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Quick Hits: Norris, Aybar, O’Malley

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As we wrap up America’s birthday, here are some notes from around baseball…

  • Tigers southpaw Daniel Norris left his start tonight during the third inning due to a right oblique strain, the club announced.  Norris will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the injury’s severity.  The lefty spent a month on the DL earlier this season with a mild spinal fracture and he missed roughly a month last season with a similar oblique injury.  Detroit already suffered a significant pitching loss earlier today when Jordan Zimmermann was placed on the 15-day DL with a neck strain.  Norris has a 4.85 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 13 innings of big league action this season.
  • Erick Aybar has been receiving some trade interest, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter link).  Aybar hit his first homer of the season today, and entered Monday’s action hitting .323/.405/.415 over his first 74 plate appearances since returning from the disabled list.  Aybar drew some attention as a veteran trade chip for the rebuilding Braves during the spring, but an incredibly poor start to the season cost him his starting job and obliterated his trade value.  Even with his recent hot streak, Aybar is still hitting just .226/.282/.286 over 241 PA this season.
  • Utilityman Shawn O’Malley has been a valuable part of the Mariners roster this season, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune writes.  O’Malley has played every position except pitcher, first base and catcher in 2016 (and he’s Seattle’s emergency catcher) while also providing depth as a switch-hitter, though he has just a .600 OPS over 71 plate appearances.  With O’Malley backing up several positions, the Mariners have been able to get by with a three-man bench and carry an extra bullpen arm.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/3/16

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Here are Sunday’s minor transactions from around baseball:

  • The Brewers selected the contract of third baseman Will Middlebrooks from Triple-A Colorado Springs, the club announced.  To create roster space, Milwaukee also optioned outfielder Keon Broxton to Triple-A while Chris Capuano was moved to the 60-day DL.  Middlebrooks signed a minor league deal with the Brew Crew last winter after being non-tendered by the Padres.  The former highly-touted prospect made a strong debut as a rookie with the Red Sox in 2012 but has hit just .213/.258/.363 in 878 PA with Boston and San Diego over the last three seasons.  Middlebrooks has a solid .816 OPS at Triple-A this season, though Colorado Springs and the PCL as a whole are very hitter-friendly environments.
  • The Braves selected the contract of outfielder/third baseman Ronnier Mustelier, the club announced.  This will be Mustelier’s first taste of the big leagues in a 13-year pro career that began with seven seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional.  Since defecting from Cuba, Mustelier has played in the Yankees’ minor league system and in the Mexican League.  Over 1382 career plate appearances in the New York and Atlanta farm systems, Mustelier has a .303/.356/.440 slash line and 26 homers.
  • The Marlins selected the contract of outfielder Yefri Perez.  The 25-year-old Perez has been in the Marlins’ system since 2009, slashing .256/.310/.312 over 2209 PA.  It’s worth noting that both the Braves and Marlins didn’t need to make corresponding moves, as the teams were allowed an extra 26th man on the roster for tonight’s special game played in front of the troops at Fort Bragg.
  • The Orioles selected the contract of southpaw Ariel Miranda prior to today’s game, and the Cuban lefty made his Major League debut in a relief outing.  Miranda, 27, is a seven-year veteran of the Serie Nacional who signed a minor league deal with the O’s in May 2015.  He made a rather quick rise through Baltimore’s system, posting a 3.84 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.86 K/BB rate 147 2/3 innings.  In corresponding moves, Tyler Wilson was optioned to Triple-A and Brian Duensing was moved to the 60-day DL.
  • The Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo has released right-hander Roberto Hernandez, per a club announcement. Hernandez entered the season having logged major league action in 10 straight campaigns, though that streak looks to be in jeopardy. In his latest big league stint, the 35-year-old posted a 4.36 ERA with 4.5 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 84 2/3 innings as a member of the Astros last season. With a 4.42 ERA, 6.06 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 in 71 1/3 innings, the unspectacular numbers Hernandez put up in Buffalo are fairly similar to his Houston statistics.

Cafardo’s Latest: Yanks, Rays, BoSox, Dodgers

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Surprisingly, Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia has revived his career to the point that he might actually have value in a trade, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The soon-to-be 36-year-old has bounced back from multiple underwhelming seasons in a row to post an excellent 3.17 ERA in 76 2/3 innings in 2016, through his strikeout and walk ratios per nine innings (7.16 and 3.52) are each below average and he’s on a $25MM salary through 2017. In addition to Sabathia, hot-hitting 39-year-old right fielder/designated hitter Carlos Beltran, left fielder Brett Gardner, catcher Brian McCann, third baseman Chase Headley, and starters Michael Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi are Yankees who could have value around the deadline (not to mention their much-ballyhooed relievers, of course). The only member of that group who’s set to become a free agent at season’s end is Beltran. As Cafardo points out, it’s currently up in the air whether the playoff hopeful Yankees would move any of these players, though he wonders if clinging to postseason dreams is the right course for the 39-41 club.

More inside stuff from Cafardo:

  • Led by former Rays general manager and current president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers are in pursuit of Tampa Bay right-hander Chris Archer. The Rays aren’t planning on moving the 27-year-old as of now, though, which backs up FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal’s report from Saturday.
  • The presence of senior vice president of baseball operations Frank Wren, formerly the Braves’ GM, could lead the Red Sox to go after Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran. Wren – who’s high on Teheran – is Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski’s right-hand man, Cafardo notes, and could push him toward putting together a package for the 25-year-old.
  • If they’re unable to swing a deal for Teheran, the Red Sox might turn their attention to Rays southpaw Matt Moore – in whom they’re interested. Moore, who has three more years of team control left via club options, also intrigues the Astros, Dodgers, Orioles, Royals, Yankees and previously reported Rangers.
  • With the possible exception of right-handed reliever Zach McAllister, the Indians aren’t going to give up pitching to augment their offense. Further, the organization has a reputation for keeping its payroll low and avoiding big-money acquisitions, which could take it out of the running to pick up a well-compensated trade chip. Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia, who’s on an affordable $3.15MM salary this season and has another trip through arbitration scheduled, is a potential target for Cleveland.
  • Hard-throwing Diamondbacks lefty Robbie Ray, who’s eighth in the majors in K/9 (10.42), is drawing interest from teams looking for starters. The 24-year-old has thrown 214 innings of 4.00 ERA ball dating to 2015 and won’t even become eligible for arbitration until after 2017, meaning he has four full seasons of club control remaining.
  • The Marlins are aggressively pursuing pitching, as evidenced already by their acquisition of reliever Fernando Rodney and reported interest in starters Drew Pomeranz and Jake Odorizzi. However, the Fish might not have the prospects to land a significant arm for their rotation, writes Cafardo.
  • Blue Jays scouts are keeping a close watch over the Astros’ system, so the two AL playoff contenders could have some kind of deal in the works.

NL Notes: D-backs, Braves, Bucs, Dodgers

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Diamondbacks right-handed prospect Yoan Lopez left Double-A Mobile on Wednesday for the second time in as many seasons, this time with the intention of giving up the sport, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The Diamondbacks have since convinced Lopez to avoid making a definitive decision on his future for the time being, per general manager Dave Stewart, who conceded that the 23-year-old is “not having a good time” and is dealing with “serious emotional issues.” Lopez signed with the D-backs for a sizable $8.27MM bonus in January 2015, but the Cuba native has since posted subpar numbers (4.89 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9) across 116 minor league innings. That could at least be thanks in part to Lopez’s traumatic experience immigrating to the United States, as Stewart pointed out: “It’s the escaping, crossing the water in a raft — or however he got here — living in Haiti and then going to the Dominican, leaving family members — it’s all of it.” As of now, Stewart and the organization are working to help Lopez get back on track.

More from the National League:

  • Newly signed 16-year-old Braves prospects Kevin Maitan and Abrahan Gutierrez might not be as far from the majors as their youth suggests, general manager John Coppolella told David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I think when you look at Andruw Jones hit two home runs in the World Series at age 18, both these kids are 16,” Coppolella said of Maitan and Gutierrez, who combined to sign for $7.75MM. “I’m not saying they’re going to hit two home runs in the 2018 World Series, but we think that they’re special talents that won’t take six or seven years. They could be here fairly quickly and they could have a big impact on the Braves.” Coppolella also stated that he hopes the two begin 2017 in the Gulf Coast League.
  • The Pirates’ frustration with scuffling left-hander Francisco Liriano has begun to manifest itself, details John Perrotto of Today’s Knuckleball. Pitching coach Ray Searage became so irked at Liriano during a recent bullpen session that the former ended up leaving and storming back into the clubhouse, according to Perrotto. Part of Searage’s frustration stems from Liriano’s refusal to abide by the Pirates’ wish for him to pick one side of the rubber and stick with it consistently. The 32-year-old Liriano, a potential trade candidate who’s owed $13MM next season, has followed three straight stellar campaigns with an ugly 2016. So far, Liriano has logged a bloated ERA (5.33) and walk rate (5.88 per nine innings) in 82 2/3 frames, and ERA estimators like FIP (5.46), xFIP (4.75) and SIERA (4.93) are also noticeably down on his performance.
  • When the Dodgers took on Dian Toscano from the Braves as part of the Bud Norris deal, the club agreed to absorb only a portion of the $3MM left on his contract, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The 27-year-old outfielder is struggling at Double-A and has not shown any signs of providing value to Atlanta. It’s not known how much of the balance will transfer to L.A.

Braves To Sign Kevin Maitan, 5 Other Top International Prospects

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10:04am: The Braves have officially announced the Maitan and Gutierrez signings.

9:04am: The Braves have agreed to terms with five top international prospects, including top overall prospect Kevin Maitan, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (Twitter links: 1 2 3 4 5 6). Maitan will receive $4.25MM. The Braves also nabbed catcher Abrahan Gutierrez, No. 18 on MLB.com’s international prospects list, for $3.5MM. Dominican righty Juan Contreras, not ranked on MLB.com’s list but ranked No. 41 on Baseball America’s list, will receive $1.2MM. Dominican shortstops Yunior Severino (No. 19) and Yenci Pena (No. 22) will each receive $1MM apiece, as will Venezuelan infielder Livan Soto (No. 24).

The big prize here is Maitan, who MLB.com writes is “the best international prospect since Miguel Sano” and compares to Miguel Cabrera and Chipper Jones. He’s a switch-hitter with good power and a mature approach at the dish, and he also has an excellent arm and solid range. As the Jones comparison suggests, he ultimately projects as a third baseman. Baseball America also rates Maitan the top international prospect available this signing season, with their scouting report (subscriber only) noting that he could eventually have 70-grade raw power on the 20-80 scale. Maitan has long been connected to the Braves.

Gutierrez wins praise for his arm, receiving skills and line-drive stroke. Via Baseball America, Contreras rates as a potential power arm, as he already throws 89-94 MPH and has the projection to reach into the high 90s, although his secondary pitches lag behind his fastball. Severino has good bat speed and looks like an “offensive-minded middle infielder,” according to MLB.com’s scouting report. He struggles with offspeed stuff, although that’s hardly surprising given his age (16). Pena appears solid on both offense and defense and might be able to stay at shortstop, although he’s tall, at 6’2, and might eventually move to third. Soto’s hitting is more of the line-drive than home-run variety, although he has a good approach at the plate and could wind up playing shortstop at the big leagues if all goes well.

Needless to say, the Braves’ spending spree projects to incur penalties, including a 100 percent tax on overages beyond their assigned bonus pool of $4,766,000 and a restriction on signing any player for over $300K in either of the next two signing seasons. The addition of Maitan, however, along with the rest of their prospect haul, appears to be more than enough to make up for that.

NL East Notes: Teheran, Albies, Wright, Alderson, Phillies

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The Braves are giving teams the impression that it’ll take a huge haul to land Julio Teheran, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). In fact, Atlanta is signaling that it wants a return that’s “better than the Shelby Miller deal,” per a rival executive. Despite their many young arms, and ongoing rumblings regarding Teheran, the Braves are actually looking at starting pitching, GM John Coppolella tells David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter). Atlanta has had talks about controllable arms, per the report. Presumably, the organization is looking for value opportunities that fit its contention timeline.

Here’s more from the NL East:

  • The Braves have moved hyped prospect Ozhaino Albies down to Double-A, O’Brien tweets. It’s not a demotion, though Albies was struggling a bit at Triple-A. He’ll play second base there, pairing up with shortstop Dansby Swanson as the team’s hopeful future double-play combo gets comfortable together.
  • Injured Mets third baseman David Wright spoke to the media today and left the impression that he’s unlikely to return this year, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo was among those to report. (Twitter links.) When asked whether he thought he’d be back for 2016, Wright responded: “I don’t know. I really don’t know.” But the veteran did emphasize that he has every expectation of returning to the field at some point in the future.
  • Meanwhile, Mets GM Sandy Alderson suggested recently that he doesn’t believe a major new addition is necessary to boost the team. As Marc Carig of Newsday tweets, Alderson says: “We have the capacity in the 25-man roster at this point to improve over what we’ve done over the last couple of months.”
  • The Phillies don’t expect any major player movement this summer, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes. Notably, Philadelphia isn’t even sure it’ll deal righty Jeremy Hellickson, who is only under contract for this season and is pitching well enough that he’ll draw interest (though probably not a terribly exciting return). The club is under even less pressure with its relief corps, which hasn’t been quite as electric in recent weeks but still has several interesting options.

Heyman’s Latest: Yankees, Pirates, Teheran, Marlins

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There appear to be different viewpoints in the Yankees front office about how to approach the deadline, Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com writes. GM Brian Cashman may actually be more inclined to sell some assets than is the ownership and upper-level management, per the report.

After a long look at that situation, Heyman goes on to provide some other notes from around the game:

  • Some within the Yankees think there’s a very good chance that Aroldis Chapman will be around for the long-term, whether that comes about via extension or a re-signing over the winter. Meanwhile, a team official says the price on Andrew Miller is so high that the odds he’ll be dealt are miniscule.
  • The Pirates could sell off a few short-term pieces if the club isn’t in contention come late July, but a broader sale isn’t expected. Heyman suggests Francisco Liriano, Mark Melancon, David Freese, and perhaps Tony Watson as plausible trade chips. You could probably also throw names like Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez, and Juan Nicasio into the mix as well.
  • Julio Teheran may be pitching his way out of a trade for the Braves, says Heyman. Rival executives suggest that they see a trade as unlikely, and also gave some endorsement of his value. Heyman cites three who believe Teheran is a better trade piece than Sonny Gray of the Athletics at this stage.
  • There’s plenty of demand on the starting pitching market, which is perhaps one reason to think that some arms could end up being pried loose. Heyman lists the Orioles, Red Sox, Dodgers, Tigers, Rangers, Blue Jays, Astros, Mariners, and Yankees as looking for rotation pieces.
  • The Marlins are also reputed to be looking for starting pitching, with Drew Pomeranz on the wish list. But a Miami source tells Heyman that the team finds it “hard to trust Pomeranz” given his relatively thin track record.
  • The Padres “at least took a look” at Jose Reyes before he signed with the Mets, per Heyman. It isn’t clear what sort of opportunity San Diego was interested in offering, but it’s not surprising to hear that the organization is looking for low-cost ways to seek value.

Dodgers Acquire Bud Norris

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The Dodgers on Thursday officially acquired right-hander Bud Norris, minor league outfielder Dian Toscano, a player to be named later and cash considerations from the Braves in exchange for minor league right-hander Caleb Dirks and minor league lefty Phil Pfeifer. Norris should step right into an injury-plagued rotation that saw Clayton Kershaw hit the disabled list with a back injury earlier today. Norris last pitched on June 26, so he could start in place of Kershaw tomorrow.

[Related: Updated Los Angeles Dodgers depth chart]

Bud Norris

Norris, 31, began the season in the Atlanta rotation and pitched dreadfully throughout the month of April, logging an ERA just under 9.00 and losing his spot in the rotation. However, Norris made some alterations while working out of the bullpen and forced his way back into the Atlanta rotation, and he’s been a revelation since. As Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan recently examined, Norris ditched an ineffective changeup for a cutter that has been scintillating since its adoption, and the results have been stunning. In 29 1/3 innings since rejoining the rotation, Norris has pitched to a 2.15 ERA with a 29-to-8 K/BB ratio and an enormous 59.2 percent ground-ball rate. Overall, since losing his rotation spot in late April, Norris holds a 2.08 ERA in 47 1/3 innings.

While finances are rarely of concern for the Dodgers, they’re particularly negligible in the case of Norris, who inked a one-year, $2.5MM contract with Atlanta this offseason. Of that sum, Norris is still owed about $1.3MM through the end of the season. Toscano, meanwhile, is owed $1.3MM in 2016, $1.5MM in 2017 and $1.5MM in 2018 plus a $200K buyout of a $1.7MM option for the 2019 season. The outfielder, signed out of Cuba a couple of years ago, had already been removed from the Braves’ 40-man roster, so presumably the Dodgers have agreed to take on some of that salary in order to entice the Braves to part with Norris and the PTBNL.

The Dodgers essentially have an entire rotation on the disabled list, as Kershaw is joined there by Alex Wood, Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu. Norris will join healthy starters Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda, Julio Urias and Brock Stewart in the L.A. rotation, though that group figures to be thinned once again when Urias is shut down for a time following the All-Star break. Then again, the Dodgers’ hope is that Kershaw can return following the Midsummer Classic, so in a best-case scenario they’ll swap Kershaw out for Urias following the break.

Dirks, 23, was a 15th-round pick by the Braves back in 2014 but was traded to the Dodgers last summer for international slot money. He currently ranks 30th among their prospects in the eyes of MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo and will now return to the organization that originally selected him out of the draft. Dirks has a 1.44 ERA and a stellar 35-to-7 K/BB ratio through 31 1/3 innings out of the ’pen for the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate in Tulsa this season. Callis and Mayo write that Dirks has a fastball with good sink that sits in the low 90s and tops out around 94 mph as well as a slider in the low 80s that grades out as an average pitch. The MLB.com duo notes that the Dodgers “love” Dirks’ competitive streak and ability to handle high leverage situations, adding that he could be a setup man in the Majors if everything clicks.

Pfeifer, also 23, was Los Angeles’ third-round pick just last season. He’s split the year between Class-A and Class-A Advanced, where he’s worked to a 2.67 ERA with 42 strikeouts against 18 walks in 30 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.

The Braves signed Toscano, now 27, out of Cuba prior to the 2015 season. Visa issues significantly delayed his arrival to the Braves’ organization even after his signing, and he was outrighted off the 40-man roster last year. Toscano was once looked at as having the upside of a fourth outfielder, but he’s batted just .226/.310/.271 in 203 plate appearances for Atlanta’s Double-A affiliate this season.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that Norris was going to Los Angeles (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that Dirks and Pfeifer were in the deal (via Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Braves, Omar Infante Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Braves have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran infielder Omar Infante, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Infante was released by the Royals after being designated for assignment earlier this month.

Infante inked a four-year, $30.25MM contract with Kansas City prior to the 2014 season and on the heels of a solid run with the Marlins and Tigers from 2011-13. Infante slashed .288/.318/.414 in the three years leading up to his free agency and also contributed solid defense at second base, prompting the Royals to offer a substantial contract. However, in parts of three seasons with Kansas City, Infante batted a woeful .238/.269/.328 in 1179 plate appearances.

This will mark Infante’s second tenure with Atlanta. He spent 2008-10 seasons with the Braves after being traded from the Cubs (for whom he never actually played a game). Infante enjoyed a successful run with the Braves and even flirted with a batting title in 2010 before he was traded to Miami in the Dan Uggla deal and then back to Detroit in the Anibal Sanchez swap. In parts of 15 big league seasons, the 34-year-old Infante is a .271/.308/.387 hitter.

NL East Notes: Teheran, Mets, Dietrich, Phillies

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The Julio Teheran trade rumors have been swirling for more than a month, but Braves GM John Coppolella recently made strong suggestions that his ace would be staying put, and Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports now writes that he spoke to a Braves official who emphatically told him, “We are not trading Teheran.” A second Braves official offered similar sentiments, saying that the Braves are “99.9 percent” certain they’ll hang onto Teheran. While a staggering offer can always change an organization’s thinking, it’s sounding more and more like a Teheran trade is more wishful thinking for interested parties than anything else.

More from the NL East…

  • The Mets’ struggles to score runs are becoming increasingly problematic, but as Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes, remedying the situation will be more difficult than it was in 2015. For one, the team isn’t likely to add a Yoenis Cespedes-caliber talent on the trade market this year (especially not after depleting its farm). Moreover, the Mets actually are receiving league-average or better production from nearly every spot on the diamond (with the exception of catcher), but the team is woefully underperforming with runners in scoring position. As such, Davidoff suggests that if the Mets are going to right the ship and get back into the race for the NL East title, the majority of the improvements are going to have come from options that are already in house.
  • Marlins infielder Derek Dietrich will continue to get at-bats even when Dee Gordon returns from his suspension at the end of July, president of baseball operations Michael Hill tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Hill explains that the Marlins have always thought Dietrich could blossom into an everyday player “because of his offensive potential, his knowledge of the strike zone, his ability to get on base.” The problem, in the past, has been finding a defensive home for Dietrich. Miami has tried him at second base, third base and in left field over the past couple of seasons. Dietrich could make sense to be deployed in a utility capacity over the season’s final months, and while this is my speculation rather than Hill’s suggestion, the team will have an opening at third base next season in the event that free-agent-to-be Martin Prado doesn’t re-sign with Miami. Dietrich is hitting .306/.394/.447 with a career-low 17.8 percent strikeout rate this season.
  • Right-hander Edubray Ramos, who was recently promoted to the Majors by the Phillies, has the makings of a future closer, manager Pete Mackanin tells Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Gelb writes that at last October’s organizational meetings, the need to protect Ramos from the Rule 5 Draft was raised by a number of officials, and the decision to do so was agreed upon quickly. Ramos didn’t make the club out of Spring Training, but he posted a 2.40 ERA through his first 15 innings at Double-A before turning in a ridiculous 0.38 ERA with a 26-to-3 K/BB ratio in 23 2/3 Triple-A innings prior to his promotion. Gelb writes that if Jeanmar Gomez is traded to a contender sometime next month, it’s not out of the question that the 23-year-old Ramos could be closing games for the Phils in September.
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