MLB Could Reduce Schedule Length
With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire in December and negotiations for a new CBA underway, officials from Major League Baseball and the players’ union are discussing the length of the regular-season schedule, reports David Lennon of Newsday. Specifically, the idea of streamlining from 162 to 154 games is picking up steam, per Lennon, as it would be less taxing on the players than the current format. The American League previously switched from a 154-game schedule to 162 in 1961, while the National League followed suit in 1962.
Today’s teams have just 21 days off during the 183-day regular season, which Lennon notes has led to complaints from the players because of the grueling travel schedules they face. One reason there are calls for a shorter schedule relate to the league’s stricter performance-enhancing drug testing, according to Lennon. PEDs are tempting to use in part because they help players get through a rigorous schedule, but with tests becoming harder to beat, drugs perhaps aren’t the enticing option they were in the past.
Regardless of the players’ issues with the current setup, cutting the schedule could be unrealistic because of the negative financial consequences likely to accompany it. Teams are unsurprisingly reluctant to sign off on losing revenue from attendance and television ratings. Players would also be in danger of making less money, too, as commissioner Rob Manfred laid out earlier this week.
“There are ways to produce more off days in the schedule. Some of those have very significant economic ramifications that — if in fact we’re going down those roads — those economic ramifications are going to have to be shared by all of the relevant parties,” said Manfred. “You want to work less, usually you get paid less. But we are prepared to discuss the schedule issues and make proposals that are responsive to the ones that we’ve received from the MLBPA.”
The players’ best chance to ensure a lighter schedule and continue to rake in the same salaries would be to convince the league that the quality of performance will rise if they garner more rest, writes Lennon. Indeed, that factors into MLBPA executive director Tony Clark’s argument.
“I don’t agree that there would need to be a discussion about a loss of salary or a rollback of salaries,” commented Clark. “Because if there is a lessening of the games . . . the value of every game goes up as well. I’m not talking about raising ticket prices. What I’m talking about is the idea that if I’m a fan coming to a ballpark, or I’m purchasing a season ticket, I know I’m going to see my guys as a result of x, y, z being done to make improvements to their overall health.”
If the league and the union are ultimately unable to agree to an eight-game reduction, Lennon offers the possibility of a two- or four-game compromise. With no CBA in place yet for next season, a resolution should come soon.
Indians Trade Ross Detwiler To A’s
The Indians have traded left-handed swingman Ross Detwiler to the Athletics for cash considerations, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com was among those to report (Twitter link). Detwiler will head to Triple-A Nashville, tweets Ryan Lewis of Ohio.com.
Detwiler, 30, is now set to join his fourth organization over a two-year span. He logged just 4 2/3 innings with the Indians this year, surrendering three earned runs on three walks and four hits, before they designated him for assignment in April. Detwiler then accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus, where he compiled a 4.60 ERA, 5.89 K/9 and 3.02 BB/9 in 12 starts.
Previously, Detwiler racked up 58 1/3 frames for the Rangers and Braves last season, though he posted an unsightly ERA (7.25) and a similarly ugly walk rate (5.55 per nine). All told, Detwiler has thrown 534 big league innings with four different teams and recorded a 4.21 ERA, 5.54 K/9, 3.27 BB/9 and 46.3 percent ground-ball rate. Those numbers are respectable on the whole, and Detwiler’s only two years removed from putting up a 4.00 ERA over 63 innings, but it’s fair to say he hasn’t lived up to his draft stock since the Nationals selected him sixth overall in 2006.
Detwiler, who’s scheduled to become a free agent at season’s end, will try to eventually work his way back to the majors with the Oakland organization. He’ll face an uphill climb, though, as he’s not on the Athletics’ 40-man roster. At the major league level, the A’s currently have two lefties apiece in their rotation and bullpen, as their depth chart shows.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Trout, Myers, SP Injuries, Jays
This week’s look around the baseball blogosphere:
- BaseballDocs offers a couple Mike Trout trade proposals.
- SaberBallBlog conducts an interesting study about the amount of luck (or lack thereof) each team had with first-half rotation matchups.
- Redleg Nation argues that proper mechanics, not simply limiting workloads, are among the truly important factors in preventing injuries to pitchers.
- Other League analyzes the success of Padres first baseman Wil Myers.
- The First Out At Third encourages the Brewers to put right-hander Junior Guerra on the block.
- Blue Jay Hunter isn’t a fan of the Blue Jays’ decision to extend first baseman Justin Smoak.
- Outside Pitch MLB breaks down the Cubs’ potential trade options.
- Wayniac Nation interviews Mets Triple-A manager Wally Backman.
- Super Two Sports doles out first-half awards.
- Chin Music Baseball picks a first-half MVP from all 30 teams.
- Pirates Breakdown expects second-half surges from three Pirates.
- Jays From The Couch makes a case for the Blue Jays to swing a trade with the AL East rival Yankees to acquire left-hander CC Sabathia.
- Outfield Fly Rule tries to gauge Braves right-hander Julio Teheran‘s trade value.
- Brew City Sports Report is concerned that the location of the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate, Colorado Springs, could be detrimental to developing pitchers.
- Now On Deck opines that baseball, with its vast array of young stars, is in great shape for the long haul.
- Think Blue Planning Committee wonders if the Dodgers can put together a formidable rotation if they make the playoffs.
- Dan Grant of Same Page Team grades the Blue Jays’ roster at the halfway mark.
- Motor City Bengals comes up with some buy-low trade deadline options for the Tigers
- Sports Heaven lists five playoff contenders that could crumble during the second half of the season.
- Camden Depot scrutinizes Orioles catcher Matt Wieters‘ theory about the spike in home runs across the major leagues.
- Inside the ‘Zona ranks the Diamondbacks’ 10 best prospects at the midpoint.
- The Point Of Pittsburgh looks at Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang‘s troubling off-field issues.
- Notes From The Sally scouts Phillies outfield prospect Cornelius Randolph.
- Everything Bluebirds calls on the Blue Jays to re-sign designated hitter/first baseman Edwin Encarnacion and keep him away from the division-rival Red Sox in the process.
- Off The Bench runs down several potential starting pitchers the Red Sox could target as the trade deadline approaches (one of whom, Drew Pomeranz, they ended up acquiring after OTB published the piece).
- Jays Journal examines the impact the Pomeranz trade will have on the Blue Jays.
- isportsweb dives into the state of the Phillies as the trade deadline nears.
- The Runner Sports profiles Astros High-A outfield prospect Bobby Boyd.
- Rotisserie Duck revisits the 2006-15 drafts and assesses the fantasy baseball impact of each class.
- Clutchlings is bullish on Blue Jays first base prospect Rowdy Tellez.
- Yanks Go Yard believes the Yankees will need help from their farm system during the season’s second half.
- The Ranger Report is worried about the slumping Rangers.
- Baseball Hot Corner is confident about the surging Red Sox.
- Philliedelphia asks when the Phillies will host an All-Star Game again.
- Chris Zantow recalls the 1975 All-Star Game at Milwaukee County Stadium.
Please send submissions to ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Rangers Interested In Rays’ Starters, Andrew Cashner, Andrew Miller
12:10pm: Texas would like the Yankees to take on a portion of Miller’s salary in the event of a trade, writes Wilson. Miller is under contract through 2018 at $9MM per year.
11:30am: The Rangers are also in talks with the Padres regarding righty Andrew Cashner, per Sullivan (Twitter link).
11:24am: In addition to Moore, the Rangers and Rays are also discussing Odorizzi and Drew Smyly, but not Chris Archer, tweets TR Sullivan of MLB.com. As for the bullpen, the Rangers are eyeing Yankees relief ace Andrew Miller, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link).
9:04am: Looking to upgrade their rotation and bullpen prior to the Aug. 1 trade deadline, the scuffling Rangers are engaged in trade talks with the Rays, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter links). The clubs have discussed left-handed starter Matt Moore, to whom the Rangers have been connected previously, as well as relievers. Texas was also reportedly interested in Rays right-handed starter Jake Odorizzi as recently as July 5.
While the 54-38 Rangers hold a 4 1/2-game lead in the AL West, they and the second-place Astros have been going in opposite directions lately. Texas has dropped 11 of its last 14, and its rotation is missing righty Colby Lewis and southpaw Derek Holland – both of whom are on the 60-day DL – and has gone without ace Yu Darvish for most of the season. Darvish made his second return of the year Saturday, but the Rangers can’t necessarily count on him to be at full strength.
Even if Darvish and Cole Hamels stay healthy and effective, there are questions about the rest of the Rangers’ starters. A.J. Griffin hasn’t lasted longer than five innings in a start since May 2; Martin Perez has yielded 12 earned runs in 9 2/3 frames over his previous two outings, and his ugly 1.0 K-BB percentage this year ranks second to last among qualified starters; and Kyle Lohse has only made one start in Texas, a five-inning, six-earned run showing on July 9, since signing a minor league deal in May. It’s worth noting that Lohse was woeful as a Brewer last year, logging a 5.85 ERA in 152 1/3 innings.
On paper, Moore would be an upgrade over each of Griffin, Perez and Lohse. Considering the 27-year-old is under control through 2019 via reasonably priced club options, he’d also fit into president and general manager Jon Daniels’ plan to acquire pitching capable of helping the Rangers beyond this season. Moore isn’t without his flaws, though, as the previous Tommy John recipient has recorded somewhat pedestrian numbers this year (4.33 ERA, 7.58 K/9, 2.63 BB/9, 36.9 percent ground-ball rate) through 116 1/3 innings. His velocity is at its highest point since 2013, however, and he’s throwing more strikes and going deeper in games, as FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan wrote earlier this month.
In addition to potentially acquiring Moore, the Rangers would also like to bolster their bullpen, which has both the second-worst ERA (5.03) and K-BB percentage (8.9) in the majors – bettering only the Reds’ dreadful group in each category. Among their innings leaders, Sam Dyson, Jake Diekman (who’s on the DL with a finger laceration), Anthony Barnette, Matt Bush and Alex Claudio have fared well this season. Shawn Tolleson and Cesar Ramos have endured miserable years, on the other hand. Rays right-handed swingman Erasmo Ramirez has come up in trade rumors throughout the season, but he hasn’t performed well and it’s unclear if Texas is interested in him.
Latest On Yankees’ Deadline Possibilities
Having come sputtering out of the All-Star break, selling before the Aug. 1 trade deadline now looks like an inevitability for the 44-46 Yankees, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Bombers, who are 9.5 games back of AL East-leading Baltimore and 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, will not undergo a full rebuild, reports Rosenthal. However, he notes that general manager Brian Cashman will have a chance to control this year’s trade market when he starts dealing veterans.
New York has a vast array of potential deadline movers, including superstar relievers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, right fielder and designated hitter Carlos Beltran, and starters CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi. Of those six, only Chapman and Beltran are on expiring contracts.
Catcher Brian McCann and left fielder Brett Gardner, two other prominent Yankees veterans, make up the team’s primary leadership core and might not go anywhere as a result, per Rosenthal. McCann has a no-trade clause to boot, so he’d have the power to block any deal.
Chapman, whom the Yankees acquired from the Reds over the winter for an underwhelming package of prospects, will bring back a more valuable return if traded in the next two weeks. When the Yankees picked up Chapman from Cincinnati, he was facing troubling domestic violence allegations. That enabled the Yanks to buy low on him, but the 28-year-old served a suspension at the beginning of the season and has been his usual self on the mound since. As a pending free agent, the Yankees could trade Chapman and then try to re-sign him in the offseason, as Rosenthal notes.
Miller, who’s under team control through 2018 at $9MM per year, has been even better than Chapman. His excellent production and reasonable salary will make it tough for the Yankees to part with him.
As Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Saturday, the Pirates and Yankees have discussed a Eovaldi trade. But Pineda and Sabathia are also garnering interest out of the Yankees’ rotation. Convincing Cashman to give up Eovaldi won’t be easy, according to Rosenthal, as he’s controllable through next season. The Yankees still believe in the hard-throwing 26-year-old despite his 5.54 ERA in 91 innings as a starter this season.
As a struggling right-hander with a year of team control left, Pineda shares similarities with Eovaldi. While the 27-year-old’s ERA sits at a whopping 5.56 through 100 1/3 frames, he’s eighth among starters in K-BB percentage (21.1) and has generated ground balls at a decent clip (44.2 percent).
Sabathia has done a much better job preventing runs than Eovaldi and Pineda, having logged a respectable 3.94 ERA in 93 2/3 innings, but moving him could be difficult. For one, the 35-year-old can veto any trade because of his 10-and-5 rights. He’s also on a $25MM salary this year and has a $25MM option for 2017 that – barring a shoulder injury – will vest, and his ERA has climbed 1.74 runs since June 16.
Even if Cashman can swing a deal for Sabathia, he might instead elect to hold the southpaw and his other two scuffling starters until the offseason. The pitching market will also be weak then, and keeping the three would give them a chance to rebound and improve their respective values, writes Rosenthal.
Considering they’re likelier to buy than sell, the Yankees are entering the deadline in unfamiliar territory. New York hasn’t been in this position since Cashman took the helm in 1998 (or in the few preceding years), and although the club hasn’t been a championship contender in recent years, the executive has earned the respect of his peers.
“I actually think Cash has done a terrific job of getting younger and staying competitive,” one GM told Rosenthal.
15 Short-Term Signings Paying Dividends
While stars like David Price, Zack Greinke and Jason Heyward grabbed the lion’s share of attention during free agency last offseason, plenty of players have emerged as key cogs this year after settling for contracts of significantly less value over the winter. Steve Adams of MLBTR touched on the top minor league signings of 2016 earlier this week, so we’ll avoid those 10 names. Jeff Todd then examined several other cheap offseason pickups, including Pirates free agent addition David Freese, and we’ll also leave him out of the discussion.
For this exercise, we’ll order the list from the earliest signing to the latest and focus on one- and two-year deals. As you’ll see, there’s no shortage of low-cost, high-impact talent from last year’s pool of free agents.
Nov. 13, 2015 – Marco Estrada Signs Two-Year Deal With Blue Jays:
Well before fellow free agent starters Jeff Samardzija, Mike Leake and Ian Kennedy landed long-term commitments worth between $70MM and $80MM, Estrada inked a modest pact (two years, $26MM) to remain in Toronto shortly after the market opened. Although he posted personal-best marks in ERA (3.13) and innings pitched (181) in 2015, there was skepticism surrounding Estrada’s success because of an underwhelming K/BB ratio (2.38), unusually low batting average on balls in play (.216), high strand rate (79.2 percent) and subpar ground-ball rate (32.2 percent). So far this year, Estrada’s K/BB ratio (2.54), BABIP (.193), strand rate (80.3) and grounder average (34.4) continue pointing to a substantial amount of good fortune related to his ERA (2.93), which is at a meager 3.06 in 285 1/3 career frames as a Jay. Not surprisingly, then, there’s a notable discrepancy in Estrada’s WAR figures dating back to last season. The 33-year-old ranks 37th among starters in fWAR (3.7), but he’s 12th – wedged between aces Jacob deGrom and Chris Sale – in results-based RA9-WAR (7.8).
Estrada is dominating with both his fastball and changeup, as FanGraphs shows, and although he allows plenty of fly balls, they don’t travel far. The ex-Brewer’s 17.6 percent infield fly percentage leads all starters. Thanks in part to that, Estrada has yielded less distance on his fly balls than the vast majority of starters, per Baseball Heat Maps, and fly balls that don’t take long trips often lead to outs. It also helps to have a Kevin Pillar-led outfield defense supporting you, as Estrada does.
With so few hitters able to solve Estrada, his batting line against this season is a ridiculous .171/.252/.332. Expecting Estrada to stifle offense anywhere near that well going forward is likely too much to ask, particularly when factoring in his current lower back troubles, but it’s still fair to say Toronto hauled in one of the offseason’s greatest bargains when it re-signed him.
Nov. 17, 2015 – Athletics Sign Rich Hill:
Prior to last September, Hill hadn’t made a major league start since 2009. Between 2007-15, the southpaw appeared in the majors with seven different teams – including multiple stints with the Red Sox – and toiled with a host of minor league clubs. As recently as last August, Hill was in the independent Atlantic League as a member of the Long Island Ducks. The Red Sox then brought back Hill on a minor league deal in mid-August, and they summoned him to the majors a month later. Beginning Sept. 13, Hill went on a four-start rampage that saw him strike out 32 hitters, walk five and compile a 1.55 ERA across 29 innings. Hill parlayed that three-week run into the richest payday of his career when he agreed to a one-year, $6MM deal with the Athletics, who have reaped the rewards of his 2016 excellence and are now in position to turn him into one or more useful future pieces by the Aug. 1 trade deadline. Now that Drew Pomeranz is off the market, the 36-year-old Hill could end up as the best starter to change hands in the next two weeks. The curveball- and fastball-loving Hill warrants the hype, too, having amassed a 2.25 ERA, 10.66 K/9, 50 percent ground-ball rate and 14.5 percent infield fly mark in 76 innings this year. Who wouldn’t sign up for those numbers at a $6MM price?
Nov. 25, 2015 – Braves Sign Bud Norris:
The right-handed Norris isn’t exactly an exciting name, but the rebuilding Braves deserve credit for signing a short-term filler piece for a drop in the bucket ($2.5MM) and turning him into possible long-term help a few months into the season. After Norris split time between their bullpen and rotation and recorded a 4.22 ERA in 70 1/3 innings, the Braves sold as high on him as they figured possible when they dealt the 31-year-old to the Dodgers for two prospects on June 30. One of those prospects, lefty Phil Pfeifer, was a third-round pick just a year ago. For his part, Norris has held his own since ditching a changeup for a cutter in June – as FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan wrote a couple weeks ago – and won’t have to take such an inexpensive deal during the upcoming offseason if he continues as a quality option in LA.
Dec. 17, 2015 – Indians Sign Rajai Davis:
There was fear entering the season that the Indians’ Michael Brantley-less outfield would hold back the prospective playoff contenders, but Davis has helped the Tribe jump ahead of the AL Central pack. In his first 308 plate appearances of the year, Davis has batted a respectable .260/.320/.423 with a career-high nine home runs. Combine that with 24 steals in 27 attempts and strong defense, particularly in left field, and you have a player whose 2016 contributions FanGraphs values at $16.2MM – nearly $11MM more than his $5.25MM base salary. Outfield work done by Davis, rookie sensation Tyler Naquin, Lonnie Chisenhall, Jose Ramirez and even now-suspended PED offender Marlon Byrd has helped Cleveland thrive without Brantley, who has missed all but 11 games because of right shoulder issues.
Dec. 17, 2015 – Pirates Re-Sign Sean Rodriguez:
Rodriguez’s biggest selling point has long been his ability to play several different positions, which has continued to be the case this season. The 30-year-old has suited up at every position except catcher and pitcher in 2016, and he has appeared in double-digit games at first base, second base, shortstop and right field. The 2016 version of Rodriguez has mixed that versatility with far better offensive production than usual, having batted .260/.340/.521 through 192 PAs. That line is appreciably better than Rodriguez’s .231/.299/.383 career mark in 2,281 trips to the plate, and he has already reached the 10-homer plateau this season for just the second time. Rodriguez – who’s also walking in 9.4 percent of PAs (up a lofty 7.3 percent from last year’s measly 2.1) – is on a team-friendly $2.5MM salary, giving the playoff-contending Pirates three offseason dollar store standouts in him, Freese and minor league signing Matt Joyce.
Dec. 18, 2015 – Mets Re-Sign Bartolo Colon:
When Colon accepted a one-year, $7.25MM offer from the Mets last winter to return for his age-43 season, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that he left better offers on the table from elsewhere to remain in New York. The Mets are fortunate he did because not only can Colon hit home runs and field his position with aplomb, the righty’s also filling the role of a capable starter yet again. In 104 1/3 innings this year, Colon has pitched to a stingy 3.11 ERA while continuing to keep walks at a minimum (1.64 per nine). His output has been especially valuable with Matt Harvey‘s struggles and subsequent season-ending injury, not to mention recent health questions surrounding Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. Even if the fastball-tossing Colon regresses toward ERA estimators like FIP (4.05), xFIP (4.12) and SIERA (4.38) over the season’s second half, he’ll still be worth what the Mets paid him, and that’s without considering the surplus value the club has already collected from him in 2016.
Cafardo’s Latest: Encarnacion, Jays, BoSox, Moore, O’s, Royals
Standout Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion is a pending free agent, and the division-rival Red Sox will have a designated hitter opening at season’s end if David Ortiz goes through with his retirement. The idea of the Red Sox signing Encarnacion in the offseason as Ortiz’s replacement has come up as a result, and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the 33-year-old has some important fans in Boston. Manager John Farrell, bench coach Torey Lovullo and third base coach Brian Butterfield – all of whom were previously in Toronto – are Encarnacion supporters, which could factor into whether the BoSox pursue him. In regards to his future, Encarnacion offered, “We’ll see what’s going to happen. For now I’m with the Blue Jays and I’m just trying to contribute to us winning.”
More from Cafardo:
- Left-hander Matt Moore is the likeliest Rays starter to end up on the move, team executives believe. Having posted a 4.33 ERA, 7.58 K/9 and 2.63 BB/9 through 116 1/3 innings, the 27-year-old is drawing interest from the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Royals, Red Sox, Orioles, Marlins and Rangers (notably, Rob Bradford of WEEI reported Saturday that the Rays aren’t open to dealing with division-rival Boston; the same might hold true with Baltimore and Toronto). Moore is reasonably priced via club options through 2019.
- All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy offered some possible explanations as to why the Brewers haven’t traded him yet, despite incessant rumors.“There haven’t been that many catchers who have been injured this year so that’s one reason,” he said. “Some teams think it’s tough to bring a catcher in at midseason because they have to get to know a whole new set of pitchers. That’s not a huge factor for me. And then whatever it is you have to give up.” Considering his elite two-way production and cheap control through 2017, Milwaukee should be in line for a lofty return if it finally moves the 30-year-old before the deadline.
- The Twins would willingly take a lesser return for right-hander Ervin Santana if it enables them to jettison the remainder of his $28MM salary. The Orioles and Royals, whom Santana previously pitched for, are potential fits for the 33-year-old. Santana has logged a 4.12 ERA, 6.68 K/9 and 2.58 BB/9 in 98 1/3 frames this year.
- It’s unclear if the Angels will make right-hander Matt Shoemaker available, though their stated unwillingness to rebuild makes it unlikely. The 29-year-old’s decent 4.08 ERA across 106 innings belies the dominance he has displayed since mid-May, when he rejoined the Halos after a minor league demotion. Going back to May 21, Shoemaker has amassed 88 strikeouts against nine walks in 76 1/3 frames. In his latest outing, he threw a complete game, 13-K shutout against the White Sox on Saturday. Adding to Shoemaker’s value is that he won’t make his first trip through arbitration until after the season, meaning he has four full years of team control left.
- Former big league skipper Ozzie Guillen, now a broadcaster for Latin American media outlets, would “absolutely” like another managerial job in the majors. Guillen hasn’t managed since Miami fired him in the wake of pro-Fidel Castro comments he made in 2012.
Latest On Athletics
Plenty of eyes will be on left-hander Rich Hill on Sunday as he makes what could be his final start with the Athletics, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Scouts from a handful of playoff-contending clubs – the Red Sox, Rangers, Orioles, Marlins and Tigers – will be in attendance to observe Hill’s home outing against the Blue Jays.
Hill, 36, has unexpectedly established himself as a hot commodity leading up to the Aug. 1 trade deadline since his torrid stretch as a member of the aforementioned BoSox last September. Dating back to that four-start run, the journeyman has performed like an ace over a 105-inning sample, having recorded a 2.06 ERA, 10.8 K/9, 2.83 BB/9, 49.6 percent ground-ball percentage and 17.9 percent infield fly rate. As a result, the A’s are hoping to land a haul similar to the one they received from Houston for southpaw Scott Kazmir last year (two prospects, right-hander Daniel Mengden and catcher Jacob Nottingham), according to Slusser, who notes that a Hill trade isn’t necessarily a sure bet.
If the A’s can’t find a deal to their liking for Hill, they could retain him through the season and then tender the free agent-to-be a qualifying offer, which will be worth in the $17MM neighborhood. Should Hill accept, that would give him roughly $23MM over two years with the A’s (including $6MM this season), which, considering his performance, wouldn’t be an unreasonable cost for his services. However, the A’s are much less likely to keep Hill and qualify him than they are right fielder Josh Reddick, per Slusser. Reddick – another pending free agent – is drawing pre-deadline interest around the league, as Slusser reported last weekend, and he and the A’s are far apart on contract extension talks.
In the event Oakland does shop one or both of Hill or Reddick, it won’t try to attach designated hitter Billy Butler and his contract to either, adds Slusser. The A’s are more worried about maximizing the return for their best trade assets than taking less just to throw Butler’s $15MM overboard. Since signing a three-year, $30MM deal with the A’s in November 2014, the ex-Royal has become an afterthought. In 163 plate appearances this season, the 30-year-old Butler has hit .253/.307/.380 with two home runs. His poor output could lead Oakland to eventually designate him for assignment, Slusser writes.
Interestingly, third baseman Danny Valencia is another designation candidate, reports Slusser, even though he has batted a fantastic .295/.348/.507 with 30 home runs in 659 PAs going back to last year. Despite that production and his cheap team control through next season, Valencia is not garnering interest, relays Slusser. With the out-of-contention A’s looking to evaluate their younger talent, the 31-year-old Valencia could end up designated – as he was with the Royals last season – if Oakland can’t find a taker for him. Whether Valencia is open to positions other than third and how he handles a decrease in playing time might keep the A’s from giving him his walking papers, however, according to Slusser.
MLBTR Originals
Here’s a recap of the original analysis MLBTR offered this week:
- Steve Adams highlighted the 10 best minor league signings of 2016. Pirates outfielder Matt Joyce, Mariners first baseman Dae-ho Lee and Padres left-handed reliever Ryan Buchter are among those who have made notable impacts this year despite initially having to claw for major league roster spots.
- This week’s installment of Jason Martinez’s “Knocking Down the Door” series features a few well-known prospects who are trying to force their way into the majors. Astros infielder Alex Bregman and Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi are two names from an excellent group.
- With the first half of the season in the books, Jeff Todd polled readers on which low-cost offseason acquisition has panned out the best so far. One of the choices, left-hander Drew Pomeranz, went from the Athletics to the Padres by way of a trade that Oakland surely wants back. After stealing Pomeranz from the A’s over the winter, the rebuilding Padres sold high on the 27-year-old earlier this week, sending him to the Red Sox for top-tier pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza.
- Deadline season is in full swing, so Steve analyzed the trade market for catchers. Brewers backstop Jonathan Lucroy is far and away the premier option for teams on the hunt for help at the position.
- Similarly, Jeff examined the selection of starting pitchers whom teams could shop over the next two weeks. Athletics southpaw Rich Hill will likely end up as the most appealing rental available, while there are several intriguing younger starters with club control remaining who could switch uniforms.
- Teams that are competing for playoff berths will need to figure out which areas on their rosters to address around the deadline. With that in mind, Jason pinpointed all the contending clubs’ main needs (AL, NL).
Rosenthal’s Latest: Yankees, Marlins, Rays, Rockies, Braves
Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a pair of videos on FOX Sports.
- The Yankees will be willing to deal pending free agents Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Beltran if they’re not in serious contention for a playoff spot by the August 1 deadline, Rosenthal says. They do not want to trade Andrew Miller right now, however. It’s also possible they could deal starting pitchers like CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda, but they are not in active discussions to sell right now and they could wait to deal members of that trio this offseason, since all are under control in 2017.
- The Marlins would deal Adeiny Hechavarria and replace him at shortstop with Miguel Rojas if they could get a top starter like Chris Archer of the Rays in return, Rosenthal says. From this vantage point, that sounds like a lot to ask for a shortstop who has hit .238/.274/.336 this season (although Hechavarria is a stellar defender), and one would think Hechavarria would have limited value in a deal for an ace, even as part of a package. Rosenthal unsurprisingly notes that the Rays aren’t interested in trading Archer for a package that has Hechavarria as its centerpiece. The Marlins are also very interested in Archer’s fellow Rays starters Jake Odorizzi and Matt Moore, although their weak minor league system poses difficulties in lining up a trade.
- The Rockies don’t seem overly motivated to trade Carlos Gonzalez and have passed on opportunities to do so, Rosenthal says. Gonzalez’s contract runs through 2017, coinciding with the end of GM Jeff Bridich’s deal, and Rosenthal implies it might be in Bridich’s best interest to keep Gonzalez around to increase the Rockies’ chances of being competitive until then.
- The Tigers aren’t likely to make big moves before the deadline, with a large payroll that will limit their flexibility and a number of tough-to-move contracts on the books. They could, however, become a seller if they do especially poorly in the next two weeks, potentially dealing Francisco Rodriguez and/or other relievers.
- Braves GM John Coppolella continues to insist his team will not deal Julio Teheran, Rosenthal says. Coppolella believes Teheran (who is under team control through 2020) can be a key player on the next contending Braves team, although he acknowledges that won’t happen this season.