East Notes: Sox, Buchholz, Braves, Teheran, Phillies
In his latest rough outing, Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and five walks Sunday in a 6-2 loss to the Rangers. Afterward, manager John Farrell was noncommittal about Buchholz making his next start, per Scott Lauber of ESPN.com, though he conceded that the team might not have a better option. As their depth chart shows, Triple-A possibilities include Roenis Elias, Henry Owens and Joe Kelly, though each has fared terribly in the majors this year. Buchholz, who has spent some time in the bullpen this season, has logged a 5.90 ERA, 6.13 K/9, 4.24 BB/9 and 41.2 percent ground-ball rate through 76 1/3 innings. Those numbers are all markedly worse than the 31-year-old’s career totals and especially the terrific production he put up in 2015.
More from Boston and a couple NL East cities:
- The Red Sox are scanning the trade market for help, but there are only five teams that have declared themselves sellers thus far as the Aug. 1 deadline nears, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Sunday. “It’s still a little early,” stated Dombrowski, who added that the Red Sox are “scuffling for positional players at this point.” (Twitter links via Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald). Injuries have sapped the Sox of depth in left field, where Brock Holt, Blake Swihart and Chris Young are all on the disabled list.
- Red-hot Braves starter Julio Teheran has drawn interest from starter-needy Boston, but Atlanta might be better off retaining the 25-year-old than trading him, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution argues. O’Brien points to Teheran’s age, ultra-palatable contract and the lack of quality starters set to hit free agency during the upcoming offseason as reasons for the rebuilding Braves to go forth with the right-hander, who has thrown 23 straight innings without allowing a run and has lowered his ERA to a stingy 2.46 through 106 frames. Teheran has also recorded career-best strikeout and walk rates per nine innings (8.41 and 2.04, respectively) to this point. ERA estimators like FIP (3.68), xFIP (4.00) and SIERA (3.72) aren’t quite buying his results, but Teheran has consistently outperformed those figures throughout his career.
- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin admitted Saturday that he’s in a bind with his team’s catchers, Carlos Ruiz and Cameron Rupp. “That’s the hard part of about this job. You have to give up something to get something, and right now we need offense. At least right now, Cam offers more offense,” Mackanin told Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “However, is it more important to guide the young pitcher and bring him along with some veteran experience?” With his .270/.306/.483 batting line and seven home runs in 183 plate appearances, the 27-year-old Rupp has been a bright spot in a toothless Phillies offense, though his 48:6 K:BB ratio doesn’t bode well going forward. However, while Mackanin’s worried about Rupp’s ability (or lack thereof) to aid his pitching staff, the backstop has graded well in the pitch-framing department this year. That’s not true of the 37-year-old Ruiz, who has also contributed to Philly’s offensive woes with a .219/.311/.333 line in 119 trips to the plate. Nevertheless, Mackanin is bullish on Ruiz’s game-calling abilities, notes Gelb.
- Mackanin had center fielder Odubel Herrera shag fly balls in right field prior to the Phillies’ game Saturday, but that doesn’t mean a position change is coming. “If he reads something into it, good,” said Mackanin (via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). “Maybe he’ll think that he needs to do better. There’s nothing imminent. There’s no plans for me to move him out of there.” Notably, Herrera ranks last among qualified center fielders this year in Defensive Runs Saved (minus-7) and also grades poorly in Ultimate Zone Rating, but he has combated his fielding woes with a stellar .299/.392/.427 offensive showing and eight home runs through 319 PAs, also adding 41 walks against 58 strikeouts.
MLBTR Originals
Here’s a look back at the original analysis MLBTR offered over the past seven days:
- In this week’s edition of his “Knocking Down the Door” series, which focuses on prospects making cases for big league promotions, Jason Martinez analyzed five players who could be in the majors soon.
- Steve Adams examined the performances of six notable veterans who have vesting options at year’s end. CC Sabathia and Matt Holliday are among the names.
- Mark Polishuk broke down which teams could have interest in 32-year-old Cuban free agent Yulieski Gurriel.
- With the Aug. 1 deadline a week closer, Jeff Todd updated his list of the top 15 trade candidates.
- Steve made cases for and against the Padres trading southpaw Drew Pomeranz this summer. The entire MLBTR writing staff then weighed in, and Steve polled our readers on the topic.
- Finally, Jason looked at the five most important transactions of the week – all featuring household names.
Pirates Designate Curtis Partch For Assignment
The Pirates have announced a trio of roster moves, selecting the contract of righty Chad Kuhl from Triple-A so Kuhl can start tonight’s game against the Dodgers. In corresponding moves, southpaw Kyle Lobstein was optioned to Triple-A and right-hander Curtis Partch has been designated for assignment.
[Related: Updated Pirates depth chart via Roster Resource]
Partch signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh last winter and had a brief cup of coffee in a Pirates uniform, appearing in one game and allowing three runs to the Cubs without retiring an out over three batters faced. Partch has tossed 30 1/3 MLB innings since 2013 and he has a 4.60 ERA over 855 minor league frames (mostly in Cincinnati’s farm system) in a pro career that began in 2007.
Kuhl, a ninth-rounder in the 2013 draft, makes his big league debut tonight after rather quietly developing into one of the Pirates’ better pitching prospects. The 23-year-old right-hander has 2.79 ERA and 2.79 K/BB rate over 438 innings in the Bucs’ system, not missing many bats (a 6.0 K/9) but generating a lot of ground balls. MLB.com ranked Kuhl as the 16th-best prospect in the Pirates’ system while Baseball America ranked him 22nd.
AL East Notes: Buchholz, Floyd, Rays, Archer
Here’s the latest from around the AL East…
- Clay Buchholz is still getting attention from rival scouts, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports, as the feeling is that the Red Sox could make Buchholz available in a trade. This is reliant on Buchholz regaining his old form in the rotation, of course, and if the right-hander does indeed look like the Buchholz of old, Boston could then simply keep him to reinforce the shaky back end of its rotation.
- From that same item, Cafardo also opines that the Red Sox need to improve their bench depth by adding a veteran player or two. An outfielder would be ideal, as that would allow Brock Holt to return to his ideal superutility role.
- The Blue Jays announced that righty Gavin Floyd has been placed on the 15-day DL with shoulder tightness. Floyd threw just four pitches in an appearance on Saturday before taking himself out of the game. An arm injury of any sort is ominous for Floyd, who has missed extensive time in recent years thanks to a Tommy John surgery and two elbow fractures. Floyd has had some problems with the long ball but has otherwise pitched pretty well in a relief role for Toronto this season, posting a 4.06 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 3.75 K/BB over 31 innings.
- The Rays are on a 10-game losing streak and have sunk into last place in the AL East. Not only are they looking like probable deadline sellers, but CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa wonders if it’s time for Tampa to undergo a fuller rebuild with this iteration of the roster. The Rays have enough talent on their roster that they could again pursue their usual tactic of “constant retooling” by only moving a few notable players, though Axisa opines that the Rays’ belief in their core group could be shaken given how they’re approaching a third straight losing season.
- Jake Odorizzi and Matt Moore are sure to be targeted by other teams approaching the Rays about pitching, but Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wonders if the Rays would consider moving Chris Archer. The ace hasn’t pitched well since midway through last season (a 4.59 ERA over his last 32 starts) but between his track record and his inexpensive contract, he would surely net a big return if Tampa made him available.
Pirates Release Cory Luebke
The Pirates have announced that southpaw Cory Luebke has been given his unconditional release, according to several media members (including MLB.com’s Adam Berry). Luebke was released after he refused an assignment to Triple-A.
The Bucs designated Luebke for assignment earlier this week, ending a rough stint for the left-hander in Pittsburgh’s bullpen. Luebke posted a 9.35 ERA over 8 2/3 innings, with 11 walks to nine strikeouts. It was Luebke’s first taste of big league action since 2012 as his career was sidelined by multiple injuries, including two Tommy John surgeries.
Check out the MLBTR DFA Tracker for information on the many players currently awaiting their next assignment.
Mets, Giants Interested In Yunel Escobar; Angels “Listening”
SUNDAY: The Mets have also shown interest in Escobar, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). Escobar could directly serve as a replacement for the injured David Wright at third, or his multi-position versatility could further add to a plethora of infield options for New York, especially now that Jose Reyes is also in the mix.
FRIDAY: The Angels are listening to offers on infielder Yunel Escobar, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). It appears that multiple teams have expressed at least some level of interest, with the Giants among them.
Escobar, 33, has continued to put up strong offensive numbers since he was acquired over the winter from the Nationals. All told, he owns a .313/.369/.413 batting line over 892 plate appearances dating to the start of 2015. He has only hit a dozen home runs in that span, but has continued to hit at a high average while knocking 43 doubles.
Long a shortstop, Escobar has seen most of his action recently at third. He had been slated to play second for the Nats before internal needs dictated a change, though, and it seems that a contender could add him with intentions of utilizing him in any number of ways in the infield. Though the glove doesn’t rate very well, it’s versatile. It’s worth noting, too, that Escobar can be controlled for another season via a $7MM club option (with a $1MM buyout). He’s playing this year at the same reasonable annual rate, so there’s a bit of contract value included as well.
For the Giants, it’s hard not to tie interest in Escobar to Matt Duffy‘s issues. He’s not expected to need a terribly long DL stint after a recent injury, but was off to a rough .253/.313/.358 start to the season that fell well shy of the above-average batting line he put up in 2015. Of course, he’s still a highly-valued defender, but it’s not difficult to see why the organization might want to add another piece with a bit more bat to the infield mix. Both Duffy and Escobar hit from the right side, but the latter could fill in now at the hot corner and then float around the infield thereafter. (Notably, second bagger Joe Panik and shortstop Brandon Crawford both hit from the left side, though quality young utilityman Kelby Tomlinson is another righty bat.)
If you’re curious how Escobar might hypothetically fit on the San Francisco roster, you can check out the team’s depth chart right here.
Angels Claim J.C. Ramirez From Reds
The Angels have claimed righty J.C. Ramirez off waivers from the Reds, according to the Halos’ communications department (on Twitter).
Ramirez posted a 6.40 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 3.11 K/BB rate over 32 1/3 innings out of Cincinnati’s bullpen this season, allowing an ungainly seven homers over that stretch. The 27-year-old has a 6.41 ERA over 80 career innings with the Reds, Diamondbacks and Phillies dating back to 2013. He could serve as bullpen depth in Anaheim, given how the Angels already have a number of right-handed relief options, or it’s possible another move could be forthcoming.
Nationals Place Stephen Strasburg On 15-Day DL With Upper Back Strain
The Nationals have announced that ace Stephen Strasburg has been placed on the 15-day DL (retroactive to June 16) with an upper back strain. A corresponding move will be made on Monday to fill Strasburg’s 25-man roster spot.
[Related: Updated Nationals depth chart at Roster Resource]
Strasburg was scratched from his last two starts due to the back problem, and given the backdate of his DL assignment, it’s possible he might not miss much more action. Still, the back strain is the latest in a rather lengthy series of nagging muscle injuries that have bothered Strasburg throughout his career, as he has missed time with oblique and neck strains in the past. (To say nothing, of course, of his Tommy John surgery in 2010.)
Tanner Roark replaced Strasburg in today’s scheduled start since Roark was on regular rest anyways, though Washington will need a pitching staff replacement later this week. Swingman Yusmeiro Petit is one option, and minor league arms Lucas Giolito and Austin Voth (as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post notes) both have scheduled starts for Monday and Tuesday, respectively. However, there isn’t any sign that the Nats could call up either, Janes says. Of the two, Voth (at Triple-A) could be more directly ready than Giolito (Double-A), as Janes tweets that the Nationals want Giolito to polish his command before exposing the top prospect to Major League batters.
Strasburg already generated headlines this season by signing a seven-year, $175MM extension to remain in D.C., and he has been pitching like an ace worthy of such a contract. Strasburg has a 2.90 ERA, 11.4 K/9 and 4.92 K/BB rate over 93 innings, also notching a perfect 10-0 record over 14 starts. An extended absence is unquestionably a big loss for Washington, though the Nats have enjoyed strong pitching overall from Max Scherzer, Joe Ross, Gio Gonzalez and Roark.
Dodgers Interested In Jay Bruce
The Dodgers have considered Reds outfielder Jay Bruce as an outfield upgrade, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link). Bruce would add both left-handed hitting balance and some extra pop to a Los Angeles outfield that has underachieved this season, and may not be getting any internal reinforcements since Andre Ethier‘s return from the DL is uncertain.
Bruce, 29, has rebuilt his trade value after a couple of subpar seasons by hitting .280/.329/.575 with 16 home runs over 283 plate appearances this year. He’s hitting for more power than ever before as per the Isolated Power metric (.295), and his 20.8% strikeout rate is his lowest total since 2009.
Despite the big offensive numbers, however, Bruce is still rated as barely above replacement level (0.2 fWAR) since he isn’t bringing much to the table in terms of baserunning or right field defense. Bruce’s defensive metrics have declined over the last two seasons and cratered this year to the tune of a -28.4 UZR.150 and minus-9 Defensive Runs Saved.
If L.A. acquired Bruce, he would be taking right field playing time away from Yasiel Puig, who has the opposite problem — a struggling bat but an elite glove. It seems likely that Bruce would primarily be used against right-handed pitching, as while he’s hit southpaws quite well this season, he has hit significantly better against righties than lefties over his career. Speaking of splits, Bruce has a notable but not outlandish gap between his carer home/away splits (.828 OPS at home, .751 OPS on the road), though a move from the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark to pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium is likely to have an impact.
Though Bruce’s performance in 2014-15 sapped his trade value, his power bat still generated some attention on the trade market as the Reds explored deals with the Orioles, White Sox and Blue Jays, among other teams. Cincinnati appeared very close to dealing Bruce to Toronto in a three-team deal involving the Angels in February, a trade that carries a lot of “what-if” potential given how Michael Saunders (who would’ve gone to Anaheim) has gone on to have a huge season for the Jays.
Bruce’s contract isn’t necessarily a problem for the deep-pocketed Dodgers, though he doesn’t represent too much of a financial commitment. He is only owed roughly $6.35MM remaining this season, plus a $1MM buyout of a $13MM club option on his services for 2017. Bruce can block trades to eight teams but as Rosenthal notes, the Dodgers aren’t on his no-trade list.
The Dodgers have hit .237/.308/.386 with a 90 wRC+ as a team this season, ranking in the bottom third of teams in most offensive categories. The lack of consistency from the outfield has contributed to the lack of pop, as Joc Pederson has struggled against lefties, Trayce Thompson has cooled off after a hot start, Puig has battled both injuries and a decline at the plate, and left field has become the domain of converted infielders Enrique Hernandez and Howie Kendrick.
If not Bruce, Rosenthal notes (in another tweet) that the A’s Josh Reddick or the Angels’ Kole Calhoun could also fit the Dodgers’ need for a left-handed hitting outfielder. Reddick is also a free agent after the season, though Calhoun is controlled through 2019 and would come at a much higher price (if the Halos were interested in dealing him at all).
AL West Notes: Angels, Eppler, Dull, Paulino, Dyson
Here’s the latest from around the AL West…
- Angels GM Billy Eppler is non-committal about his team being sellers at the deadline, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times writes. “Let’s let this club play a little bit longer. There’s no rush to make a decision right now,” Eppler said. The front office wants to “get the full team intact and guys back on the field and healthy” before making any decisions, Eppler said, though Moura points out that this will be impossible given how many key pitchers are either out for the season or indefinitely shelved. It could be that Eppler is simply engaging in some gamesmanship, as the Halos’ record (31-44, last place in the AL West) would certainly indicate that they’ll be selling come August 1.
- Don’t look for the Athletics to trade reliever Ryan Dull, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Dull has been a bright spot for the A’s, posting a 2.31 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 5.25 K/BB rate over 39 bullpen innings this season. The 26-year-old is under team control through the 2021 season, so it makes sense that Oakland hang onto Dull and instead focus on older players closer to free agency as possible deadline trade chips.
- Astros pitching prospect David Paulino has been suspended by the club for an undisclosed period of time, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports. “We’ve got rules and every once in a while rules are violated and we have to enforce them,” GM Jeff Luhnow said, though he noted that Paulino’s violation “wasn’t anything major” and the 22-year-old righty won’t be out of action for too long. Paulino, ranked on top-100 prospect lists by Baseball America (91st) and MLB.com (98th), has a 1.86 ERA, 10.2 K/9 and 6.0 K/9 rate over 58 Double-A innings this season, with eight of his 13 appearances coming as a starter.
- Sam Dyson has emerged as the Rangers‘ closer but is also tied for the league lead in appearances. As Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News writes, this is an untenable situation for any closer, especially one with a checkered injury history like Dyson. The logical answer is to limit Dyson’s innings, though that could be difficult with Texas in the thick of a pennant race. The Rangers are known to be exploring bullpen upgrades, and they could even replace Dyson at closer if the Yankees made Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller available.