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Archives for July 2017

Athletics Sign Chris Carter

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FRIDAY: The A’s officially announced the signing.

WEDNESDAY: The Athletics have agreed to sign free-agent slugger Chris Carter, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). It’s a minor-league deal for the veteran first baseman/DH.

Oakland knows what it’s getting in the lumbering Carter, who broke into the majors there back in 2010. But he took only 384 trips to the plate with the A’s before he was shipped to the Astros (along with now-flourishing righty Brad Peacock and catcher Max Stassi) in the deal that brought Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez to the bay.

Carter has continued to produce home runs and strikeouts at prodigious rates ever since. Last year, which he spent with the Brewers, there were enough of the former to make up for the latter; Carter led the National League in both categories. But things weren’t working with the Yankees, who signed Carter after he was non-tendered but received only a .201/.284/.370 batting line over his 208 plate appearances.

Clearly, the veteran is never going to shed the swing and miss. He’ll always hit for a ghastly average (.217 lifetime). But despite those flaws, he has typically been a productive overall hitter, due not just to his power but also his ability to draw walks at a better-than-league-average rate (11.5% for his career).

While the A’s currently employ a productive first baseman in Yonder Alonso, he is expected to be in another uniform by the end of the month. That could open an opportunity for Carter to ascend once more to the majors, giving the organization a near-term fill-in while affording him a chance to set himself up for another foray into free agency at the end of the year.

Cardinals Add Grichuk, Kelly, Duke To 25-Man Roster; Designate Eric Fryer

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The Cardinals announced a series of roster moves prior to today’s game.  Outfielder Randal Grichuk and lefty Zach Duke were both activated from the 10-day and 60-day DL, respectively, while catcher Carson Kelly was recalled from Triple-A.  Righty Sam Tuivailala and outfielder Magneuris Sierra were optioned to Triple-A last night to open up two roster spots, and catcher Eric Fryer was designated for assignment today in another corresponding move.

[Related: MLBTR’s Cardinals News & Rumors page on Facebook]

Fryer signed a minor league deal with St. Louis this winter and has hit .155/.277/.197 over 83 PA serving as Yadier Molina’s backup.  This is Fryer’s second stint with the Cards, having originally joined the club on another minors deal in the 2015-16 offseason and then spending part of last season with the Pirates after being claimed off waivers.

Kelly, a consensus top-100 prospect in baseball, will replace Fryer in the backup catcher role.  Kelly made his big league debut last year, a 14-plate appearance cup of coffee that saw him appear in 10 games for the Cardinals.  The 23-year-old Kelly has only added to his lofty prospect status by hitting well in his first full season at Triple-A, batting .283/.375/.459 over 280 PA.

With Molina freshly signed to an extension though the 2020 season and Kelly seemingly ready for an extended look in the big leagues, it is possible that this callup could be Kelly’s audition for teams interested in a trade for the young catcher.  He would certainly be a major trade chip for a Cards team that may be looking to land some controllable but established MLB talent for 2018, or even still make a run at the NL Central.

Grichuk returns after a brief stay on the disabled list due to a back strain.  He’ll add depth to a Cardinals outfield that is still missing Stephen Piscotty, though Grichuk is still looking for consistency during a disappointing 2017 season that has included a minor league demotion.  Grichuk has continued to struggle since returning from the minors, and is batting just .215/.270/.408 in 241 PA.

Remarkably, Duke is back in action after undergoing Tommy John surgery just over nine months ago, far outpacing the procedure’s usual recovery timeline of 12-15 months.  Duke has posted strong numbers as a reliever for the Cards, Brewers, White Sox and Reds over the last four seasons, and he’ll join Brett Cecil, Kevin Siegrist and Tyler Lyons as left-handed options out of the St. Louis bullpen.  With this much lefty depth on hand, the Cards could potentially shop one of their southpaws to needy teams at the deadline.

Athletics Have Discussed Extensions With Marcus Semien, Khris Davis

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The Athletics have held at least exploratory talks about multi-year deals with both shortstop Marcus Semien and outfielder Khris Davis, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  The club discussed an extension of up to five years with Semien during the offseason, though the shortstop tells Slusser that the two sides haven’t revisited talks since the spring.

Semien is open to revisiting negotiations, though he acknowledged that he isn’t sure if the A’s feel the same in the wake of his rough 2017 season.  The shortstop missed almost three months due to wrist surgery, and he has hit just .151/.300/.247 in 90 plate appearances.  There’s still obviously quite a bit of time for Semien to get back on track this year, not to mention the fact that some extra recovery time is usually needed in the case of wrist injuries.

Semien, who turns 27 in September, hit 27 homers last season but posted just a .238/.300/.435 slash line over 621 PA, making him an exactly league-average hitter (100) as per both the OPS+ and wRC+ metrics.  Semien has below-average defensive metrics at shortstop over his career, and there has long been speculation whether he has enough glove to remain at short, or if a move to second base is in the cards once Oakland permanently calls up prospect Franklin Barreto.

In either case, the extension talks would seem to hint that the A’s indeed see Semien as part of their future in the middle infield.  Had a five-year extension been reached last winter, it would have covered Semien’s final pre-arbitration season, his three arb years and his first free agent season.  Unless Semien can turn things around at the plate over the final two-plus months of 2017, his lack of production will certainly hurt his first arbitration number, which could mean a lower price tag for an extension on the Athletics’ part, if the club is indeed still interested.

A Davis extension, meanwhile, would be a much costlier investment, as the left fielder is putting up another big power season — 27 homers and a .246/.334/.526 slash line through his first 392 PA, putting Davis on pace to match or surpass his career-high total of 42 home runs in 2016.  Despite that prodigious amount of power, Davis is also prone to strikeouts and is a defensive liability in left field, so the A’s could have concerns about how he’ll age (Davis turns 30 in December) over the course of a long-term contract.

Davis is earning $5MM this season and is in line for a nice raise in his second time through the arbitration process this winter.  Slusser says that the A’s just “briefly talked” with Davis about a long-term contract, so it would seem that more in-depth negotiations have yet to take place.

Usually, the rising cost of a player like Davis would lead to speculation that the low-payroll Athletics would be exploring trade options.  While the A’s have again looked to move veterans this summer (such names as Sonny Gray and Yonder Alonso are trade candidates and Oakland has already moved Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle to the Nationals), executive VP of baseball ops Billy Beane recently stated that the team is hoping to get past this trend of constant player turnover and start locking in some key players to multi-year deals.  Since this latest rebuild effort is tied to the Athletics’ still-unsettled quest to get a new ballpark, however, it remains to be seen if the timeline will match up so that Semien and Davis would be part of his first wave of long-term talent, or if they could eventually be the last members of the current generation of players dealt.

Mets Notes: Cabrera, M’s, Reed, Brewers, Szapucki

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With several veterans for sale, the Mets will be one of the most closely-watched teams in baseball as we approach the trade deadline.  Scouts from the Mariners, Indians, Cubs and Royals were on hand to see the Mets play on Thursday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports, and surely those teams and more will be checking in with GM Sandy Alderson in the days leading up to July 31.  The latest from Citi Field…

  • Reports seem to be mixed on Asdrubal Cabrera’s trade value.  Puma reports that the veteran infielder has “several suitors” on the trade market, while Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News hears from an industry source that the Mets have received a “pretty light” amount of interest in Cabrera.  That same source notes that the Red Sox, a team previously linked to Cabrera, had “yet to show any real interest.”  It may be that Cabrera will need to show that he can handle playing third base before his market really takes off, or any clubs currently interested may have an eye on Cabrera at his usual shortstop position (or at second base).
  • As cited in Puma’s report, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mariners are one of the teams interested in Cabrera.  Since Seattle has Robinson Cano, Jean Segura and Kyle Seager entrenched in everyday roles, it would seem that the M’s would be looking at Cabrera as a multi-position bench option.  Taylor Motter has filled that role for the Mariners this season, though Motter hasn’t delivered much at the plate and he lacks Cabrera’s track record of performance.
  • The Brewers are one of a half-dozen teams who have asked the Mets about closer Addison Reed, Newsday’s Marc Carig reports.  Reed is getting the most attention of any Mets player likely to be dealt prior to the deadline, with other reports linking the right-hander to the Red Sox and Yankees.  While Reed would be a setup man for those teams with established closers, there’s at least a chance Reed could share the ninth-inning job with Corey Knebel, who has been dominant for much of the season but has blown two of his last five save chances.  Milwaukee has been on the search for starting and relief pitching, with Brad Hand, Pat Neshek and Justin Wilson among the names known to be considered by the Brew Crew as bullpen upgrades.
  • Left-handed pitching prospect Thomas Szapucki underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and others reported.  Szapucki, a fifth-round pick for the Mets in the 2015 draft, was rated by Baseball Prospectus as the 69th-best prospect in the sport in BP’s preseason rankings.  MLB.com and Baseball America weren’t quite as bullish, though they still rated the southpaw as the fourth- and eighth-best prospect, respectively, in New York’s farm system.  Given the surgery’s usual recovery timeline of 12-15 months, however, Szapucki is now in danger of missing the entire 2018 season.

Rangers Discussing Yu Darvish With Rival Clubs

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The Rangers are putting out feelers with other organizations to gauge interest in star righty Yu Darvish, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. While Texas isn’t yet ready to pursue a trade, per the report, it seems the club’s recent skid has put that option firmly on the table.

While there’s still plenty of uncertainty, the news is still notable. Darvish, after all, would represent the only clear impact rental starter on the market. Other top potentially available arms on expiring contracts include Trevor Cahill, Marco Estrada, Jhoulys Chacin, Jeremy Hellickson, and Jaime Garcia (who may be en route to the Twins).

If the 30-year-old is indeed made available, the Rangers would surely command a rather steep price. He wouldn’t be eligible for a qualifying offer from an acquiring team, so there’s no real value beyond the present season (apart from laying some groundwork for a possible free-agent pursuit), but Darvish could significantly impact an organization’s run to and through the postseason.

Over his 125 1/3 innings this year, Darvish has delivered a 3.45 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. That’s not the kind of elite performance he delivered prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery, but still represents top-level performance — particularly in the current run-scoring environment.

Darvish is throwing as hard as ever and generating swinging-strikes at near-typical levels. Any long-term health concerns are out the window. And with just $11MM owed to him over the course of the season, he’s quite affordable for his performance level.

Presumably, just about any organization currently seeking rotation help would need to consider the Japanese ace. Some clubs will still prefer controllable hurlers, most notably Sonny Gray, but the market is otherwise starved for top-end starters that would be expected to represent significant upgrades for a hypothetical postseason rotation.

Top 60 Trade Deadline Candidates For 2017

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The trade deadline is ten days away, and the market is coming into focus. Click here for the first iteration of this list, which includes an explanation of the approach. Basically, we’re looking at both trade likelihood and trade value (in all its facets).

There has been some movement in the standings since we last checked in, helping drive some of the many changes on this list. Significant deals have already taken place, needs are becoming clear, and the rumors are beginning to offer some insight into who is and isn’t likely to be made available.

On to the rankings (“LR” = “last ranked”):

1. Sonny Gray, SP, Athletics (LR: 2): Gray has been strong in his last five starts. At this point, it may be a surprise if he makes another in an A’s uniform.

2. Addison Reed, RH Reliever, Mets (LR: 3): As an experienced late-inning arm who can get a strikeout and doesn’t issue many walks, Reed would instantly upgrade every bullpen in baseball. He’s a pure rental and is unsurprisingly drawing wide interest. Dealing Reed ought to give the Mets a chance to pad their farm heading into an offseason that promises to be full of intrigue.

3. Justin Wilson (Tigers) & Brad Hand (Padres), LH Relievers (LR: 6, 8): These power lefties could be major weapons in the postseason. Detroit doesn’t have to trade Wilson, strictly speaking, but the demand is there and the team is clearly ready to pile up some youthful assets. Meanwhile, the Padres are justified in putting a high asking price on Hand and his future control. Question is: will they really keep him if they don’t get their price or is this just the maneuvering at the start of a deadline auction?

5. Pat Neshek, RH Reliever, Phillies (LR: 11): Neshek has put up blanks in all but two of his outings this year and is perhaps the quintessential rental reliever.

6. Yonder Alonso  (Athletics) & Lucas Duda (Mets), 1B (LR: 8, 14): With Alonso falling off a bit at the plate, these two are in much the same position as rental sluggers that can only play first base. That creates an interesting market dynamic. It’s still conceivable that either could be held as qualifying offer or even extension candidates, but the likelier scenario still seems to be that both are dealt.

8. Zack Cozart (Reds), Jed Lowrie (Athletics) & Eduardo Nunez (Giants), INF (LR: 8, 9, INJ): While Cozart is outperforming the other two and is a stellar shortstop, there’s just no contender that has a clear need at the position. The other two players have greater experience elsewhere in the infield. All three could help contenders and ought to be wearing new uniforms as of August 1st (if not sooner).

11. Trevor Cahill, SP, Padres (LR: 17): His last outing was a very good one, with eight strikeouts and just one earned run over 6 2/3  innings. Teams that want to make a run but aren’t sure they want to give up the farm (or take on much salary) to do it may see quite a lot of upside in adding Cahill.

12. Alex Avila, C, Tigers (LR: 12): The veteran backstop has not hit all that much in July, but that’s a tiny sample and he’s still drawing gobs of walks. He’s an ideal second catcher since he hits from the left side; the bat has been good enough that he could function as quite a useful bench bat in a postseason series.

13. Jay Bruce & Curtis Granderson, OF, Mets (LR: 14): All three are hitting even as the Mets’ season collapses. Granderson is banged up but hasn’t required a DL stint.

15. Anthony Swarzak, RH Reliever, White Sox (LR: NR): You may have noticed that the White Sox are open to trades. Swarzak is a pending free agent with a 2.45 ERA and a cheap salary. While he had fallen into a lull for a stretch, he’s now back to posting clean innings with lots of strikeouts and few walks.

16. AJ Ramos, RH Reliever, Marlins (LR: 19): Though the Marlins are evidently not interested in marketing controllable position players, they are obviously willing to deal relievers. Ramos isn’t exactly a lock-down option, but he has plenty of late-inning experience and has 45 strikeouts in his 35 1/3 innings on the year.

18. Zach Britton (LH Reliever) & Brad Brach (RH Reliever), Orioles (LR: 39): Much like the Marlins, the O’s are said to be listening on their quality late-inning arms while showing much more reticence on other players that come with future control. Britton could be a difference maker from the pen, though his health questions and still-shaky form limits his value. Brach, meanwhile, has been a steady force over the past two years and should command a high price.

20. Melky Cabrera, OF, White Sox (LR: 17): He has been on fire of late, boosting his appeal — though clearly the Sox will still need to chip in a lot of money to move the contract. Cabrera could be a useful platoon piece for the right contender.

21. Yu Darvish, SP, Rangers (LR: 55): The Rangers’ poor recent play is beginning to make a Darvish trade seem more plausible. But this ranking reflects both the remaining doubt about his availability and the huge value that he could have if he is put on the block. While 2017 hasn’t been his most dominant season, Darvish would represent a front-line rotation piece that could significantly change a team’s trajectory (and even, perhaps, give an acquiring organization an edge in pursuing him in free agency).

22. Marco Estrada & Francisco Liriano, SP, Blue Jays (LR: 48, NR): The Jays are fading and these two veterans just aren’t performing. But each comes with his share of upside and would be fairly easy to move (so long as Toronto eats a decent bit of salary) as rental assets. Teams destined for the postseason likely won’t view these pitchers as likely playoff rotation pieces, but more marginal contenders could roll the dice on the talented hurlers.

24. Justin Verlander (Tigers) & Jeff Samardzija (Giants), SP (LR: 25, 41): Neither of these pitchers is cheap, and neither has a particularly appealing earned run average. But their power arsenals are still intriguing and reporting suggests there’s real interest.

26. Ian Kinsler (2B) & Justin Upton (OF), Tigers (LR: 36): With Detroit moving assets, these two have to be up for consideration. Actually making deals will be complicated due to Kinsler’s limited no-trade clause and Upton’s opt-out provision, and demand is in question, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see something end up being worked out for either player.

28. Drew Storen (RH Reliever), Tony Cingrani (LH Reliever), Reds (LR: 29): Both were bombed in their most recent appearances but have generally been quality relievers over the course of the season. Storen is the more obvious trade piece — he’ll be a free agent this winter, while Cingrani can be retained for two more years — but the Reds are surely willing to listen on both pitchers.

30. Sergio Romo, RH Reliever, Dodgers (LR: NR): Romo is in DFA limbo and has no reason to accept a minor-league assignment, so he’s all but certain to change teams — either by trade/claim or through free agency. It’ll be interesting to see what happens here; while Romo owns an ugly ERA and has given up too many home runs, he’s still getting hitters to flail at his slider as much as ever and is owed just $3MM on the year. Perhaps the Dodgers will also take some interest (however limited) in directing him away from potential NL competitors.

31. Hunter Strickland (Giants) & Jim Johnson (Braves), RH Relievers, Giants (LR: NR): We’ve seen some interest begin to materialize in the power righty, who owns a 1.85 ERA on the year — though he has also walked 19 batters in his 34 innings (to go with 36 strikeouts). Strickland will be a Super Two next year; while the Giants can surely afford him, this may represent an opportunity to get some assets — and there’s also the question of his standing in the organization after a high-profile altercation with Bryce Harper. Johnson has been much better than his results and is under contract for just $4.5MM next year. Atlanta will likely keep a fairly steep price on the veteran, though, since he’d likely play a prominent role in the team’s pen next year as they look to ramp up for a real run at contention.

33. Jaime Garcia (Braves), Jeremy Hellickson (Phillies) & Jhoulys Chacin (Padres), SP (LR: 50, 50, NR): Garcia appears to be on his way to the Twins, but I figured I’d leave him where he would have been — particularly since that deal isn’t yet final. Hellickson and Chacin have both been serviceable and would also represent useful innings for the right team. The former is vastly more expensive than the latter, which will impact the way this plays out.

36. Asdrubal Cabrera (Mets) & Freddy Galvis (Phillies), INF (LR: 35, 60): This could be a shade low for Cabrera, as he can still hit and there’s a fair bit of demand in the utility infield market. But he’s not considered a very good defender, hasn’t played third in ages, and could still be kept by the Mets. Galvis has been hitting rather well this year and is a quality shortstop who can also line up elsewhere in the infield. We also haven’t really seen his name come up much in trade rumors.

38. Seth Smith (Orioles), Matt Joyce (Athletics) & Daniel Nava (Phillies), OF (LR: 47): Smith and Joyce are the more appealing players among this trio of lefty corner outfielders, but they’re also paid like it. Each could hold appeal to an organization looking to shore up its bench or find a platoon option.

41. Rajai Davis, OF, Athletics (LR: 58): Davis is also a veteran rental outfielder, albeit of quite a different kind. Speed and defense make him a plausible target as a reserve, if the A’s are willing to cover some of his salary.

42. Welington Castillo (Orioles) & Jonathan Lucroy (Rangers), C (LR: 32): Both of these receivers could be available, but the demand situation is unclear. Lucroy’s struggles are well documented, but his track record still makes him an interesting target.

44. Brandon Maurer, Craig Stammen & Kirby Yates, RH Relievers, Padres (LR: NR): If it seems the Padres’ entire pitching staff is up for sale … well, that’s mostly the case. We’ve heard little about Ryan Buchter, who’s perhaps the team’s second-best reliever after the above-mentioned Hand. Then again, that honor could go to Yates, who’s now through 29 1/3 innings with a 1.84 ERA and 13.5 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 — despite the fact that he was added through a waiver claim earlier this season. Whether rivals will buy into that sudden rise enough to pique the Padres’ interest isn’t clear. With three more years of control, no deal is needed. The same holds true of Maurer, who can be offered arbitration twice more. His ERA lags his peripherals, but the underlying numbers are impressive (8.9 K/9 vs. 1.7 BB/9, etc.). And then there’s Stammen, the resurgent bulldog who is giving the Pads’ quality multi-inning appearances much as he once did for the Nationals. Excepting a rough start and recent drubbing in a long relief appearance, he has been excellent. While Stammen isn’t as interesting as the other two arms, he’s a rental.

47. Carlos Gomez, OF, Rangers (LR: NR): If the Rangers start dealing, they’ll surely take offers on the 31-year-old, who’s earning $11.5MM this year. Gomez has played well, with a .247/.332/.460 slash and a dozen home runs. He’s also still capable of manning center field and providing some value on the bases, though there’s not a lot of outfield demand.

48. Bud Norris, Yusmeiro Petit & David Hernandez, RH Relievers, Angels (LR: NR): All of these veteran journeymen are cheap, pending free agents who are throwing well for the Halos, making them plausible targets if the club decides to try to recoup some prospect value.

51. Julio Teheran (Braves), Lance Lynn (Cardinals), Alex Cobb (Rays), J.A. Happ (Blue Jays), SP (LR: NR, NR, NR, 41): Teams are eyeing all of these pitchers, and all could conceivably be available. But it’s far from clear that trades can be found at reasonable prices. Teheran and Happ are both valued by their organizations for their future control, while Lynn and Cobb will be hard to deal away even if their respective clubs feel there are viable in-house replacements.

55. Yunel Escobar, INF, Angels (LR: NR): Escobar continues to hit for average and reach base at a solid clip. Though he doesn’t move well on the bases and is no longer a great defender, he’d be another player to be considered for teams looking at infield additions and is earning a palatable $7MM this year.

56. Jerry Blevins, LH Reliever, Mets (LR: 26): Blevins has shown signs of wearing down and the Mets have given indications that they’d rather hold onto him for 2018 regardless. But he’d still surely be available at the right price.

57. Juan Nicasio (RH Reliever) & Tony Watson (LH Reliever), Pirates (LR: 18, 27): With the Bucs suddenly back in the race, they won’t feel compelled to deal these pending free agent relievers. But the club could still explore deals that would bring back more controllable MLB assets. That feels less likely to come to fruition than it was in the case of Mark Melancon, who was traded last summer for exciting lefty Felipe Rivero.

59. Raisel Iglesias (Reds) & Roberto Osuna (Blue Jays), RH Relievers (LR: 57, NR): Both pitchers would be highly valued. Given the volatility of relievers as long-term assets, their teams will surely be willing to listen. But it’s far from clear that any contenders will offer up enough to pry these live right arms loose.

Honorable Mention: Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich & Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Marlins; Josh Donaldson, 3B, Blue Jays; Manny Machado, 3B, Orioles: All indications are that these high-quality players aren’t being shopped, even though their respective organizations seem to be out of the postseason race. Still, all are worth keeping an eye on in the event that a significant offer comes rolling in.

Recently Traded

Jose Quintana (White Sox to Cubs); Sean Doolittle & Ryan Madson (Athletics to Nationals); J.D. Martinez (Tigers to Diamondbacks); Todd Frazier, David Robertson & Tommy Kahnle (White Sox to Yankees); David Phelps (Marlins to Mariners)

Disabled List

Nate Jones (White Sox), Neil Walker (Mets), Howie Kendrick (Phillies), J.J. Hardy (Orioles), Yangervis Solarte (Padres), Mark Melancon (Giants), Brad Ziegler (Marlins), Joe Smith & Chris Coghlan (Blue Jays), Hector Santiago (Twins), Arodys Vizcaino (Braves), Scott Feldman (Reds), Martin Prado & Edinson Volquez (Marlins), Cameron Maybin (Angels), Johnny Cueto (Giants)

Also Considered

Angels: J.C. Ramirez, Jesse Chavez, Ricky Nolasco

Athletics: Santiago Casilla, John Axford, Khris Davis

Blue Jays: Jose Bautista, Justin Smoak, Aaron Loup

Braves: Jim Johnson, R.A. Dickey, Matt Kemp, Nick Markakis, Brandon Phillips, Kurt Suzuki, Matt Adams

Cardinals: Michael Wacha, Trevor Rosenthal, Seung-hwan Oh, Jedd Gyorko

Giants: Nick Hundley, Hunter Pence, Matt Cain, Denard Span, George Kontos, Joe Panik

Marlins: Dan Straily, Kyle Barraclough, Adam Conley, Junichi Tazawa, Tom Koehler

Mets: Fernando Salas, Josh Edgin, Jose Reyes, T.J. Rivera, Wilmer Flores

Orioles: Manny Machado, Hyun Soo Kim, Wade Miley, Mychal Givens, Darren O’Day

Padres: Ryan Buchter, Jose Torres, Clayton Richard

Phillies: Joaquin Benoit, Hector Neris, Vince Velasquez, Cesar Hernandez, Tommy Joseph

Pirates: Josh Harrison, Ivan Nova, Wade LeBlanc, David Freese, Jordy Mercer, Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole

Rangers: Mike Napoli, Carlos Gomez, Adrian Beltre, Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, Jeremy Jeffress

Reds: Billy Hamilton, Blake Wood, Scooter Gennett

Tigers: Miguel Cabrera, Jose Iglesias, Alex Wilson, Victor Martinez, Anibal Sanchez, Shane Greene, Michael Fulmer

White Sox: Avisail Garcia, Jose Abreu, Miguel Gonzalez, James Shields, Mike Pelfrey, Derek Holland

Angels Release Danny Espinosa

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The Angels have announced that infielder Danny Espinosa has been released. He’ll hit the open market for the first time with the Halos set to pay the remainder of his $5.425MM salary.

Clearly, no other organizations were so motivated to add Espinosa that they struck a deal to get him while he was in limbo after being designated for assignment. And that’s not surprising, given the anemic .162/.237/.276 batting line he carries through 254 plate appearances on the year.

But Espinosa could still hold appeal. He has historically rated as a quality baserunner and up-the-middle defender. And while he’ll never hit for much average or reach base at a healthy clip, the bat has shown much more life in the recent past. The switch-hitter drove 24 home runs with a .169 isolated slugging mark last year, after all.

Yankees Still Considering First Base Addition

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Despite bolstering their corner infield mix with the recent addition of Todd Frazier, the Yankees remain open to considering upgrades at first base, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter).

Currently, the club is utilizing Chase Headley and new acquisition Garrett Cooper at first, with Greg Bird perhaps still representing a late-season possibility. That’s hardly an ideal unit: Headley’s bat barely played at third, which he ceded to Frazier, while Cooper is an unheralded prospect (albeit one who posted a breakout season at Triple-A) who’s testing the majors for the first time. Still, per Feinsand, the team will stick with that if it can’t get what it’s looking for at a reasonable cost.

While the Yanks surely won’t want to surrender too much more in prospect capital to get a deal done, the team is still in an enviable position in terms of leverage. Few other plausible contenders can really use a first base-only bat, so clubs looking to move assets won’t have many other places to turn.

It seems reasonable, then, to anticipate that the Yankees will look first to the rental market. Yonder Alonso of the Athletics and Lucas Duda of the Mets are clearly the two best options there; the Yankees have reportedly inquired on both at various points this summer.

That said, it’s possible that New York could at least consider a longer-term option. While Bird is viewed as the future first baseman, the team did see cause to supplement him over the winter with the since-departed Chris Carter even after adding Matt Holliday to serve as the designated hitter. With Holliday set to return to the open market, there’s all the more room for another bat — particularly one of the left-handed variety.

Let’s turn back to the overall first base market, then. Matt Adams of the Braves could be a player of interest, though Atlanta is sending signs it doesn’t want to trade him. Justin Bour of the Marlins and Brandon Belt of the Giants are quality lefty bats, too, though both come with lengthier control rights and are not clearly being marketed at present. In truth, these are but a few of the possibilities, and a more significant addition is of dubious plausibility at this stage.

Heyman’s Latest: Cole, Cutch, Fulmer, Iglesias, Abreu, Bruce, Alonso, Darvish

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The Pirates are on a roll in the NL Central, having just swept the division-leading Brewers in a four-game series. Even prior to today’s win, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports wrote in his weekly notes column that Pittsburgh not only continues to look unlikely to trade Gerrit Cole but is now also unlikely to deal outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who has undergone a remarkable turnaround at the plate since late May.

More highlights from Heyman’s latest, including his American League and National League breakdowns:

  • The Tigers appear all but entirely unwilling to move young starter Michael Fulmer, per Heyman. That’s largely unsurprising, though perhaps it might have been expected that the club would at least entertain some scenarios in the interest of covering all its bases. While he’d surely draw a major haul, it would probably be tough for the team to part with its best asset while so many expensive veterans remain under contract. Meanwhile, Heyman notes that shortstop Jose Iglesias could be had for the right price, though it’s hard to see that coming together with such limited demand at the position.
  • Though the White Sox are clearly in the midst of another aggressive sale, Heyman writes that there are no plans to move Jose Abreu at this time. The slugger is in the midst of a fine season, but there’s a limited market for first base help at this time. With another two years of control beyond this season, the ChiSox will perhaps have more opportunistic times to market him. Derek Holland, on the other hand, could very well be moved in the coming week, and the South Siders would like to move Melky Cabrera as well but would probably need to pay down most of the remainder of this year’s $15MM salary.
  • The Indians are a possible landing spot for Jay Bruce, as their offense is currently without the injured Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis. The Mets are known to be looking to move Bruce, and it’s worth noting that USA Today’s Bob Nightengale recently reported that Cleveland was in the mix for slugger J.D. Martinez right up until the time he was traded.
  • With limited trade partners for Yonder Alonso — especially following the Yankees’ acquisition of Todd Frazier — the Athletics once again touched base with Yonder Alonso’s reps at MVP Sports about an extension, per Heyman. They’ll circle back again and do so later this week as the two sides attempt to find a middle ground. Oakland is in the midst of an all-out rebuild, as executive vice president of baseball ops Billy Beane recently indicated, but Alonso could provide some leadership for the team’s younger players. And, if he sustains his breakout through season’s end and into 2018, he could certainly become a marketable asset in the future when there’s more of a need at his position.
  • The Rangers aren’t likely to re-sign Yu Darvish after the season, Heyman writes, as Darvish’s camp has already thrown out Stephen Strasburg’s seven-year, $175MM contract as a potential comp. Texas isn’t prepared to bid that highly to retain Darvish, which is why they’ve at least signaled to teams that they’ll listen to offers on Darvish if they struggle too much between now and the deadline. There’s no plan to move Cole Hamels at this time, though, he adds.
  • While the Diamondbacks may have made their biggest move already, the club is still looking at ways to bolster the pitching staff. Heyman pegs Blue Jays righty Marco Estrada as a possibility, though it’s unclear if he’s actively under consideration. It’s fair to wonder, too, whether the club would be better suited to focusing on bullpen help — though, of course, looking at starters doesn’t preclude that possibility.
  • While the Cubs have made at least some contact with the Athletics on righty Sonny Gray even since acquiring Jose Quintana, Heyman says that it’s not at all clear that Chicago will be “a strong player” for another controllable starter.
  • With Jaime Garcia seemingly going off the board, there ought to be greater focus now on Phillies righty Jeremy Hellickson. He ought to be easier to obtain now than he was last year, Heyman notes, as the Phils are willing to hold onto at least some of his $17.2MM salary to improve the prospect return.

Latest On Sonny Gray

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6:25pm: Houston may actually be setting its sights elsewhere at the moment, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (Twitter links). Indeed, he says it’s not even clear if the sides are engaged presently in “serious talks.”

He adds that the Athletics have “named their price” on Gray with the Yankees. While there’s no indication that those two clubs are near to a deal, that certainly suggests it’s still an open situation.

10:28am: Trade talks between the Astros and Athletics pertaining to Sonny Gray are “heating up,” according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (Twitter links). Morosi adds that while Houston is in talks with the A’s, the Astros are also maintaining interest in trying to work out a deal that would net both Justin Verlander and Justin Wilson from the Tigers.

Rumors connecting the Astros to Gray date back to the offseason and have been persistent throughout the regular season. The Astros’ roster lacks a clear need, though most reports indicate that if they’re to make a splash, it’d be for someone that could step into the postseason rotation. Gray certainly fits that bill, as he’s rebounded from a triceps injury in 2016 and a lat strain earlier this season to look more and more like his old self in recent months.

Over the past two months, Gray has made 11 starts and totaled 68 1/3 innings with 9.0 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 54.9 percent ground-ball rate. The resulting 3.56 ERA is solid but appears unspectacular, however the Athletics have also backed Gray with one of baseball’s worst defenses. Fielding-independent metrics like FIP (2.87) and xFIP (3.12) are much more bullish. It’s also worth noting that Gray’s past month has been especially impressive, as he’s posted a 1.62 ERA in his past 33 1/3 innings across five starts.

If talks with the Athletics do come to a head, the Astros will be getting a boost not only for their 2017 postseason chances but also through the 2019 season. Gray is earning just $3.575MM in 2017 — a slight silver lining resulting from last year’s injury troubles — and will be eligible for arbitration twice more before hitting the open market in the 2019-20 offseason. He’d slot into the Houston rotation behind 2015 Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel and righty Lance McCullers, who are controlled through 2018 and 2021, respectively.

The talks for Verlander and Wilson are another story entirely, as the hurdles involved with a potential Verlander trade have been well documented by this point. The 34-year-old Verlander is having a down season with more than $65MM owed to him through the 2019 season, and he also has a full no-trade clause that would allow him to veto any deal. The Tigers wouldn’t be able to both shed Verlander’s salary and command a significant prospect return for him, and given his status as an icon in Detroit, it’d be a tough sell to the fans to simply move him to shed his contract.

Adding Wilson to the talks would obviously sweeten the pot and could allow the Detroit front office to extract a more lucrative return, though they could potentially do better simply by trading Wilson in a standalone deal. Interest in the dominant setup-man-turned-closer has been extremely strong this month, and he stands out as Detroit’s best trade chip. Unlike J.D. Martinez, an excellent player that nonetheless commanded a lukewarm return due to a lack of a market for his services, more than a third of the league could conceivably have legitimately strong interest in Wilson.

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