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Mets Activate Jeurys Familia From Restricted List

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The Mets announced on Thursday that closer Jeurys Familia has been activated from the restricted list after serving his 15-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. The team also recalled catcher Kevin Plawecki from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned right-hander Rafael Montero and left-hander Sean Gilmartin to Vegas.

Familia, 27, will rejoin a Mets bullpen that currently ranks in the middle of the pack, league-wide, in terms of earned run average. Of course, that includes some problematic innings from Montero (seven earned runs, 6 2/3 frames), who was optioned out today upon Familia’s activation. While manager Terry Collins has said Familia will be eased back into the closer’s role, Addison Reed figures to see a few more save opportunities before Familia fully reclaims his previous role.

Familia was arrested back in early November after allegedly assaulting his wife, but the charges were dropped at his wife’s request the following month. As we saw last year in the suspensions of Aroldis Chapman and Jose Reyes, however, a lack of criminal charges is not necessarily an impediment to a suspension under the league’s still fairly new policy. Beyond his 15-game suspension (and the lost salary that accompanies that punishment — about $730K, in Familia’s case), the right-hander agreed to make a donation and speak to several rookie players on the matter. Familia also underwent extensive counseling sessions this offseason.

From a purely on-field vantage point, the return of Familia will be a boon to the Mets’ relief corps. Over the past three seasons, the hard-throwing righty has amassed 233 innings with a 2.20 ERA, 243 strikeouts and 70 unintentional walks. He led the National League with 51 saves in 2016, saved 43 games the year before and has led the Senior Circuit in games finished in each of the past two seasons (a combined 132 games).

Rangers Designate Mike Hauschild For Assignment

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The Rangers have designated right-hander Mike Hauschild for assignment and selected the contract of right-hander Anthony Bass from Triple-A Round Rock, per a club announcement. Hauschild was the Rangers’ Rule 5 pick out of the Astros organization. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, the Rangers will have to offer him back to Houston for $50K.

The 27-year-old Hauschild made his big league debut for the Rangers this season, tossing eight innings but yielding an unsightly 10 earned runs on the strength of 14 hits and two walks. Of those 14 hits, five of them cleared the fence — further fueling Hauschild’s struggles. He did manage seven punchouts and a 48.3 percent ground-ball rate in his eight innings, but those modest silver linings weren’t enough to keep him on the team’s active roster.

Bass, 29, will be returning for his second stint with the Rangers. The 2008 fifth-rounder (Padres) spent the 2015 season with the Rangers, pitching to a 4.50 ERA with 6.3 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 64 innings as the team’s primary long reliever. Last season, he logged his first year in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, tossing 203 2/3 innings with a 3.65 ERA, 6.2 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 as a member of the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Offseason In Review: Cleveland Indians

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.

After narrowly missing a World Series championship in one of the most entertaining Game 7s the sport has ever seen, the Indians entered the winter with a clear focus on returning to that stage.

Major League Signings

  • Edwin Encarnacion, 1B/DH: Three years, $60MM (plus 2020 club option)
  • Boone Logan, LHP: One year, $6.5MM (plus 2018 club option)
  • Total spend: $66.5MM

Trades and Claims

  • Acquired RHP Nick Goody from Yankees in exchange for PTBNL
  • Acquired RHP Carlos Frias from Dodgers in exchange for cash
  • Selected LHP Hoby Milner from Phillies in Rule 5 Draft (returned to Phillies)
  • Claimed LHP Edwin Escobar off waivers from the D-backs (released to allow him to sign in Japan)
  • Claimed 1B/3B/OF Richie Shaffer off waivers from the Reds (later outrighted to Triple-A)
  • Claimed LHP Tim Cooney off waivers from the Cardinals (released, re-signed to minor league deal)

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

  • Brandon Guyer, OF: Two years, $5MM (plus 2019 club option)
  • Roberto Perez, C: Four years, $9MM (plus 2021-22 club options)
  • Jose Ramirez, 3B/2B/OF: Five years, $26MM (plus 2022-23 club options)

Notable Losses

Indians depth chat | Indians payroll outlook

Needs Addressed

As one would expect of a team that took the Cubs to the limit in Game 7 of the World Series, the Indians entered the offseason with relatively few needs. The entire rotation was set to return, and the team also possessed some upper-level depth options in the minors. Replacing Mike Napoli at first base and finding a suitable left-handed relief option to join Andrew Miller in the bullpen were Cleveland’s top two priorities. President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, GM Mike Chernoff and the rest of the Indians front office — minus now-former assistant GM Derek Falvey, who was hired away by the division-rival Twins as their new chief baseball officer — did so in a big way.

Cleveland waited out a surprisingly slow market for top slugger Edwin Encarnacion (more on that pursuit below) and, much as they did in acquiring Miller from the Yankees this past summer, surprised many by adding one of the marquee names on the market. The cost fell shy of expectations for Encarnacion but remains a relatively steep investment for the tight-budgeted Indians, who entered the 2017 season with a club-record $124MM payroll, thanks largely to Encarnacion. Though he’s off to a slow start, April has historically been Encarnacion’s worst month by a wide margin, and his bat should more than offset the loss of Napoli, who returned to Texas for a third stint with the Rangers.

It was a similar story with Logan, as the early market for left-handed relief pitching was extremely steep. After Brett Cecil landed four years and just over $30MM from the Cardinals and Mike Dunn scored $19MM over a three-year term with the Rockies, Logan and fellow southpaw Jerry Blevins looked to be in line for solid multi-year contracts. That never panned out, however, as each languished on the free agent market longer than expected. And while many believed the Indians to be tapped out after their signing of Encarnacion, ownership gave the green light to spend a bit more cash.

Logan was signed to a somewhat surprising one-year deal in February, further proving the point that it typically behooves players (especially relievers) to sign early in free agency. He can still take home a total of $12.5MM if the option is exercised, but waiting out the market and securing a quality ’pen piece on a one-year deal was a nice move by the Tribe’s front office.

With some uncertainty surrounding the health of Michael Brantley as well as the departure of Rajai Davis — who signed back with the Athletics — Cleveland added some notable names on minor league contracts. Both Austin Jackson and Michael Martinez made the club and are serving as reserve pieces early in the season, though one has to imagine that the recently demoted Tyler Naquin will eventually resurface and challenge for one of their roster spots.

Finally, as has long been a hallmark of the cost-efficient Indians, Cleveland pursued extensions with a number of its young players. While efforts to lock up burgeoning superstar Francisco Lindor fell short, the team was successful in hammering out three multi-year deals. Brandon Guyer’s $5MM extension gives the club a quality outfield platoon option at a very reasonable rate through at least the 2018 season and possibly through 2019.

Jose Ramirez | Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Perez extension, too, bolsters the Cleveland bench for the foreseeable future. While some may raise an eyebrow at extending a pre-arb catcher that batted .183/.285/.294 in the preceding season, Perez is regarded as a superlative defensive backstop. He also flashed some offensive ability in 2015 when he hit .220/.348/.402 with seven homers in just 220 plate appearances. The price for catcher defense has continually risen in recent years, and Perez can likely justify the deal with his glove alone even if the bat never comes around. If it does, though, Cleveland should have a nice bargain on its hands.

The big move for Cleveland, though, was agreeing to terms on a long-term pact with perhaps its top breakout star of the 2016 campaign. Ramirez, still just 24 years of age, went from light-hitting utility man to Cleveland’s everyday third baseman last year with an excellent .312/.363/.462 batting line to accompany his 11 homers and 22 steals. He can play virtually anywhere on the diamond, as evidenced by his shift to second base this season in the early absence of Jason Kipnis. Ramirez struck out in just 10 percent of his plate appearances last year and continues to suggest that his power is still developing; he’s already homered four times in 2017.

Questions Remaining

As mentioned above, when a team comes within inches of winning the World Series and retains the vast majority of that roster, there aren’t going to be many questions. In Cleveland, the biggest unknown surrounding the team is simply health.

No one knows what to expect out of Brantley after he missed nearly the entire 2016 season due to a shoulder injury that has now required two surgeries. But the Indians made it to Game 7 last season despite receiving zero production from Brantley, arguably their best all-around player, so anything he’s able to contribute in 2017 is just a bonus. To date, he’s batted .289/.373/.489 through 12 games, reminding everyone what an excellent player he was prior to his injury.

In the rotation, Cleveland will hope for better health from Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, each of whom suffered late-season injuries that compromised the team’s postseason pitching depth. Both right-handers have front-of-the-rotation upside if they’re able to stay on the field. Combining them with Corey Kluber makes for a lethal 1-2-3 atop Cleveland’s starting five. Trevor Bauer remains somewhat enigmatic both on and off the field, but his talent is undeniable even if his results are inconsistent. Josh Tomlin finished poorly in 2016 and is off to a worse start in 2017, so if there’s one potential need, it’s at the back of the rotation.

With Cody Anderson lost to Tommy John surgery, the top depth options in Cleveland are Mike Clevinger and Ryan Merritt (who achieved folk hero status with a tremendous spot start in Toronto during last year’s ALCS). If Cleveland is going to go outside the organization anywhere on the summer trade market, my bet would be on an effort to shore up the fifth spot in the rotation. Of course, both Bauer and Tomlin have had plenty of productive stretches, and each could quickly turn his season around.

Deal of Note

Entering the winter, Encarnacion was arguably the top bat available in free agency, and the notion of him signing with the Indians would’ve been little more than a pipe dream. Deep-pocketed clubs like the Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays and Rangers were all connected to the slugger, and the Astros, who have become increasingly more aggressive with their spending, were also prominently linked to Encarnacion. When Encarnacion reportedly rejected a four-year, $80MM offer from the Blue Jays, the assumption was that he’d top that guarantee by a fairly wide margin.

Edwin Encarnacion | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Instead, Encarnacion surprisingly saw his market shrivel in a hurry. The Blue Jays, like many other teams and most pundits, assumed that Encarnacion was gone once he said no to that $80MM figure and pivoted to switch-hitting slugger Kendrys Morales on a three-year, $33MM deal. Boston, instead of spending big in an effort to replace David Ortiz, signed a quality defensive first baseman (Mitch Moreland) and moved Hanley Ramirez into primary DH duties. The Yankees made sense and were often linked to Encarnacion, but they went short-term in picking up Matt Holliday. Ditto for the Astros, who in addition to bringing Carlos Beltran back to Houston, traded for Brian McCann.

With most of the big-spending clubs suddenly lacking a place to put Encarnacion, it became wholly unclear as to where he’d end up. The Rangers were a common thought, but Texas was continually said to be averse (or fiscally unable) to adding another high-priced multi-year contract to its payroll. There was speculation about the Rockies, who had gone outside the box to sign Ian Desmond to a five-year, $70MM deal as their primary first baseman, but the oft-suggested trade of an outfielder (which would’ve moved Desmond to the outfield and freed up a space for Encarnacion) never materialized.

In the end, the bidding war for Encarnacion came down to the Indians and Athletics — as unlikely a pairing as we’ve ever seen for two teams duking it out for one of the game’s top free agents. Cleveland pushed its offer to three years, and Encarnacion cited a winning organization and closer proximity to his family in the Dominican Republic as reasons for choosing the reigning AL champs over Oakland. Encarnacion’s contract is the largest in Indians franchise history — a testament to the unexpected nature of the match between the two sides and to Cleveland ownership’s desire to return to the Fall Classic. If Cleveland does succeed in bringing home its first World Series title in nearly 80 years, the Dolan family won’t complain one bit about their investment in Encarnacion.

Overview

The Indians entered the offseason with very few holes on what was one of the most complete rosters in Major League Baseball, and they addressed their top needs with some of the biggest upgrades possible. It’s still feasible that the back of the rotation could use some augmenting some June or July, but despite the team’s 7-7 start, the Indians are the clear favorite in the American League Central division. It’ll be a surprise if they don’t return to the postseason. And if they can in fact return, this time with a healthy trio of Kluber, Carrasco and Salazar, they’ll enter October with a good chance of becoming the second AL Central team in the past five years to manage back-to-back World Series appearances.

Let’s open it up for everyone to weigh in (link to poll for Trade Rumors app users)…


Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Phillies Came Closest To Landing Jay Bruce Over The Winter

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Though by all accounts he has done nothing but go about his business as a professional, outfielder Jay Bruce has had an eventful tenure with the Mets since arriving last summer via trade. While the club picked up his option last fall, it reportedly dangled him in trade talks once Yoenis Cespedes returned in free agency.

Among the teams that inquired about Bruce, it was the rebuilding Phillies who came closest to acquiring him over the recent offseason, Marc Carig of Newsday reports. It’s not known what got in the way of a deal, though perhaps New York wanted some kind of prospect return or Philadelphia wasn’t willing to take on his entire $13MM salary.

The pursuit of Bruce, who’ll be a free agent at year’s end, certainly fits within the Phillies’ recent operating philosophy of adding short-term veteran pieces to boost the club in the near term (and provide possible trade chips) without clogging up future balance sheets. The Phils ended up adding two such outfielders, Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders. Presumably, the club wouldn’t have signed the latter, who was not added until mid-January, had it managed to acquire Bruce.

Other organizations that at least expressed interest, Carig notes, were the Giants and Orioles. But clearly neither of those clubs was willing to push the envelope to add Bruce, who struggled to a .219/.294/.391 slash line over his 187 plate appearances with the Mets in 2016. In the end, the Mets held onto the slugger.

As it turns out, the lack of sufficient interest may have worked to the Mets’ advantage. Though the presence of Bruce on the roster along with Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto has continued to create something of a logjam, the 30-year-old Bruce is more than making up for that with a highly productive start to the year. Through 62 plate appearances, he’s hitting a robust .309/.387/.673 with six long balls.

It’ll be interesting to see how things play out over the course of the season. Bruce is a notoriously streaky hitter, though the Mets will be glad to ride things out for the time being. Conforto is clamoring for more playing time with a great start in limited action. And Granderson is scuffling quite a bit early, though of the three he’s the choice to line up in center field (where he could begin to cede time to Juan Lagares). Tough choices could be required if other roster needs arise, or if the team determines that Conforto needs to play more regularly, though it remains plausible to imagine all three players sticking with the Mets for the full season. And if Bruce is able to maintain anything like his current production, it’ll be interesting to see whether the organization considers a qualifying offer after the season.

Luis Robert Declared A Free Agent

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Top Cuban prospect Luis Robert has been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. He’ll now be eligible to sign with any team as soon as May 20th, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets, though there are some constraints at play.

Because he’s eligible to sign in the current international free agent signing period, Robert will have an opportunity to ink a deal that isn’t limited by the new caps that will enter effect on July 2nd. But the youngster will be subject to the existing international rules, meaning certain clubs can’t offer him more than a $300K bonus while others would need to pay a 100% tax on any bonus money. (We covered the details on those clubs when it was reported Robert was heading stateside.)

Robert, a 19-year-old outfielder, has reportedly drawn wide interest from around the league. Last we checked in, a variety of organizations were planning to take closer scouting looks. If there’s a favorite at this point, it could be the White Sox, though they’d be entering the penalty box by striking a deal with Robert. Numerous other organizations have already blown past their bonus pools, so going on to sign Robert would mean ponying up double his bonus but wouldn’t change their future international spending eligibility.

The chief reason for the keen interest in Robert is his advanced power bat, as Ben Badler of Baseball America explained in a recent profile. He’s also currently athletic enough to play in center field, though there are questions as to whether he’ll stay there in the long run. Teams are now getting a chance to see more of Robert in person, and he’s currently planning another showcase in May, per Sanchez (via Twitter).

2017-18 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings

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MLB teams have only played around 9% of their regular season games, but we’ve got our eye on the next free agent class.  The players referenced in this post are scheduled (or can elect) to become free agents after the 2017 season.  These rankings are subject to change each month, as players drop off due to extensions, injuries, or poor performance, while others see their stock rise.

The first entry in this year’s Free Agent Power Rankings was published on March 14th.  The pitchers have only made three or four starts, and the hitters have around 50 plate appearances.  Naturally, there hasn’t been a lot of movement at the top of the rankings.  We did see one player drop out of the running, as the Cardinals signed catcher Yadier Molina to a three-year, $60MM extension earlier this month.  In hindsight, Molina should have snagged an honorable mention last time, but I underestimated his earning power.

That’s the goal here: to rank the upcoming free agents based on earning power.  These rankings represent expected contract size, assuming each player reaches the open market and goes to the highest bidder.  For the full list of 2017-18 MLB free agents, click here.

1.  Jake Arrieta.  Arrieta’s first three starts have gone well, as strikeouts are up and walks are down after 18 2/3 frames.  There is a potential red flag, however, which was explained by Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs.  Arrieta’s velocity appears to be down a few miles per hour in the early going, despite velocity tracking adjustments that have generally boosted readings across the game.  After his second start, Arrieta told reporters, “There’s FanGraph articles. I don’t care about that.”  As the pitcher put it, “When the 95-to-97 comes back, it’s going to be tough for teams. And it still is.”  Arrieta is right in that it’s only April.  But if he somehow stays at 91-92 miles per hour all year, his earning power will likely be lower.  Back in Spring Training, Arrieta told Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, “I don’t think a six- or seven-year deal is out of the question.”  We’ll stick with a five-year prediction for now.

2.  Yu Darvish.  Four starts in, Darvish has succeeded on the back of an unsustainable .230 batting average on balls in play.  Strikeouts are down and walks are up in Darvish’s 24 2/3 innings, but it would be unwise to read into it at this point.  If Darvish is able to make 30+ starts for the second time in his MLB career, he’ll be paid handsomely.  That contract could still come from the Rangers, as GM Jon Daniels told Norm Hitzges on 1310 The Ticket back in March that both sides are open to midseason negotiations.

3.  Johnny Cueto.  Cueto scuffled in his first start at Arizona, but has gone seven innings in each of his last two outings.  He remains on track to opt out of his remaining four years and $84MM after the season, or at least negotiate some kind of extension with the Giants.

4.  Masahiro Tanaka.  Tanaka has gotten progressively better in each of his four starts this year, culminating in a fine seven-inning start against the White Sox last night.  The Yankees’ ace must decide after the season whether to opt out of the remaining three years and $67MM left on his contract.  With a healthy year, opting out would seem to be a no-brainer.  A few weeks ago, Mike Mazzeo and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News wrote, “Sources tell the Daily News that if the Japanese ace opts out of his $155 million contract, the Yankees would have no interest in pursuing a costly, long-term extension with the 28-year-old righty.”  They went on to report that the Yankees “are annoyed at Tanaka’s agent, Casey Close, for holding the threat of a potential opt-out over their heads.”  Yankees top brass rejected this report out of hand, as detailed by George A. King III of the New York Post.  President Randy Levine commented to King, “I never heard any of this.  We normally don’t move until the event.”  Recent history backs this up, with the Yankees allowing Alex Rodriguez to opt out before doing a new deal, and waiting until C.C. Sabathia was on the brink of doing so.

5.  Jonathan Lucroy.  Lucroy, 31 in June, remains the best position player of the 2017-18 free agent class despite a quiet start.  After playing in 11 of the Rangers’ 15 games, Lucroy has just one extra-base hit in 44 plate appearances.  One new development: on March 27th, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that Lucroy and the Rangers tabled extension talks.  Shortly after that point, Molina signed his new extension with the Cardinals.  With a strong season, Lucroy would be justified in seeking Molina’s $20MM average annual value, over a five-year period.

6.  J.D. Martinez.  Martinez sprained the Lisfranc ligament in his right foot on March 18th and opened the season on the disabled list.  On Tuesday, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said his right fielder is “pretty close” to a minor league rehab assignment, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press.  At this point, there is no reason to expect the injury to affect Martinez’s earning power in free agency.

7.  Justin Upton.  The big question is whether Upton will opt out of the remaining four years and $88MM on his contract with the Tigers.  We should have a better idea by the time he turns 30 this August.  But if he hits 30 home runs and draws 70 walks, he’ll have to at least consider seeking a new five-year deal. Thus far, he’s hitting .250/.372/.472 with a pair of homers over 43 trips to the plate.

8.  Eric Hosmer.  There is probably confirmation bias in me dropping Hosmer a spot after just 58 plate appearances this year.  But Hosmer’s $100MM projection was always on shaky ground, as he’s hitting just .232/.301/.364 in 512 plate appearances since June of last year.  As far as extension talks, there was a development in mid-March.  Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star talked to Royals owner David Glass, who said, “I think it will be difficult.  I think Hoz wants to stay here, and I think he’s very loyal to our organization. But at the same time, these guys have agents that want to get the best deal for them. Hoz has (Scott) Boras, and if Boras doesn’t get a really good deal for Hoz, then it affects his relationship with his other clients.  They sort of set a standard with each one of their clients. So I think we’ll have a difficult time with Hosmer.”  As you might imagine, Boras rejected the notion that he is driving the bus rather than his client.  In the shorter term, the Royals might have to consider trading Hosmer three months from now if they fall out of contention in the AL Central. That scenario could work to Hosmer’s benefit, as he’d be ineligible for a qualifying offer after the year if dealt.

9.  Mike Moustakas.  Hosmer’s teammate across the diamond has received less contract-related fanfare, but could soon pass him in earning power.  Moustakas, 28, was profiled by Jeff Todd in our Make Or Break Year series in March.  So far, the 28-year-old seems to be making it.  He’s hitting .300/.352/.620 with five home runs in 54 plate appearances.  Moustakas had a hot start last April as well, hitting seven home runs in a 71 plate appearance span before suffering a season-ending ACL tear.  So far Moose seems no worse for the wear, starting 12 of the Royals’ 14 games and making appearances in the other two.  Moustakas, also a Boras client, could end up hitting 30 home runs this year with solid defense at the hot corner.

10.  Michael Pineda.  Yes, it’s been only three starts for Pineda, and his first one was a dud in Tampa Bay.  But his second effort, also against the Rays, was a masterpiece ranking among the best of his 103 career starts.  Pineda can be maddening, with brilliant strikeout to walk ratios but abnormally high home run per flyball rates and BABIPs.  For his Yankees career, the result has continually been an ERA much higher than what a metric like xFIP or SIERA might suggest.  Pineda’s final stat line could be more of the same, but with a few corrections he could receive Cy Young votes this year. (He was also profiled here as a “make or break” player.)

Dropping out: Carlos Gonzalez. CarGo could return to the top ten if he can right the ship, but he’s off to a miserable start. Over sixty trips to the plate, he’s hitting just .175/.200/.298 with a single home run and 13 strikeouts to go with a pair of walks. That’s not enough of a sample to panic, but it’s enough for a few younger players to edge ahead of him at the moment.

Honorable mentions for the Free Agent Power Rankings include Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, Carlos Santana, Lorenzo Cain, Wade Davis, Chris Tillman, and Zack Cozart.

Mychal Givens Changes Agents

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Orioles reliever Mychal Givens has changed his representation, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Excel Sports will now represent the right-hander.

Givens, 26, began his career as a shortstop after being selected in the second round of the 2009 draft. But he moved to the mound when his bat failed to develop.

That has proven to be a worthwhile change for both player and team, as Givens now rates as a high-quality bullpen arm with a mid-nineties fastball and quality slider. Since reaching the bigs in 2015, he owns a 2.67 ERA with 11.3 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 over 111 1/3 frames.

Givens is off to a strong start in the results department through 6 2/3 innings in 2017, though his swinging-strike rate presently sits at just 4.9% after reaching 14.9% in 2016. He has allowed far more contact on pitches out of the zone (85.7%) than in his two prior years (when he sat below 60%), but perhaps that’ll prove to be little more than a small-sample blip.

Givens entered the current season with 1.069 years of MLB service on his ledger, meaning he will not be able to qualify for arbitration next year as a Super Two. Instead, his first of three seasons of arb eligibility will begin in 2019 — his age-29 campaign.

AL Notes: Dozier, Donaldson, Doubront, Fasola

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ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick has an interesting profile of Twins star second baseman Brian Dozier. The Mississippi native has proven adept at picking up a variety of games and activities. Last year, it seems, he took an interest in hitting lots of home runs. Now that he has established the ability to play at such a high level in the majors, says Dozier, “everything seems different now.” He goes on to explain: “I’ve found the longer you’re in the game, the slower it becomes. The learning curves are there each and every year, but you become wiser and you realize what you have to do in order to succeed.”

Here’s more from the American League:

  • If the Blue Jays can’t rebound, they’ll have no choice but to explore a trade of star third baseman Josh Donaldson, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star argues. Toronto is in a tough spot because of the talent gap between the current MLB roster and the clubs best prospects, many of whom aren’t really that close to contributing in the majors. If this Jays outfit isn’t able to turn around an abysmal start, says Griffin, dealing Donaldson might be the only chance the organization has to add quality, near-MLB talent. Regardless, the team must hope that Donaldson is able to get past his current calf issues as soon as possible.
  • Lefty Felix Doubront is still rehabbing for the Athletics, but there are already plans to make a change when he returns. Doubront will return in a relief role, GM David Forst told reporters including MLB.com’s Jane Lee (via Twitter). The 29-year-old has mostly functioned as a starter in the bigs, though he does have experience working from the pen as well. Doubront could return from his Tommy John surgery by June, per the report.
  • Rangers righty John Fasola underwent Tommy John surgery today, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports on Twitter. Fasola, 25, isn’t exactly a hyped prospect. But he did win the club’s award as the top reliever on the farm last year after throwing 51 innings of 3.18 ERA ball with 10.2 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9. Fasola went on to have a solid Arizona Fall League run and might soon have been a factor in the major league mix were it not for the injury.

Injury Notes: Thornburg, Price, Sanchez, Wright, Turner, Mesoraco

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Here’s the latest on some injury situations from around the game:

  • Red Sox righty Tyler Thornburg has yet to progress to the point that he’s able to take the mound, manager John Farrell said today (via Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com, on Twitter). It’s not clear whether he’s making much progress, but it seems he is still long tossing in an effort to rebuild lost shoulder strength. At present, it seems as if there’s no clear timeline for the reliever to appear in the majors for the first time with his new team.
  • Meanwhile, the Red Sox seem to be slowing the rehab pace of lefty David Price, as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. It’s not believed to be related to any setbacks, but plans of letting Price face live hitters appear to be on hold for at least another week, per the report.
  • The Yankees are still taking it slow with catcher Gary Sanchez, but there are some indications of progress, as Laura Albanese of Newsday writes. Sanchez, who is dealing with a biceps strain, was able to throw and take some dry cuts. He reported no issues, but the club isn’t planning to speed up his timeline, with manager Joe Girardi suggesting the original plan of a four-week absence hasn’t changed.
  • In another corner of New York, the Mets are seeing some good signs from third baseman David Wright. As David Lennon of Newsday tweets. Wright was able to field balls and play catch today, though he hasn’t yet begun making throws from third base. The veteran is working back from a shoulder impingement (which was suffered as he recovered from a neck issue that arose while dealing with a serious back issue).
  • Trea Turner could be back at shortstop for the Nationals sooner rather than later. As Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com tweets, Turner played in extended spring action and was even able to swipe a bag. That’s certainly promising news, particularly given that Turner is on the DL owing to a hamstring strain.
  • After catching full games on consecutive days, Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco seems about ready to be activated, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. It seems the club will wait to see how Mesoraco feels before making a call, though manager Bryan Price also hinted there’s more to the evaluation. “This is kind of the point in time where we’ll re-assess what he needs for any type of finishing touches or polish before he’s activated,” Price said of the backstop, who is working back from hip and shoulder surgeries. Mesoraco has struggled at the plate in limited action thus far.

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