Brewers Promote Orlando Arcia
The Brewers are promoting top prospect Orlando Arcia prior to today’s game, the team announced overnight. Rays outfielder Oswaldo Arcia — Orlando’s older brother — first suggested as much by welcoming his younger brother to the Majors on Instagram.
[Related: Updated Milwaukee Brewers Depth Chart]
Arcia, 21, will take over as the Brewers’ shortstop, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes, thereby pushing Jonathan Villar over to third base. Arcia ranked seventh, 13th, 14th and 16th on the respective midseason rankings of the game’s top overall prospects from Baseball Prospectus, MLB.com, Baseball America and ESPN. Arcia draws huge amounts of praise for his defense at shortstop, his speed and his hit tool, giving him the potential to be a top-of-the-order hitter with Gold Glove caliber defense at a premium position if all pans out. He hasn’t exactly forced his way onto the roster with outstanding play at the Triple-A level like many top-tier prospects do, as he’s batted a modest .267/.320/.403 in a very hitter-friendly environment (the Pacific Coast League’s Colorado Springs). He’s extremely young to already have spent several months in Triple-A, though, and his perhaps underwhelming 2016 results clearly didn’t cause him to slip down prospect rankings much.
“The thinking is it’s time to get him started,” manager Craig Counsell tells McCalvy. “We’ve still got [58] games left, a good chunk of the season left, where we’re hopeful that it gives him good experience going into next year. I think it’s a little shot in the arm for us, a little boost for us, as well.”
If he’s in the Majors for good, Arcia will accrue 62 days of big league service in 2016 and fall well shy of Super Two status down the line. He currently projects to be controllable through the 2022 season and wouldn’t be eligible for arbitration until the completion of the 2019 campaign.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Red Sox Designate Tommy Layne, Michael Martinez
The Red Sox have designated left-hander Tommy Layne and utilityman Michael Martinez for assignment in order to clear spots on the roster for newly acquired southpaw Fernando Abad and newly promoted outfield prospect Andrew Benintendi, as MLB.com’s Ian Browne and Tim Britton of the Providence Journal first noted (links to Twitter).
[Related: Updated Boston Red Sox Depth Chart]
Layne, 31, has a 3.77 ERA with 7.9 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 53.2 percent ground-ball rate in 28 2/3 innings out of the Boston bullpen this season. He posted fairly similar numbers in 2015, but the key difference between the two seasons is his performance against left-handed opponents. Last year, Layne was unhittable in such situations, limiting left-handed hitters to a comical .148/.248/.170 slash in 102 plate appearances. This year, though, lefties batted .259/.355/.333 against him, thus prompting the Sox to look outside the organization for an improvement, which they found by flipping hard-throwing relief prospect Pat Light to the Twins in exchange for Abad.
Martinez, meanwhile, scarcely saw playing time during his brief tenure with the Red Sox. He appeared in just four games and totaled seven plate appearances, going 1-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts. The 33-year-old is a career .198/.244/.271 hitter in parts of six big league seasons (542 plate appearances). He has experience all over the diamond, having spent time in the outfield and at second base, third base and, to a lesser extent, shortstop.
Red Sox To Promote Andrew Benintendi
The Red Sox are having top outfield prospect Andrew Benintendi meet the team in Seattle tomorrow, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald writes. The move means Benintendi will skip straight from Double-A Portland, where he’s batted .295/.357/.515 in 263 plate appearances this season, to the big leagues.
Benintendi has relatively little minor-league experience, with just 657 career plate appearances on the farm, but it sounds like the Red Sox are confident his lack of repetitions won’t be a significant hindrance. As GM of the Tigers, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski frequently moved top talents to the Majors quickly, whisking players like Justin Verlander, Andrew Miller, Rick Porcello and Jeremy Bonderman through the minors.
“Maybe,” Dombrowski had said Monday when asked whether Benintendi or fellow top prospect Yoan Moncada could join the team at some point this season. “It could be. They’re close enough that they could be. I’m not making that prediction, but they could be.”
Benintendi had been the subject of some speculation at this year’s trade deadline, but it’s unsurprising the Red Sox were apparently reluctant to move such a blue-chip player. Since the Red Sox picked him with the seventh overall selection in last year’s draft, the University of Arkansas product has rocketed through the Sox’ system, posting a .312/.392/.540 career line in four minor-league stops.
MLB.com currently rates Benintendi the second-best Red Sox prospect (behind only Moncada) and the game’s seventh-best overall prospect, praising him for his left-handed swing, plate discipline and all-around offensive game and noting that he could eventually hit .300 with 20 homers per season. (Heading into the season, Baseball America rated Benintendi the game’s No. 15 prospect.) Benintendi is a bit small, at 5’10 and 170 pounds, but there is no reason to think he can’t be an excellent big-league hitter.
It’s unclear how Benintendi will fit into the Red Sox outfield, which already features two top young players in Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley. Benintendi, who has played mostly center field in the minors, could take over left field and free Brock Holt, who also plays infield, to play other positions. If Benintendi sticks in the big leagues, he could become eligible for arbitration after 2019 and free agency after 2022.
Trade Deadline Recap: AL West
Last up in our series of divisional trade deadline recaps is the AL West, where the Rangers and Athletics made the most noise.
- The Astros shipped veteran righty Scott Feldman to Toronto in exchange for minor league pitcher Lupe Chavez, and they sent reliever Josh Fields to the Dodgers for young first baseman Yordan Alvarez.
- The Angels landed pitchers Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer from Minnesota in return for pitchers Hector Santiago and Alan Busenitz. They also sent righty Joe Smith to the Cubs for minor league pitcher Jesus Castillo.
- The Athletics sent lefty Rich Hill and outfielder Josh Reddick to the Dodgers in exchange for young right-handers Grant Holmes, Frankie Montas and Jharel Cotton. They also shipped speedy outfielder Billy Burns to Kansas City for fellow OF Brett Eibner.
- The Mariners dealt lefty Wade Miley to Baltimore for minor-league lefty Ariel Miranda. They also sent reliever Joaquin Benoit to Toronto in exchange for fellow reliever Drew Storen. Finally, they got close on a trade that would have netted Cincinnati shortstop Zack Cozart, but were unable to complete it.
- The Rangers landed one of the season’s biggest prizes, getting catcher Jonathan Lucroy (as well as reliever Jeremy Jeffress) from Milwaukee for outfielder Lewis Brinson, righty Luis Ortiz and a player to be named. They also acquired Carlos Beltran from the Yankees for righties Dillon Tate, Erik Swanson and Nick Green. Finally, they added pitchers Lucas Harrell and Dario Alvarez from Atlanta, giving up minor league infielder Travis Demeritte.
Trade Deadline Roundup: AL Central
Our series of trade deadline recaps continues with the AL Central, where the Indians grabbed the majority of the headlines.
- The White Sox sent lefty Zach Duke to St. Louis in exchange for outfielder Charlie Tilson but did not make any other significant moves.
- The Indians‘ potential trade for star catcher Jonathan Lucroy was scuttled when Lucroy vetoed the deal, but they still managed huge move this week, albeit at a significant cost — they got Andrew Miller from the Yankees for minor-league outfielder Clint Frazier and pitchers Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen. They also got outfielder Brandon Guyer from Tampa Bay for prospects Nathan Lukes and Jhonleider Salinas.
- The Tigers hunted for pitching help but ultimately did not make any significant moves.
- There was no shortage of rumors surrounding various Royals pitchers, including Wade Davis, but Kansas City’s deadline was mostly quiet, as they only swapped Brett Eibner to Oakland for fellow outfielder Billy Burns.
- The Twins added Hector Santiago and minor-league righty Alan Busenitz from the Angels, giving up pitchers Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer. They also sent reliever Fernando Abad to Boston in return for relief prospect Pat Light, and infielder Eduardo Nunez to San Francisco for lefty Adalberto Mejia.
Trade Deadline Roundup: AL East
Our series of recaps of this week’s action continues with the AL East, which featured plenty of activity, particularly from the Yankees, Rays and Blue Jays.
- The Orioles acquired infielder Steve Pearce from the Rays in return for catching prospect Jonah Heim. They also picked up lefty Wade Miley from Seattle, giving up minor-league lefty Ariel Miranda. Finally, they signed righty Logan Ondrusek to a big-league deal.
- The Red Sox did most of their deadline shopping early and were relatively quiet this week. They did, however, acquire lefty reliever Fernando Abad from Minnesota for relief prospect Pat Light.
- The Yankees were one of the busiest teams this week. They shipped reliever Andrew Miller to Cleveland for a very impressive prospect package: outfielder Clint Frazier and pitchers Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen. They also announced their trade of Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs, in which they received reliever Adam Warren and prospects Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford. They sent Carlos Beltran to Texas for righties Dillon Tate (the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft), Erik Swanson and Nick Green. They also made a trade for a veteran, getting reliever Tyler Clippard from Arizona for righty Vicente Campos. Finally, they shipped righty Ivan Nova to Pittsburgh, receiving two players to be named in return.
- The Rays traded starter Matt Moore to San Francisco for infielder Matt Duffy and prospects Lucius Fox and Michael Santos. The Rays also shipped outfielder Brandon Guyer to Cleveland for minor league outfielder Nathan Lukes and pitcher Jhonleider Salinas. Finally, as mentioned above, they acquired Jonah Heim from the Orioles in return for Steve Pearce.
- The Blue Jays acquired Francisco Liriano plus prospects Harold Ramirez and Reese McGuire from Pittsburgh in exchange for righty Drew Hutchison. They also acquired Scott Feldman from Houston for minor league pitcher Lupe Chavez, then sent Jesse Chavez to the Dodgers in return for fellow righty Mike Bolsinger. They also made somewhat of a challenge trade with Seattle, sending Drew Storen (who had previously been designated for assignment) west in exchange for Joaquin Benoit, and they acquired Melvin Upton from San Diego for pitcher Hansel Rodriguez and cash.
Trade Deadline Roundup: NL West
We continue our series of roundups of this week’s trade activity with the NL West.
- The Diamondbacks traded veteran reliever Tyler Clippard to the Yankees for righty Vicente Campos. They also attempted to deal reliever Daniel Hudson, but were not able to complete a trade.
- The Rockies did not make any significant moves, notably holding onto Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon and Boone Logan.
- The Dodgers struck a significant deal with Oakland, getting lefty Rich Hill and outfielder Josh Reddick for young righties Grant Holmes, Frankie Montas and Jharel Cotton. They also picked up Jesse Chavez from Toronto for fellow righty Mike Bolsinger, and they acquired reliever Josh Fields from Houston for young first baseman Yordan Alvarez.
- The Padres sent Matt Kemp to Atlanta for Hector Olivera in an exchange of bad contracts, then quickly designated Olivera for assignment. They also sent pitchers Andrew Cashner, Colin Rea and Tayron Guerrero to Miami for pitcher Jarred Cosart, injured hurler Carter Capps, first base prospect Josh Naylor and minor league pitcher Luis Castillo, although they sent Castillo back to Miami in exchange for Rea after Rea had an elbow injury. Finally, they sent outfielder Melvin Upton to Toronto for pitcher Hansel Rodriguez and cash.
- The Giants got young starter Matt Moore from Tampa Bay in exchange for third baseman Matt Duffy and prospects Lucius Fox and Michael Santos. They also picked up lefty reliever Will Smith from Milwaukee for catcher Andrew Susac and pitching prospect Phil Bickford. Finally, they snagged infielder Eduardo Nunez from Minnesota, giving up lefty Adalberto Mejia.
Trade Deadline Roundup: NL Central
Next up in our series of trade deadline roundups is the NL Central.
- The Cubs acquired righty Joe Smith from the Angels for pitching prospect Jesus Castillo. They also completed their deal for Aroldis Chapman, in which they sent Adam Warren and prospects Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford to New York.
- The Reds got infield prospect Dilson Herrera and lefty Max Wotell from the Mets in exchange for outfielder Jay Bruce. They came close to trading shortstop Zack Cozart to Seattle, but that deal was never consummated.
- After star catcher Jonathan Lucroy vetoed a trade to Cleveland, the Brewers sent him and reliever Jeremy Jeffress to Texas in exchange for outfielder Lewis Brinson, pitcher Luis Ortiz and a player to be named. They also sent lefty Will Smith to San Francisco in exchange for pitching prospect Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac.
- The Pirates shipped closer Mark Melancon to Washington in exchange for lefty reliever Felipe Rivero and lefty prospect Taylor Hearn. Later, in a surprising move, they sent lefty Francisco Liriano and top prospects Harold Ramirez and Reese McGuire to Toronto in exchange for righty Drew Hutchison and relief from Liriano’s contract. They also dealt struggling lefty Jon Niese to the Mets in exchange for lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo, and they acquired righty Ivan Nova from the Yankees for two players to be named.
- The Cardinals had a quiet deadline, but they got lefty Zach Duke from the White Sox in exchange for minor league outfielder Charlie Tilson.
Trade Deadline Roundup: NL East
The NL East is first up in our series of roundups for each division in the week leading to today’s non-waiver trade deadline.
- The Braves‘ key move was to deal Hector Olivera‘s bad contract to San Diego for Matt Kemp and cash. They also acquired minor league infielder Travis Demeritte from Texas for righty Lucas Harrell and lefty Dario Alvarez. They did not, however, deal pitchers Julio Teheran and Jim Johnson.
- The Marlins acquired pitchers Andrew Cashner, Colin Rea and Tayron Guerrero from San Diego for pitchers Jarred Cosart and the injured Carter Capps, plus prospects Josh Naylor and Luis Castillo. Then, however, they sent Rea, who left his Marlins debut due to elbow trouble, back to San Diego in exchange for Castillo.
- The Mets acquired outfielder Jay Bruce from Cincinnati in return for prospects Dilson Herrera and Max Wotell. They also shipped struggling reliever Antonio Bastardo to Pittsburgh for their own former starter Jon Niese. Finally, they signed veteran outfielder Justin Ruggiano to a big-league deal.
- The Phillies had a quiet trade deadline, as GM Matt Klentak explained to reporters, including MLBTR’s Jason Martinez. Jeremy Hellickson, David Hernandez and Carlos Ruiz all remained with Philadelphia. The Phillies did make one small transaction, sending Rule 5 pick Daniel Stumpf back to the Royals.
- The Nationals spent the week connected to a variety of big names, and they finally landed one of them — their key move was to acquire closer Mark Melancon from Pittsburgh in return for reliever Felipe Rivero and lefty prospect Taylor Hearn.
GM Matt Klentak On Phillies’ Quiet Trade Deadline
There’s no question that the Phillies are rebuilding, with some of their better prospects—see J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams and Jake Thompson—closing in on the Major Leagues. As a result, there was an expectation that general manager Matt Klentak would, at the least, trade away free agents-to-be Jeremy Hellickson and David Hernandez, both of whom are having strong seasons, and veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz, who has a $4.5MM club option in 2017. But the first-year general manager came up empty during his first trade deadline.
As Klentak explained on a conference call earlier today, he was open-minded to making a deal and had dialogue with quite a few teams on a number of their players.
“We had offers out to other teams that, if accepted, we would have done,” Klentak said. “At the end of the day, there was nothing we felt made sense for the organization at this time.”
Citing a focus on appropriately balancing the present and the future, Klentak believes that Ruiz and Hellickson are playing a key role in the development of their younger players.
“We want to make sure our young players are being mentored by the right veterans,” Klentak explained. “Chooch has had a great career with the Phillies, and we value what he means to the organization and to the younger players. We like what he brings to this team.”
With regard to the 29-year-old Hellickson, who was acquired from the Diamondbacks last winter, Klentak stressed the importance of having a reliable innings-eater with many of the Phillies’ young pitchers beginning to approach innings totals that they haven’t reached in their careers.
“The reason we went out and acquired him last offseason is to provide stability to our rotation and mentor our young pitchers,” Klentak said. “I think he’s been outstanding in that role.”
While Klentak said that they have not determined whether Hellickson will be given a qualifying offer, which is estimated to be $16.7MM, they are mindful that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement could be in place by the offseason. With a very supportive ownership group and few future commitments, however, he wouldn’t rule it out. He also didn’t rule out the possibility of an August trade, although there are more hurdles to clear that would make it complicated.
As far as opening up playing time for young prospects, Klentak said that he never looked at the trade deadline as the platform that would allow them to play. The important thing, he said, is to call them up when they’re ready and never have to send them back because they’re not ready.
“[The lack of trades] doesn’t set back the timeline for any promotion,” he says. “We will promote them when they’re ready. If we need to create room, we will do so. There’s a decent chance we’ll see another somewhat notable promotion of a first-time big-leaguer before the season’s up.”