Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson changed clubs when the Phillies traded him to the Orioles on Friday, but a car crash has delayed his arrival to meet his new teammates, reports Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com (on Twitter). Hellickson was rear-ended on his way to the airport to fly to Texas, where the Orioles are playing, and he and his girlfriend had to go to the emergency room as a result. Fortunately, it seems the two avoided major injuries. “I think Jeremy is OK, but his girlfriend had to go to the emergency room,” manager Buck Showalter said Saturday (via Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com). “I know Roger (McDowell) has talked to him a couple of times. If everything stays…if she gets cleared, they’ll be in Baltimore tomorrow. No reason to come here (to Texas) now. We’ve got a catcher set up tomorrow in Baltimore.”
The Phillies received little-used outfielder Hyun Soo Kim in the package for Hellickson, and the 29-year-old’s playing time won’t increase with his new team, writes Matt Breen of Philly.com. “I don’t know how much time I’ll be able to get for Kim,” admitted manager Pete Mackanin. “It’s a conundrum.” With Aaron Altherr and Nick Williams flanking center fielder Odubel Herrera, the Phillies have younger options entrenched in starting roles. That’s unfortunate for Kim, who hit .302/.382/.420 in 346 plate appearances as a rookie last year. The free agent-to-be took massive steps backward this season before the trade (.232/.305/.288 in 142 tries), and he won’t have an opportunity to improve his stock in the next couple months. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams suggested Friday, including Kim and his $4.2MM salary in the trade was a money-driven decision by the teams.
The latest on a couple of Baltimore’s AL East rivals:
- The Yankees made Double-A right-hander Zack Littell a healthy scratch from his start on Saturday, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). Sherman believes the move has something to do with Monday’s trade deadline, and it’s worth noting that the Yankees and A’s are deep in talks regarding Oakland right-hander Sonny Gray. Speculatively, Littell could end up in the package going to Oakland if the Yankees acquire Gray (or as part of another deal). MLB.com ranks the 21-year-old Littell as New York’s 22nd-best prospect.
- More from Sherman, who writes that the Yankees may trade hot-hitting Triple-A outfield prospects Billy McKinney and Jake Cave by the end of August as a way to alleviate the 40-man roster crunch they’re slated to face in the offseason. Neither player is on the Yankees’ 40-man right now, and the team is already well off in the outfield. In lieu of protecting the McKinney-Cave tandem over the winter, then, the Yankees could do what they did with outfielder Ben Gamel last year and deal one or both of them. Gamel wasn’t on the 40-man for New York when it traded him to the Mariners last Aug. 31 for a pair of pitching prospects. While Gamel’s now enjoying an excellent rookie season in Seattle, odds are that he wouldn’t have gotten the chance to shine as a major leaguer this year had he stayed in the Yankees organization.
- In regards to the low-payroll Rays’ trading spree this season, owner Stuart Sternberg told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times: “The impetus? This is a special group of guys who have the talent and are hungry.” Sternberg has picked up $7MM in salary via trades this year – though Colby Rasmus’ departure did save the team $2.5MM, as Topkin points out – and is looking to make more additions to the Rays’ playoff-contending roster. “The money and the talent we no longer have hurts, and makes us a bit weaker in the future,” continued Sternberg. “In a perfect world there will be more to do to improve the club. It’s hard to see how that presents itself, though I have confidence (we) will explore any and every opportunity.”
the rays have plenty of money
Richest owner in baseball
Then he is also the cheapest
“There are 11 MLB teams owned or which have a managing partner as a billionaire. Longtime Detroit Tigers owner Michael Ilitch died last month at 87. His wife and family are baseball’s richest at $6 billion. They are followed by Charles Johnson ($6 billion), who runs the San Francisco Giants, and Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner ($5.3 billion).”
forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2017/03/20/the-wo…
you do know there is a massive difference between wealth and operating income right
This is one of those things that I probably should know about but don’t. What is the difference? Is the operating income the cash that the franchise puts in play? Can an owner, perhaps Ted Lerner, pony up his own $$ if he chooses to?
Yes and Yes.
Ok. Can an owner supplement a contract with his own money. Say 10 mil from the team and 10 mil from the owner?
Good question (and great name/alias–go O’s). Antonio Bananas are you there?
sternberg’s net worth is valued at 800 mil – keep in mind this is his net worth, which means liquidating all of his assets to get that number, including his controlling interest of the rays franchise (total team value is estimated at around 625 mil, of which he owns 48%)…he’s not as loaded as it might first seem. that said, an extra 10 mil for a playoff push wouldn’t hurt, would it Stu?
Yes and have made Deals but none today Rays so far only one Tiday and Gray Trade not holding up them for happening but Teams are not ready to announce them like Twins,Mets,Rangers,Giants,Baltimore and so on.
Can I get that in english?
maybe that is that pig latin he is talking in.
Looks like that with some autocorrect
Are you in third grade? Perhaps your teacher could translate that into a coherent statement?
I’d like to make this statement to those who poo poo some of the players that are mentioned as prospects for a Gray, or any other trade. Prospect lists are wonderful things to build, discuss and debate but history, especially that of Yankee prospects, has shown that so many of the players NOT listed as top prospects have often become really good solid/all-star-ish players. And I really scratch my head as to why certain young AA/AAA players can show success and yet are not listed as top prospects.
The likes of Cano, Nova, Gamel, D. Roberston, Mark Melancon, Melky Cabrera, Francisco, Cervelli, Edward Nunez, Brett Gardner and Austin Jackson were never, ever listed as top 100 prospects and some of these guys were lucky to be top 20-25 organization guys despite given reason to think they should be.
Guys like Mike Ford, Jake Cave, Billy Mckinney, Zack Littell, Yefry Ramirez, etc understandably won’t be headlining a Gray deal but could pair nicely with a Yanks prospect listed on some top 50-100 lists.
In the case of Cave, McKinney and Ford you have 3 excellent looking bats that are or near ready for an mlb chance. I might even add Ji-Man Choi to that list.
sure, there’s been some non top 100 prospects that have been good. But there are also examples of non top 100 players being nothing. That’s the thing with prospects that i don’t get is so complicated and why so many people on here debate on here: It goes both ways, but prospects are valuable because when you hit on a prospect, you got a controllable young player
It would be interesting if McKinney is part of a trade for Sonny Gray…it would all come full circle for him
You’re right that Ben Gamel was traded last year because of a roster crunch, but he was definitely on the 40-man roster at the time. He got his cup of coffee with the Yanks earlier that season and I they never designated him for assignment.
So the phillies take a player back they have no use for ? BRILLIANCE. Release him and be done with him than. Klentak hasn’t shown one thing to make me believe he’s a major league GM.