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AL East Notes: Bird, Britton, Sedlock, Groome, Int’l

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The Yankees have announced that they will bring first baseman Greg Bird back onto the MLB roster in time for tomorrow’s game, as Sweeny Murti of WFAN first reported on Twitter. Tyler Austin was optioned to create active roster space. Bird is finally back to health after struggling all year with ankle issues. As Murti notes, the 24-year-old turned in an 11-for-26 performance in his rehab stint. The Yankees will surely hope he can maintain that momentum upon his returning after posting an anemic .100/.250/.200 batting line in his first 72 plate appearances on the year.

Here’s more from the AL East:

  • Orioles closer Zach Britton gave some details on the positive outlook surrounding his bothersome left knee, as Roch Kubato of MASNsports.com writes. In the near term, Britton says, he ought to be able to continue pitching as he has since the problem first arose back in 2014. Looking ahead, he doesn’t believe he’ll need even minor offseason surgery.
  • The Orioles will be exercising added caution with another pitcher, prospect Cody Sedlock, Kubatko further explains. Sedlock, 22, is dealing with a forearm strain, though executive VP of baseball ops Dan Duquette says it “sounds like it’s a muscle strain.” Still, Sedlock has already missed time with an elbow issue and the organization is understandably taking care. The 2016 first-rounder owns a 5.90 ERA through ninety frames at the High-A level this year, with 6.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.
  • Likewise, 2016 Red Sox draftee Jay Groome will be shut down with a forearm strain, as Ian Browne of MLB.com tweets. The southpaw entered the season with quite a lot of hype but has encountered some troubles at the Class A level. He threw 44 1/3 innings over 11 starts there, with a 6.90 ERA and 11.8 K/9 against 5.1 BB/9 on his ledger. Of course, Groome only just turned 19, and clearly he’s still showing quite a bit of talent with that impressive strikeout rate. At this point, there’s no reason to think the injury will stunt his progress.
  • The Red Sox and Yankees appear to be gearing up for a big international spending period, as Jon Heyman of Fan Rag writes. Both organizations have struck deals to acquire pool money, boosting their initial $4.75MM allocations up to $8MM apiece. Heyman wonders whether the two AL East giants might be lining up a pile of cash to tempt Japanese superstar Shohei Otani, if he decides to make a move to the majors this winter, though it’s certainly also possible that the clubs are simply planning to add as much young talent from Latin America as they can.

MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Castro, Conforto, Familia

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IMPACT ROSTER MOVES

[Related: MLB Lineup Tracker | MLB Disabled List Tracker | MLB Rotation Depth Tracker ]

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

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MINOR TRANSACTIONS

 

Angels Claim Blake Wood

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The Angels have claimed righty Blake Wood off waivers from the Reds, per a club announcement. Right-hander Matt Shoemaker was shifted to the 60-day DL to make way for the acquisition.

Wood had been designated recently by Cincinnati after a pair of dreadful outings. But he certainly has a big arm and some track record of success in the majors.

The Halos will hope that Wood becomes the team’s latest reclamation success — perhaps helping to make up for the absence of David Hernandez, who was dealt away at the deadline. Since, the Angels have managed to climb into the thick of the AL Wild Card race.

Wood, 32, carried a 3.69 ERA until he was lit up on August 11th. Now, just two weeks later, that figure has ballooned all the way to 5.65. But he does still have solid-enough peripherals, with 9.7 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9 along with a 53.6% groundball rate, and still works in the 97 mph range with his heater.

If Wood can prove his worth in Los Angeles, the club may also consider retaining him for the future. He’s earning $1.275MM this year and can be tendered arbitration once more this fall.

Grant Dayton To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Dodgers lefty Grant Dayton is set to undergo Tommy John surgery, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). That will obviously bring his season to a close and will likely keep him out for most or all of the 2018 campaign as well.

Dayton emerged late last year as a force in the Dodgers pen. After years of toiling in relative anonymity, he posted preposterous numbers in the upper minors and then continued to shove at the game’s highest level. Over his first 26 1/3 MLB innings, Dayton worked to a 2.05 ERA with 13.3 K/9 (on a  15.0% swinging-strike rate) and 2.1 BB/9.

That remarkable showing — driven by Dayton’s powerful spin rate and excellent command — seemingly made the southpaw one of the game’s most intriguing relief assets. While he turned 29 not long after his sparkling rookie campaign, Dayton was controllable through at least 2022 and had shown signs of sustainable dominance.

Things simply haven’t gone that way in 2017, however, as Dayton has gone backward in basically every regard. Though he was never a pure velocity guy, Dayton has lost nearly 1.5 mph on his average heater. His vaunted four-seamer spin rate has fallen off. The results followed: Dayton’s swinging-strike rate dropped below ten percent and he posted a 4.94 ERA with a very pedestrian 7.6 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 over 23 2/3 MLB innings.

Neck issues and an intercostal strain had limited Dayton and could help explain some of his struggles. The elbow trouble, though, apparently cropped up only recently, as Dayton was warming up for a rehab appearance. Because he was on the 10-day DL when the injury occurred, he will continue to accrue MLB service time for the duration of the recovery period for the upcoming procedure.

Phillies Activate Daniel Nava

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The Phillies announced on Friday that outfielder/first baseman Daniel Nava has been activated from the disabled list. The 34-year-old Nava missed nearly two weeks with a lower back strain.

While the activation of a veteran role player from the disabled list isn’t necessarily significant in a vacuum, Nava’s return stands out a bit more due to his status as a fairly straightforward trade candidate for the Phillies. Prior to landing on the DL, Nava ranked near the top of MLBTR’s weekly ranking of August trade candidates owing to his affordable $1.35MM salary and his solid .298/.390/.427 batting line through 200 plate appearances.

Nava will now have at least a few days to demonstrate his health to contenders seeking a veteran bench bat for the stretch run. While he won’t command a significant return, the switch-hitter’s .347/.427/.492 slash through 143 plate appearances from the left side of the plate ought to hold some level of allure for clubs looking to round out a roster down the stretch and into the postseason. Nava holds a career .281/.374/.405 batting line as a left-handed hitter, though he has posted fairly weak numbers as a right-handed hitter both in 2017 and throughout his career.

Nava will earn only another $273K through the end of the season, so his salary shouldn’t be difficult to fit for many teams. While any acquisition requires a 40-man spot, clubs won’t need to worry much about active roster space with September about a week away. A niche player such as Nava can have added value, in the right circumstances, at this stage of the season — when active roster limitations go out the window and every edge is needed to eke out wins.

MLB Announces Suspensions From Tigers-Yankees Brawl

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The league has officially handed down suspensions arising out of yesterday’s fisticuffs between the Tigers and Yankees. Detroit star Miguel Cabrera received the stiffest discipline, with a seven-game ban owing to his “inciting the first bench-clearing incident and fighting.”

Cabrera isn’t the only one who’ll take some games of unpaid leave (pending appeal). Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez got four games for throwing punches in the melee — he was fortunate, perhaps, not to take a harsher punishment — while fellow New York backstop Austin Romine got two for his part in the tangle with Cabrera. That could cause the organization some troubles with filling out its catching situation, though it seems there’ll be some effort to ensure the suspensions aren’t served simultaneously.

In addition to losing their star for some time, the Tigers will go without reliever Alex Wilson for four games because he threw at Todd Frazier after warnings had been issued — and then admitted it (somewhat admirably) after the game. Detroit skipper Brad Ausmus will also sit one out contest due to Wilson’s actions.

All of those players received undisclosed fines. A variety of other participants were levied financial punishment as well. Needless to say, there’ll be plenty of debate over the league’s actions. Tigers righty Michael Fulmer was not suspended despite plunking Sanchez earlier in the game. Likewise, Yankees righty Tommy Kahnle won’t be banned despite throwing behind Cabrera. And fellow New York righty Dellin Betances also avoided punishment though he hit Tigers catcher James McCann in the helmet with a pitch after the initial brawl.

Andrew Miller Diagnosed With Patellofemoral Syndrome, Shut Down 5-7 Days

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Indians lefty Andrew Miller has been diagnosed with “patellofemoral syndrome” in his right knee, per a club announcement (via Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer, on Twitter). At this point, he’ll just need to be shut down for five days to a week before being reevaluated.

The diagnosis doesn’t appear to be all that concerning. Rather, it’s a common condition that can occur when cartilage underneath the kneecap is not functioning properly. It seems likely that the club will largely be looking to get the inflammation and discomfort under control before allowing Miller to ramp back up.

All told, then, the news is as good as the Indians could have hoped for. Certainly, when Miller left his most recent outing after sitting well below his usual velocity level, there were some fears it could be worse. The key fact is that there’s no bone, muscle, or ligament damage. And the relatively short rest period that has been prescribed seemingly indicates that doctors anticipate the joint ought to respond fairly quickly to treatment.

Cleveland has been hit with a sudden rash of injuries, with Danny Salazar and Jason Kipnis also just heading to the DL. Players such as Josh Tomlin, Michael Brantley, and Lonnie Chisenhall are all on the shelf as well, so the Indians still have quite a few notable players working back toward full health. Fortunately, the team maintains a sturdy, 5.5-game lead in the AL Central, so there’s a decent bit of cushion to work with.

Mariners Outright Leonys Martin

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Aug. 25: The Mariners announced on Friday that Martin has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Tacoma.

Aug. 23: The Mariners have designated outfielder Leonys Martin for assignment, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Martin’s active roster spot will go to David Phelps, who was activated from the 10-day DL.

This represents the second trip through DFA limbo on the year for Martin, who was outrighted and later re-selected to the roster. The 29-year-old was much better in his second stint this season, but still managed only a .230/.266/.426 batting line in the 64 plate appearances since he returned to the majors in late July.

Martin is likely to clear waivers, given that he is earning $4.85MM for the season, and can elect free agency if he is outrighted. Doing so, however, would mean forfeiting the remainder of that $4.85MM payday — a sum of roughly $1.03MM. (Players do not earn the right to reject an outright and retain their salary until clearing five years of MLB service.) Martin is eligible for arbitration again this fall, but it seems all but certain he’ll be non-tendered even if he stays in the Seattle organization through the end of the year.

Top 20 Trade Candidates: August Edition

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Within hours of last week’s edition of our top August trade candidates, Curtis Granderson (No. 2) was shipped from the Mets to the Dodgers in exchange or a player to be named later (eventually revealed to be hard-throwing Triple-A righty Jacob Rhame). The following day, catcher Rene Rivera went from the Mets to the Cubs via waiver claim after New York simply let the remainder of his contract go to Chicago. And earlier this week, Rajai Davis (No. 8) was traded from Oakland to Boston in exchange for minor league outfielder Rafael Rincones.

[Related: Players that have cleared revocable waivers]

Those swaps, plus the improved play of some clubs versus the deteriorated play of others (e.g. the Pirates) leaves our current rankings looking like this (Note: Asterisk indicates player has reportedly cleared waivers)…

  1. Jed Lowrie, Athletics: With the exception of a power outage in the month of July, Lowrie has been an average or better bat in each month this season (by measure of wRC+). He plays all four infield positions, switch hits, draws walks and is a reasonably tough strikeout. He’s owed $1.3MM through season’s end ($6.5MM base in 2017), plus the $1MM buyout on a 2018 club option. But, Lowrie has played so well that said option looks like an absolute bargain.
  2. Juan Nicasio, Pirates: Nicasio jumps more than any player from last week’s rankings, which perhaps shouldn’t be a total surprise given the poor play of his team. The Bucs are now eight back in the NL Central and 8.5 back of a Wild Card thanks to a 3-7 slump. Nicasio, a free agent at season’s end, owns a pristine 2.95 ERA with 9.2 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, a 45.5 percent grounder rate and a heater that averages 95.4 mph. At $738K through season’s end, he’s a steal.
  3. Brad Ziegler, Marlins: Ziegler still hasn’t allowed a run since returning from the DL on Aug. 1, and he’s still boasting a ground-ball rate of 76.5 percent in that time. He’s only picked up four strikeouts, though his ground-ball rate and just one walk have helped to mitigate the lack of punchouts. If Miami will pay down some of the $10.4MM he’s owed from now through the end of the 2018 season, Ziegler could move.
  4. Zack Cozart, Reds: There’s still no obvious taker for Cozart, but he’s good enough that one could argue a case for the majority of contenders to find a way to make room for him. Cozart is an elite defensive shortstop that is hitting .311/.403/.568, including a .283/.406/.566 line in 64 PAs since coming off the DL earlier this month. It’s possible that he’s already been pulled back off waivers, of course, and the Reds needn’t feel any pressure to deal him from my vantage point; he’s an easy candidate to turn down a qualifying offer, in my eyes, though I’ll admit to being more bullish on that prospect than some of my colleagues at MLBTR.
  5. Brandon Phillips*, Braves: Phillips has cooled since a ridiculous month of April, but he’s hit for average all summer, has demonstrated decent pop at age 36, still only whiffs in 10.9 percent of his PAs and now has a respectable run as a third baseman in his back pocket as well. The Braves are only paying him $1MM this year, making him a cheap bench upgrade at the least.
  6. Craig Stammen, Padres: Stammen probably deserves more love than he’s gotten on these lists, thanks largely to a terrific second half. He’s allowed just two runs since the All-Star break and is now sitting on a 3.55 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 52.9 percent grounder rate. For a player who is owed just $182K through season’s end, those are nice numbers, and Stammen is better than the sixth- or seventh-best reliever on many contenders.
  7. Asdrubal Cabrera*, Mets: New York has found a way to sell off virtually every other veteran on its staff, with Cabrera standing out as the top option remaining. Unfortunately for the Mets, he’s been in an offensive tailspin since the non-waiver deadline, posting an awful .227/.268/.293 batting line over his past 82 plate appearances. At this point, there’s not much of a justification for ranking him ahead of Lowrie or Phillips, as I’ve done on previous iterations of this list.
  8. Steve Pearce, Blue Jays: The Jays have yet to sell off any pieces that could help them in 2018, so this ranking may be aggressive for Pearce. But with Toronto flat-out buried in the AL East and now five back of a Wild Card spot, 2017 is getting bleak. Pearce is mashing at a .295/.374/.543 pace in the second half, making the $7.5MM he’s owed through 2018 look beyond reasonable. Any contender with a first base, corner outfield or DH need would likely love to add Pearce to its starting lineup or, at least, to the bench.
  9. Clayton Richard, Padres: Richard just tossed his first shutout since 2012 two starts ago, and he’s pitched quite well overall since a fluky 10-run bludgeoning skewed his ERA on July 19 (3.54 ERA, 7.8 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 64.2 GB% since). Richard is one of the game’s best ground-ball pitchers, and he’s on pace for a roughly 200-inning season while earning a modest $1.75MM salary ($354K remaining).
  10. Jhoulys Chacin, Padres: His home-road splits are glaring, but they’re heavily skewed by a trio of early starts in which he yielded a staggering 23 runs (to the Dodgers, D-backs and Mets). Since May 28, Chacin has only yielded three or more earned runs on two occasions, and he’s been solid both at and away from Petco Park. He’s not as good as his 3.17 ERA in that time, but Chacin has an average K rate, above-average ground-ball rate and is only owed $354K through season’s end.
  11. Miguel Gonzalez*, White Sox: Gonzalez has allowed only two runs in his past 20 innings, albeit with a 14-to-8 K/BB ratio, a poor 32.2 percent grounder rate and plenty of hard contact allowed. If nothing else, he can serve as a fifth starter or long reliever for a contender next month. Gonzalez is owed $1.2MM through season’s end and shouldn’t come with a high asking price.
  12. Matt Joyce, Athletics: Joyce has gone deep twice since the last iteration of this list and six times this month in just 66 PAs. He has a 117 wRC+ against righties this year with tons of walks helping to offset a pedestrian batting average. He’s an improvement for teams looking for some punch off the bench, though next year’s $6MM salary may be off-putting for some otherwise-interested parties.
  13. Zach Duke, Cardinals: Duke hasn’t fared especially well since his sprint back from Tommy John surgery, but he’s faced 19 lefties and allowed only a pair of singles and three walks. A team seeking a lefty specialist could look to Duke to fill that role. St. Louis isn’t a clear seller, but unlike teammate Lance Lynn, Duke obviously is not a candidate for a qualifying offer after the year. He’s owed $1.1MM through season’s end, and the Cards have several other southpaws in the ’pen.
  14. Kurt Suzuki, Braves: I’ve seen it suggested that Suzuki has benefited greatly from hitter-friendly SunTrust Park in 2017. That may be true, but that thinking ignores the fact that 10 of his 14 homers — his most since 2011 — have some on the road. “Zook” may not have a great defensive rep, but he’s mashed at a .268/.344/.537 pace while earning $1.5MM in 2017. He’s owed $303K of that figure.
  15. R.A. Dickey, Braves: Dickey has gone six or more innings in 11 of his past 12 starts (including a full seven innings six times), though some teams may not relish the notion of telling one of their catchers to learn to catch a knuckleball at this juncture of the season. The upside is fairly low, and the Braves have reportedly considered simply exercising his 2018 option.
  16. Matt Moore, Giants: Somewhere between all of the “What’s wrong with Matt Moore?” and “What should the Giants do with Matt Moore?” questions, the left-hander somewhat quietly decided to show signs of a turnaround. Moore has a 4.09 ERA and 3.98 FIP with 8.5 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 in 50 2/3 innings since the All-Star break. The Giants aim to contend in 2018, so they may simply be thrilled with the improvements and exercise his affordable $9MM option. But, if they feel now is the time to sell high on a change-of-scenery candidate — well, higher than they could have in June — contenders and non-contenders alike could have interest.
  17. Daniel Hudson, Pirates: Hudson throws very hard and misses bats, but he’s been walk- and homer-prone in 2017. His underwhelming 4.50 ERA is largely supported by fielding-independent alternatives. He’s still owed $1.1MM this year and $5.5MM next year, which complicates matters but also makes him likely to clear waivers (if he hasn’t already).
  18. Derek Holland*, White Sox: Holland had his best start in quite awhile against the Twins yesterday, but his overall lack of production out of the rotation is likely too great for any contending club to count on him as a starter for the season’s final month. The Sox would probably he happy to dump the remainder of his $6MM deal, though (about $1.2MM), and he does have strong numbers against left-handed hitters.
  19. Justin Verlander*, Tigers: Verlander cleared waivers and technically remains available for trade, but despite his excellent run of success and improved control, his massive contract and full no-trade rights make a deal extremely unlikely.
  20. Giancarlo Stanton*, Marlins: If Verlander’s $28MM annual salary from 2018-19 and full no-trade clause are impediments to a deal, then the $295MM that Stanton is owed beyond 2017 and his own no-trade provision are virtually insurmountable. There’d be no greater difference-maker on the market, though, so he takes the final spot on our rankings, as he did last week.

Injured

Scott Feldman (Reds), Daniel Nava (Phillies), Ian Krol (Braves), Johnny Cueto (Giants), Erick Aybar (Padres), Wade LeBlanc & Joaquin Benoit (Pirates)

Also Considered

J.A. Happ & Jose Bautista (Blue Jays); Matt Kemp, Jim Johnson & Nick Markakis (Braves); Lance Lynn & Seung-hwan Oh (Cardinals); Denard Span & Nick Hundley (Giants); A.J. Ellis & Dee Gordon (Marlins); Darren O’Day, Zach Britton Jeremy Hellickson, Wade Miley & Seth Smith (Orioles); Yangervis Solarte (Padres), Hyun Soo Kim & Freddy Galvis (Phillies); Andrew Cashner & Tyson Ross (Rangers); Drew Storen (Reds); Jose Iglesias (Tigers); James Shields & Mike Pelfrey (White Sox)

Rays Sign Danny Espinosa To Major League Deal

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12:34pm: The Rays have now announced the signing. Fellow infielder Daniel Robertson was optioned to Durham to clear a roster spot.

12:30pm: It’s a Major League deal for Espinosa with the Rays. (SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo first tweeted as much.)

12:16pm: The Rays are adding veteran infielder Danny Espinosa, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter). Espinosa began the year with the Angels but was cut loose and latched on with the Mariners before being released there as well. Topkin doesn’t specify the type of transaction, though presumably it’s a minor league deal. Espinosa was placed on release waivers five days ago, so he’d already have cleared at this point. Espinosa is represented by MVP Sports.

It’s been a brutal year at the plate for Espinosa, 30, as he’s struggled to a career-worst .164/.237/.279 slash line through 271 plate appearances in the American League West. In his first taste of American League play, the longtime Nationals infielder saw his strikeout rate soar to 36.2 percent as his line-drive rate plummeted to a career-worst 12.9 percent. Espinosa’s hard-hit rate (32.2 percent) is still a bit higher than his career mark (31.1 percent), but the majority of those balls in play have apparently been of the fly-ball or ground-ball variety, as Espinosa checks in north of 41 percent in each regard (41.8% grounders, 45.7 percent flies).

For all of his warts at the plate in recent years, though, Espinosa has terrific career marks in both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating as a second baseman and as a shortstop. Neither DRS nor UZR was especially bullish on his work in 2017, grading him as a roughly average glove at second base, but the track record (and the bit of experience he has at the hot corner as well) likely appealed to a Rays club that traditionally places a high value on defensive prowess and versatility.

Whether Espinosa immediately joins the big league club remains to be seen. We’re just a week away from the point at which rosters can expand, so Tampa Bay could conceivably stash him at Triple-A Durham for the next seven days and then bring him aboard to add some bench depth and versatility for the final month of the year.

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