely try to slip underneath the luxury-tax threshold in one of the next two seasons, Rosenthal says, noting that the threshold will likely increase to $200MM-plus in the next CBA. Doing so would reset their penalty rate in time for them to splurge on the 2018-2019 free agent class, which includes Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado and other big names. After next season, Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia will no longer draw a salary, potentially allowing the Yankees to get beneath the threshold for 2018.
The Padres continue to support GM A.J. Preller, who’s currently suspended due to disputes over medical information the team withheld from other teams in trade negotiations. The team’s ownership expects, however, that when Preller returns he will improve the medical and training practices that got him into hot water. An even bigger issue for Preller might be earning the trust of executives from other teams, who he’ll have to continue to trade with despite a series of disputes.

AL Notes: Postseason Preparation, Holland, Blue Jays

By charliewilmoth | September 24, 2016 at 2:15pm CDT

A team’s preparation for the postseason starts well before the playoffs actually begin, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald writes. The process of scouting potential playoff opponents, for example, begins months in advance. “You have to throw superstition out the window, because you’ve got to start that process in August,” says Red Sox president Sam Kennedy. “There’s a lot that goes into it. We have actually one person who wears a variety of hats here, but he is our postseason coordinator.” Teams also must plan for the possibility of winning a World Series even when they’re far from winning one. For example, the winning team must host a gala. “You may be two and a half games out of the Wild Card, and you’re sitting around trying to book a party for 1,500 people,” says Kennedy. Here’s more from the American League.

The Rangers are moving lefty Derek Holland to the bullpen, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes (Twitter links). Holland has been a fixture in the Rangers’ rotation since 2009, but he’s posted a 5.04 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 105 1/3 innings of a 2016 season marred by shoulder trouble. The idea behind the switch is to evaluate whether Holland help the team out of the bullpen in the playoffs. According to manager Jeff Banister, the team will likely go with eight relievers on its ALDS roster.
The Blue Jays are in the midst of plans to keep their Spring Training home in Dunedin, Florida for the next 25 years, Megan Reeves of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Under the terms of the proposed deal, the team will partner with the county, city and state to do about $81MM worth of renovating and rebuilding. Of that total, the team will pay $15.7MM. The stadium at which Spring Training games are played will be renovated, while the team will also get a new clubhouse to update its training site. The Blue Jays have been in Dunedin since their inception in 1977, Reeves notes, making them the only team that has never changed Spring Training locations.

NL Notes: Nationals, Roster Expansion, Coke

By charliewilmoth | September 24, 2016 at 12:32pm CDT

Major League Baseball and many teams are currently celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, but Hispanic identity is a complex topic for the many US-born players of Latin descent, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post writes in an interesting look at the highly variable backgrounds of MLB players. “If I talk to a Latin ballplayer, I’m Cuban. And if I talk to an American guy, I’m American. No matter what,” says Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez, who is of Cuban heritage but who was born in the Miami area. “You’re never going to win in that argument. It’s never a win-win situation.” Nats reliever Rafael Martin, meanwhile, was born in the Los Angeles area but spent much of his childhood in Mexico. He had never met Latinos who weren’t Mexican before becoming a pro baseball player. “At first, it’s interesting,” says Martin. “Weird sometimes. Especially like [how] other countries use different words in Spanish. I find it very interesting, the way people come up in different countries, different styles.” Here’s more from the NL.

September roster expansion has led to some exhausting games between the Mets and Phillies this weekend, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. On Thursday, the Mets used 27 players and the Phillies 22 in an 11-inning game that lasted well over four hours. On Friday, the two teams combined to use 38 players in a game that lasted 3:40. Mets starter Gabriel Ynoa pitched just two innings and allowed two runs before departing, leading to a conga line of relievers and pinch-hitters. “It’s getting a little out of hand, but I think everybody would do the same thing,” said Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson. “You’ve got 15 guys down there, why not use them all? And it worked.” Rules regarding September roster expansion could be on the docket during CBA talks this offseason, Gelb notes. One possibility would allow teams to expand rosters to 40 as they currently do, but require them to submit a 25-man active roster before each game. That would limit the amount of specialization that’s currently so prevalent in September games.
Veteran lefty Phil Coke has spent the 2016 season traveling around the state of Pennsylvania, Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. After being released by the Braves near the end of Spring Training, Coke joined the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League. He eventually signed with the Yankees and headed to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, about two and a half hours away. Coke was in Scranton following the end of the minor league season when Yankees GM Brian Cashman called him earlier this week to ask if he wanted to join the Pirates’ bullpen. “OK, that’s not far away,” Coke said. “I’m in.” He officially headed to the Pittsburgh organization on Thursday in a minor trade.

AL Notes: Liriano, Royals, Mariners

By charliewilmoth | September 24, 2016 at 10:39am CDT

After struggling through the first four months of the season with the Pirates, lefty Francisco Liriano has enjoyed success since coming to the Blue Jays in a deadline trade, writes Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. Nicholson-Smith notes that, since the trade, Liriano has gotten opposing batters to swing at pitches outside the strike zone 35.1% of the time, up from 27.8% with the Bucs. “He’s always had one of the better arms in baseball. He’s one of those guys that can always dominate teams and he really hasn’t lost a whole lot,” says manager John Gibbons. In seven starts with Toronto, Liriano has a 3.35 ERA, 8.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9. If he can maintain similar numbers in 2017, he’ll be more than worth his $13.7MM salary, which means that the Blue Jays will likely come out significantly ahead in the trade that brought Liriano to Toronto, in which they also received prospects Reese McGuire and Harold Ramirez while giving up only righty Drew Hutchison, who hasn’t been impressive in the Pirates organization so far. Here’s more from the American League.

In the coming offseason, the Royals will discuss how best to use righty Joakim Soria and lefty Matt Strahm, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan writes. Soria signed a three-year deal last winter and has had an uneven first season in his return to Kansas City, posting a 4.12 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9. It sounds like he’ll be back in the Royals’ bullpen next year, although the team isn’t sure in what capacity. “[W]e’re going to be very active trying to make sure our bullpen gets back to what it has been. Joakim can be a big part of it,” says GM Dayton Moore. “I know it hasn’t been the type of year that he expected.” Strahm, in contrast, has had an outstanding rookie season in the bullpen, allowing just two runs while striking out 26 batters in his first 19 big-league innings. Strahm spent part of the season as a starter at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, though, and the Royals say they’ll continue to consider him as a starter and that it isn’t guaranteed he’ll break camp with the team.
The Mariners have announced that they’ve named Justin Hollander their director of baseball operations. The 37-year-old Hollander had previously worked with Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto with the Angels, and last year Hollander served as that organization’s director of player personnel.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Headlines

Archives for 2016

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect