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Leonys Martin Will Not Return In 2018

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The Indians officially announced today that outfielder Leonys Martin will not return to the playing field in 2018. Manager Terry Francona delivered the news to reporters (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian) but indicated that Martin is recovering well from a life-threatening bacterial infection and has not experienced any type of setback. Doctors have instructed him to focus on his immediate health rather than getting back into baseball shape, however.

Martin’s recovery is a welcome sight for his current and former teammates alike, as well as fans throughout the game. And while that’s clearly the most important element of this story, his absence does leave the Cleveland organization with a rather thin outfield mix — especially after placing Rajai Davis on the 10-day disabled list earlier today. The reasoning behind Davis’ placement on the disabled list is curious in its own right, as the team attributed it to a non-baseball medical condition without going into further detail. Bastian, though, tweets that Davis is expected to return to the team in early September.

With Davis sidelined in the short term and Martin unable to return at all this year, Cleveland’s outfield currently consists of Michael Brantley in left field, Greg Allen in center and Melky Cabrera in right. Brandon Guyer is on hand as a fourth outfield option, but the rest of the roster has sparing outfield experience at best. Jason Kipnis, Yandy Diaz and Erik Gonzalez have all appeared in the outfield in recent seasons, though that group has combined for a total of just 108 innings there. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote last night that the Indians are still on the hunt for outfield upgrades on the August trade market, so it’s possible that Cleveland will still supplement that group.

Looking down the line, Martin’s season-ending illness doesn’t necessarily bring his time with the Indians organization to an end. He’ll have five-plus years of big league service at the end of the year but won’t reach six full years, so Cleveland will have the opportunity to retain him via arbitration. Martin was earning an affordable $1.75MM base salary this season and posted a solid .255/.323/.425 slash with considerably above-average defensive marks in the outfield. Given that level of play, the Indians should have plenty of interest in retaining Martin barring any setbacks in his recovery that would cloud his outlook for the 2019 season.

Yankees Place Aroldis Chapman On DL, Claim Chris Rabago From Rockies

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The Yankees announced that they’ve placed closer Aroldis Chapman on the 10-day disabled list with inflammation in his left knee and recalled righty Chance Adams from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees also claimed minor league catcher Chris Rabago off waivers from the Rockies and optioned him to Double-A Trenton.

Chapman exited last night’s game with a trainer after throwing his sixth pitch. He’d been displaying diminished velocity prior to that, sitting at about 96 mph with his heater. He’s headed to see a doctor on Friday, tweets Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, though the hope is that he’ll only require a minimal 10-day stint on the shelf. With Chapman sidelined, the Yankees will likely to turn to either Zach Britton or David Robertson to finish off games in save situations, though manager Aaron Boone has not yet tipped his hand as to who’ll be his primary stopper.

As for Rabago, he’ll join the Yankees organization after struggling through a down season in Double-A this year. A 13th-round selection by the Rockies back in 2014, Rabago played his way onto the 40-man roster when he batted .272/.350/.393 through 358 plate appearances in Class-A Advanced last season. In 2018, however, he’s managed just a .213/.292/.361 slash through 229 plate appearances. Rabago, who turned 25 back in April, has thrown out 34 percent of would-be base thieves in his minor league career.

Braves Select Chris Stewart

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The Braves announced today that they’ve selected the contract of veteran backstop Chris Stewart. Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first indicated that the veteran backstop was returning to the Majors (via Twitter). Stewart has been playing at Triple-A since being outrighted earlier this season.

The reason for the promotion seems to be an injury to catcher Kurt Suzuki, which he sustained last night upon being hit on the elbow/triceps area by a fastball from Pirates righty Clay Holmes. Fortunately, the Atlanta organization announced earlier today that Suzuki was cleared of a fracture and has been diagnosed only with a left triceps contusion. Whether a stint on the DL will be required is not yet known, but if one is deemed necessary, it doesn’t seem that it’ll come today. Outfielder Michael Reed was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to open roster space for Stewart’s return.

Stewart, 36, rarely strikes out but has never hit much in the majors and has struggled in particular since the start of the 2016 season. He’s slashing only .209/.287/.269 this year in 152 Triple-A plate appearances with Gwinnett. Still, Stewart is regarded as a sturdy, defensive-minded reserve option to have on hand and will be trusted to support Tyler Flowers as needed while Suzuki is unavailable. He’s gone 10-for-27 (37 percent) in halting stolen bases at the Triple-A level this season and has a solid track record in terms of pitch framing.

Nationals Activate Stephen Strasburg

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The Nationals have activated righty Stephen Strasburg from the 10-day disabled list, per a club announcement. He’ll start for the organization tonight.

Strasburg had been sidelined with a cervical nerve impingement. This’ll be the second time that he has attempted to return; previously, he made it back only for one outing. He last pitched in the majors one month ago.

The hope had long been that Strasburg would provide a jolt as the Nats continued to chase down the division-leading Braves and Phillies. But the club has failed to gain ground as it expected, leading to the decision yesterday to trade away quality left-handed hitters Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams.

Of course, the returns of Strasburg and reliever Kelvin Herrera (activated yesterday) will still improve the D.C. roster. But the 7.5-game advantage held by Atlanta represents quite an obstacle, particularly with Murphy and Adams now suiting up for rival National League ballclubs.

Whatever happens in the standings, these next five weeks will afford Strasburg a chance to finish another injury-limited season on a high note. The 30-year-old has thrown 85 1/3 innings of 3.90 ERA ball this year, though he does carry typically strong K/BB numbers (101:21). Strasburg is under contract through 2023, at a total cost of $135MM over the next five seasons, but may elect to opt out after 2019 or 2020.

Twins Release Taylor Motter

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The Twins organization announced today that it has released utilityman Taylor Motter. He had been playing at Triple-A Rochester.

Motter, 28, has only seen 16 games of major-league action this year but has taken 411 MLB plate appearances since the start of 2016. He’s capable of playing all over the field, but hasn’t distinguished himself at the plate. Motter is a .191/.263/.312 hitter in that span, with ten home runs and 13 steals.

Since he was claimed off waivers from the Mariners in late May, Motter has spent most of his time in the upper minors. On the year, he carries a meager .187/.277/.352 batting line in 364 plate appearances in the Seattle and Minnesota systems.

Mariners Designate Ross Detwiler

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It was a short-lived return to the majors for Ross Detwiler, who was designated for assignment today by the Mariners, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by righty Nick Rumbelow.

Seattle had called up the 32-year-old Detwiler only recently and ended up asking him to provide six innings of relief last night. While he only allowed three earned runs and helped preserve some other pen arms, the extended appearance also ensured he’d be removed from the roster since it rendered him unavailable for several days to come.

Detwiler opened the year in the indy ball ranks before landing with the Seattle organization. The southpaw worked to a 5.15 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in his 71 2/3 innings at Triple-A before seeing action in the majors for his tenth season.

Phillies Acquire Luis Avilan

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The Phillies announced that they have acquired lefty Luis Avilan from the White Sox. Righty Felix Paulino will go to Chicago in return.

The Philadelphia organization designated righty Jose Taveras to create 40-man roster space for the move. An active roster spot was already open with Yacksel Rios being optioned after last night’s game.

On the other side, the White Sox also announced some corresponding moves. The club purchased the contract of righty Ryan Burr to take Avilan’s spot. Additionally, first baseman Jose Abreu was placed on the DL (as expected) and infielder Jose Rondon was recalled.

Avilan will be tasked with helping the Phillies retire tough lefty hitters down the stretch. His solid work this year earned him the #15 spot on MLBTR’s recently released list of the top 20 remaining August trade candidates.

Though his 3.86 ERA doesn’t jump off the page, earned-run numbers aren’t the most relevant statistic for him. The 29-year-old has thrown only 39 2/3 innings in 58 appearances, a reflection of his specialist usage. He has also been hurt by a .352 BABIP-against that seems in line for some regression.

As has long been the case, Avilan has been stingy against opposing lefty batters in 2018. Through 77 plate appearances this year, they’re hitting just .214/.276/.286 against him without a single home run. Hitters with the platoon advantage carry a .785 OPS against Avilan, though that’s a palatable enough number and he has been quite solid against righties (.678 OPS-against) in his career.

The Phillies will presumably take over the balance of Avilan’s manageable $2.45MM salary, though that has not yet been made clear. He’ll be eligible for arbitration one final time this coming offseason, so the Phils will have an opportunity to keep him around if they so choose.

In return, the South Siders will add a 23-year-old hurler who has reached the Double-A level this year. Paulino has split his time this year between High-A and Double-A and between the rotation and bullpen. All told, he carries a 3.91 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. Paulino will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter if he is not added to the Chicago 40-man roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/22/18

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We’ll use this post to track the day’s minor moves …

  • The Pirates announced that right-hander Casey Sadler has been outrighted after clearing waivers. He lost his roster spot recently as the organization called up prospect Kevin Newman, bringing a close to a brief return to the majors for the 28-year-old. Sadler had turned in a useful showing at Triple-A to earn his way back to the big leagues. In 76 frames over eight starts and 18 relief appearances at the highest level of the minors this year, he carries a 3.43 ERA with 7.1 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and a 44.2% groundball rate.

Nationals Notes In Wake Of Murphy & Adams Trades

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Yesterday provided a notable turning point for the Nationals, who’ve struggled to build momentum all season long. The organization shipped out a pair of big lefty bats — Daniel Murphy to the Cubs and Matt Adams to the Cardinals — though it decided to keep another in Bryce Harper. While it’s still not impossible to imagine a late-season run, the organization obviously decided it would no longer forego cost savings and prospects in order to maximize its chances.

Here are some notes on the disappointing ballclub:

  • Principal owner Mark Lerner penned a letter to fans in which he characterized August 21st as the point at which the time came for the organization “to make decisions that will bolster our roster for next season and beyond.” With an eye to the future, he says, the Nats moved Murphy and Adams to achieve “roster flexibility” and audition younger players. Still, Lerner emphasized, “this is not a rebuilding effort.”
  • It’s not surprising to hear that the D.C. organization intends to re-tool and make another run in 2019, of course. The roster is still loaded with high-end talent, with some promising players rising up through the system. But there are many needs to be accounted for in the coming winter, and Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post takes an early look. It’s not a short list, though the club will have plenty of payroll space to work with. As Svrluga notes, Nationals president of baseball ops Mike Rizzo emphasized that the club would reinvest the money it has saved through its dealing into baseball ops, saying: “The money that we are making from the cash considerations goes directly into procuring talent for us to compete in the future.” 
  • In his other comments yesterday, Rizzo struck a tone suggesting confidence in the future but disappointment in the present, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports. Unsurprisingly, that seems to be the prevailing sentiment around the organization. In terms of the nuts and bolts of the deals that were and weren’t made, Rizzo explained that the financial savings won’t necessarily allow the club to dip below the luxury-tax line. (Additional moves later this month could do so, perhaps, though there’s no clear indication as of yet whether any will occur.) Dealing Harper would have helped, to be sure, but Rizzo says “you have to get a deal that makes sense to trade one of the elite players in the game.” Evidently, that was not forthcoming. (Indeed, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets, the Dodgers placed the claim to block other NL contenders from possibly working out a swap.)
  • Most of the above discussion is forward-looking, but there’s certainly cause and opportunity to look back at what went wrong. Injuries were unquestionably a factor, as Lerner noted in his letter, but that hardly explains the disappointment in full. Notably, the Nats have drastically underperformed their expected outcomes by measure of Pythagorean W/L and BaseRuns. Failing to capture wins is a complicated area to address, but the Nationals’ bullpen woes surely are a prime factor. Before yesterday’s roster reckoning, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post documented the collapse of that unit over the course of the season. It’s a fascinating read that includes a detailed explication of the team’s decisionmaking and colorful accounts of the recent departures of Brandon Kintzler and Shawn Kelley. The piece is highly recommended, particularly for Nats fans.

Top 20 August Trade Candidates

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This is our latest effort to assess the likeliest and most notable potential August trade candidates. In fact, it was nearly ready to go earlier today before a pair of moves from the Nationals knocked Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams off the list. With the Nats and possibly the Giants joining the selling ranks, there are still quite a few intriguing possibilities.

[Related: How August Trades Work | Players Who Have Reportedly Cleared Trade Waivers]

1. Andrew McCutchen, OF, Giants (placed on waivers; still pending): We’ve discussed him a fair bit of late — including in this poll on possible landing spots — so won’t go through all the details again here. Suffice to say that the Giants have good reason to send the veteran to a contender, at least if they have determined that they will not issue him a qualifying offer at season’s end. There’s about $3.23MM left on McCutchen’s contract between now and the end of the season, at which point he’ll be a free agent.

2. Curtis Granderson, OF, Blue Jays (cleared waivers): The 37-year-old Granderson is still owed about $1.1MM of his $5MM salary and has hit right-handers at a solid .245/.343/.440 clip with 11 home runs. He’s a renowned clubhouse presence who drew quality defensive marks in the outfield corners but has struggled a bit more in 2018. It’d be a surprise if the affable Granderson wasn’t moved to a contender looking to bolster its outfield mix and improve its output against right-handed pitching.

3. Sergio Romo, RHP, Rays: Romo’s return has proved fruitful for the Rays, who’ve received 54 1/3 innings of 3.48 ERA ball from Alex Colome’s replacement as the team’s closer. Romo briefly dabbled as an “opener” for Tampa Bay, but other clubs will likely view him as a late-inning reliever who can still miss bats at a high clip despite a lack of premium (or even league-average) velocity. Romo has 10.0 K/9 against just 2.9 BB/9 and has turned in a quality 12.9 percent swinging-strike rate despite averaging just 86.2 mph on his fastball. He’s playing on a $2.5MM base salary, with about $548K yet to be paid out.

4. Jose Iglesias, SS, Tigers (cleared waivers): Still owed $1.38MM of this season’s $6.275MM salary, Iglesias may be a bit pricey for a defensive specialist, but his glovework at shortstop has once again drawn excellent ratings. His bat hasn’t returned to its 2013-15 levels, but his offense is up from 2016-17 as well. In 436 PAs this year, Iglesias is slashing .265/.309/.389 with five homers, 29 doubles and three triples. He’s swiped 14 bags and can provide value on the basepaths as well.

5. Derek Holland, LHP, Giants: If the Giants are indeed willing to move McCutchen, then it can be argued that they should be similarly open to parting with Holland, who has been one of the best comeback stories of the 2018 season. The 31-year-old has tossed 134 1/3 innings of 3.75 ERA ball with quality peripherals: 9.2 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 1.07 HR/9, a 38.4 percent ground-ball rate and a 10.5 percent swinging-strike rate. He’s done that while playing on an extremely affordable $1.75MM base salary, which has about $384K left to be paid out.

6. Kelvin Herrera, RHP, Nationals: Herrera hasn’t pitched that well with the Nationals since being acquired in June, but he dominated with the Royals earlier this season and has a lengthy track record of strong relief work. The Nats have little reason to hang onto him until the end of the year after Tuesday’s moves, and while they won’t get back as much as they gave up, they could still salvage some prospect value or, at the very least save on the $1.7MM Herrera is owed through the end of the year. Herrera was on the disabled list for just under two weeks due to a seemingly minor shoulder issue, but he was activated Tuesday and pitched a perfect ninth inning against the Phillies.

7. Jerry Blevins, LHP, Mets: Blevins hasn’t allowed a run since the All-Star break and is sporting a 9-to-2 K/BB ratio across 8 2/3 innings in that time. He’s curiously been terrible against lefties this season while dominating righties — a strange reversal for a pitcher who has in the past thrived as a specialist. The Mets would presumably need to eat some of the remainder of his $7MM salary — he’s still owed about $1.5MM of that sum — but contenders are always on the hunt for lefty relievers this time of season. Even with this year’s struggles, Blevins’ track record should hold some appeal.

8. Gio Gonzalez, LHP, Nationals: The Nats have already shipped out a pair of useful veterans in Murphy and Adams, and while they hung onto Bryce Harper, Gonzalez isn’t likely to receive a qualifying offer and thus won’t bring back any compensation in free agency as Harper will if he leaves. (Nor, presumably, is re-signing him viewed as a similarly important priority.) Soon to turn 33, Gonzalez has had a decent season with a solid 8.0 K/9 mark and 47.1 percent ground-ball rate. He’s issuing too many walks but his 4.26 FIP paints a slightly better picture than his 4.51 ERA. Gonzalez is still owed $2.63MM of this year’s $12MM salary.

9. Derek Dietrich, 1B/2B/3B/OF, Marlins: Miami controls Dietrich beyond the 2018 season, so there’s no urgency to move him, but he’s a versatile player and an above-average bat against right-handed pitching who could deepen a contender’s bench. The Fish have played Dietrich at every infield position besides shortstop and in the outfield corners, and he’s hitting .282/.350/.441 against righties while earning a modest $2.9MM salary in 2018.

10. Logan Forsythe, 2B, Twins (cleared waivers): It’s doubtful that Forsythe’s surge since coming over from the Dodgers has made him a highly coveted commodity, but the 31-year-old’s .361/.418/.426 slash in 67 plate appearances still represents a much-needed sign of life. It’s generally been a terrible season for Forsythe, who hit only .207/.270/.290 in a part-time role with the Dodgers. There aren’t too many clubs looking for help at second base, though he’s played his fair share of third base and first base as well. He’s already cleared waivers, making him free to be dealt anywhere.

11. Marco Estrada, RHP, Blue Jays: The 35-year-old Estrada has been clobbered in three of his past four outings, but he’s still sporting a 4.00 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9. As he typically does, Estrada is leading the league in an underrated pitching category, having induced 31 infield pop-ups this season — most in the game despite the fact that he doesn’t even currently qualify for the ERA title. He’s still owed about $3.2MM of his $13MM salary, so he’s a bit on the expensive side for a back-of-the-rotation arm, but he’d be a plausible starting piece for a team in need of arms down the stretch. The Mariners and A’s come to mind as potential fits.

12. Matt Harvey, RHP, Reds: Harvey was thought to have elevated his stock a bit with the Reds, but he apparently didn’t do so enough for the Reds to be offered any kind of prospect prior to the non-waiver deadline. He’s logged a 4.28 ERA with similar fielding-independent pitching marks since moving from Queens to Cincinnati, and his velocity, swinging-strike rate and chase rate have all taken a step forward since the trade. There’s little reason for the Reds to hang onto Harvey, who is still owed $1.26MM of this season’s $5.6MM salary, making a trade seem likelier than not.

13. Rene Rivera, C, Angels: The Halos recently activated Rivera from the disabled list, though they’re already out of the playoff picture. With Rivera playing on a one-year, $2.8MM contract and hitting well in his tiny sample of 70 plate appearances this season, he could appeal to a number of clubs as a potential backup. He has a tremendous defensive reputation and another 10 days or so to demonstrate his health in advance of a deal.

14. Tyler Clippard, RHP, Blue Jays: Clippard is averaging better than 10 strikeouts per nine innings for the fourth time in the past five seasons, but he’s more homer-prone than ever before (1.74 HR/9). His home park probably isn’t doing him any favors, but Clippard’s 20.7 percent ground-ball rate is also the worst of his career and the lowest of any MLB pitcher with at least 40 innings pitched. Clippard’s changeup has long made him effective against lefties, and he’s limited southpaw hitters to a .222/.260/.364 line in 2018.

15. Luis Avilan, LHP, White Sox: The Sox can control Avilan affordably through the 2019 season, but he’s somewhat quietly had a nice season after coming over in a three-team deal that also netted them Joakim Soria. The 29-year-old has a 3.86 ERA with 10.4 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9, and he’s allowed just two homers in 39 2/3 innings this season. He’s earning $2.45MM in 2018 and will earn a raise this winter via arbitration before becoming a free agent after the 2019 season.

16. Mark Reynolds, 1B, Nationals: With Adams and Murphy departing, Reynolds stands out as a reasonable bet to follow his former teammates out of D.C. He’s already made teams regret passing on him entirely in the offseason — Reynolds didn’t sign until taking a minors deal with the Nats in April — having batted .257/.339/.500 with 11 homers in 171 PAs. Contenders looking for some right-handed punch off the bench won’t find many better options than Reynolds.

17. Lucas Duda, 1B, Royals (cleared waivers): Kansas City has played Duda against left-handed pitching far more than it should have, with nearly 30 percent of his PAs coming against southpaws. His overall numbers are ugly as a result, but Duda is hitting .260/.327/.455 against right-handers in 2018 while earning just $3MM. Playoff hopefuls in search of some pop off the bench could do worse than a rental who is owed about $674K through season’s end. In many ways, he’s a cheaper form of Adams, who was claimed by the Cardinals earlier today.

18. Francisco Liriano, LHP, Tigers (cleared waivers): It’s doubtful that any contender would look at Liriano and see a potential rotation option, given his considerable struggles in that department in 2018. However, he’s held fellow lefties to an awful .141/.247/.239 slash through 81 plate appearances. If nothing else, that could make him an interesting lefty specialist option to use with expanded rosters in the month of September. He’s owed $877K of this year’s $4MM base salary.

19. Starlin Castro, 2B, Marlins (cleared waivers): Castro was reported to have cleared waivers earlier tonight, and while he’s still owed more than $14MM through the end of the 2019 season, he’s had a fairly productive first season in Miami. There aren’t many contenders looking for upgrades at second base, and the fact that he’s signed through 2019 might make an offseason deal more likely. Still, the Marlins will gauge interest over the remainder of the month.

20. Shin-Soo Choo, OF/DH, Rangers: It’d be a shock if any team took on a notable portion of Choo’s remaining contract — he’s earning $21MM in both 2019 and 2020 — but he’s undeniably had a resurgent year at the plate. If the Rangers are willing to pay down a substantial portion of the deal, perhaps a contending team would find his bat too appealing to overlook. Choo’s defensive shortcomings don’t do him any favors, though; he’s best-suited for a DH role and only occasional work in the outfield corners.

Injured

Josh Donaldson, 3B, Blue Jays; Ryan Madson, RP, Nationals; Jordy Mercer, SS, Pirates; Tony Barnette, RP, Rangers; Jay Bruce, Mets; Ervin Santana, SP, Twins; Logan Morrison, 1B, Twins; Martin Prado, Marlins; Mark Trumbo, Orioles

Also Considered

Starting Pitchers: Bartolo Colon, Rangers; Jaime Garcia, Blue Jays; Andrew Cashner & Alex Cobb, Orioles; Jordan Zimmermann, Tigers; James Shields, White Sox; Yovani Gallardo, Rangers

Relievers: Mark Melancon & Sam Dyson, Giants; Addison Reed, Twins; Anthony Swarzak, Mets; Jake Petricka, Blue Jays; Xavier Cedeno & Hector Santiago, White Sox; Chris Martin, Rangers; Greg Holland, Nationals

Infielders: Freddy Galvis, Padres; Elvis Andrus & Adrian Beltre, Rangers; Todd Frazier, Mets; Kendrys Morales, Blue Jays; Chase d’Arnaud, Giants

Catchers: A.J. Ellis, Padres; Nick Hundley, Giants; Matt Wieters, Nationals; Devin Mesoraco, Mets

Outfielders: Carlos Gomez, Rays; Adam Jones, Orioles; Eric Young & Kole Calhoun, Angels; Billy Hamilton, Reds; Jose Bautista, Mets

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