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Archives for July 2017

Quick Hits: Prospects, Bruce, Ramos, Phelps, Yankees, Marlins, Weaver

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Yoan Moncada sits atop both the midseason top 100 prospect rankings from Baseball America and the top 50 list from Baseball Prospectus.  The two lists have different methodologies in compiling the rankings (for instance, BA includes 2017 draft picks while BP doesn’t) but obviously are in agreement about the value of several top minor leaguers, with Moncada as the consensus choice.  The White Sox prospect has a very solid but not dominant .282/.380/.451 slash line over 334 plate appearances at Triple-A this season, and with 93 strikeouts on his record, plate discipline is still something of a question mark.  Of course, Moncada struck out in 12 of his 20 big league plate appearances last season during his first taste of MLB action.  Though the White Sox have been somewhat non-committal about when Moncada will get called up, the 22-year-old is likely to make his debut in a White Sox uniform at some point late this season.

Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • Jay Bruce’s contract contains partial no-trade protection against eight teams, and the octet on Bruce’s list hasn’t changed since the offseason, James Wagner of the New York Times writes.  The eight teams in question are the Athletics, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Phillies, Rays, Twins, and Yankees.  The Mets outfielder isn’t likely to be targeted by many of those teams anyway, be it for financial reasons, fit reasons or because at least three of those clubs are looking like deadline sellers themselves.
  • The Yankees are one of the many teams interested in Marlins relievers AJ Ramos and David Phelps, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
  • Also from Sherman’s piece, the Marlins have gotten “a few nibbles” on Edinson Volquez and Brad Ziegler.  Miami appears to be concentrating on dealing relievers and veterans under multi-year contracts like Volquez and Ziegler, and the club’s biggest names seem to be staying put for now, though “the situation is fluid,” according to both Marlins officials and officials on rival teams.  Sherman includes right-hander Dan Straily on the list of Miami’s untouchable-for-now core players, which makes sense given that Straily is enjoying a strong season and is controllable for three more seasons.  The Marlins are scouting over 20 different farm systems for potential trade pieces.
  • It’s unclear if Padres righty Jered Weaver will ever pitch again, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.  If Weaver does resume his career, Lin doesn’t expect it to happen in San Diego (Twitter link).  The 34-year-old Weaver, who has been on the disabled list with left hip inflammation in late May, is working on his health in San Diego, according to manager Andy Green.  The club has given Weaver “latitude to explore some things,” and there’s no timetable for his return, per Green.  Before Weaver landed on the shelf, the former Angels ace recorded unsightly numbers (7.44 ERA, 7.99 FIP) over nine starts and 42 1/3 innings.

Injury Notes: Kipnis, Braun, Guerra, Nate Jones, E-Rod

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The Indians placed second baseman Jason Kipnis on the 10-day disabled list due to a strained right hamstring, the team announced.  This is Kipnis’ second DL stint of the year, as he sprained his right shoulder’s rotator cuff during Spring Training and didn’t take the field until April 21.  These injury problems could explain Kipnis’ uncharacteristically poor numbers — the two-time former All-Star is hitting just .232/.292/.402 over 283 plate appearances.

Here are some more injury updates from around the league…

  • Ryan Braun is again dealing with calf problems, and the Brewers slugger missed Sunday’s game to rest the injury.  Milwaukee skipper Craig Counsell told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other media that the team is hopeful Braun will be able to play in the Brewers’ second-half opener.  The former NL MVP has hit very well (.259/.342/.545 with 10 home runs) when he has been able to play, though Braun has been limited to just 40 games and 161 PA due to two DL stints.
  • The Brewers announced that Junior Guerra has been placed on the 10-day DL with a shin contusion.  The assignment is backdated to yesterday, so Guerra is eligible to return for the Brewers’ fifth game after the All-Star break and he may not wind up missing so much as a start.  Guerra suffered the injury on Friday when he was struck by an Austin Romine line drive.  The righty was a surprise breakout star for Milwaukee’s rotation last season but has struggled to a 4.78 ERA thanks primarily to home runs (13 allowed in just 49 IP) and walks (5.7 BB/9), plus he missed almost all of April and May recovering from a calf strain.
  • White Sox reliever Nate Jones felt discomfort in his right elbow during a flat-ground throwing session on Friday and will be re-evaluated during the All-Star break, Chicago manager Rick Renteria told reporters, including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin.  Jones pitched just 11 2/3 IP out of Chicago’s bullpen this season before going on the DL in late April with right elbow neuritis.  His rehab has already been interrupted by one shutdown in June, and should this latest setback require more time off from throwing, time may be running out for Jones to return to the mound this season.
  • Eduardo Rodriguez pitched well in his final rehab start and is lined up to the Red Sox rotation next Monday, manager John Farrell told the Boston Herald’s Stephen Hewitt and other reporters.  That would make it six and a half weeks after Rodriguez hit the DL after suffering a partial dislocation of his right kneecap.  The southpaw has a strong 3.54 ERA, 9.6 K/9 and 3.10 K/BB rate over 61 innings for the Sox this year.

Tigers Outright Matt den Dekker To Triple-A

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TODAY: den Dekker has been outrighted to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY: The Tigers have designated outfielder Matt den Dekker for assignment, per a club announcement. Alex Presley will take his roster spot after being activated from the concussion DL.

It ended up being a short stay in Detroit for den Dekker. The 29-year-old outfielder saw just four games of action, though that was enough to make this the fifth straight year in which he has cracked the majors. He has been hitting well at Triple-A on the season, with a .258/.331/.490 slash over 176 total plate appearances.

Detroit came into the year expecting to give Presley a shot, but he hit the DL after just 54 plate appearances. He’ll work into the outfield mix, most likely joining some kind of platoon with center fielder Mikie Mahtook.

It’s possible that some additional playing time could come available in just a few weeks, depending upon what the Tigers do at the trade deadline. Presley and den Dekker (if he clears waivers and decides to stay) are just two of the left-handed-hitting outfielders in the organization.

Jim Adduci was just optioned after being activated from his own DL stint, and the Triple-A Toledo roster also lists Tyler Collins and Jason Krizan as southpaw swingers who can play some center field. The Double-A outfield is made up entirely of lefty bats, with former top prospect Steven Moya joined by current top-ten prospects Christin Stewart and Michael Gerber.

Gammons On Cubs, Tigers, Verlander, Lowrie, Cole

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“This is the reality: there are a lot more sellers than buyers right now,” a club personnel director tells Peter Gammons in the writer’s latest piece for his Gammons Daily website.  Not only are some teams still wondering if they can get back into the postseason race, other teams further back in the standings are looking to rebound in 2018 and thus won’t engage in full-scale selloffs at the deadline.  It makes for a lot of speculation but little hard facts at this point in July.  As one GM jokes, “the whole countdown to deadline day has become akin to stores putting Christmas decorations in their showcase windows on Labor Day.”  Here are some hot stove items from Gammons…

  • “The Cubs have called almost every team” in search of starting pitching, including asking the Tigers about Michael Fulmer and Daniel Norris.  It would take a blockbuster offer for Detroit to eve consider moving Fulmer, as he has already displayed frontline-starter capabilities over his year and a half as a major leaguer, and he has yet to even reach his arbitration seasons.  Norris would come at a lesser but still substantial price since he is controlled through 2022, though the southpaw has battled both injuries and inconsistency during his four years in the bigs.  The Cubs are known to be looking for controllable young arms, and may be willing to deal from their surplus of young position players to do so.
  • One Tigers pitcher that isn’t on the Cubs’ radar is Justin Verlander, as one Cubs official tells Gammons that “no one is going to pay $70MM for him, even though he may still be a very good pitcher.”  Chicago reportedly at least asked about Verlander at one point, though with Detroit apparently wanting to both get top prospects and get Verlander’s salary off the books, it isn’t surprising that the Cubs’ interest in Verlander was described yesterday as “more smoke than fire” by the Detroit Free Press’ Anthony Fenech.
  • Billy Beane told Gammons earlier this week that he hadn’t received any serious interest in Sonny Gray prior to last weekend, and the same goes for any serious calls about Jed Lowrie.  The veteran infielder is thought to be a good target for teams in need of middle infield help and the Athletics to find lineup space for prospect Franklin Barreto, though it appears that Lowrie’s market has yet to develop with over three weeks still to go until the deadline.  MLBTR’s Connor Byrne examined Lowrie, Gray and other Oakland trade candidates in a Taking Inventory piece earlier today.
  • Returning to Gammons’ original point about teams not wanting rebuild when they feel they have a chance in 2018, Pirates GM Neal Huntington said that his team isn’t likely to trade young right-hander Gerrit Cole.  “We haven’t had a real conversation about Gerrit, and I don’t see us doing so,” Huntington said.  “We think we can be serious contenders next year….Our goal is to maintain a level of competitiveness every year, and not to have to jump back and build all over again.”

Reds Notes: Iglesias, DeSclafani, Cingrani

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Here’s the latest out of Cincinnati…

  • Closer Raisel Iglesias has drawn trade interest with the deadline approaching, though the Reds would unsurprisingly seek an “astronomical” return for the 27-year-old, a source tells ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links).  With that in mind, Crasnick suggests that Cincy’s deadline talks are more likely to revolve around veteran rentals like shortstop Zack Cozart, starter Scott Feldman and reliever Drew Storen than Iglesias.  The flamethrowing right-hander could be a core piece for the Reds, as he’s on a reasonable contract through 2020 and has dominated over 41 2/3 innings this year (1.73 ERA, 10.8 K/9, 3.46 BB/9 and a 46.2% ground-ball rate).
  • Anthony DeSclafani is reporting good progress in rehab process, the right-hander tells MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon.  After spraining his right UCL during the spring, DeSclafani has slowly begun ramping up a throwing process that didn’t begin until midway through May.  “I’ve made every scheduled throwing session, bullpen, flat-ground. It’s been going well so far, so hopefully it stays the course,” said DeSclafani, who is three bullpen sessions into a schedule of one bullpen every three days.  He remains on track for a return in August, matching the tentative timeline set in June by Reds manager Bryan Price.
  • Left-hander Tony Cingrani has moved from Dishman Sports Group to the Bledsoe Agency, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter).  Cingrani, who’s controllable via arbitration through 2019, has combined for a 4.38 ERA, 8.28 K/9 against 5.26 BB/9, and a 44.3% grounder mark across 113 innings since he became a full-time reliever in 2015.  MLBTR will make note of Cingrani’s representation change in our Agency Database, which keeps track of agent information on more than 2,500 major league and minor league players.  If you see any notable errors or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Sherman’s Latest: Matz, Padres, Maurer, Yankees, Rangers, Smith, Mariners

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Officials from several teams tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that this year’s deadline market is lacking in top-tier starting pitching.  Jose Quintana and Sonny Gray are the top names available, though both have their share of flaws; Quintana’s rather shaky performance this year and Gray’s long-term health are concerns.  With the market thin on aces, Sherman wonder if the Cardinals and Tigers would consider shopping controllable young stars Carlos Martinez or Michael Fulmer, each of whom would score an enormous return at the deadline.  The Cards and Tigers could get more than the prospect package the White Sox landed for Chris Sale last winter since so many teams would be vying for those stars.  It should be noted, however, that “there is no indication whatsoever” that either St. Louis or Detroit would even consider moving either pitcher.

Here’s more from Sherman in the previously-linked article and in two other pieces (first link, second link)…

  • Mets officials dismissed any notion of trading Steven Matz, in relation to Sherman’s consideration of teams trading controllable young arms.  Elbow problems kept Matz from debuting until June, and he has a 2.12 ERA through five starts, though advanced metrics paint a much less impressive view of Matz’s performance.  While the lefty would be a big trade chip if made available, it’s also certainly understandable why the Mets see him as a future building block, especially since Matz hasn’t even reached arbitration eligibility yet.
  • The Padres have received interest in starters Trevor Cahill, Jhoulys Chacin and Clayton Richard, as well as relievers Craig Stammen and Jose Torres.
  • The Yankees have already been linked to Padres reliever Brad Hand, but Sherman reports that closer Brandon Maurer’s name has also come up in talks between the two teams.  Maurer has a 5.60 ERA over 35 1/3 IP for San Diego this year but he has been victimized by a inordinately low 52.9% strand rate.  ERA indicators (2.95 FIP, 3.56 xFIP, 3.31 SIERA) and his peripheral numbers (8.92 K/9, 5.00 K/BB rate) paint a much more positive view of his 2017 performance.  San Diego had interest in Gleyber Torres prior to his Tommy John surgery, though officials from the Padres and other teams believe that the Yankees’ farm system is deep enough that they’ll be able to make deals without moving any of their top prospects.
  • Control may be more of a commodity than pure talent in the reliever market, according to one NL executive.  “My sense is that if you have a reliever who is under control through at least next year, you can expect more interest and a greater return than for a slightly better reliever who is a free agent after this season,” the executive said.
  • One team is looking to add controllable pieces both its bullpen and in general is the Rangers, in a return to their strategy from the 2015 deadline.  One AL official feels Texas will add one or two relievers, and whomever the Rangers may add, “I would be shocked if that player did not have control through at least next season.”
  • The Red Sox are still waiting to see if Carson Smith can be a bullpen asset for them this season before fully exploring the relief market.  Smith is expected to start mound work this week as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery, though his process was already delayed when he was shut down from throwing for a spell last month.  Given that it would surprising to see Smith even return to action before July 31, one would think Boston will end up looking at relief help and counting on Smith only as a potential bonus down the stretch.
  • The Mariners are one of only a few teams open to adding payroll in deadline trades, which one official describes as not “as good as having prospects, but it is an asset.”  The M’s began 2017 with a record payroll of more than $155.2MM, so with such a major financial investment already made, it makes sense that GM Jerry Dipoto and company are willing to spend a bit more to get the team over the hump.  Dipoto recently stated that the team is still planning to add at the deadline, though Seattle ends the first half with a 43-47 record (albeit four games out of a wild card spot).

NL East Notes: Gordon, Joseph, Kingery, Ross

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Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon is drawing trade interest from three teams, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (via Twitter).  The Fish are known to be open to discussing any player under a long-term contract as they look to be deadline sellers, and Gordon is locked up through 2020 on an extension that will pay him $37MM in salary over the next three seasons, plus a $14MM club option for 2021 that carries a $1MM buyout.  (Gordon also has roughly $3MM left to be paid in this season’s salary.)  After a lost 2016 season that included an 80-game PED suspension, Gordon is hitting .298/.346/.363 in 368 PA this year, though the bulk of his value has come in the form of baserunning (31 steals in 37 attempts) and strong second base defense.  Gordon projects as a long-term asset rather than a deadline rental for interested clubs, which leads to some intriguing speculation about his potential market.  Several contenders and pseudo-contenders would use a boost in second base production, though some of those teams near the bottom of the list already have long-term second basemen who are simply underperforming.

Here’s more from around the NL East…

  • The Phillies have made first baseman Tommy Joseph available in trade talks, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury reports.  With prospect Rhys Hoskins raking at Triple-A, it has widely been expected that Joseph would be available at the deadline given that the two primary first basemen can’t really co-exist in the same lineup.  After a very rough start to the season, Joseph has recovered to post a .252/.313/.466 slash line and 15 homers through 323 plate appearances.  Though Joseph is 26, controllable through the 2022 season and has shown some solid power in his brief big league career, it is thought that the Phillies may only be able to get good value for him in a trade if packaged with a rental player.
  • While Hoskins seems very likely to get an audition in the big leagues this season, Phillies second base prospect Scott Kingery may remain at Triple-A in 2017, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Daily News writes.  Though Kingery only has 12 Triple-A games under his belt, roster logistics could be the main reason Kingery probably won’t see the Show in 2017.  If the Phils leave Kingery at Triple-A all year, they wouldn’t have to add him to the 40-man roster and thus protect him during the Rule 5 Draft in December.  Over 371 combined PA at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, Kingery is hitting .312/.371/.606 with 22 home runs.
  • Nationals righty Joe Ross was removed during the fourth inning of his start today after experiencing a notable drop in velocity during the game.  Ross hadn’t been pitching well (three ER in 3 1/3 IP), though his removal came with one out and nobody on in the fourth inning, and Washington’s team trainer accompanied Dusty Baker and pitching coach Mike Maddux to the mound.  Baker described the injury as “triceps tenderness” in his postgame talk with MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman and other reporters.  Ross had has an inconsistent season that saw him demoted to Triple-A for a brief spell, and the young right-hander has a 4.86 ERA for the Nats, thanks in large part to 15 homers allowed in just 70 1/3 IP.  Ross missed roughly 10 weeks last season due to shoulder soreness.

Red Sox Interested In Martin Prado-David Phelps Package

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With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline nearing, the Red Sox have interest in acquiring a package consisting of third baseman Martin Prado and reliever David Phelps from the Marlins, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).

The Red Sox’s interest in Prado isn’t anything new, as both Nightengale and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe have reported that they’re eyeing the 33-year-old. However, Cafardo noted Saturday that the Red Sox have reservations about Prado’s contract, which will see him earn another $34MM through 2019. Boston wants Miami to eat some of the money remaining on Prado’s deal, and given that the Marlins seem to be in payroll-slashing mode, it’s possible they’d be open to that.

The Sox would be the sixth team for Prado, who has generally been a quality contributor throughout his career. That hasn’t been the case this year, though, as Prado has slashed an uninspiring .270/.302/.385 during an injury-affected, 129-plate appearance campaign. Unfortunately for first-place Boston, the numbers that its third basemen have posted this year pale in comparison to Prado’s lackluster output. The combination of Deven Marrero, Josh Rutledge, Pablo Sandoval, Marco Hernandez, Tzu-Wei Lin and Steve Selsky has batted an ugly .231/.288/.327 en route the majors’ third-worst fWAR at the position (minus-0.4). Among that group, only Marrero and Lin are both healthy and at the major league level at the moment, while Selsky is at Triple-A. Of course, the Red Sox have a much more prominent third base option in the minors in Double-A standout Rafael Devers, Baseball America’s sixth-ranked prospect, but they’re not eager to promote the 20-year-old yet.

While the hot corner has caused headaches for Boston, its bullpen has been a strength. The unit entered Sunday ranked third in baseball in ERA and fifth in fWAR, with each of Craig Kimbrel, Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Fernando Abad and Blaine Boyer having logged production ranging from respectable to great. Phelps would make the unit all the more formidable (but would also join Kimbrel, Kelly, Barnes, Hembree and Boyer in providing yet another righty option), though acquiring him isn’t going to be easy.

Half the league has contacted the Marlins about Phelps, who’s amid his second straight solid year and his first as a full-time reliever. On a reasonable salary now ($4.6MM) and controllable via arbitration through 2018, the 30-year-old has notched a 3.56 ERA, 9.63 K/9, 3.35 BB/9 and a 46.4 percent ground-ball rate over 43 innings this season. For their part, the Marlins are willing to move Phelps, who has already been in a package deal with Prado in the past. The Red Sox’s chief rivals, the Yankees, sent the duo to Miami prior to the 2015 campaign. Boston is now trying to fend off the playoff-contending Yankees in the AL East, and the Sox could turn to two former Bombers to boost their chances.

Taking Inventory: Oakland Athletics

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This is the 12th entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory Series. Click for entries on the White Sox, Royals, Phillies, Pirates, Giants, Padres, Reds, Braves, Tigers, Marlins and Mets.

With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline just over three weeks away, the Athletics are unsurprisingly in position to sell. At the outset of the season, there were no realistic expectations that the A’s would contend for a playoff spot, and they’ve since stumbled to a 39-49 mark to rank as one of the American League’s worst teams. Along the way, Oakland has lost a couple potential veteran trade candidates in third baseman Trevor Plouffe and catcher Stephen Vogt, both of whom received their walking papers last month and are now in different uniforms. As bleak as things may seem for the A’s, some of their other likely trade chips have turned in encouraging performances this year, and moving those players in the coming weeks could produce returns that benefit the franchise for years to come.

Rentals

Yonder Alonso, 1B | Salary: $4MM

It was somewhat of a surprise last offseason when the A’s elected to tender a contract to Alonso, who was among the majors’ worst first basemen in 2016. Now, three months into the current campaign, it’s fair to say executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane and general manager David Forst made a wise decision to stick with Alonso. An underwhelming hitter for most of his career, the 30-year-old has changed to a fly ball-first approach this season and posted a tremendous .278/.374/.569 line across 294 plate appearances. Thanks largely to a 49.5 percent fly ball rate (up from 33.3 percent last year), Alonso has swatted a career-high 20 home runs – two more than he combined for in 1,222 PAs from 2014-16 – and recorded the majors’ eighth-best ISO (.290). There’s clearly a lot to like here, though it’s uncertain how much trade value Alonso will have because of a possible lack of leaguewide demand at first base (granted, the Yankees look like a logical match). If the A’s are unable to net a satisfactory offer for Alonso, perhaps they’ll keep him and try to work out an extension. Both sides have interest in staying together.

Rajai Davis, OF | Salary: $6MM

It’s difficult to imagine the A’s finding a taker for Davis without at least absorbing some of his salary. The 36-year-old is in the midst of a career-worst offensive season, after all, having hit a meek .210/.267/.308 in 244 plate trips. At a cheaper price tag, he could entice a playoff-bound team looking for a late-game threat on the base paths. Davis is one of the greatest baserunners of all-time, per FanGraphs’ BsR metric, and has made effective use of his legs this year with a 3.4 BsR and 15 steals. Although unlikely, perhaps Davis’ wheels will cancel out his less-than-stellar offensive and defensive production (minus-one DRS, minus-12 UZR/150 this season) on the trade market. And hey, the ex-Indian’s not far removed from hitting one of the most memorable home runs in postseason history.

Adam Rosales, UTIL | Salary: $1.25MM

Even though he struck out in 35.5 percent of PAs last year, the then-Padre rode a bloated home run-to-fly rate (21.7 percent) and an 11.7 percent walk rate to a .229/.319/.495 line and a guaranteed contract with the A’s. Unfortunately, Rosales has given back those gains this season (7.4 percent HR-to-FB rate, 4.3 percent walk rate) and continued to strike out over 30 percent of the time. Consequently, the 34-year-old has hit a subpar .233/.271/.347 in 210 tries. But Rosales has offered a passable bat versus left-handed pitching, as he typically has throughout his career, and has the ability to play all over the diamond. At his low salary, then, Rosales could potentially bring back a small return in a trade.

John Axford, RP | Salary: $5.5MM

Good luck dealing the somewhat expensive Axford, who has pitched to a woeful 5.95 ERA over 19 2/3 innings this season. To his credit, the 34-year-old Axford is running appealing strikeout (9.15 K/9) and ground-ball rates (54.1 percent). However, the former Milwaukee closer has cancelled out the positives with control problems (6.41 BB/9) and issues keeping the ball in the park (21.4 percent HR-to-FB rate).

Controlled Through 2018

Ryan Madson, RP | Salary: $7.5MM in both 2017 and ’18

After a mediocre 2016 in Oakland, his first year with the club, Madson has rebounded to resemble the reliever who was a significant asset in both Philadelphia and Kansas City earlier in his career. Across 35 2/3 frames, the hard-throwing, 36-year-old right-hander has notched a 2.27 ERA with 8.58 K/9 and 1.51 BB/9. Moreover, Madson owns impressive ground-ball and infield pop-up rates of 56.2 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively. In sum, he’s striking out hitters at a decent clip while limiting walks and rarely yielding threatening contact. Pitchers who can do those things simultaneously are valuable commodities, and bullpen-needy contenders have taken notice of Madson’s success this season.

Jed Lowrie, 2B/SS/3B | Salary: $6.5MM in 2017; $6MM club option (or $1MM buyout) in 2018

Health problems, including poor sleep (via FanGraphs’ Eno Sarris), derailed Lowrie in recent seasons. But the 33-year-old is enjoying a career renaissance in 2017, having logged a .282/.350/.464 line and nine homers in 354 PAs. As a result, there’s interest in Lowrie, whom the A’s seem likely to part with in an effort to open up a spot in the middle infield for well-regarded prospect Franklin Barreto.

Santiago Casilla, RP | Salary: $4.5MM in 2017; $5.5MM in 2018

In his first year back with the A’s, with whom the closer formerly known as Jairo Garcia pitched from 2004-09, Casilla has saved 15 of 19 opportunities and registered a so-so 3.82 ERA over 33 innings. There are some troubling signs that have contributed to the ex-Giant’s mediocre run prevention, including a K/9 that has fallen from 10.09 last season to 8.18 this year, a plummeting grounder rate (40.8 percent, compared to 47.6 percent in 2016) and a decline in infield flies (a still-respectable 10.8 percent; the righty was at 13.2 percent a year ago). Despite his unexciting production and advanced age (37 later this month), Casilla still looks both inexpensive enough and decent enough to generate looks in the coming weeks.

Matt Joyce, OF | Salary: $5MM in 2017; $6MM in 2018

The 32-year-old is in the middle of a typical season relative to his career, having mixed an adequate left-handed bat (.219/.330/.406 with 11 HRs and a 13.8 percent walk rate in 297 PAs) with unspectacular outfield defense (minus-three DRS, minus-9.2 UZR/150). Joyce offers an affordable but bland skill set, one that probably won’t have playoff hopefuls beating down the A’s door for him leading up to the deadline.

Longer-Term Assets

Sonny Gray, SP | Salary: $3.575MM in 2017; arbitration eligible through 2019

As the crown jewel of Oakland’s trade candidates, Gray has frequently graced MLBTR’s pages in recent weeks and will continue to be a popular name on this site as the deadline nears. The likelihood is that the A’s will soon say goodbye to the 27-year-old Gray, who has put a rough, injury-laden 2016 behind him to post a 4.00 ERA (3.58 FIP) with 8.47 K/9 and 2.86 BB/9 through 78 2/3 innings. Gray’s strikeout and walk numbers are the best they’ve been since his outstanding debut in 2013, and he has complemented those figures with career-best chase, contact and swinging-strike rates (11.5 percent) – not to mention a 55.3 percent ground-ball mark. Add all of that to Gray’s affordable team control, and it’s clear someone is going to pay a high price for him. In case you missed it, MLBTR’s Steve Adams deftly laid out plausible fits for Gray on June 30.

Khris Davis, LF/DH | Salary: $5MM in 2017; arbitration eligible through 2019

Contrary to Gray, there’s no talk of Davis going anywhere. Additionally, the righty-swinger has made it clear that he’d like to be an Athletic for the long haul. The Beane-led franchise has made surprising deals in the past, though, and bear in mind that Davis is a soon-to-be 30-year-old whose price tag will continue to rise in the arbitration process. There’s an outside chance those factors could make him a candidate to switch teams soon, as the A’s don’t look close to contention and aren’t exactly big spenders. Arbitration rewards players who hit homers, drive in runs and accrue PAs – all things Davis has done since he joined the A’s prior to last year. The former Brewer has already smashed 24 dingers and racked up 60 RBI in 364 PAs this year, giving him a shot at his second straight 40-HR, 100-RBI season, and his overall line (.246/.335/.517) is terrific. An on-the-block Davis would probably garner a fair amount of attention, but whether the A’s would be receptive to giving him up is unknown.

Sean Doolittle, RP | Salary: $2.6MM in 2017; $4.35MM in 2018; club options with $500K buyouts in 2019 ($6MM) and 2020 ($6.5MM)

Shoulder issues have hampered Doolittle in recent seasons, but there’s no doubt he’s among the game’s most formidable left-handed relievers when he’s able to take the mound. While Doolittle has only eaten 19 1/3 innings this season, the 30-year-old has done plenty with them, having put up a 3.72 ERA (2.58 FIP) with all-world strikeout and walk rates (13.03 K/9 and .93 BB/9). Among relievers who have thrown at least 10 innings –  a very small sample, granted – Doolittle ranks third in K/BB ratio. He has also induced infield pop-ups on a ridiculous 23.8 percent of batted balls, thereby offsetting a low grounder rate (35.7 percent). Doolittle’s past arm troubles have likely dented his trade value somewhat, but his effective pitching/palatable contract combination should warrant a quality return if the A’s decide to go in another direction.

Liam Hendriks, RP | Salary: $1.1MM in 2017; arbitration eligible through 2019

Hendriks prevented runs with aplomb as a Blue Jay and Athletic from 2015-16, though his ERA has spiked from 3.34 over that 129 1/3-inning period to 5.40 across 36 2/3 frames this year. If you look beyond that, though, there’s a desirable, hard-throwing reliever here. Like Doolittle, the 28-year-old Hendriks has posted a superb K/9 (12.03, with a playable 3.44 BB/9), adding a career-best swinging-strike mark (12.8 percent) and a decent grounder rate (45.5 percent). Hendriks’ .351 batting average on balls in play, 65.2 percent strand rate and 13.9 percent homer-to-fly ball rate are largely to blame for his bloated ERA, which shouldn’t necessarily be a deterrent to all playoff contenders in search of bullpen help. The righty has usually been a capable option against both same- and opposite-handed hitters, which, combined with his low salary and team control, ought to have him on clubs’ radars.

Marlins Outright Jeff Locke

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JULY 9: The Marlins announced that Locke has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A.

JULY 4: The Marlins have designated left-hander Jeff Locke for assignment, the team announced.  Righty Drew Steckenrider has been called up from Triple-A New Orleans in a corresponding move.

[Updated Marlins depth chart at Roster Resource]

Locke signed a one-year, $3.025MM deal with Miami last winter to add some depth to the back of the Marlins’ rotation, though his tenure with the club simply hasn’t gotten on track.  Locke missed most of Spring Training with bicep tendinitis and didn’t make his season debut until June 1.  In seven starts and 32 IP, Locke has an ugly 8.16 ERA, though ERA indicators (4.55 FIP, 4.99 xFIP, 5.04 SIERA) are somewhat more forgiving considering Locke’s .365 BABIP and 52.5% strand rate.  The low point was last night’s disastrous start against the Cardinals that saw Locke charged with 11 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Never a big strikeout pitcher, Locke’s 7.31 K/9 is actually a career high, though he hasn’t helped his cause with a 4.22 BB/9.  Locke’s grounder rate is also down from his career norms, and he is on pace for both a career-high in hard-hit balls allowed (35.1%) and a career low in soft contact (12.6%).

Locke entered the season with a decent track record as an innings-eater during his previous stint with the Pirates, though his performance took a sharp decline in 2016 and he lost his job in Pittsburgh’s rotation.  The Marlins had considered using Locke in a bullpen role this season, so it’s possible another team (or even Miami, should Locke stay in the organization) could look into adding him as some left-handed or long relief depth.  Locke has just under $1.5MM owed to him for the year, so interested teams could wait until he clears waivers, which would leave the Marlins responsible for that remaining salary (minus the prorated MLB minimum, which would be covered by a new team).

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