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Heyman’s Latest: Arrieta, Cain, Davis, Rays, Reds, Morales

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Some items from around baseball in the latest notes collection from FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman…

  • The Nationals were linked to Jake Arrieta during the offseason, and Heyman reports that the team was interested in signing the righty to a contract similar to the three-year, $75MM deal Arrieta eventually got from the Phillies.  No offer was officially made, however, while GM Mike Rizzo had interest in adding Arrieta, ownership declined to make another big investment in a starting pitcher.  With Arrieta pitching well and the Phillies ahead of the Nats in the NL East standings, this non-signing could be an interesting what-if scenario for the future, though Washington’s rotation is already one of the best in baseball.
  • Speaking of winter what-ifs, Heyman adds the Mariners, Braves, and Dodgers to the list of teams that had interest in signing Lorenzo Cain before the center fielder inked a deal with the Brewers.  Seattle had a clear need for center field help prior to the Dee Gordon trade, though the other two wouldn’t seem to be obvious fits on paper for Cain’s services.  The Braves already have Ender Inciarte in center, plus they needed to trade Matt Kemp to make room for Ronald Acuna’s eventual promotion; potentially, Cain could’ve been a fit if Atlanta had managed to trade Nick Markakis (and then convince Cain to shift to right field).  For the Dodgers, signing Cain would have run counter to their plan of getting under the luxury tax threshold, plus L.A. would’ve had to give up two draft picks and $1MM in international bonus pool funds as compensation for signing Cain.  It’s also possible, of course, that both the Braves and Dodgers merely had a due diligence-type of interest in Cain given that his free agent stint stretched into late January.
  • Khris Davis and the Athletics were in talks about a one-year extension to cover Davis’ final season of arbitration eligibility, though Heyman reports that Davis declined an offer from the team.  It isn’t known whether negotiations are ongoing or if the two sides will table the issue.  Davis has a .235/.307/.497 slash line and 13 homers through his first 205 PA, so he is on pace to earn another big raise from his current $10.5MM salary in his last arb year.
  • The Mets aren’t for sale, though “folks around the league believe” that Rays owner and New York native Stuart Sternberg would try to buy the the Mets if they were available.  Needless to say, the Mets would be a highly sought-after property if the Wilpon family did decide to sell — one would imagine the sale price of a team in the gigantic NYC media market would easily surpass the $2 billion mark.  Heyman writes that there is even some speculation Sternberg would try to move the Rays to New York or Montreal if the league allowed it, though obviously the Mets and Yankees would have something to say about the former option in terms of territorial-rights issues.  Sternberg’s relative lack of ties to his own team’s area (“he isn’t often in Tampa“) could also be an obstacle in the Rays’ longstanding desire for a new stadium.
  • The Reds have been playing better under Jim Riggleman, but if the team does still want to make a long-term change in the dugout, Heyman hears that the team isn’t going to be spending big on a managerial salary.  A new skipper will almost certainly make less than Dusty Baker’s $3.5MM annual salary when he was running the team.  This could rule out a star hire like Joe Girardi, who impressed Reds ownership when he interviewed for the job prior to Baker’s hiring.  Interestingly, Heyman believes that Girardi — an Illinois native — could be a candidate if the White Sox decided to make a managerial change, though there isn’t any indication that the Sox are considering moving on from Rick Renteria.  That scenario would have a strong echo of Renteria’s last managerial job, when he stewarded the Cubs through some rebuilding years before being replaced by another star manager in Joe Maddon.
  • The Royals had some interest “awhile back” in a reunion with Blue Jays DH Kendrys Morales, though that trade possibility has evaporated since both the Royals and Morales are badly struggling.  K.C. is looking like a deadline seller, while Morales is hitting so poorly (.163/.248/.279 through 117 PA) that the Jays may have to release him or eat all of the approximately $19.76MM left on his contract through the 2019 campaign.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Betts, Astros, Yanks, Harper, Bucs, Cards, Dodgers

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This week in baseball blogs…

 Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com

Nationals Place Ryan Madson On 10-Day DL

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The Nationals announced that right-hander Ryan Madson has been placed on the 10-day DL with a pectoral muscle strain.  The placement is retroactive to May 17.  Nats manager Davey Martinez told reporters (including Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post) that Madson was feeling “a little bit better” after missing Saturday and Sunday’s games and the placement was “just to be safe,” so it’s possible the reliever could miss only a minimal amount of time.

Madson has a 4.19 ERA over 19 1/3 innings this season, though ERA predictors (2.16 FIP, 3.67 xFIP, 3.42 SIERA) paint a more favorable view of his performance.  Madson has yet to allow a home run this season, and has owns a 9.3 K/9, 3.33 K/BB rate, and a 43.9% grounder rate.  Late-game situations have been a strength for the Nats this season, between Madson and Brandon Kintzler’s solid set-up work and Sean Doolittle’s spectacular early numbers.  As Janes notes, Tim Collins looks to be the likeliest candidate to be called up to fill Madson’s spot in the bullpen; while Madson isn’t truly replaceable, Collins at least provides the Nats with an extra left-hander.

Madson’s absence represents yet another DL setback for the Nats, who are already without Daniel Murphy, Adam Eaton, Howie Kendrick, Ryan Zimmerman, Joaquin Benoit, Matt Wieters, Koda Glover, Jhonatan Solano, Brian Goodwin, and Matt Grace.  (Anthony Rendon also missed significant time earlier this season.)  Despite this hard bite from the injury bug, the Nationals are still 24-21 and staying afloat in the crowded NL East and wild card races.

Cafardo’s Latest: Peavy, Abreu, Moose, Braves, Fish, BoSox, Rangers

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Free-agent right-hander Jake Peavy was reportedly going to throw in a scouting showcase around May 1, but that hasn’t happened yet, the soon-to-be 37-year-old tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Nevertheless, Peavy is still aiming to return to the majors, where he last pitched in 2016 with the Giants. “In the next three weeks I’ll make a decision,” said Peavy, who added that he wanted to consult with his four kids before attempting a comeback. Continued Peavy: “I feel that I can help a team in the second half. My arm feels great. I’ve had a chance to rest it so I feel as strong as I’ve felt in a long time. I’ve kept in shape. I throw bullpens. So I’m hoping that once I make the decision to do it, that the interest will be there.” Notably, the onetime NL Cy Young Award winner realizes he’d “have to sign an incentive-based deal” and work his way back to MLB via the minors.

Here’s more from Cafardo:

  • First baseman Jose Abreu is “likely” to be the next player the White Sox trade, Cafardo writes. Even though the White Sox are rebuilding, they’ve continued to hold on to the 31-year-old Abreu, in part because he has emerged as a key mentor to their young players. Abreu would figure to garner interest from contenders, though, considering he’s having another big offensive season (.294/.366/.518 with eight HRs in 183 plate appearances) and under wraps through 2019.
  • “There’s a growing feeling among talent evaluators” that the Braves will go after Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, according to Cafardo. That may have become even more likely Sunday when the Braves ended their brief Jose Bautista experiment, though they’re bent on giving Johan Camargo a serious look at third base for the time being. Regardless, Moustakas does seem like a strong bet to finish the season outside of Kansas City, which is rebuilding and doesn’t have him under contract beyond this season (there is a $15MM mutual option, however). Moustakas is making a very reasonable salary ($5.5MM) and enjoying a terrific year at the plate, having slashed .294/.333/.528 with 10 long balls in 195 PAs.
  • The Marlins expect reliever Kyle Barraclough to generate interest prior to the deadline, Cafardo reports. The 27-year-old is amid his fourth straight high-strikeout/high-walk/low-ERA season, with 11.32 K/9, 5.23 BB/9 and a 1.74 ERA through 20 2/3 innings. Adding to his appeal, Barraclough’s under control through 2021 and making just over $1.1MM this season.
  • The Rangers had interest in Red Sox utilityman Blake Swihart as recently as a week ago, per Cafardo, who notes “that avenue may still be available.” A catcher by trade, Swihart’s out of options and doesn’t seem to have a place on this year’s Red Sox, which led his agent to request a trade earlier this week. Still, Boston’s unsure about parting with the 26-year-old, Cafardo suggests. If the Sox do explore a deal, though, there are other fits besides Texas, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams pointed out Wednesday.
  • More on the Red Sox, who’d “likely want bullpen help and/or a prospect” in a trade for center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., Cafardo observes. Boston spurned teams’ interest in Bradley in the offseason and has since gotten off to one of the majors’ best starts, though the 28-year-old hasn’t contributed to that as much as expected. Bradley has posted an ugly .165/.267/.252 line in 146 trips to the plate, leading Alex Speier of the Boston Globe to wonder if the Red Sox could consider demoting him despite his $6.1MM salary when second baseman Dustin Pedroia comes off the disabled list soon. While it’s a long shot, Speier concedes, a Bradley-less Red Sox team would still feature the enviable outfield trio of Mookie Betts in right, Andrew Benintendi in center and J.D. Martinez in left.

Indians Select Melky Cabrera, Designate Alexi Ogando

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4:36pm: The Indians have indeed optioned Marshall, Hoynes reports. Additionally, the club has designated reliever Alexi Ogando for assignment. Ogando signed a minor league accord with the Indians during the offseason and ended up cracking their roster earlier this month. However, the 34-year-old only made one appearance – a disastrous May 4 outing against the Yankees in which he pitched one frame and allowed two earned runs on two hits and three walks. Ogando took the loss in that game.

4:12pm: Cabrera will start in right field for Cleveland on Sunday, per Zuppe. It appears the Tribe will option reliever Evan Marshall to open up a 25-man spot for Cabrera, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com suggests.

4:02pm: The Indians are set to promote veteran outfielder Melky Cabrera to the majors, T.J. Zuppe of The Athletic tweets. Adding Cabrera wouldn’t require the Indians to make a 40-man roster move, as they currently have a vacancy.

Even though the 33-year-old Cabrera has enjoyed a successful MLB career, he was one of several notable veterans who didn’t encounter much interest on the free-agent market last offseason. In fact, he went without a contract until the end of April, when the Indians inked him to a minors pact. By making it to Cleveland, Cabrera will be in position to earn at a $1MM rate and have an opportunity to rake in extra cash via incentives.

Cleveland will be the seventh different major league destination for the switch-hitting Cabrera, who didn’t produce much in 42 plate appearances with its Triple-A affiliate (.286/.286/.381) but does bring a .286/.335/.418 MLB line across 6,852 PAs. He offered similar numbers last year between two of the Indians’ AL Central rivals, the White Sox and Royals, combining to slash .285/.324/.423 with 17 home runs in 666 trips to the plate.

Cabrera’s 2017 production was more than the Indians have gotten this year from their outfielders, who have combined for a .255/.308/.396 mark in the first month and half of the campaign. Michael Brantley and Tyler Naquin have held their own, but each of Bradley Zimmer, Lonnie Chisenhall, Rajai Davis, Greg Allen and Brandon Guyer have scuffled, and three of those players (Naquin, Zimmer and Chisenhall) are on the disabled list.

AL Injury Notes: A. Garcia, K. Davis, Bird, Astros

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White Sox right fielder Avisail Garcia likely won’t return to game action until the end of June, the team announced. Garcia, who has been out since April 24 with a strained right hamstring, underwent an MRI “that revealed improvement but the continued presence of a grade 2 strain,” per the club. On the heels of a terrific 2017, Garcia looked like a potential trade chip entering this season. However, between Garcia’s lengthy absence and the fact that he opened 2018 with a .233/.250/.315 line and no walks in 76 pre-injury plate appearances, his trade value has likely taken a sizable hit this year.

  • Athletics slugger Khris Davis left their game Sunday with a right groin strain, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. The severity isn’t known, though Slusser points out that groin strains tend to take anywhere from two to six weeks to heal. A stint on the disabled list seems like a strong possibility, then, and that would be a tough development for the surging A’s. The club’s on its way to a 25-22 start, and Davis has certainly had a role in that with a .235/.307/.497 line and a team-high 13 homers in 205 PAs.
  • Yankees first baseman Greg Bird could make his season debut during the upcoming week, manager Aaron Boone told Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News and other reporters Sunday. Bird hasn’t played this year on account of the right ankle surgery he underwent in late March, after missing most of last season with foot problems and all of 2016 with a torn labrum. Owners of the majors’ best record (29-13), the Yankees have gotten off to a great start without the talented Bird, thanks in part to first base fill-in Tyler Austin’s production. The 26-year-old rookie has smacked two HRs on Sunday to give him eight on the season and raise his OPS to .930 through 100 PAs.
  • The Astros have placed outfielder Derek Fisher on the DL (retroactive to Saturday) and recalled corner infielder/outfielder J.D. Davis from Triple-A, per reports from Mark Berman of FOX 26 and Jake Kaplan of The Athletic. Fisher, who has hit just .176/.222/.419 in 81 PAs, is dealing with gastrointestinal discomfort. Like Fisher, Davis hasn’t been great at the big league level this year (250/.357/.250 in 28 PAs). However, the 25-year-old laid waste to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League prior to Sunday’s call-up, slashing .415/.473/.654 in 146 tries.

Athletics Claim Carlos Ramirez From Blue Jays

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The Athletics have claimed right-hander Carlos Ramirez off waivers from the Blue Jays, per an announcement from Oakland.

Oakland will be the second organization for the 27-year-old Ramirez, who had been with the Blue Jays since 2009. Ramirez started off as an outfield prospect with the Jays before moving to the mound in 2014. He impressed enough as a minor league pitcher to reach the majors in 2017, and has since logged a combined 19 innings at the game’s highest level (2 1/3 this year). During that small sample of work, Ramirez posted a 2.84 ERA/4.84 FIP with 8.05 K/9, 3.79 BB/9 and a 33.3 percent groundball rate, but that wasn’t enough to prevent Toronto from designating him for assignment last week.

Given that Ramirez has three options remaining, he seems likely to start off as minors depth with the Athletics. The A’s currently have a full bullpen, and the unit has begun the year with the majors’ 12th-best ERA (3.82).

NL Notes: Russell, Kershaw, Reds, Mets

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There has been speculation about the Cubs pursuing Orioles shortstop Manny Machado in a deal that could cost the North Siders their current shortstop, Addison Russell. But Russell told Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required) and other reporters Saturday that he’s not sweating those rumors. “As far as the trade rumors, if it happens, it happens. But I really don’t pay them any attention,” he said. “The only time I really even hear about them is the media bringing it up to me.” Unsurprisingly, the 24-year-old Russell also made clear that he’d like to remain with the Cubs, who originally acquired him from the Athletics in a 2014 blockbuster with the Athletics. Russell has since emerged as a solid starter, not a superstar like Machado, but trading him to acquire the latter would mean surrendering his three-plus years of control for a few months of control over Machado. Of course, it would also boost the Cubs’ World Series chances for this season, thus creating a conundrum for Chicago’s brass if it actually does discuss a Machado-Russell trade with Baltimore.

In other NL news…

  • The Dodgers’ rotation took another hit Sunday when left-hander Rich Hill landed on the disabled list, but ace Clayton Kershaw seems to be nearing a return. Kershaw, on the DL since May 6 with a biceps injury, threw a bullpen session Sunday and could be one away from going on a rehab assignment, Pedro Moura of The Athletic was among those to report. Kershaw may even be able to rejoin the Dodgers as early as next weekend, manager Dave Roberts suggested to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
  • Like Kershaw, Reds righty Anthony DeSclafani is making progress as he works back from his own injury – a left oblique strain. DeSclafani, who previously missed all of last season with a sprained UCL, made a successful start at Double-A on Saturday and could be just two more rehab starts from returning to the majors, Brian Scott Rippee of MLB.com writes. Before injuries derailed his career, DeSclafani was an effective starter in Cincinnati, where he combined for 308 innings of 3.74 ERA/3.79 FIP ball from 2015-16. If the 28-year-old’s anywhere near that good upon returning, it would be a boon for a rebuilding Cincy club that has struggled to find quality starters. The Reds’ DeSclafani-less rotation has posted a horrendous 5.66 ERA dating back to last season.
  • In the wake of outfielder Juan Lagares’ season-ending injury, the Mets are experimenting with young first baseman Dominic Smith in the grass, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets. Smith, 22, lined up in right field at the Triple-A level on Saturday and could emerge as an option there for the Mets, who – thanks to injuries to Lagares and Yoenis Cespedes – “don’t have many outfielders,” manager Mickey Callaway noted. “When Lagares got hurt, we had to start thinking outside the box.”

Angels Select Jose Briceno

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1:55pm: Rivera’s going to the DL with knee inflammation, per Fletcher, who adds that the Angels have transferred reliever Keynan Middleton to the 60-day DL to open up a 40-man spot for Briceno. Middleton’s set to undergo Tommy John surgery.

1:15pm: The Angels have selected catcher Jose Briceno from Triple-A, Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group was among those to report. With the Angels’ 40-man roster already at capacity, they’ll need to make a corresponding move to create room for Briceno.

Briceno is now in his third season with the Angels organization, which acquired him from the Braves in the teams’ 2015 trade centering on Andrelton Simmons and Sean Newcomb. The 25-year-old Briceno hasn’t posed a significant offensive threat in the minors since then, evidenced in part by his .261/.272/.500 line (88 wRC+) in 92 plate appearances in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this season. The Venezuela native does carry some defensive promise, however, as FanGraphs prospect expert Kiley McDaniel wrote back in 2014 that Briceno’s “athleticism and tools are there to stick behind the plate and the arm is plus.” Moreover, Kyle Glaser of Baseball America adds that Briceno has “showed himself to be a superb defender” since joining the Halos.

It’s unclear at the moment what Briceno’s promotion means for the rest of the Angels’ roster. They already look to be in good shape behind the plate, where Martin Maldonado and Rene Rivera have opened the season with a .255/.328/.389 line (101 wRC+) in 175 PAs. Although, Maldonado’s normally excellent defense has taken steps backward this year, per Baseball Prospectus.

Matt Wieters Undergoes Hamstring Surgery

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SUNDAY: Wieters told Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com and other reporters on Sunday that his surgery was to remove a tendon. Wieters believes he could return within six to eight weeks.

THURSDAY: Nationals catcher Matt Wieters has undergone surgery on his left hamstring, per a team announcement. Wieters had already gone on the DL, so no immediate roster moves will be required.

The big question is what kind of rehabilitation timeline will be necessary. Further details are not yet available, but it certainly does not appear to be promising news for the veteran backstop, who had previously only been diagnosed with a strain. Clearly, this is not a typical hamstring injury that requires only rest and rehabilitation.

Wieters, who is nearing his 32nd birthday, has not exactly overwhelmed since joining the Nationals in advance of the 2017 campaign. But he had been a useful player in the early going this year, reversing his struggles at the plate by carrying a .231/.342/.385 batting line with ten walks against a dozen strikeouts.

Even if the Nats have cause to believe Wieters could return at some point during the current season, it now seems likelier than ever that an outside addition will be needed. Spencer Kieboom is currently backing up newly-minted starter Pedro Severino at the position for the time being. While both are considered defensively proficient, they’re also thin on MLB experience and neither has shown much hitting capability in the upper minors. Suspended youngster Raudy Read will be available again before too long, though the preference will likely be to get him back in the swing of things in the upper minors.

For the Nationals, there’s also a longer-term need to consider. Wieters is earning $10.5MM this season before returning to the open market. While Severino ought to represent a reserve or platoon piece for some time, he does not profile as anything approaching an everyday backstop. Read perhaps offers greater upside with the bat, but is hardly a can’t-miss prospect.

There are a variety of hypothetical options out there for the Nationals, who’ll likely find it difficult to make a substantial upgrade until closer to the trade deadline. Bringing in a player such as Miguel Montero, who opened the season in D.C., could help bridge the gap. And it’s conceivable the Nats could give Blake Swihart a crack, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted yesterday, though they’d have to believe more in his capabilities behind the dish than do the Red Sox. It also may just be that the Nationals will prefer to roll with what they have for a bit while seeking to boost the depth at Triple-A.

Looking ahead a bit to the deadline, J.T. Realmuto remains the obvious prize, as we explored recently in a post. But he’ll be widely pursued and figures to cost a significant haul in prospect value. Old friend Wilson Ramos is among the potential rental assets the Nationals could consider, but he and others likely won’t hit the block unless and until the Rays and other organizations decide to pack it in for the season.

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