5 Ways For Mets To Find A Lucas Duda Fill-In
With the news that Mets first baseman Lucas Duda is out for a significant, but still-uncertain amount of time, New York has been left scrambling to identify a replacement. Internal options are questionable, leaving the team eyeing outside help.
Needless to say, the summer trade market remains largely undefined. And early deals are generally hard to come by, at least for more significant players. We’ll also posit that New York is interested in players who have some kind of MLB track record to speak of, both in terms of offensive production and defensive work at first base.
Generally speaking, then, there are five approaches the Mets could take in looking at new additions — most of them, varying approaches to the trade market. Of course, the team could pursue multiple avenues over the coming months.
Let’s take a look:
Controllable Bats
Duda is under club control for one more season after this one, though he’ll be due a raise on a $6.725MM arbitration salary, with the hope that he’ll play at a high level now while providing a bridge to prospect Dominic Smith. But the first base position is far from a certainty, and it’s at least plausible to imagine that longer-term assets would be considered.
Chris Carter of the Brewers could potentially be had, but his big start and remaining control might make him a bit expensive — at least this far in advance of the deadline. He’s also a streaky, all-or-nothing hitter and is less valuable to a National League club that can’t shift him to a DH role if and when that becomes preferable.
The Cardinals could be willing to part with Matt Adams, a 3+ arb class player who has struggled at times in recent years and is somewhat redundant with Brandon Moss on the roster. Of course, Adams has returned to form somewhat thus far while Moss is set to depart via free agency, and the contending Cards may not wish to part with either. It’s worth bearing in mind that Adams has continued to do the vast majority of his damage against righties, so he’s really not an everyday option in the interim and would be a poor fit when Duda returns.
Meanwhile, the Twins are as buried as any team in baseball, but it’s not clear that any of their first basemen are really trade candidates. Byung-ho Park would be a significant piece to pursue given his contract and promising early major league results, and certainly looks to be a part of Minnesota’s plans for a hopeful renaissance in the near future.
Rental Pieces
It’s always tough to assess which players are available, or could be as the deadline approaches, but usually there are some clear short-term veterans who can be had. It’s not really evident this year whether that’s the case, however.
The Orioles never seemed like the best fit for Pedro Alvarez, and he’s struggled at the plate. But he’s also needed now, filling in at times at third with J.J. Hardy out, and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether the club wants him on the roster moving forward. Baltimore could like the idea of shedding some salary to pursue other additions, though, and it did ship out a similarly-priced Alejandro De Aza in early June last year.
Other similarly questionable targets include Logan Morrison of the Rays, Mitch Moreland of the Rangers, and Justin Smoak of the Blue Jays. All are priced in the $4MM to $5MM range and play for teams that could, at least in theory, turn to other options while still seeking to make a run at the playoffs. Of course, only Smoak is hitting among this group, and Toronto seems rather unlikely to give up his bat at this stage.
In some ways, it’s even less clear whether the Rockies will have any willingness to talk about Mark Reynolds, but he’d also be a consideration. He’s a high-K hitter, of course, but is off to a nice start and is owed just $2.6MM this year. Also, Reynolds hits from the right side, making him a nice option to pair with Duda if and when he’s back in action.
That brings us to Kelly Johnson, who was acquired last summer by the Mets from the Braves. He’s back in Atlanta now, and there’s probably no team more willing to trade early than the struggling, rebuilding Braves. Of course, Johnson is off to a slow start and would at best be a solid bat, so he looks more like a stopgap solution.
Creative Possibilities
If the idea of adding Johnson and eventually moving him around the diamond holds appeal to New York, there are some other much more speculative names to consider, too.
MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo noted an interesting suggestion, tweeting that a scout opined that Jonathan Lucroy of the Brewers could be an interesting piece. In theory, he could fill in at first while also shoring up a questionable backstop situation down the line. Of course, Lucroy is expected to be widely pursued, and won’t come cheap.
There are some other options out there who could step in temporarily at first before moving to other spots or filling multi-positional utility roles. Trevor Plouffe of the Twins and Luis Valbuena of the Astros have both seen limited action at first in the majors but are primarily third basemen. Neither is particularly cheap. Their availability is questionable at best — especially at this stage of the season. Minnesota can keep Plouffe for another year and already declined to deal him over the winter, while Houston surely hopes to contend and has plenty of uncertainty at the corners (though plenty of options, as well).
Upper-Minors Veterans
There are plenty of players with significant MLB time who are currently awaiting their next opportunity at the Triple-A level with other clubs. Some possibilities include Travis Ishikawa (White Sox), Allen Craig (Red Sox), Jesus Montero and Casey Kotchman (Blue Jays), Jason Rogers (Pirates), Chris Parmelee and Nick Swisher (Yankees), and Tyler Moore (Braves). Casey McGehee of the Tigers would be another possibility, and he’d give the Mets another option at third as well. And don’t look now, but old friend Ike Davis is producing at Triple-A for the Rangers, who don’t have much need for him so long as they remain content with their current options at the major league level.
Then there’s James Loney, who is the type of patient hitter the Mets like in addition to being a polished fielder. He’s putting up typical numbers in the Padres organization — .333/.368/.417 — and might be the most obvious and realistic target. The Rays are paying Loney’s way this year, aside from a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that he can abandon his deal with San Diego if a major league opportunity arises.
Free Agency
We shouldn’t forget that there are still some players kicking around on the open market, though none seem to be particularly promising. Justin Morneau would be a nice fit, but he’s not expected to pick up a bat until June due to elbow surgery and comes with other, more serious health questions. If he is able to return to the field, though, there could be a match, but it’s hard to see him as a viable option for some time.
Jeff Baker, Alberto Callaspo, and Corey Hart all remain free agents, but none have been particularly productive in recent years and it’s not entirely clear whether they’re interested in pursuing new contracts. There’s reason to believe that Michael Morse could have something left in the tank after giving the Pirates solid production in a 45-game run late last year, though he was cut loose by Pittsburgh after just eight plate appearances in 2016. His power numbers have plummeted of late, and he’s not much with the glove, but he’s also done quite a bit with the bat at the major league level.
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It’s anyone’s guess how this all turns out, but a temporary fill-in seems most likely at present. Players like Johnson, Loney, and Morse look to be the best bets, as they’d all represent affordable and somewhat flexible assets, buying the Mets some time to see how Duda recovers while GM Sandy Alderson and his front office staff canvass the market for bigger adds.
After all, the biggest rental targets (Edwin Encarnacion? Jose Bautista?) won’t be made available unless and until it’s clear their teams are fully out of contention at the deadline. The best-case scenario may involve the addition of a player who’ll plug the gap now and fill another role upon Duda’s return, making for an efficient acquisition, but even smaller game will be more plentiful come July.
Trouble is, the optimal outcomes may not be plausible — at least during the stretch that a replacement is most needed, and at least for a palatable price. In the final analysis, New York has plenty of possibilities, but also some tough calls ahead.
Clint Barmes Retires
Veteran Royals infielder Clint Barmes has decided to hang up his spikes after a 13-year MLB career. He was officially released by the Royals today, and tells Jessica Kleinschmidt of Fan Duel that he made the final decision to retire in the middle of a recent ballgame.
Barmes had been with Triple-A Omaha on a minor league pact, which he signed after K.C. released him from a prior deal with the club late this spring. He had scuffled to a .204/.255/.306 batting line in his 107 plate appearances.
Of course, the defensive specialist was never terribly productive with the bat, even in his prime, yet nevertheless managed to compile some strong seasons. At his best, Barmes delivered significantly above-average glovework and contributed solid baserunning while putting up offensive marks just under the league average.
Barmes had his best overall season in 2011 with the Astros, when he racked up 2.8 fWAR and 3.2 rWAR with highly-rated fielding and a .244/.312/.386 slash. That was his only season in Houston, and it came between lengthier stints with the Rockies (2003 through 2010) and the Pirates (2012 through 2014). Barmes last saw big league action last year with the Padres, playing in 98 games in a platoon role.
All told, the Fangraphs version of wins above replacement is stingier in valuing Barmes for his career, crediting him with 9.2 wins, as UZR was less bullish on his fielding than was Defensive Runs Saved. According to the Baseball-Reference tabulation, though, he was worth 15.4 WAR in the final tabulation.
Barmes says that he made every effort to return to the majors and feels comfortable with how things wrapped up. “Coming back I think I decided I would give Triple-A a little time to help make my decision easier for me as far as having no regrets when I do make that decision,” he said. “At this point I can honestly say I can look back and know I don’t have any regrets.”
MLBTR offers its congratulations and best wishes to t
Braves Acquire Brian Matusz, Draft Pick From Orioles
The Orioles and Braves have struck a deal that sends lefty Brian Matusz and the 76th overall draft pick from Baltimore to Atlanta. Minor league pitchers Brandon Barker and Trevor Belicek are headed to the O’s in the swap.
Ultimately, the move constitutes a draft pick purchase, with the Orioles willing to part with their competitive balance round B selection and its $838,900 assigned pool value in order to offload the commitment to Matusz and add some potentially interesting arms. Of greater consequence than the selection itself, the Braves will boost their bonus pool up to just over $13MM, per the calculations of Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs (Twitter link). They’ll still fall a bit shy of the Phillies to remain in third in total spending capacity this summer.
A 29-year-old southpaw, Matusz is earning $3.9MM this year in his final season of arbitration control. The remaining $3MM or so of that deal will all be assumed by the Braves, who have already designated Matusz for assignment, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman suggested on Twitter.
Matusz has struggled mightily out of the gates in 2016, allowing eight earned runs in six innings while recording just one strikeout against seven walks. He’s been hurt especially by the long ball, having allowed a three bombs on just ten flyballs.
Of course, the southpaw was much more effective in years past, though he’s generally outperformed his peripherals to do so. Over 2013-15, he put up 151 2/3 innings of 3.32 ERA ball, with 9.4 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9. Even if he won’t get a chance in Atlanta, Matusz seems to be a worthwhile rebound candidate given his solid track record. His fastball velocity is down by just over one mile per hour, and he’s been missing the zone a bit more than usual, but there’s good reason to believe that he’s also been hit with some poor fortune.
Neither of the pitchers acquired by the Orioles opened the year among the top 30 in a deep system, per Baseball America, but both had impressed thus far in 2016. Barker, 23, was off to a very nice start at the Double-A level, working to a 2.00 ERA in 45 frames with 8.0 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9. The righty was a 16th-round selection in the 2014 draft out of Mercer.
Belicek, meanwhile, is also a 23-year-old former 16th-rounder. The Texas A&M southpaw was taken last year, and just earned a promotion to Double-A after an impressive showing at the High A level. In his 28 1/3 total frames this year, he’s worked to a 2.22 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and a ridiculous 32:1 K/BB ratio.
Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com first reported that Matusz was traded (via Twitter).
Mets Expect To Look Outside Organization To Replace Lucas Duda
Mets assistant GM John Ricco suggested today that the club is in the market for a first baseman with Lucas Duda suffering a stress fracture in his lower back, David Lennon of Newsday reports on Twitter. “We’re not going to be able to replace Lucas Duda internally,” said Ricco.
Duda’s timetable remains unclear, but he’s struggled through back issues of late, leading up to the diagnosis of a seemingly significant injury. Signals from the team were that he’d be out for at least four to six weeks, with a lengthier DL stint quite possibly in the cards.
It’s also not immediately clear what the team might look to do in terms of an outside addition. Certainly, it would need to be an upgrade over the various internal possibilities. For now, Ty Kelly and Eric Campbell are available to fill in. Infielders such as Wilmer Flores, David Wright, or Neil Walker could conceivably be shifted over to first, or the club could even experiment with moving an outfielder there.
Clearly, though, the Mets are not enamored of those possibilities, and it doesn’t appear as if any creative shuffling of veterans is presently under consideration. If the club does indeed go outside the organization, it’s possible to imagine a pure fill-in or a more permanent solution.
In weighing the possibilities, it’s worth remembering that Duda remains controllable via arbitration for one more season. And there aren’t many clubs with apparent trade chips that would likely be willing to deal at this stage of the season. New York may be forced to cobble things together with a minor addition for the time being and wait for an opportunity for a more robust solution, all while monitoring Duda’s progress.
Rangers Designate Patrick Kivlehan, Promote Joey Gallo; Drew Stubbs To DL
The Rangers have announced a series of roster moves relating to their recent outfield injuries. A 40-man spot was cleared for the selection of the contract of Jared Hoying when the club designated Patrick Kivlehan for assignment. Meanwhile, outfielder Drew Stubbs was placed on the 15-day DL and top prospect Joey Gallo was promoted.
Texas had hoped that Stubbs could avoid a DL stint, but apparently his toe injury was significant enough that he will be shelved for at least 15 days. The club previously shelved fellow outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, and that combination of injuries led to the need for reinforcements.
Kivlehan, 26, was off to a rough start at Triple-A. He owns a .184/.252/.262 slash over 155 plate appearances. The Rangers acquired Kivlehan from the Mariners over the winter as the player to be named later in the Leonys Martin swap.
As for Gallo, the 22-year-old gets another crack at the majors after showing both his prodigious power and strikeout propensity in a 36-game stint last year. He hit six long balls but also struck out 57 times over 123 plate appearances, posting a .204/.301/.417 line overall.
Starting out back at Triple-A to begin the 2016 campaign, Gallo has impressed. He has increased his walk rate (20.8%) while cutting back significantly on the swings and misses (22.6% strikeout rate). And those gains haven’t come at the expense of power: Gallo owns a .265/.415/.639 slash over 106 plate appearances, with eight home runs.
It’s not yet known how Texas will deploy Gallo or how long he’ll stay up. He’s primarily a third baseman, but saw time in the outfield last year and could conceivably also play first or DH. The club is six games above .500 despite sub-par performances from its two primary options at those spots, Mitch Moreland and Prince Fielder.
Certainly, it’s possible to imagine any number of scenarios unfolding. If Gallo does stay in the majors the rest of the way, he’d be able to accumulate 133 days of service after entering the year with 63 to his credit. In that case, he’d pass one full year (172 days) and move one year closer to free agency. Even if he can’t stick on the active roster for good, an extended stint or two could leave Gallo on pace for eventual Super Two status.
Alex Gordon To DL With Broken Bone In Hand
Royals outfielder Alex Gordon has suffered a broken scaphoid bone in his right hand, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star was among those to report on Twitter. Gordon is expected to miss between three and four weeks as a result of the injury, which was suffered in a collision yesterday with third baseman Mike Moustakas.
Gordon, 32, was off to a rough start since returning to Kansas City as a free agent over the winter. He owns a .211/.319/.331 slash that falls well shy of the above-average offensive numbers he typically produces. Gordon has also rated as merely an average defender in left thus far in 2016. While that’s a short sample to draw any major conclusions from, he’s typically posted top-of-the-league glove metrics.
That’s not to say that the loss won’t hurt, of course. K.C.’s top two options in the corners are now Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando, who look much more useful when joined together in a platoon. Whit Merrifield and the just-recalled Cheslor Cuthbert represent the only two other non-catching position player reserves on the current roster, and Cuthbert has never played the outfield as a professional. And it doesn’t help that Moustakas is day to day himself after suffering a knee contusion.
It seems that Gordon will be expected back well in advance of the trade deadline, at least so far as he progresses as hoped, so in that regard the loss may not have much of an impact on the team’s summer trade plans. On the other hand, there had already been some chatter that the Royals might be looking at corner outfield options, and any uncertainty surrounding Gordon would certainly enhance the need. That’s assuming, of course, that Kansas City can at least keep pace in the AL Central with Gordon out.
All that being said, Kansas City also has some internal options who are worthy of consideration if another outfielder is deemed necessary. Travis Snider has plenty of MLB time and is reaching base at a healthy rate down in Triple-A. Reymond Fuentes has seen the bigs as well, including earlier this year. Otherwise, the team could turn to prospects Jorge Bonifacio or Brett Eibner, both of whom are hitting well at Omaha. Eibner, in particular, has put up impressive numbers and may be due for a shot at the majors at 27 years of age.
Josh Hamilton Out For Season; Shin-Soo Choo Back To DL
Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton will not suit up for the club this year, GM Jon Daniels told reporters including Jared Sandler of the Rangers Radio Network (Twitter link). He’ll undergo surgery in early June that will sideline him the rest of the way.
Texas also took another hit to its outfield, as Shin-Soo Choo is heading back to the DL. He had just finished up a rehab assignment for a calf strain when he went down to a hamstring issue. The club waited a few days, but finally decided it needed to free up a roster spot.
Hamilton, who just turned 35, had already been sidelined for the season to date after having work done on his knee several times in the last year. But hopes were that he’d provide another option at some point in the middle of the year.
Instead, he’ll look ahead to 2017, with Daniels stressing that the slugger fully intends to play. He’ll be earning another $30MM in the final season of his free agent contract, though of course the Angels are responsible for the bulk of that. As things stand, he’s provided just 182 plate appearances of .253/.291/.441 hitting to the Rangers since he was re-acquired in April of last year.
As for Choo, it’s obviously promising that he wasn’t immediately placed on the DL, but concerning that he hasn’t bounced back as quickly as hoped. The emergence of Nomar Mazara has changed the outfield dynamic, and reduced the impact of Choo’s loss, but center fielder Drew Stubbs is dealing with his own injury that still may lead to a DL stint as well.
For the time being, Texas will purchase the contract of outfielder Jared Hoying, which will require a complementary 40-man move. The 27-year-old earned his MLB debut with an excellent start to the year at Triple-A. Of course, Opening Day center fielder Delino DeShields Jr. remains available at Round Rock as well.
Orioles, Brian Duensing Agree To Minor League Deal
The Orioles and left-hander Brian Duensing have agreed to a minor league contract, reports David Hall of the Virginian Pilot (via Twitter). The 33-year-old reliever opted out of a deal with the Royals on May 15. He’ll head to Triple-A Norfolk, per Hall, though he might not be officially activated until later this week.
Duensing, a former third-round pick of the Twins, was a mainstay on the Minnesota pitching staff from 2009-15, but the Twins elected not to re-sign him this season after he hit free agency. Though he made quite a few starts for the Twins early in his career, Duensing eventually settled in as a bullpen piece, logging a 3.84 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 in 164 innings over his final three seasons with the team that originally drafted him. However, Duensing has long carried significant platoon splits — lefties have hit .238/.295/.325 against him compared to a hefty .292/.352/.462 line from righties — and his strikeout rate plummeted in his final two seasons with Minnesota. He was enjoying success with the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate this season, though, having recorded a 3.10 ERA with a 19-to-5 K/BB ratio in 20 1/3 innings.
The Orioles currently have Brian Matusz as the lone non-closing lefty in their bullpen, but Matusz has struggled quite a bit this year, allowing eight runs on 11 hits and seven walks in just six inning of work with only one strikeout. The O’s have a number of other lefty options at the Triple-A level, though, including one with MLB experience in T.J. McFarland that is on the 40-man roster. Other options for the Birds in Norfolk include Andy Oliver, Cesar Cabral and Jeff Beliveau, each of whom comes with some degree of Major League experience.
Cubs Release Shane Victorino
The Cubs have released outfielder Shane Victorino from their Triple-A roster, reports Carrie Muskat of MLB.com (via Twitter).
Victorino, 35, signed a minor league contract with Chicago in Spring Training and, as of a May 11 update from the Des Moines Register, was told that he would be evaluated within a few weeks. It would seem that the Cubs have made their decision in that time or, perhaps, that Victorino exercised an opt-out provision in his deal. The veteran batted .233/.324/.367 in nine game/34 plate appearances in his brief time with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate and is now free to pursue an opportunity with another organization.
Back in Spring Training, Victorino at least acknowledged the possibility of retirement, though he was clear at the time that his desire was to continue playing the game he holds so dear to his heart. Said Victorino to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports at the time: “I am my hardest critic, so if I feel like I am done, no one would need to make that decision for me.”
Victorino returned to switch-hitting this offseason after hitting only right-handed in 2015. He’s a career .270/.340/.425 hitter in 1299 big league games and has a pair of All-Star nods under his belt as well as four Gold Glove Awards.
Twins, Sean Burnett Agree To Minor League Deal
The Twins and left-handed reliever Sean Burnett have agreed to a minor league pact, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). The Munsey Sports client opted out of a contract with the Braves last week. SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets that Burnett has a June 15 opt-out date and would earn a pro-rated $1MM base salary upon making the Majors, with an opportunity to earn up to $1MM more via incentives.
The 33-year-old Burnett has already been with the Dodgers and Braves this season, working to a combined 1.38 ERA with 10 strikeouts against seven walks in 13 innings of work. He’ll hope to make a return to the Majors for the first time since 2014 under his new deal, as surgery to repair an elbow impingement in 2013 and Tommy John surgery in 2014 have slowed his career. Prior to those setbacks, Burnett was a solid reliever for the Pirates and Nationals, working to a 2.85 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 234 innings from 2009-12. Lefties have batted .228/.293/.336 against him to this point in his big league career.
The Twins’ bullpen has been an unmitigated disaster this season, with a 4.75 ERA that ranks 28th in Major League Baseball and beats out only the Rangers (5.43) and Reds (6.47). Closer Glen Perkins went down early with a shoulder injury and recently had a setback, and other left-handed options have struggled, with the exception of Fernando Abad, who has quietly been excellent since signing a minor league deal this winter. Rookie Taylor Rogers is the only other lefty in the Twins’ bullpen, though the converted starter has struggled out of the gates in his brief taste of the Majors. Burnett will join a large stable of lefty relievers at the Triple-A level that are not on the 40-man roster; the Twins currently have southpaws Ryan O’Rourke, Logan Darnell, Dan Runzler and Buddy Boshers in the Rochester ‘pen.