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Archives for July 2017

NL Central Notes: Lynn, Polanco, Reds

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Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak recently met with starting pitcher Lance Lynn to discuss Lynn’s future with the team, which is “fluid,” Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. The Rockies, Royals and perhaps Astros could have interest in Lynn, so a trade is possible, particularly if the 47-49 Cardinals fall further out of the playoff race. But they could also keep him and make a run at the playoffs. Lynn has played with the Cardinals throughout his six-year career. This season, he has a 3.30 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 114 innings. He’s eligible for free agency next winter. Here’s more from the NL Central.

  • The Pirates have announced that they’ve placed outfielder Gregory Polanco on the 10-day DL with a hamstring strain. To take his place on the active roster, they’ve promoted lefty Steven Brault from Triple-A Indianapolis. Polanco left Friday’s game against the Rockies due to hamstring trouble. Polanco got off to a slow start this season but has hit .387/.406/.629, his hot streak roughly corresponding with the Bucs’ recent streak of winning play as a team. The Pirates have John Jaso, Jose Osuna and Adam Frazier to man the corner outfield while Polanco is out.
  • The Reds completed the most crucial stage of their rebuild in the last 13 months, Zach Buchanan and C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer write. “You say talent acquisition is part of the rebuild,” says GM Dick Williams. “It really is the rebuild. That’s what it is all about, dedicating as much of our resources as we can to a large influx of talent in a short period of time.” They’ve had two strong draft classes led by 2016 first-rounder Nick Senzel and 2017 second overall pick Hunter Greene, and they’ve spent heavily on Latin American players like Victor Ruiz, Vladimir Gutierrez, Alfredo Rodriguez and Jose Israel Garcia.

Indians Activate Danny Salazar

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The Indians have announced that they’ve activated Danny Salazar, who will start tonight against the Blue Jays. To clear space on their active roster, they’ve optioned lefty Ryan Merritt to Triple-A Columbus.

Salazar had been out since early June with a sore shoulder. It’s not yet completely clear whose rotation spot he’ll take, although Mike Clevinger, Josh Tomlin and Carlos Carrasco are all penciled in for upcoming starts, and Corey Kluber obviously won’t lose his spot. That could leave Trevor Bauer, who has a disappointing 5.58 ERA this year (albeit with 10.2 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9) as the odd man out for now.

In any case, the return of a healthy Salazar could be a boon to an Indians club that has reportedly looked for starting pitching on the trade market. (They’ve repeatedly been connected to Sonny Gray, although they’re one of a long list of possible A’s trade partners should the Athletics move Gray.) The hard-throwing Salazar was a key to the Indians’ rotations in both 2015 and 2016, with a 3.63 ERA, 9.9 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 322 1/3 innings in that two-year span. He has a 5.40 ERA this season, but with strong peripherals, including a 12.6 K/9, over 55 frames.

Blue Jays Place Aaron Sanchez On DL, Designate Jeff Beliveau

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The Blue Jays have announced that they’ve activated righty Joe Smith (shoulder) from the DL and recalled righty Chris Smith. To clear roster space, they’ve placed righty Aaron Sanchez on the DL with blister issues and designated lefty Jeff Beliveau for assignment.

This will be the fourth time finger problems have resulted in DL trips for Sanchez this season. He was reportedly to visit a hand specialist to discuss the issue Friday, so that he’d land on the DL yet again comes as little surprise. The 25-year-old has managed just eight starts this season, posting a 4.25 ERA, 6.0 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 over 36 innings.

The 30-year-old Beliveau struggled in 19 relief outings with the Jays, posting a 7.47 ERA, 9.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 over 15 2/3 innings. He has also pitched with the Cubs and Rays in a big-league career spanning parts of five seasons. Aaron Loup will remain as the only lefty reliever on the Jays’ active roster.

 

Texas Notes: McHugh, Darvish, Lucroy

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Astros righty Collin McHugh will make his 2017 big-league debut in a start against the Orioles, the Astros have announced. McHugh had missed the entire season to this point with shoulder trouble. Before 2017, McHugh had an impressive three-year run in Houston in which he posted a 3.71 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over 543 innings. His return improves an Astros rotation that also currently features Lance McCullers, Charlie Morton, Mike Fiers and Brad Peacock. Dallas Keuchel is now on a rehab assignment after heading to the DL with neck discomfort in early June. Here’s more out of Texas.

  • The impending returns of McHugh and Keuchel don’t mean the Astros are out of the market for rotation help, however. Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweets that the team watched Rangers star Yu Darvish pitch yesterday. The team is keeping tabs on all significant potential rotation additions, Morosi adds. Darvish has lately been connected to a variety of teams, including the Dodgers and Cubs.
  • Speaking of Darvish, the Rangers have recently been scouting the Dodgers’ and Cubs’ Triple-A teams, Evan Grant of SportsDay writes. Of course, teams frequently scout one another’s affiliates for any number of reasons, but right now, the Rangers’ interest in the Dodgers’ and Cubs’ minor-leaguers could set the groundwork for a trade. Grant adds, though, that the Cubs might be more interested in catcher Jonathan Lucroy than in Darvish. (The 31-year-old Lucroy is in the midst of a down season in Texas, with a .248/.297/.351 line so far; he’s eligible for free agency after the season. He would complement Willson Contreras behind the plate if the Rangers were to trade him to Chicago.) Grant also notes that rival clubs didn’t scout Darvish’s own start particularly heavily last night, perhaps because the 46-50 Rangers are still on the fringes of contention. It’s still not yet entirely clear what their approach to the deadline will be.

NL Notes: Broxton, Marlins, Garcia, Reed, Dodgers

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The Brewers have announced that they’ve optioned center fielder Keon Broxton to Triple-A Colorado Springs, clearing a roster spot for infielder Eric Sogard to return from the disabled list. It’s been a frustrating season for Broxton, who’s batted just .218/.294/.430 (albeit with 14 home runs and 17 steals) and whiffed 124 times in 326 plate appearances. That performance followed a promising 2016 stretch run that led to a fair amount of offseason hype. The move should create additional playing time for rookie Brett Phillips, who has bounced back and forth between Colorado Springs and the Majors since early June. Here’s more from the National League.

  • Tagg Romney has left the Jeb Bush / Wayne Rothbaum group currently bidding to buy the Marlins, FanRag’s Jon Heyman writes. The group’s chances of landing the Marlins are now unclear — Romney’s financial commitment to the project was limited, but he had ties to a number of those involved in the group, including former players Tom Glavine, Dave Stewart and Al Leiter.
  • Interest in Braves starter Jaime Garcia appears to be intensifying after he whiffed four batters and allowed three runs and one walk in seven innings in Los Angeles yesterday, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand adds (also via Twitter) that there are as many as eight potential trade suitors with varying levels of interest. Yesterday, Garcia appeared to be headed to the Twins, but that deal was scuttled due to a medical issue with a prospect the Braves would have received in return.
  • The Dodgers are considering trade scenarios involving Mets reliever Addison Reed, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets. Reed has already been linked to any number of teams, including the Brewers, Red Sox and Yankees. He’s collected 16 saves with the Mets this season but obviously would be highly unlikely to displace Kenley Jansen in Los Angeles, likely complementing him in a late-inning role. Reed has a 2.35 ERA, 9.2 K/9 and a terrific 1.2 BB/9 in 46 innings this season, after which he’ll be eligible for free agency.

5 Key Stories: 7/15/17 – 7/21/17

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Here’s a look back at this week’s key stories from around the league.

Yankees get Todd Frazier, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle from White Sox. The Yankees and White Sox pulled off a blockbuster this week, with the Yankees upgrading their corner infield spots with Todd Frazier and their bullpen with David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle. The White Sox, meanwhile, received Tyler Clippard, plus three prospects (including two former first-round picks, Ian Clarkin and Blake Rutherford. In the wake of the deal, the White Sox also announced the promotion of Yoan Moncada, one of the game’s top overall prospects, to the Majors.

J.D. MartinezDiamondbacks acquire J.D. Martinez. In yet another significant July trade, the Diamondbacks acquired slugger J.D. Martinez from the Tigers for a trio of prospects headed by young infielder Dawel Lugo. The Tigers seemingly continue to be one of the more buzzed-about teams on the trade market, with Justin Wilson, Justin verlander and Ian Kinsler all coming up in various scenarios.

Mariners acquire David Phelps. The Frazier/Robertson and Martinez deals weren’t the only big one this week. The Marlins shipped righty reliever David Phelps to Seattle in exchange for a quartet of prospects headed by outfielder Brayan Hernandez. The Mariners had a busy week, also acquiring lefty Marco Gonzales from the Cardinals in exchange for outfielder Tyler O’Neill and sending veteran relievers Mark Lowe and Jean Machi to the White Sox.

Nationals deal for Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson. The Nationals boosted their bullpen this week by acquiring veteran relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson from the Athletics in return for Blake Treinen and a pair of prospects. The Nats remain interested in acquiring pitching and have been connected to a number of the remaining bullpen names.

Pablo Sandoval set to return to Giants. Last week, the Red Sox began the process of cutting ways with third baseman Pablo Sandoval. This week, he agreed to head back to his former team, the Giants, on a minor-league deal.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brewers Considering Trading For Ian Kinsler

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2:17pm: The Brewers’ interest in Kinsler will likely hinge on fellow second baseman Eric Sogard’s health, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets. Sogard is returning from a DL stint caused by an ankle injury. He’s hit brilliantly in 162 plate appearances this season, with a .331/.438/.485 line thus far.

10:54am: The Brewers are exploring the possibility of trading for Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets. The Brewers have also recently been connected to Tigers trade possibilities like Justin Verlander and Justin Wilson, so it’s possible a deal for Kinsler could be one of many trade scenarios involving Detroit they’re considering.

The 35-year-old Kinsler is currently hitting .244/.324/.397 while receiving typically above-average reviews for his defense. Current Brewers second baseman Jonathan Villar has struggled this season, batting just .223/.287/.350 after a breakout season in 2016. Acquiring Kinsler might allow the Brewers to move Villar back into the utility role he occupied last year. The extension Kinsler signed with the Rangers in 2012 is front-loaded, so it’s less of a concern than it might typically be for a payroll-conscious team like the Brewers — Kinsler makes just $11MM this season, plus a $5MM buyout or a very reasonable $10MM option for 2018.

The 52-47 Brewers are somewhat of a surprise contender this year and are only now emerging from a retooling phase. They’re also in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Seen from that perspective, they might be somewhat reluctant to deal top young talent for a veteran like Kinsler. When they’ve contended in the recent past, though, they have not been shy about paying high prices for stars like Zack Greinke (for whom they gave up a very costly package of Lorenzo Cain, Jake Odorizzi, Alcides Escobar and Jeremy Jeffress) and CC Sabathia (who cost them Michael Brantley). Their outlook on such trades might be somewhat different now with David Stearns replacing Doug Melvin at GM, but then again perhaps not, since they’ve also been strongly connected to Athletics ace Sonny Gray.

NL Trade Notes: Dodgers, Darvish, Cardinals, Kendrick

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The Dodgers (and the Cubs, whose interest we’ve already noted) were among the teams scouting Rangers star Yu Darvish last night, the MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets. Darvish struck out 12 Rays batters over eight innings. The Dodgers already have good starting pitching, with Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Rich Hill, Brandon McCarthy and Kenta Maeda all healthy, but Darvish would of course improve any team’s rotation. The righty currently has a 3.45 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 over 125 1/3 innings. He’s eligible for free agency after the season. Here’s more from the NL.

  • Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak is frustrated with his team’s “attitude and culture” and might look to make changes to improve those things, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch writes. The Cardinals are now 47-49, and their exact plans for the deadline aren’t quite clear. They were linked, and then un-linked, to J.D. Martinez before he the Diamondbacks acquired him, and they recently dealt Marco Gonzales to Seattle. “I feel like I don’t have that silver bullet to say, ’Hey if we go do this, we will be greatly improved,'” says Mozeliak, who also bluntly expressed frustration with the way the Cardinals’ players have performed. “I feel like I’m not going to make excuses for people or players. Everybody points the finger upstairs to try and find the solution or the move. Well, maybe 25 [players] need to look in the mirror.”
  • The Phillies could still trade 2B/OF Howie Kendrick if they keep him through the non-waiver trade deadline, writes Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice, who argues that Pat Neshek is the Phillie most likely to be traded by the end of the month. Kendrick only recently returned from a hamstring injury, giving the Phillies a limited amount of time to showcase him before July 31. Lawrence argues Kendrick’s injury troubles and his approximately $3.3MM in 2017 salary he’ll have left beginning on August 1 make Kendrick a candidate to clear waivers and leave Philadelphia in August, just as Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz did in years past. I’d argue that Kendrick’s .349/.403/.476 line this year could make that scenario somewhat unlikely, but there’s little doubt that the timing of his return could make dealing him a bit tricky for the Phils.

Trade Market For Shortstops

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Frankly, there’s not much to see here. Most contenders are set at shortstop. Even those that have immediate needs — the Astros, Nationals, and Diamondbacks all have regulars on the DL — aren’t really expected to go shopping for replacements.

We’ve already seen one shortstop on the move, though, with Adeiny Hechavarria going to the Rays. Here are some others that could be available:

Rentals

Zack Cozart, Reds | $5.325MM in 2017

Cozart is an elite defender and has posted an outstanding .321/.400/.566 batting line on the year. Were there a single contender with an opening at short, he’d be the obvious solution. As it stands, Cozart may end up being viewed more as a heavily-used utility piece — unless a team decides it would be best-served adding him and pushing a regular shortstop to another position instead.

Eduardo Nunez, Giants | $4.2MM in 2017

He’s more likely an option at other spots in the infield, but Nunez has logged more games at short than any other position in his eight seasons of MLB action. Nunez is a roughly league-average hitter who can swipe a bag, and would deepen a lot of rosters.

Ruben Tejada, Orioles | Unknown Salary

The 27-year-old is back in the majors as a fill-in option for the O’s. He’s hitting better than he did last year, but the .272/.322/.333 output isn’t going to hold much appeal.

Erick Aybar, Padres | $1.75MM in 2017

As with Tejada, the veteran Aybar isn’t impressing at the plate (.231/.298/.353) and won’t be in much demand.

Controlled Through 2018

Freddy Galvis, Phillies | $4.35MM in 2017; arb-eligible in 2018

The sudden slugger is on pace to approach twenty long balls yet again. And his on-base percentage has crept over .300. Galvis has rated as a top-end defender, but it still seems he makes the most sense in Philadelphia.

Jose Iglesias, Tigers |$4.1MM in 2017; arb-eligible in 2018

At his best, Iglesias is something of a poor man’s Andrelton Simmons. But while his magical glovework continues, the work with the bat has worsened over the past two years. It’s hard to imagine an offer coming in that would really motivate Detroit.

Asdrubal Cabrera, Mets | $8.25MM in 2017; $8.5MM club option ($2MM buyout) in 2018

It’s arguable whether Cabrera ought to be considered here at all, as the Mets clearly determined that he’s no longer really capable of playing a palatable shortstop. On the other hand, he has manned that position almost exclusively over the past three years and can hit near the league average (though his baserunning has been stunningly bad thus far in 2017).

J.J. Hardy, Orioles | $14MM in 2017; $14MM club option ($2MM buyout) in 2018

The veteran isn’t a deadline option, as he’s currently on the DL. And odds are he won’t be one in August, either, though he’ll easily clear waivers after opening the year with a .211/.248/.308 batting line.

Longer-Term Assets

Jurickson Profar, Rangers | $1.05MM in 2017; arb-eligible through 2019

Still just 24 years of age, Profar has been awful this year in the majors. But he is hitting 297/.386/.423 at Triple-A. And with no clear path to a significant role in Texas, perhaps it’s finally time he’s dealt.

Aledmys Diaz, Cardinals | First-time arb-eligible in 2021

It’s hard to see the Cards giving up on Diaz after he showed a lofty ceiling last year. But he was demoted and has struggled all the more at Triple-A ever since, so perhaps a deal can’t be ruled out if there’s a chance to achieve some value.

Andrelton Simmons, Angels | $8MM in 2017; $39MM from 2018 through 2020

In the midst of a career year, Simmons almost certainly isn’t going anywhere, even if the Halos do sell.

Brandon Crawford, Giants | $8MM in 2017; $60MM from 2018 through 2021

The Giants have made clear they aren’t interested in dealing Crawford, even as he struggles after consecutive two top-level seasons.

Troy Tulowitzki, Blue Jays | $20MM in 2017; $58MM from 2018 through 2020 (including $4MM buyout of 2021 club option)

Tulo has declined in the field and at the plate this year. While the Jays may at some point see if they can’t unload some of the contract, there’s no indication that’ll happen this summer.

Ryan Goins, Blue Jays | First-time arb-eligible in 2018

Goins just doesn’t hit, and has drawn poor grades this year at short, though he could in theory be a utility option elsewhere.

Dixon Machado, Tigers | First-time arb-eligible in 2020

At times, Machado has been seen as an interesting prospect, and he does own a .316/.338/.395 batting line in just 81 plate appearances on the year. He’s out of options and it’s hard to imagine the Tigers again carrying him in 2018 without clearing the way for some more playing time.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/21/17

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Let’s catch up on some of the recent minor moves from around the game:

  • Righty Jumbo Diaz is a free agent after rejecting an outright assignment from the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports on Twitter. The bulky 33-year-old had a solid 2016 campaign but scuffled upon arriving in Tampa Bay. In his thirty innings, he was touched for a 5.70 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.
  • The Blue Jays have outrighted righty Lucas Harrell to Triple-A, per a club announcement. He’ll have the option of rejecting that assignment. Harrell, 32, turned in six solid starts at Triple-A before earning a call-up, but was knocked around in his four appearances with the Jays.
  • Right-hander Tyrell Jenkins has been released by the Padres, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Jenkins, who just turned 25, had a 14-appearance taste of the majors last year with the Braves, but struggled badly. He had generally performed quite well in the upper minors previously, but coughed up 71 earned runs on 111 hits in his 82 1/3 Triple-A frames in the Padres organization this season.
  • The Diamondbacks have inked righty David Carpenter to a minors deal, per a club announcement from the indy ball Bridgeport Bluefish. Once a quality MLB reliever, Carpenter washed out of the majors with arm issues. He posted a 1.91 ERA and racked up 45 strikeouts in his 37 2/3 innings on the year.
  • Catcher Steve Clevenger has signed with the Atlantic League’s Lancaster Barnstormers, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter link). Clevenger lost his job with the Mariners last year after a Twitter controversy. The 31-year-old will be looking to earn his way back into the affiliated ranks.
  • The Twins have added righty Michael Kohn on a minors deal, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reports (Twitter links). He’ll continue rehabbing a rotator cuff injury that has kept him off the mound since 2015. Kohn previously turned in 115 innings of 3.52 ERA ball — but with 6.2 walks to go with his 8.7 strikeouts per nine — in parts of five seasons of MLB action.
  • Outfielder Michael Choice is heading to the KBO, as the Brewers announced they’ve sold his contract to the Nexen Heroes. Still just 27 years of age, the former top prospect was released by the Orioles after struggling early this year at Triple-A. But he has found his groove at Double-A Biloxi, slashing .272/.349/.503 over 195 plate appearances.

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