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Archives for September 2017

Rays To Select Contract Of Trevor Plouffe

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Shortly after being designated for assignment and outrighted off the 40-man roster, Trevor Plouffe is set to rejoin the Rays, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Tampa Bay will bring the veteran back to the Majors as a depth option with expanded September rosters now in place. Tampa Bay has an open 40-man spot, so a corresponding move isn’t needed.

Regular playing time won’t be there for Plouffe, barring injuries elsewhere on the roster, but he’ll get another chance to finish the year on a good note after struggling for much of the 2017 campaign. The former Twins third baseman signed a one-year, $5MM deal with the A’s last winter after being non-tendered and found himself traded to Tampa Bay after being designated in Oakland.

Plouffe has appeared in 89 games this season (281 plate appearances) and has posted a .204/.274/.325 slash that represents a considerable departure from the generally useful offensive output he tallied from 2012-16 in Minnesota. Plouffe’s strikeout rate has soared to 29.5 percent this season after checking in under 20 percent from 2014-16. His hard-hit rate, line-drive rate and homer-to-flyball ratio are all in line with the levels he posted in his final few years in Minneapolis, but he’s also hitting the ball on ground more than ever (49.7 percent) and lifting fly-balls at a career-low pace (30.1 percent).

Plouffe has batted .276 with a .344 OBP against left-handed pitching this year, but the power he typically has in platoon situations has evaporated (.333 slugging, .057 ISO). He’ll be a free agent once again at season’s end.

Reds Exercise Bryan Price’s 2018 Option

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Sept. 4: Price confirmed to reporters today that his 2018 option has been exercised by the team (Twitter links via MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon). “It’s a good thing, I think, for all of us because we’d like to see this thing through to the other side,” said the skipper.

Sept. 2: Manager Bryan Price will remain at the helm of the Reds in 2018, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Thanks to a clause in the contract Price signed last year, the Reds were required to inform him by Saturday whether they’d exercise his 2018 club option. However, the team actually assured him in July that he’d return, per Rosecrans, who adds that Price’s entire coaching staff will likely be invited back.

Next season will be the ninth in Cincinnati for Price, who served as predecessor Dusty Baker’s pitching coach from 2010-13 before taking over as the club’s manager. The Reds have gone just 276-355 in three-plus seasons under Price, haven’t won more than 76 games in an individual year during his reign and rank among the majors’ worst teams in 2017 with a 58-77 mark. That isn’t to suggest Price has been at fault, though, as the Reds are in the midst of a rebuild and have been devoid of pitching during his tenure. This year’s Reds entered Saturday last in the sport in ERA (5.29) and pitching fWAR (2.5). To put the latter figure in perspective, 34 big league starters and four relievers have posted an equal or better fWAR than the combined total of the 29 pitchers the Reds have used in 2017.

Given their woes on the mound, it’s no surprise that the Reds are toward the bottom of the standings yet again. There have been some bright spots this year, however, including the continued brilliance of first baseman Joey Votto and breakouts from young starter Luis Castillo, relief ace Raisel Iglesias and third baseman Eugenio Suarez.

The performance of a manager is difficult to quantify, meaning it’s unclear how much the 55-year-old Price has positively or negatively impacted any of the Reds’ players. Regardless, he and his staff have shown enough to general manager Dick Williams to warrant at least another year in the dugout.

David Wright To Undergo Shoulder Surgery; T.J. Rivera To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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The Mets made another series of medical updates today, with the most significant news of the bunch being that infielders David Wright and T.J. Rivera will undergo surgery. Wright will have his right rotator cuff repaired, while Rivera will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow (with which he was diagnosed in late July). Additionally, left-hander Josh Edgin will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, and the Mets confirmed that Michael Conforto will undergo surgery to repair the posterior capsule in his left shoulder this week.

In more non-surgical updates, the Mets announced that Noah Syndergaard will make another rehab appearance on Thursday, while Wilmer Flores has sustained a broken nose and Amed Rosario has a contusion on his right index finger.

For Wright, the shoulder procedure in the latest of a seemingly ceaseless cavalcade of setbacks as he attempts to get back onto the field. The Mets’ captain hasn’t appeared in a big league game since May 1 of last season, and he has already undergone surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck over what is now shaping up to be a potential two-year layoff from Major League activity. Despite his considerable health issues, Wright is reportedly not considering retirement (as the Post’s Mike Puma wrote last week).

As for Rivera, it’s critical to note that the recovery process for position players that undergo Tommy John surgery is significantly shorter than it is for pitchers. Rather than the standard recovery of 12-plus months for pitchers, Rivera could conceivably be ready for action at some point early in the 2018 campaign. The Mets, however, have yet to provide any sort of timeline and likely won’t do so until the operation has been performed.

That holds true of Conforto as well, though there’s been no shortage of ink dedicated to the ominous nature of his injury. Capsule tears are significant and uncommon injuries, creating the possibility that Conforto will be sidelined for a notable chunk of the 2018 campaign.

As far as Edgin is concerned, the knee issue could mark the end of his tenure with the organization. The 30-year-old had already been outrighted off the 40-man roster, and this injury means that the Mets won’t select his contract and bring him back to the Majors. Edgin has enough service time to elect free agency following the campaign if not on the 40-man, and while he could always re-sign to return to the organization, he’ll now be able to field interest from all 29 other clubs as well.

AL East Notes: Swihart, Yankees, Castillo

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The Red Sox have been getting Blake Swihart experience at first base, and he’s also been taking grounders at third base, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Boston also plans to send the 25-year-old former top prospect to winter ball this year, which will allow him to make up for some missed time (due to injuries) but could also boost his trade value by showcasing some versatility. The switch-hitting Swihart was long touted as Boston’s catcher of the future, but Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon look locked in for the 2018 season, when Swihart will be out of minor league options. “We recognize where he’s at contractually going into next year,” manager John Farrell tells Abraham. “Trying to create some versatility on the defensive side of things is part of the overall plan.” Swihart’s surgically repaired ankle has still limited him this year, so the extra time in winter ball could prove especially important as the Sox make a determination on his future.

More from the division…

  • The Yankees are turning to Jordan Montgomery with the fifth spot in their rotation this time around — not veteran trade acquisition Jaime Garcia, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post. It’s not a long-term move, per manager Joe Girardi, who notes that Garcia will be plugged back into the rotation sometime during the next turn. Nonetheless, it’s a disappointing outcome for a Yankees club that parted with a pair of minor league arms (Zack Littell and Dietrich Enns) to acquire Garcia. The veteran hasn’t lasted more than 5 1/3 innings in any of his starts for the Yankees, though, as Martin points out.
  • Welington Castillo’s scorching bat is helping to keep the Orioles in the Wild Card race, and manager Buck Showalter spoke to reporters about how the backstop has met, if not exceeded expectations this past spring (via MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli). “He had that potential,” said Showalter. “I told you from the first day. I wasn’t that knowledgeable other than talking to people, people who I respect their opinion, watching some tape. Until you get someone, especially a catcher, he’s been so easy to work with. … He’s getting a good return for the way he’s approached this season, and so are we.” Castillo is hitting a ridiculous .376/.410/.688 with 10 homers since the All-Star break.
  • Of course, Castillo could also be playing himself either out of the long-term picture for the Orioles or at least into a considerably larger contract with them. Given his recent surge at the plate, his cumulative .300/.339/.512 batting line and his career-best/league-leading 50 percent caught-stealing rate (22-for-44), I find it difficult to imagine Castillo exercising his $7MM player option for the 2018 season. Rather, it seems likely that he’ll enter free agency in search of a considerably larger payday and be able to find just that.

MLB Weekend Roster Roundup: Correa, Lester, Wood

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ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM

NATIONAL LEAGUE

 

AMERICAN LEAGUE

  • CHICAGO WHITE SOX | Depth Chart
    • Placed on 10-Day DL: OF Leury Garcia (sprained thumb)
    • Promotions: OF Rymer Liriano (contract purchased)
      • Liriano started in LF on Saturday and Sunday.

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

Quick Hits: Archer, Cardinals, Shapiro, Free Agents

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Chris Archer was removed from his start on Saturday after just eight pitches due to forearm tightness, though the Rays ace told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that he feels better today, despite some lingering tightness on the outside of his right forearm.  While Archer doesn’t feel the injury is particularly serious and he hopes to make his next start, more will be known on Monday when he is examined by the Rays’ team doctor.  Losing Archer for any stretch of time would be a big blow to Tampa Bay club that is trying to stay in the wild card race, though obviously Archer’s overall health is of larger concern to the team, given the ominous nature of forearm injuries.  Here’s more from around baseball…

  • The Cardinals are attempting to rebuild and contend all at once, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at how the team is trying the unusual tactic of using young players (rather than experienced veterans) as midseason and late-season roster upgrades.  The plan requires a lot of faith in the minor league system, though many of the youngsters deployed by the Cards this year have been very productive.  “We were able to start making some moves that look forward without detracting from today. We sort of jump-started our offseason a little early by opening up opportunities,” GM Michael Girsch said.
  • Blue Jays team president Mark Shapiro discussed his experiences in the game with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, and the wide-ranging interview touched on the Jays’ immediate plans for 2018.  Past reports have suggested that the Jays are still looking to contend next season, and Shapiro reiterated that by suggesting that there is a priority towards retaining the increased fan support that has surfaced from the team’s recent postseason success.  “In this situation, the desire to win and to continue to give a relatively new fan base — because a lot of fans that are coming are new fans — a reason to cheer and to come to the ballpark is probably more important than just maybe pushing the express button on how to regenerate and reinvigorate the farm system,” Shapiro said.
  • The Braves will likely call up left-hander Luiz Gohara as soon as Tuesday, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.  The hard-throwing Gohara has posted strong numbers in each of the last two seasons, and is ranked by MLB.com as the eighth-best prospect in Atlanta’s system.  Though GM John Coppolella didn’t rule out the idea of also promoting top prospect Ronald Acuna sometime in September, O’Brien feels the 19-year-old outfielder is likelier to make his MLB debut (and be placed on the 40-man roster) next spring, when Acuna will be competing for a regular job.
  • Defense and the ability to make contact at the plate could be more attractive skillsets than power for teams looking for lineup help this offseason, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes (subscription required).  We already saw sluggers get paid less than expected last winter, and some evaluators feel that trend could worsen in the coming offseason since home run hitters aren’t particularly hard to find, as more and more players are adjusting their swings to lift the ball to generate homers or extra-base hits.  Olney and his ESPN colleague Keith Law also described this concept during a podcast earlier this week.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/3/17

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Sunday’s minor moves from around baseball:

  • The Indians have signed 16-year-old Cuban right-hander Roberto Hernandez to a deal with a $320K bonus, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports.  Hernandez wasn’t included within MLB.com’s top 30 or BA’s top 50 rankings of 2017-18 international prospects, though Badler describes the righty as “one of the better” arms available in the July 2 class.  Cleveland had an international spending pool of $5.75MM to work with in this signing period, and $3.825MM has already been accounted for by the team’s signings of youngsters George Valera, Aaron Bracho, Jose Tena and Wilfi Peralta.

Earlier moves

  • The Phillies announced that they have outrighted first baseman Brock Stassi to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.  Stassi lost his spot on the Phillies’ 40-man roster when they claimed reliever Juan Nicasio off waivers from the Pirates on Thursday.  Prior to his designation for assignment, the 28-year-old Stassi batted just .167/.278/.295 in his first major league action (90 plate appearances).  Stassi has been better – albeit not great – at Triple-A this year, having hit .256/.328/.354 in 186 PAs.
  • The Rangers have outrighted right-hander Anthony Bass to Triple-A Round Rock, executive vice president of communications John Blake tweets. Texas designated Bass on Thursday when it acquired righty Miguel Gonzalez from the White Sox. Bass’ most recent extensive big league action came during a 64-inning campaign with the Rangers in 2015, when he pitched to a 4.50 ERA. He has made two appearances with the Rangers this season, but his work has otherwise come at Triple-A, where the 29-year-old has put up a 4.18 ERA with 10.39 K/9 and 3.35 BB/9 in 75 1/3 frames.

Assessing The August Trade Period

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Trade deadline?  What trade deadline?  Though arranging deals during the August waiver period is more complicated the swinging deals prior to July 31, that didn’t stop teams from perhaps the single busiest August ever in terms of notable trades.  Several major names that didn’t switch uniforms on or before July 31 ended up going to new teams last month, promising big repercussions during pennant races and into October (or beyond, given how many notable non-rental players were dealt).

We’re only looking at trades here, not straight waiver claims — such as the last-minute moves by the Astros to add Cameron Maybin and the Phillies to nab Juan Nicasio.  Here are the most significant swaps of August 2017 (in alphabetical order, by category):

Rentals

Mariners acquire Andrew Albers from Braves for cash (link): Picked up as inexpensive pitching depth, Albers has three wins and a 3.43 ERA over four starts (21 IP) for the M’s.

Mariners acquire Yonder Alonso from Athletics for Boog Powell (link): The Mariners addressed a big need at first base by acquiring Alonso, who has provided solid production since the deal.  Powell has also played well in regular action for the A’s, giving Oakland another potential outfield candidate as the club looks toward 2018.

Indians acquire Jay Bruce from Mets for Ryder Ryan (link): With Michael Brantley still on the DL and Lonnie Chisenhall just back in action, the Tribe added a big power bat to right field, and Bruce has continued his hot hitting since the deal.

Astros acquire Tyler Clippard from White Sox for cash or PTBNL (link): Thought to be focusing on left-handed relievers in trade talks, Houston instead added a righty in the veteran Clippard.

Red Sox acquire Rajai Davis from Athletics for Rafael Rincones (link): Jackie Bradley’s injury likely inspired the Sox to add some extra outfield depth in Davis, a respected veteran who brings speed and postseason experience to the roster.

Rangers acquire Miguel Gonzalez from White Sox for Ti’Quan Forbes (link): Texas gained some rotation depth while the White Sox parted ways with yet another veteran player.

Dodgers acquire Curtis Granderson from Mets for Jacob Rhame (link): The Mets’ fire sale continued as Granderson was sent to L.A.  Joc Pederson’s struggles and demotion created an opening for a left-handed outfielder, and Granderson has seen significant playing time on the stacked Dodgers roster.

Angels acquire Brandon Phillips from Braves for Tony Sanchez (link): Second base has long been a problem area for the Angels, and the team hopes Phillips can be the answer for at least the next month as the team pushes for a wild card berth.

Brewers acquire Neil Walker from Mets for PTBNL (link): Walker has done nothing but rake since coming to Milwaukee, giving the surprising Brewers the boost they needed at second base in the wake of Jonathan Villar’s disappointing season.

Future Contract Rights

Athletics acquire Chris Hatcher from Dodgers for international pool money (link):
Oakland gets a change-of-scenery candidate for the bullpen, though the $500K acquired by the Dodgers could lead to a bigger headline.  Every little bit of international pool money is important to a team that has designs on landing Shohei Otani this offseason.

Blue Jays acquire Tom Koehler from Marlins for Osman Gutierrez (link): Koehler had made one start in four appearances for Toronto and may be called on to eat some more innings as the Jays play out the string.

Mariners acquire Mike Leake from Cardinals for Rayder Ascanio & international pool money (link): Perhaps the most surprising trade of the month saw the Cards part ways with Leake less than two years after signing him to a five-year, $80MM free agent deal.  (St. Louis will send $17MM to Seattle as part of the trade.)  The Cards now have extra flexibility with both their payroll and the rotation, while the M’s pick up a durable long-term arm.

Cubs acquire Leonys Martin from Mariners for cash or a PTBNL (link): The Cubs added some speed and versatile outfield defense for September and, potentially, the postseason roster.

Pirates acquire Sean Rodriguez from Braves for Connor Joe (link): The popular veteran hit a walkoff homer in his first game back in a Pittsburgh uniform and seen time at six different positions so far as one of the Pirates’ top utility options.

Angels acquire Justin Upton from Tigers for Grayson Long (link): The Angels added a much-needed lineup upgrade to bolster their AL wild card chase.  Upton could be a rental if he opts out of the remaining four years/$88.5MM on his contract, though if not, the Halos will have added another expensive long-term asset to join Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.

Astros acquire Justin Verlander and a PTBNL from Tigers for Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron and Jake Rogers (link): The month’s biggest blockbuster went down just minutes before the August 31 deadline, as the Astros made a late move to bolster their rotation with the former AL Cy Young Award winner.  Verlander’s vesting option for the 2020 season was also waived as part of the deal, and the Tigers sent just over $17.35MM to help facilitate the $60.66MM owed to Verlander through the end of the 2019 season.

Notable Minor League Depth Trades

Rosenthal’s Latest: Herrera, Upton, Verlander

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FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal shares some hot stove items in his latest Full Count video…

  • It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Royals dealt Kelvin Herrera this winter, as the closer is in line for a big salary bump in his last year of arbitration eligibility.  Rosenthal estimates Herrera will earn something in the $7.5-$8MM range in 2018, up from the $5.325MM Herrera earned this season.  Brandon Maurer or Ryan Buchter could take over as Kansas City’s closer if Herrera is dealt.  Herrera drew some trade buzz earlier this season as one of the many bullpen options the Nationals were exploring, and surely he would garner interest this offseason, even if Herrera hasn’t quite been as dominant this season as in recent years.  This all assumes, of course, that Herrera’s current forearm issue doesn’t prove to be anything serious.  With Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer all potential leaving K.C. in free agency this winter, a Herrera trade could further portend the start of a rebuild for the Royals.
  • The Angels were one of Justin Upton’s targets when he was a free agent two winters ago, and he has a home in Arizona, which could facilitate remaining on the west coast if he doesn’t opt out of his contract.  Ultimately, Upton’s September performance will decide whether or not he chooses to stick with the Angels or opt out of the four years and $88.5MM remaining on his deal.  In an MLBTR poll from Thursday, just under 56% of respondents feel Upton will indeed opt out and look for a bigger deal this winter.
  • Reports have suggested that Justin Verlander was initially hesitant to waive his no-trade clause and join the Astros, as he would’ve preferred to instead be dealt to the Cubs or Dodgers.  As Rosenthal notes, “there’s no guarantee” either Chicago or L.A. would have looked to acquire Verlander in the offseason, so the former Cy Young Award winner decided to join a contender now rather than stay with the rebuilding Tigers.  Rosenthal also points out the interesting fact that Minute Maid Park has been the most depressed run-scoring environment of any ballpark in the league since the start of the 2016 season, belying its hitter-friendly reputation.

MLBTR Originals

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Here’s a roundup of original content from MLB Trade Rumors over the last seven days…

  • In the latest edition of the MLBTR Mailbag, Steve Adams answers your questions about such topics as Carlos Gonzalez, Yoan Moncada, Kevin Pillar, Mike Moustakas and the Mets’ offseason needs.
  • Twins reliever Trevor May is back with his latest contribution to the Player’s Perspective series, discussing how his time away from baseball (due to Tommy John rehab) has allowed him to revisit his childhood fandom of the sport.
  • Jeff Todd lists the seven best waiver claims of the last 12 months, including three names (Doug Fister, Blake Parker, Stephen Vogt) that have made strong contributions to playoff contenders.
  • The newest edition of Jason Martinez’s Knocking Down The Door series looks at some promising minor leaguers who could soon be appearing in the bigs as September callups.  In fact, since Jason’s piece was published last Monday, two of the names mentioned (the Marlins’ Brian Anderson and the Cubs’ Dillon Maples) have been promoted and made their MLB debuts.
  • Will Masahiro Tanaka opt out of his contract after the season and test free agency, or will he remain with the Yankees for the final three years (and $67MM) of his current deal? Connor Byrne posed the question to the readership in an MLBTR poll, with a slight majority (53% of respondents) believing that Tanaka will indeed opt out.
  • Connor Byrne lists the top five contenders for the AL MVP Award, with the Astros’ Jose Altuve looking like the favorite going into the season’s final four weeks.

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