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Archives for April 2017

MLBTR Originals

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Here is this week’s original content from MLB Trade Rumors’ writing staff and contributors…

  • MLBTR contributor Chuck Wasserstrom looks back at the White Sox 1998 draft with former Sox scouting director Duane Shaffer.  While Chicago’s first four picks from that draft (Kip Wells, Aaron Rowand, Gary Majewski, Josh Fogg) went on to enjoy lengthy big league careers, the Sox 1998 draft class was a rare example of a team striking gold with a 38th-round pick — longtime White Sox rotation staple Mark Buehrle.  “The level of satisfaction with this draft is tremendous.  When you’re right on the top end of your draft, that’s basically what you get paid for.  You have to be right on those guys,” Shaffer said. “When you get a guy like Mark Buehrle down in the draft – he makes that draft that much better.”
  • Tim Dillard (a.k.a. @DimTillard) takes us inside the clubhouse of the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate in his latest Inner Monologue , covering everything from Tim Tebow and vanity plate etiquette to 50 Cent and on-field wedding proposals.
  • MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series continued with Steve Adams examining the Royals, Connor Byrne looking at the Mariners, Charlie Wilmoth covering the Angels, and Jeff Todd breaking down the Rockies’ and Phillies’ winter moves.

NL Notes: Cubs, Mets, Nationals

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Ben Zobrist started the majority of the Cubs’ regular-season games at second base in 2016, but Javier Baez is now in the process of becoming the team’s everyday option at the keystone, writes Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago. Baez started all 17 of the Cubs’ playoff games at second last fall and has opened 2017 by lining up there in four of five contests, which has pushed Zobrist into a super-utility role. Manager Joe Maddon isn’t ready to declare Baez the Cubs’ starter at second, largely because of “all the versatility” the team’s position players possess. However, he admitted that “pretty much what you’ve seen to this point, I think, is like a good indicator of what we’re going to be able to do with everybody being healthy.”

More on two other potential National League contenders:

  • Although Travis d’Arnaud is not among the 10 Mets who are scheduled to hit free agency after this season, this is nonetheless a crucial year for the catcher, observes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Mets will need to allocate a large portion of their offseason spending to positions other than catcher next winter, meaning they’d like to avoid having to upgrade behind the plate. The club eschewed free agent catchers this past winter in order to give d’Arnaud another chance to establish himself as a legitimate starter. That came in spite of the fact that the former top prospect has consistently dealt with injury problems, and he only hit .247/.307/.323 in 276 plate appearances last season. The 28-year-old was quite useful in 2015, though (albeit over only 268 PAs), and still regards himself a long-term piece for the Mets. “Big time,” said d’Arnaud, who’s controllable via arbitration through 2019.
  • Shortstop Trea Turner departed the Nationals’ loss to the Phillies on Saturday with a hamstring issue, but it seems he dodged a major injury. Manager Dusty Baker only expects Turner to miss a couple days, Dan Kolko of MASN was among those to report (Twitter link). That’s the lone good news of the night for the Nationals, who were on the wrong end of a football-like score (17-3) in Philadelphia.
  • Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie got the start for the Nationals on Saturday, his first major league action since 2015, but probably won’t be long for their rotation. Baker stated before the game, via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com, that the demoted Joe Ross “will be back.” The skipper also insisted Ross and Guthrie aren’t competing for the fifth spot in the Nats’ rotation. Regardless, Guthrie didn’t exactly make his case for the role. In a nightmarish showing, the 38-year-old yielded 10 earned runs on six hits and four walks over just two-thirds of an inning. Ross will be eligible to return to the majors next week.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Jays, Bucs, Cubs, Twins, Rays, D-backs

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This week in baseball blogs:

Please send submissions to ZachBBWI @gmail.com.

West Notes: Padres, Astros, Dodgers, Rangers

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This year’s Padres are turning “tanking” into an art form, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The Padres feature three players selected in the Rule 5 Draft, plus an incredibly inexperienced outfield and three starting pitchers who have recently been released. GM A.J. Preller’s strategy this season, Sherman writes, amounts to a “more extreme version of, say, what the Astros and Cubs did” — essentially, being indifferent to winning in the short term in order to get choice draft picks. Notably, Sherman detects a personal tone to criticism of the Padres’ strategy from employees of other organizations, in part because of Preller’s failure to disclose some relevant medical information in past trades, including the deal last season that sent Drew Pomeranz to Boston.

  • The Astros have liked what they’ve seen so far of Charlie Morton, who signed a two-year, $14MM deal with the team last winter, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. “I do believe that Charlie Morton isn’t a back-of-the-rotation guy,” said GM Jeff Luhnow during Spring Training. “He hit 97 three times in the first inning yesterday, with a lot of sink on his pitches and good secondary stuff. A healthy Charlie Morton could work himself into the conversation with Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers at the top of our rotation.” Morton allowed just two runs and two walks while striking out six in his first start of the year against the Mariners this week, although, uncharacteristically, he allowed 11 fly balls. Morton is excited about his new team’s prospects, Kepner writes. “The whole team is strong,” he says. “I just don’t see how we’re not set up to win.”
  • With Rich Hill on the disabled list, the Dodgers will reinsert left-hander Alex Wood into their rotation for Monday’s game against the Cubs, manager Dave Roberts announced Saturday (via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com). Wood wasn’t able to crack the Dodgers’ season-opening rotation, but he has enjoyed plenty of success as a starter. The 26-year-old has racked up 458 1/3 frames from the rotation and recorded a 3.40 ERA, 8.01 K/9 and 2.88 BB/9.
  • Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre is eligible to come off the 10-day DL on Sunday, but the team is unsure if it will activate him, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. “The bottom line is, we are in the information-gathering stage, and how he feels,” manager Jeff Banister said of Beltre, who’s sidelined with a calf injury. “We’ll go from there.” Beltre took live batting practice Saturday, though he’s not yet able to run at full speed. Considering they’re off Monday, the Rangers could opt against activating the 38-year-old in favor of a couple more days of rest.

Yankees To Place Gary Sanchez On 10-Day DL

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The Yankees will place catcher Gary Sanchez on the 10-day disabled list with a right biceps strain, Jack Curry of the YES Network was among those to report (Twitter link). Sanchez suffered the injury during the Yankees’ 5-4 loss to Baltimore on Saturday. He’ll see a doctor Monday or Tuesday, per Marly Rivera of ESPN.com.

New York has gotten off to a sluggish start even with the heralded Sanchez in its lineup, having dropped four of five to begin the season. Sanchez hit just .150/.190/.300 with a home run, four strikeouts and a walk during those five games, but the 24-year-old figures to rebound when he returns to action.

Sanchez slashed .299/.376/.657 with 20 homers in 299 plate appearances as a rookie last season, and while he won’t be able to replicate those numbers over a full campaign, he could nonetheless firmly establish himself as an elite catcher as early as this year. Further adding to Sanchez’s appeal is the fact that he cut down a whopping 41 percent of would-be base stealers in 2016. Given that the injury is to his impressive throwing arm, the Yankees will be extra careful with his recovery, according to manager Joe Girardi (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, on Twitter).

With Sanchez out of action, the Yankees will try to escape their early season swoon using the uninspiring combination of Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka behind the plate. Romine has batted an ugly .222/.256/.329 in 359 major league PAs, while the 26-year-old Higashioka hasn’t yet debuted in the bigs. He’ll join the Yankees on Sunday, tweets Hoch.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/8/17

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Saturday’s minor moves:

  • The Blue Jays have selected the contract of right-hander Casey Lawrence and moved right-hander Bo Schultz from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL, per a team announcement. Lawrence, who has been with the Jays organization since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2010, could now be in position to log his first major league action. The 29-year-old saw significant time at the Triple-A level last season, when he posted a 3.83 ERA, 6.0 K/9 and 2.48 BB/9 in 87 innings and 15 appearances (all starts). Most of Lawrence’s work has come at Double-A, where he has pitched to a 4.23 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 410 1/3 frames (70 appearances, 65 starts).

Rosenthal’s Latest: Yankees, Rockies, L. Robert, Orioles, Mariners

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Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez left Saturday’s game in Baltimore with a right biceps strain, per a team announcement. There’s no timetable for his return, tweets FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, but it’s worth noting that Angels righty Garrett Richards landed on the 10-day disabled list Friday with a right biceps strain. It’s possible Sanchez’s injury will be more severe, of course, which would be a terrible development for the Yankees. The 24-year-old deservedly entered the season with significant hype surrounding him after hitting an astounding .299/.376/.657 with 20 home runs in 229 plate appearances as a rookie in 2016.

More from Rosenthal:

  • When it comes to potentially acquiring starting pitching help this summer, the Rockies could be a team to watch, says Rosenthal (video link). Colorado might have enough young talent to swing a deal for White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana or Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray, posits Rosenthal, who notes that Baseball America regards its farm as the 10th-best system in the majors (ESPN’s Keith Law ranks it an even better ninth).
  • The White Sox, Astros, Padres, Reds and Cardinals are the teams with the most interest in highly touted outfield prospect Luis Robert, reports Rosenthal. If he’s cleared to sign by June 15, the 19-year-old will go down as the last Cuban amateur to sign for big money – should the new collective bargaining agreement rules remain in place for a while, that is. Ben Badler of Baseball America has reported on multiple occasions that the White Sox are the favorites to land Robert. Unlike the ChiSox, all of the Astros, Padres, Cardinals and Reds have already exceeded their 2016-17 international bonus pools.
  • With Manny Machado, Zach Britton and Adam Jones slated to become free agents after next year, the Orioles might look far different on the field by the 2019 season. Changes could be coming off the field, too, as both GM Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter will also see their contracts expire when the 2018 campaign concludes, per Rosenthal. Showalter isn’t looking to leave Baltimore, according to Rosenthal, though he’ll turn 61 next month, leading to questions as to whether he’ll transition to a front office job sometime soon.
  • The Mariners’ competitive window might only stay open through next season, observes Rosenthal, who points out that Nelson Cruz, Jean Segura, Drew Smyly, Hisashi Iwakuma and Leonys Martin are scheduled to hit free agency after the 2018 campaign. General manager Jerry Dipoto made it clear over the winter that the Mariners are in “win-now” mode, which makes sense considering those soon-to-be free agents, not to mention that integral players such as Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager and Felix Hernandez are either in their 30s or will be soon. The Mariners don’t have a deep farm system, either, as both Baseball America and Law place it in the majors’ bottom 10.

The Inner Monologue of @DimTillard Clubhouse Edition

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It’s 11:30am on Saturday, April 8th, 2017.  My name is Tim Dillard.  Two days ago, I started my 15th season in professional baseball.  And even though I’m SUPER underqualified, I’ve journaled my Inner Monologue in three other posts for MLB Trade Rumors (Part 1) (Part 2) (Opening Day).

11:34am  I’m currently at the ballpark in Triple-A Colorado Springs, and have relief pitcher stretch at 1:00pm.  But until then, I’ve decided to jot down some thoughts.

11:36am  The multiple clubhouse TVs are showing baseball games while the clubhouse speakers are pumping out rapper 50 Cent’s music playlist.  In fact, he just told Shawty that it’s his birthday.  Congrats Shawty!

11:37am  One of the TVs has Tim Tebow coverage … looks like congratulations are in order again!  It appears Tebow hit a two-run home run the other day in his first-ever professional minor league at bat!  WOW!  Watching the replay of his post-game SportsCenter interview, reminds me of the two-run home run I hit last year in my first minor league at bat of the season.  Though … his post-game SportsCenter interview ran a bit longer than mine did.

11:43am  Okay, I was wrong — one TV has golf on it.  The Masters is on, I’m being told.  I’m also being told that I look like the homeless caddy from Happy Gilmore.  Must be this mesmerizing BEARD I’m parading around.

11:45am  Every year I’m impressed how versatile and knowledgable baseball players really are!  Right now golf advice is running rampant.  But next week, hockey sticks and body checking will start creeping into the locker room.  And after that usually comes overly-giant hats and jockey evaluating in honor of the Kentucky Derby.

11:52am  And whenever something is being thrown away in the clubhouse, you’ll always hear a “Jordan!” or “Kobe!” … or maybe it’s “Curry!” now.  Players talk basketball the entire baseball season … probably ’cause the NBA Playoffs last five months.

11:53am  But every four years, I daresay the FIFA World Cup takes over everything!  Complete with jerseys, reenactments, and multiple soccer balls!  And I bet there’s a spike in the sale of soccer cleats as well!

11:55am  FIFA is a big deal because a baseball clubhouse is home to so many backgrounds and nationalities.  It’s just a beautiful melting pot of pride and awesome!

11:57am  50 Cent is still at it … “I love you like a fat kid love cake.”  Probably my favorite 50 Cent lyric!

12:01pm  Remember a few years ago when 50 Cent threw out the ceremonial first-pitch at a Mets game?  And it was just the worst first pitch ever?  And everybody was making fun of him?  I didn’t … I’ve thrown pitches that bad before, and I’ve done it without being shot nine times.

12:04pm  The ceremonial first pitch in baseball dates back over a hundred years! (At least I think — Google if you care enough.)  What a special tradition, though!  I’ve witnessed hundreds over my career.  In fact, I was actually going to propose to my wife during a ceremonial first pitch!

12:10pm  I was pitching for the Class A+ Brevard County Manatees in 2005, and decided to propose at one of our games!  My plan was to get stadium management to trick my now-wife into throwing the first pitch, and I was going to disguise myself as the catcher.  So after catching her throw, I was going to run out to the mound to give the ball back.  But then drop to a knee, remove my catcher’s mask, and whip out the ring!

12:16pm  Now, I know what you’re thinking… “WHAT AN AWESOME IDEA!” right?  Well, about a week before the plan was to be executed, my now-wife and I see a sports proposal on TV.  Then she turns to me and nonchalantly says, “If you ever tried something like that, I’d say no.”

12:19pm  Okay so I’m not the brightest tool in the drawer, but kinda got the feeling an on-field proposal could be a bad idea.  “Now I know, and knowing is half the battle.” -G.I. Joe

12:23pm  But I have learned a lot over my many years in baseball.  Simple things.  For instance: don’t put a “BRU CRU” vanity plate on your car just because you’re in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.  And don’t get a tattoo of a flaming baseball on your arm, just in case you stop throwing hard one day. (I’ll admit I’ve done one of these.)

12:28pm  Being around baseball for a long time also has its perks.  Like: no matter what clubhouse I’m in … my phone already has the password, and automatically connects to the wi-fi.  And of course, infinite access to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

12:33pm  Thanks to a generous teammate sitting next to me, I can safely say that the local gas station’s Rice Krispy treats are on point!

12:34pm  Clubhouse manager is walking around delivering the daily packages.  I don’t get a lot of mail these days.  But all the young prospects get boxes everyday!  Stuff like spikes, batting gloves, shower shoes, portable chargers, Bruce Lee shirts, candy, disco ball, camo tights, Quench Gum, cribbage board, Aerobies.

12:36pm  Hey I actually did get mail!  Crap.  It’s from my bank.  Says my credit card was compromised again and sent me a new card. Looks like they got suspicious from purchases made last week in Arizona, Wisconsin, and Colorado… and one online order for exotic beard oil.

12:38pm  CRAP!  I need to hurry up.  Don’t want to be late for stretch!

12:38pm  Come to think of it, when I was a kid, my brothers and I weren’t allowed to use the word crap.  It was on the bad word list.  My mom would wash our mouths out with soap if we let the crap word fly.  I still have a hard time using Dial soap.

12:41pm  Ah yes, the clubhouse… so full of life and sound.  Like a cross between Chuck E. Cheese and a Play It Again Sports.

To Be Concluded…

Giants To Sign Melvin Upton Jr.

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3:12pm: Upton will sign with the Giants, Feinsand reports (Twitter links). Upton’s deal will be of the minor-league variety, and he will report to Triple-A Sacramento. He is a client of Reynolds Sports Management.

As noted below, the Giants can use extra outfield depth, and Upton could conceivably play left field against lefties, pairing with Jarrett Parker. As Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets, the Giants until recently did not seem to have interest in Upton. Parker and the Giants’ other left fielders have started the season poorly, though, with Parker going 0-for-10 with six strikeouts. The Giants’ change of heart might have had something to do with those struggles.

The Giants also have Mac Williamson for the sort of role Upton might eventually occupy, although Williamson is currently on the DL with a quad injury. Another potential option, Michael Morse, is also currently hurt. The Giants also recently signed another veteran, Drew Stubbs, to bolster their supply of outfielders. The Giants had also been connected to free agent Angel Pagan, who of course is no stranger to the organization; Upton’s signing perhaps makes a reunion less likely.

2:50pm: Free agent outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. is likely to sign with a National League team today, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets. The Blue Jays released Upton last week after telling him he wouldn’t make their club out of Spring Training.

The identity of the signing team isn’t currently known. Speculatively, the Giants could use a bit of extra depth, and the right-handed Upton could be a fit, with left-handed Jarrett Parker in left field. If Upton and the Braves might have interest in a reunion, that club has been known to have interest in bench help, and they have left-handed Nick Markakis in right. The Padres have a very young outfield and presumably have memories of Upton’s previous tenure there; they might see him as a stabilizing presence. Upton might also be a decent short-term fit in Colorado, where lefty Gerardo Parra is playing left while David Dahl nurses a rib injury.

Of course, Upton could also potentially sign a minor-league deal elsewhere and wait for an opportunity. But he might be able to find a situation where he can play right away, or close to it. He hit poorly down the stretch last year with the Blue Jays, but as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe pointed out earlier today, Upton previously having revived his career in San Diego might convince interested teams to gamble on his upside. He seems likely to generate more interest than the typical minor-league free agent. The Padres are also paying the bulk of his remaining salary, so interested teams won’t have to worry much about his cost.

Nationals Select Jeremy Guthrie’s Contract

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The Nationals have announced that they’ve selected the contract of veteran righty Jeremy Guthrie, as expected. They’re cleared space for him on their active roster by optioning outfielder Michael Taylor to Triple-A Syracuse. Guthrie will start tonight against the Phillies.

Guthrie, who turns 38 today, last appeared in the big leagues in 2015, when he struggled with the Royals. He pitched in the Marlins and Padres farm systems last season and struggled, posting a 6.60 ERA or higher at each stop. Nonetheless, the Nationals signed him to a minor-league deal, and he posted a 2.41 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings this spring. The Nationals are giving Stephen Strasburg an extra day of rest after his start Monday, and they can’t promote Joe Ross back to the big leagues yet after optioning him to Triple-A on Sunday. So Guthrie will get Saturday’s start after being out of the Majors for over a year.

Guthrie, a first-round pick in the 2002 draft, eventually blossomed into a solid mid-rotation starter with the Orioles. Never a strikeout artist, his calling cards were decent control and durability — he’s pitched at least 200 innings in a season five times in his 12-year big-league career, posting a 4.37 ERA, 5.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 over nearly 1,800 Major League frames.

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