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Archives for July 2017

Mets To Promote Amed Rosario

By Steve Adams | July 31, 2017 at 4:21pm CDT

The Mets will promote top prospect Amed Rosario for tomorrow’s game against the Rockies, general manager told reporters this afternoon (Twitter link via Newsday’s Marc Carig). He’ll play shortstop at Coors Field in his Major League debut. Tyler Kepner of the New York Times tweets that the GM said first base prospect Dominic Smith is “not far behind.”

Rosario, 21, was ranked by ESPN’s Keith Law as the No. 1 prospect in baseball in his midseason update of the game’s 50 best prospects. He rated fourth on Baseball America’s midseason Top 100 and second on the midseason top 100 over at MLB.com.

Amed Rosario | Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Thus far, Rosario has slashed an impressive .328/.367/466 with seven homers, 19 doubles and seven triples in 425 plate appearances while playing in the hitter-friendly Triple-A Pacific Coast League (specifically, in a favorable Las Vegas setting). He’s also swiped 19 bases in 26 tries, showing off the wheels that have earned him plus ratings in many scouting reports.

Rosario is regarded as a plus defender at shortstop with a plus hit tool and some potentially emerging power. (His seven home runs are already a career-high.) Scouting reports agree that he’s a slam dunk to stay at shortstop where he should provide the Mets with anywhere from above-average to superlative defense for the next several years.

While the Mets’ somewhat crowded infield picture still features veterans Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker, it seems all but certain that Rosario will be given the chance to play on a daily basis in the Majors. Walker and Cabrera are definite August trade candidates via the trade waiver process. However, even if that pair remains in Queens for a good portion of the month — or even all of the month — it’s in the Mets’ best interest to ensure that Rosario takes the field at shortstop on an everyday basis as opposed to navigating the difficulties of inconsistent playing time as a part of a time share.

Even if Rosario is in the Majors for the remainder of the 2017 season, the most service time he can accrue will be 62 days. That’ll leave him well short of Super Two trajectory and will put him on pace to reach arbitration eligibility following the 2020 season and free agency upon completion of the 2023 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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New York Mets Newsstand Top Prospect Promotions Transactions Amed Rosario Dominic Smith

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Dodgers Acquire Yu Darvish

By Jeff Todd | July 31, 2017 at 3:36pm CDT

The Dodgers and Rangers have pulled off a last-minute stunner, striking a deal that sends star righty Yu Darvish to Los Angeles. Second baseman/outfielder Willie Calhoun is the headliner of the return, with righty A.J. Alexy and infielder Brendon Davis rounding out the package going to Texas. To clear a 40-man spot, the Dodgers designated infielder/outfielder Mike Freeman for assignment.

Heading into the deadline, it wasn’t even clear whether Darvish would be available. And as the deadline approached, it seemed perhaps he’d stay with the Rangers — with a high asking price perhaps getting in the way of a swap. But even as the Dodgers added two lefties to the bullpen, they swooped in and added the high-powered righty.

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Darvish, 30, was clearly the most impactful pitching rental on the market. While he has only managed a 4.01 ERA on the year — much of that due to an awful recent start — he’s still rolling with 9.7 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. Of greater importance, perhaps, he has managed to provided 137 innings over 22 starts — putting him on pace to approach or top 200 innings for the first time since 2013.

Never a big groundball pitcher, Darvish has been hurt by the flies this year. He has allowed 1.31 homers per nine on a 15.0% HR/FB rate. But he’s still managing a typical 11.9% swinging-strike rate, working in the zone more than ever, and generally pitching like himself for the most part.

Darvish, when pitching to his ability, is one of the game’s top starters. Since he broke into the majors in 2012, Darvish has been one of the twenty most valuable hurlers by measure of fWAR — despite logging far fewer innings than any other pitchers in his company because he missed significant time after Tommy John surgery.

The long-term elbow question is one the Dodgers won’t really need to worry about, as Darvish will be a pure rental. He is slated to hit the open market at season’s end, when he’ll finish the six-year, $56MM pact he signed when he came over from his native Japan. (Texas also paid over $50MM in posting fees.) Darvish is earning $11MM this year and stands to take home quite a bit more thereafter; he’ll now enter free agency free and clear of any qualifying offer-related draft compensation.

Los Angeles surely didn’t need this addition to win the NL West, which it currently paces in a runaway and will almost certainly take for the fifth straight season. Acquiring Darvish is designed with one goal in mind: driving the club to a World Series win for the first time since 1988. The righty will presumably slot among a group of talented lefties, led by Clayton Kershaw (when healthy) and also including Alex Wood and Rich Hill. Los Angeles can also give innings to Kenta Maeda, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu and others, with the precise alignment still to be determined. (It’s worth remembering, too, that Julio Urias was expected to be a major part of the staff; had he not suffered a season-ending injury, this swap may never have taken place.)

Adding Darvish came at a cost, of course, though it did not require the team to part with its most prized prospects. Once the Rangers decided to move the righty — with an eye still to trying to re-sign him in the winter, perhaps — the club surely knew its return would be limited by market forces. While Texas won’t land an elite prospect in the swap, it does add some real talent.

Calhoun is generally the highest-rated prospect in this deal. The 22-year-old is a left-handed hitter who shows big promise at the plate. He cracked top-100 prospect lists entering the season and has responded with an outstanding .298/.357/.574 batting line — with 23 home runs and just 49 strikeouts against 36 walks — over his first 414 plate appearances at Triple-A. The expectation is that he’ll ultimately end up in the grass, where he could combine with Nomar Mazara to make quite a corner outfield pairing for years to come.

The other players in the deal are talented as well. Alexy is a 19-year-old hurler who was taken in the 11th round of the 2016 draft. He has advanced to the Class A level, where he carries a 3.67 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 through 73 2/3 innings. He’s seen as having some projection left in his wiry frame, but is obviously already throwing well at an early stage. Davis, who just turned 20, was a fifth-round selection in 2015. He’s seen as a raw and athletic talent who has a lot of development left, though there are signs of real progress this year. Davis recently earned a promotion to High-A after slashing .245/.357/.403 with eight long balls — with 107 strikeouts but also 47 walks — through 367 plate appearances at Class A Great Lakes.

Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network reported the trade (Twitter links). ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (via Twitter) said three prospects would go in return, with MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (Twitter link) and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via  Twitter) providing the names.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Newsstand Texas Rangers Transactions A.J. Alexy Mike Freeman Yu Darvish

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Yankees Acquire Sonny Gray

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2017 at 3:35pm CDT

The Yankees pulled off a long-awaited rotation upgrade, acquiring righty Sonny Gray from the Athletics today for three prospects:  outfielder Dustin Fowler, infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo, and righty James Kaprielian.  In addition to Gray, the Yankees will receive $1.5MM in international bonus pool money.  The teams have officially announced the trade, which was first broken by Jack Curry of the YES Network.  Yahoo’s Jeff Passan was first with the return.

Gray joins a Yankees rotation that lost Michael Pineda to Tommy John surgery this month, but added Jaime Garcia in a trade with the Twins. With C.C. Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, and Jordan Montgomery also in the mix, the Yankees have a rotation logjam.  Yankees manager Joe Girardi nixed the idea of a six-man rotation, so it seems Montgomery will move to the bullpen or to Triple-A, according to Curry.  Sabathia and Garcia are headed to free agency after the season, and Tanaka can join them if he chooses to exercise his opt-out clause.  Gray adds veteran stability for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

"JulGray, 27, was drafted 18th overall by the Athletics in 2011 out of Vanderbilt. He excelled from 2013-15, posting a 2.88 ERA over 491 innings. 2016, however, was a lost year for Gray as he endured DL stints for a strained right trapezius as well as a forearm injury. This year, Gray is back on track with a 3.43 ERA in 16 starts, as well as his best strikeout rate since his rookie year. Gray, who is listed at 5’10”, is one of the most successful starting pitchers of this height since the Dead Ball Era, to this point in his career.  With the Cubs having acquired Jose Quintana several weeks ago, Gray was the big prize of the 2017 MLB trade deadline.

In the end, the Athletics were unable to pry loose the Yankees’ top three prospects: Gleyber Torres, Clint Frazier, and Chance Adams.  Fowler, a 22-year-old outfield prospect, suffered a major knee injury in the first inning of his Major League debut last month.  The open rupture in his right patella tendon resulted in season-ending surgery.  MLB.com ranked Fowler fourth among Yankees prospects, citing a potential five-tool ceiling.  Now, Fowler will likely make his first MLB plate appearance in 2018 as a member of the Athletics.

Mateo, 22, was ranked eighth among Yankees prospects by MLB.com.  Mateo has what Baseball America describes as “80-grade speed,” and this year he’s spent most of his time at center field and shortstop.  He was promoted to Double-A in late June, and has flourished with a .300/.381/.525 line in 140 plate appearances.  Mateo was the key to the deal for Oakland, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Kaprielian, 23, was drafted 16th overall out of UCLA by the Yankees in 2015.  He suffered a flexor tendon strain last summer that eventually led to Tommy John surgery in April of this year.  He is expected to begin a throwing program next month.  MLB.com ranks Kaprielian 12th among Yankees prospects.  Last winter, Baseball America wrote that the righty had “front-of-the-rotation makeup and stuff with a well below-average delivery.”

Prior to adding Garcia and Gray to their rotation, the Yankees completed a mid-month blockbuster with the White Sox that brought in David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle for bullpen help and Todd Frazier to contribute at the infield corners.  The Yankees hold just a half game lead over the Red Sox for the AL East, with a Wild Card berth a possible alternative.

The last-place A’s also shed a pair of bullpen pieces earlier this month, sending Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson to the Nationals. The Gray trade is another in which they’ve moved veteran pitchers (and their salaries, although Gray’s salary was not a primary factor in this deal) for younger talent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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New York Yankees Newsstand Oakland Athletics Dustin Fowler James Kaprielian Jorge Mateo Sonny Gray

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Nationals Acquire Brandon Kintzler From Twins

By charliewilmoth | July 31, 2017 at 3:34pm CDT

The Nationals have announced that they’ve acquired Twins closer Brandon Kintzler. The Twins will receive lefty Tyler Watson and the rights to international bonus spending in return ($500K worth, via a tweet from MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand). In a corresponding move, the Nationals have announced that they’ve designated righty Jimmy Cordero for assignment.

Jul 11, 2017; Miami, FL, USA;Minnesota Twins pitcher Brandon Kintzler (27) throws a pitch during the 2017 MLB All-Star Game at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Kintzler could take over ninth-inning duties for a Nationals bullpen that has endured late struggles in recent seasons, though GM Mike Rizzo said today the precise bullpen alignment will be sorted out over the coming months. The veteran righty will become the third reliever to make his way to Washington this month, with Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle having arrived previously from Oakland two weeks ago.

The 32-year-old Kintzler isn’t a prototypical closer, with strikeout rates of just 5.8 K/9 and 5.4 K/9 in the last two seasons. Nonetheless, he’s enjoyed success in the role those last two seasons, with a 2.98 ERA, a strong 1.7 BB/9 and 45 saves in that span. He throws his fastball in the 94-MPH range and gets good sink, leading to an excellent 57.8 career GB%. He’s making $2,925,000 this season and is eligible for free agency in the fall, making him a pure rental for the Nats.

The 20-year-old Watson earned a $400K bonus after the Nationals selected him in the 34th round of the draft in 2015. He was in the midst of a strong season with Class A Hagerstown, with a 4.35 ERA but with 9.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 93 innings. MLB.com rated him the Nationals’ 17th-best prospect, noting that he rarely throws harder than 90 MPH but locates well, throws on a downhill plane and could add velocity as he matures.

Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reported that the Nationals had acquired Kintzler. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweeted that Watson was included in the deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Minnesota Twins Newsstand Transactions Washington Nationals Brandon Kintzler

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Dodgers Acquire Tony Watson From Pirates

By charliewilmoth | July 31, 2017 at 3:33pm CDT

The Pirates have announced that they’ve traded former closer Tony Watson to the Dodgers for infielder Oneil Cruz and righty Angel German. The Dodgers were reportedly interested in the Orioles’ Zach Britton, but appear to have settled on Watson as a backup option — though he’s certainly a talented pitcher in his own right. To clear space for him on their 40-man roster, they’ve announced that they’ve designated journeyman slugger Peter O’Brien for assignment.

Apr 26, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Tony Watson (44) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The 32-year-old Watson has a 3.66 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 46 2/3 innings this season. He was booted from the Pirates’ closer role in June but has had modest success since then, with a 2.79 ERA, 15 strikeouts and six walks in 19 1/3 innings since June 9.

Watson carries a 2.68 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over parts of seven seasons with the Pirates. The hard-throwing lefty gives the Dodgers another potential late-inning option to complement closer Kenley Jansen and another lefty to pair with Luis Avilan, although there’s no official word yet on what Watson’s role will be. He’s struggled against righties this season, allowing a .294/.360/.525 line against, but he’s had success against them in the past. He makes $5.6MM this season and is eligible for free agency in the fall.

Cruz, 18, was batting .240/.293/.342 with 110 strikeouts and 28 walks while playing shortstop and third base for Class A Great Lakes. He received a $950K bonus when the Dodgers signed him out of the Dominican Republic two summers ago. MLB.com ranked him the Dodgers’ 17th-best prospect, noting that his left-handed swing could eventually produce good power and that his size — he’s 6’6″ — makes him likely to make a permanent move to third base at some point.

The 21-year-old German had a 1.91 ERA, 10.1 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 while pitching 33 innings of relief at Great Lakes. Perhaps unsurprisingly for a low-level reliever, he does not rank among MLB.com’s top 30 Dodgers prospects. Various online reports indicate that he throws in the mid-90s, however.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the two sides had struck a deal. Jon Heyman of FanRag tweeted a deal was close, with Rosenthal originally tweeting the two sides were discussing a trade. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted the Pirates would receive two minor leaguers. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Newsstand Pittsburgh Pirates Transactions Tony Watson

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Red Sox Acquire Addison Reed

By Jeff Todd | July 31, 2017 at 3:30pm CDT

The Red Sox found a bullpen upgrade on deadline day, adding righty Addison Reed from the Mets. Young righties Gerson Bautista, Jamie Callahan, and Stephen Nogosek will head to New York in return. Boston transferred infielder Josh Rutledge to the 60-day DL to create roster space.

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If the move is finalized, Boston would add perhaps the top rental reliever on this year’s market. Reed, who is earning $7.75MM before hitting free agency, would surely become the Sox’ top setup man for closer Craig Kimbrel. Boston will take on all of the remaining $2.6MM or so in salary, per Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (via Twitter).

Of course, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had hoped that it wouldn’t be necessary to acquire such a pitcher during the season. Two recent trade acquisitions — Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg — were expected to be back in action by this point. At this stage, though, Boston won’t be counting on a contribution from either.

Reed came to New York in a mid-season trade back in 2015, but that one took place at the end of August — reflecting his standing at the time. He became a pleasant surprise that blossomed into quite a bit more for the Mets, who tendered him contracts for the ensuing two campaigns.

All told, the 28-year-old has provided the Mets with 142 innings of 2.09 ERA ball, backed by 9.9 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9. Though he hasn’t run up quite as many strikeouts this year as last, Reed is actually generating swinging strikes at a better clip (12.6%). And the former White Sox and D-Backs closer slid into that role again when Jeurys Familia went down, providing New York with 19 saves.

For the Mets, the deal offered a chance to get three fresh arms into a system that has graduated or traded away quite a bit of pitching in recent years. All three of the newly added hurlers rated among Boston’s top thirty prospects in MLB.com’s most recent ranking, though all profile as future relievers. Among them, Callahan is the most advanced: he’s pitching at Triple-A Pawtucket while the others are still in A ball. Tim Britton of the Providence Journal tweets that Nogosek, last year’s sixth-round pick, could be something of a quick riser through the system given his experience as a closer in college.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the deal (Twitter links), with Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) saying it was for three prospects and MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo (Twitter links) and Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) naming them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Boston Red Sox New York Mets Newsstand Transactions Addison Reed

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Indians Acquire Joe Smith

By Steve Adams | July 31, 2017 at 3:29pm CDT

The Indians have acquired right-hander Joe Smith from the Blue Jays, The side-arming reliever, a free agent at season’s end, will return to Cleveland for his second stint with the Indians. Minor league lefty Thomas Pannone and shortstop Samad Taylor are going to the Jays to complete the deal.  Righty Perci Garner has been designated for assignment by the Tribe to make roster space for Smith.

Jun 14, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Joe Smith (38) throws a pitch in the eighth inning during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The 33-year-old Smith enjoyed five excellent seasons in Cleveland, pitching to a 2.76 ERA in 271 innings there from 2009-13. Since that time, he’s produced quality results in both Anaheim and in Toronto, although his 2017 campaign has been slowed by a roughly month-long stay on the disabled list due to inflammation in his right shoulder.

That said, Smith has been outstanding, when healthy, thus far in 2017. Through 35 2/3 innings, he’s averaged 12.9 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 with a 43.2 percent ground-ball rate. The resulting 3.28 ERA looks solid in its own right but is buoyed by even more impressive FIP (2.31), xFIP (2.46) and SIERA (2.42) marks — suggesting that there’s yet room for improvement down the stretch.

Smith is earning a modest $3MM in 2017, and he’s owed the balance of that figure — roughly $1.03MM — through the end of the year. In the interim, he’ll slot into a formidable Indians relief corps that is anchored by Andrew Miller and Cody Allen but also features a number of strong right-handed options, including Zach McAllister, Nick Goody, Dan Otero and Bryan Shaw.

MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal (on Twitter) reported the trade. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweeted the return after Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports reports (on Twitter) that it involved two lower-level minor leaguers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Cleveland Guardians Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Joe Smith Perci Garner

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Orioles Acquire Tim Beckham

By Steve Adams | July 31, 2017 at 3:29pm CDT

The Rays and Orioles slipped a small-scale, last-minute move in just prior to Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline, with infielder Tim Beckham heading from Tampa to Baltimore in exchange for minor league right-hander Tobias Myers. Both teams have announced the deal.

Tim Beckham | Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Beckham, 27, was the first overall pick of the 2008 draft but has yet to live up to that billing. He has, however, provided nearly league-average offense in a somewhat limited role with the Rays over the past three seasons, hitting a combined .245/.299/.421 with 26 homers in 783 plate appearances (96 OPS+).

After narrowly qualifying as a Super Two player this past offseason, Beckham agreed to a one-year deal worth $885K with the Rays to avoid arbitration for the first time. The O’s will now control him for another three seasons via that arbitration process, should they see fit.

[Related: Updated Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles depth charts]

With J.J. Hardy on the shelf and a lack of quality internal options to replace him, Beckham will likely step into semi-regular playing time at shortstop with Baltimore — an opportunity that was not present for him with the Rays. Barring a huge surge in production over the season’s final two months, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll be a consideration for the regular job next season, but Beckham does have experience at multiple infield positions and could be a utility piece for the O’s moving forward.

Myers, who turns 19 later this week, was the Orioles’ sixth-round pick just last year. He’s currently pitching against older competition in short-season Class-A and holding his own, with a 3.94 ERA and an excellent 35-to-6 K/BB ratio through 29 2/3 innings.

Tampa Bay’s acquisition of Lucas Duda pushed Brad Miller to shortstop, leaving Duda and Logan Morrison to share time at first base and DH. With midseason pickups Trevor Plouffe and Adeiny Hechavarrria both also in the mix for the Rays, Beckham’s path to playing time was cloudier than ever, which likely accelerated the Rays’ efforts to facilitate a move. While Myers won’t slot in near the team’s top-ranked prospects, he gives the Rays a fairly low-level lottery ticket with encouraging K/BB numbers — a reasonable return for a player likely viewed to have a limited ceiling at this point.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported the agreement and the Rays’ return (Twitter links).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Baltimore Orioles Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Tim Beckham

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Astros Acquire Francisco Liriano For Nori Aoki, Teoscar Hernandez

By Steve Adams | July 31, 2017 at 3:28pm CDT

The Astros have added lefty Francisco Liriano from the Blue Jays in exchange for veteran outfielder Nori Aoki and younger outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.

Francisco Liriano | David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Houston is said to view Liriano as a reliever for the remainder of the season. While the 33-year-old Liriano has had a poor season in the Toronto rotation, he’s maintained his velocity and his effectiveness against left-handed opponents. That’s led to plenty of speculation, both here and elsewhere, that the veteran southpaw could emerge as a possible bullpen option for teams unwilling to meet the asking prices on the market’s top relievers.

[Related: Updated Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros depth charts]

Through 63 plate appearances this season, left-handed opponents are batting just .230/.254/.361 against Liriano. The lefty has a 17-to-1 K/BB ratio in those matchups and has averaged nearly 93 mph on his fastball this season. One would imagine that in moving to a short relief role, that velocity could tick upward a couple of notches.

Liriano is a free agent at season’s end and is earning $13MM in the final campaign of a three-year, $39MM contract. He’s still owed about $4.48MM of that sum.

Aoki, 35, is earning $5.5MM in 2017 and is owed $1.89MM of that sum through the end of the year. It’s not clear if there’s additional cash in the deal, but as it stands, the Jays will be saving about $2.59MM this this swap. Considering Houston is sending a minor leaguer as well, though, it wouldn’t at all be a surprise for Toronto to pick up some of all of the remaining tab on Liriano.

Aoki has batted .272/.323/.371 through 224 plate appearances this season. While he’s under club control through the 2018 campaign via arbitration, his age and lack of offensive output make him a non-tender candidate after the season, as he’d likely be in line for a raise that would send his salary north of $6MM.

The 24-year-old Hernandez ranked ninth among Houston farmhands on MLB.com’s midseason top 30 list and is a more or less MLB-ready commodity. He’s hitting .279/.369/.485 with a dozen homers and a dozen steals through 347 Triple-A plate appearances this year.

Hernandez hasn’t exactly thrived in a small sample of 113 MLB plate appearances, but he’s held his own with a .230/.304/.420 slash. The Astros likely deemed Hernandez somewhat superfluous, however, with George Springer, Josh Reddick and Derek Fisher all in the Majors, to say nothing of top prospect Kyle Tucker lurking in the upper minors.

MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal reported that the two sides were in talks (via Twitter). USA Today’s Bob Nightengale said the two sides were close to a deal (on Twitter).  Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reported the agreement (on Twitter). Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reported that Aoki and a minor leaguer were going to Houston (Twitter link). Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi (on Twitter) had Hernandez’s inclusion.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Houston Astros Newsstand Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Francisco Liriano Norichika Aoki Teoscar Hernandez

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Diamondbacks Acquire David Hernandez

By Steve Adams | July 31, 2017 at 3:27pm CDT

The D-backs and Angels have struck a trade that sends righty David Hernandez from Anaheim back to the familiar environs of Arizona. Young right-hander Luis Madero is going to the Angels in the deal.

David Hernandez

After struggling to find a job this spring, Hernandez has quietly turned in an excellent 2.23 ERA with 9.2 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 47.3 percent ground-ball rate through 36 1/3 innings of work. He’s a free agent at season’s end and is earning an $850K base salary in 2017, so he’s owed an affordable $293K the rest of the way.

Hernandez will deepen the Arizona pen as the club looks to solidify its hold on a Wild Card spot down the stretch. He has provided the team with plenty of good innings in the past, pitching to a 3.54 ERA over 233 2/3 innings from 2011 through 2015.

The 20-year-old Madero has struggled through 49 1/3 innings between Rookie ball and Class-A this season, limping to a 5.69 ERA while working as a starter. He has been hit especially hard since moving up a level. That said, the peripherals look much more promising for the young Venezuelan. He currently carries 8.3 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 47.8 percent ground-ball rate on the year.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported the trade on Twitter, with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweeting the return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Los Angeles Angels Transactions David Hernandez

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