Archives for 2019

AL Central Notes: Soler, Tigers, Ross, Twins

By Connor Byrne | August 12, 2019 at 8:56am CDT

Seven years after leaving Cuba for a $30MM guarantee with the Cubs, former star prospect Jorge Soler is enjoying his best major league season yet. Now a member of the Royals, Soler has smashed seven home runs in nine games this month, giving him 35 on the season. Soler, the owner of an overall .259/.344/.555 line in 498 plate appearances, spoke about his 2019 success Sunday, saying (via Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com): “The only thing I have thought about was I was traded for a big-time pitcher and I wanted to live up to those expectations. I didn’t do it at the beginning. But I want to thank the organization for believing in me, for trading for me with and giving up that caliber of a player [in Davis]. There’s a weight off my shoulders now because I’ve finally lived up to those expectations.”

Then-standout closer Wade Davis was the “big-time pitcher” the Royals traded to the Cubs for Soler in a December 2016 swap. Soler then endured a miserable first year with the Royals, who kept him in the minors most of the season, but has logged quality offensive production since. Consequently, as Flanagan notes, the 27-year-old is sure to opt into arbitration after the season. Doing so will enable Soler to collect a raise over the $4MM salary he’s currently slated to earn in 2020. That’ll be the ninth and final season of his contract.

Latest On Jake Arrieta

By Connor Byrne | August 12, 2019 at 7:42am CDT

Phillies right-hander Jake Arrieta has spent a large portion of the season trying to pitch through a bone spur in his elbow. Now, though, the pain could force him to the operating table.

After the Phillies’ loss to the Giants on Sunday, Arrieta told Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia and other reporters that his elbow “hurts every day.” On whether he’ll continue working through the issue, Arrieta said: “I don’t necessarily want to make a decision right now. We’ll have the off day Monday and maybe have a conversation on Tuesday.”

Arrieta’s elbow problems would seem to at least partially explain the former Cy Young winner’s severe drop-off this season. The 33-year-old turned in another poor performance Sunday, yielding five earned runs on seven hits in three frames, and hasn’t recorded the definition of a quality start (at least six innings, three earned runs or fewer) since June 19. Arrieta’s struggles have led to a 4.64 ERA/4.89 FIP over 135 2/3 innings in a season that has become increasingly disappointing for the Phillies.

On the heels of an ultra-aggressive winter, Philadelphia opened the campaign with National League East title aspirations. The club delivered early, sitting nine games over .500 as recently as June 9, but it’s now a mediocre 60-58. While the Phillies are still a manageable two games behind a wild-card spot, they’re nine back in the NL East, where they sit in fourth place.

It’s clear the Phillies’ starting staff is among the primary reasons they’ve essentially tread water to this point. Aside from Aaron Nola, no starter they’ve consistently trotted out has been all that effective. Even Nola’s aggregate production has fallen off from 2017-18. But there’s no bigger letdown in the bunch than Arrieta, whose days as a front-end starter have appeared over throughout his time with the Phillies.

Since inking a three-year, $75MM contract entering 2018, Arrieta has given the Phillies 308 1/3 innings of 4.26 ERA/4.53 FIP ball. The ex-Cub’s deal gives him the ability to opt out after this season, but thanks to his middling output and injury situation, that isn’t going to happen. Likewise, the Phillies aren’t going to exercise an option that would add two years and $40MM to the pact. As a result, Arrieta will earn $20MM in 2020, which seems likely to wind up as his last season with the Phillies.

West Notes: Hill, Mariners, Martes, Panda

By Mark Polishuk | August 11, 2019 at 11:59pm CDT

There was already speculation that Rich Hill would be used as a reliever when he returns from the injured list, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed it today, telling reporters (including The Athletic’s Pedro Moura) that there isn’t enough time left in the season for Hill to properly prepare for a starter’s workload. A flexor tendon strain has sidelined Hill since June 20, and while he is making progress in his rehab, it seems like he is still some weeks away from getting back on a big league mound.

In terms of the postseason rotation, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Walker Buehler, and Clayton Kershaw is an awfully enviable top three, though as Moura notes, the battle for the fourth starter’s job is up for grabs. Kenta Maeda, Dustin May, Julio Urias, and Tony Gonsolin are all candidates, or Moura says the club could pick more than one of these arms in “a piggy-back combination.” With a big lead in the NL West, L.A. has plenty of time to experiment for the remainder of the regular season.

Here’s more from both the NL and AL West…

Mariners outfielders Mitch Haniger and Braden Bishop are both set to begin rehab assignments at Class-A Modesto on Tuesday, MLB.com’s Greg Johns writes. Both players have been out of action for almost two months due to frightening injuries — Haniger underwent surgery to fix a ruptured testicle, while Bishop suffered a lacerated spleen just prior to his call-up to the big leagues in early June. In other Mariners injury news, Felix Hernandez will make a rehab start for Seattle’s Class-A affiliate in Everett this week. Johns figures after that outing, Hernandez will still need to put in a rehab outing at Triple-A (which would be the veteran right-hander’s fourth rehab start overall) “before there’ll be any consideration of rejoining the Mariners.”
The Astros are close to adding Francis Martes back to their 40-man roster, the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome writes. The right-hander was issued an 80-game PED suspension back in March, and his stint on the restricted list was extended due to a visa issue that has now been resolved. Martes still isn’t any closer to pitching, however, since he underwent Tommy John surgery almost exactly one year ago and won’t be ready until Spring Training. Martes posted a 5.80 ERA over 54 1/3 innings for the Astros in 2017, which marked his only Major League appearance. Martes was a consensus top-30 prospect prior to the 2017 campaign, though even before his TJ surgery and suspension, his stock had already begun to drop due to shaky Triple-A numbers in 2017 and 2018.
Pablo Sandoval has loose bodies in his elbow that could require offseason surgery to correct, Giants manager Bruce Bochy told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman and other reporters. For now, Sandoval is being rested as he deals with elbow inflammation. If Sandoval does go under the knife, such surgeries are usually relatively minor procedures, though any sort of injury red flag is of note for a pending free agent, especially given how the market has been so unfriendly to veteran corner-infield types like Sandoval in recent years. The Panda celebrated his 33rd birthday on Sunday, and the longtime Giants fan favorite is enjoying his best season in years, hitting .269/.314/.509 over 295 PA as a part-time player in San Francisco.

2020 Vesting Options Update

By Mark Polishuk | August 11, 2019 at 10:44pm CDT

With over two-thirds of the 2019 season in the books, let’s check in to see how seven players are progressing towards possible vesting options in their contracts. For those unfamiliar with the term, a vesting option is an agreed-upon threshold within a player’s contract (usually based on health and/or playing time) that, if achieved, allows the player to alter the terms of the contract for the next season, and perhaps beyond in some cases.

Some vesting options aren’t reported, so it could be that more players beyond this septet could also be playing towards gaining more guaranteed money or contractual freedom for the 2020 season. For now, let’s examine just these seven names…

Yonder Alonso, Rockies: Under the terms of the two-year, $16MM deal Alonso signed with the Indians in the 2017-18 offseason, his $9MM club option (with a $1MM buyout) for 2020 becomes guaranteed if the first baseman first passes a physical, and then hit plate-appearance benchmarks. Unfortunately for Alonso, he has only 287 PA this season, so he’s on pace to fall well short of reaching either 550 PA in 2019 or 1100 total PA in 2018-19 — either of which would’ve caused his option to vest.

Andrew Cashner, Red Sox: Having struggled through six starts since coming to Boston in a trade from the Orioles, the Sox have a legitimate performance-related reason for moving Cashner out of their rotation. There would also be a financial motive involved, as Cashner’s $10MM club option for 2020 would become guaranteed if he amasses 340 total innings in 2018-19. After today’s abbreviated outing against the Angels, Cashner now has 279 2/3 IP over the last two seasons, putting him within distant range of causing his option to vest if he keeps receiving starts. (Incidentally, the option could also vest into a player option if Cashner hits the 360-inning threshold.)

Sean Doolittle, Nationals: The closer finished his league-high 47th game of the season today, giving him 82 games finished since the start of the 2018 season. Should Doolittle reach 100 games finished, the Nationals’ $6.5MM club option ($500K buyout) on Doolittle for 2020 would vest into a mutual option, giving him the opportunity to opt out of his contract and enter into free agency. This is definitely one to watch down the stretch, since with the Nats in a postseason race and the rest of their bullpen struggling, D.C. won’t hesitate to use their closer for every save situation possible. Manager Davey Martinez has used Doolittle in a traditional late-game role, so shifting him into high-leverage situations outside of the ninth inning to cut down on his games-finished numbers would be a risky (and controversial) tactic, to say the least.

Chris Iannetta, Rockies: With 110 starts at catcher since the beginning of the 2018 season, Iannetta won’t reach the 220 catching starts he needed to convert the Rockies’ $4.25MM club option on his services for 2020 into a guarantee.

Wade LeBlanc, Mariners: The unique extension signed by LeBlanc in July 2018 carried three $5MM club option years for 2020-22 that can all vest into guarantees. That 2020 option turns into guaranteed money if LeBlanc throws 160 innings in 2019 and doesn’t have a left arm injury at season’s end. A month-long IL stint due to an oblique strain earlier this season almost certainly ended LeBlanc’s chance at the 160-inning plateau, as he has only 98 IP thus far. While he’s still eating a good share of innings as a “bulk pitcher” behind an opener in most outings, it seems likely that LeBlanc won’t reach his vesting threshold.

Brandon Morrow, Cubs: Morrow’s two-year, $21MM deal carried a 2020 vesting option worth $12MM, or a $3MM buyout. It wasn’t actually known what the terms were of this option, though since injuries have kept Morrow from pitching since July 15, 2018, it’s safe to assume the option won’t vest, and Morrow will be a free agent this winter.

Oliver Perez, Indians: The veteran southpaw appeared in his 49th game of the season today, so barring injury, he’s a lock to hit the 55 appearances required to guarantee his $2.75MM club option for 2020. He also seems like a pretty safe bet to lock in even more money, as that option will be guaranteed at $3MM if Perez pitches in 60 games. The Tribe likely won’t at all mind having Perez back for another season, as the reliever continues to dominate left-handed batters.

MLBTR Chat Transcript: Mets, Maddon, Cole, Holland

By Mark Polishuk | August 11, 2019 at 9:33pm CDT

Click here to read the transcript of Sunday’s baseball chat, moderated by MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk

Joe Maddon Believes He’ll Manage Cubs Beyond 2019

By Mark Polishuk | August 11, 2019 at 6:43pm CDT

Joe Maddon is in the last year of his contract as the Cubs’ manager, and though speculation has run rampant for months that the team could potentially look for a new dugout leader for 2020, Maddon doesn’t sound as if he’s expecting to go anywhere. “I’m operating like we’ll be together for a couple more years, at least. I’m not going to sit and proclaim I’m looking to go elsewhere. That’s not true,” Maddon told ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers and other media members today, adding that he has a “very high” amount of optimism that he’ll return to the job.

Despite rumors of discord between Maddon and the front office last fall, both he and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein have each said they hope to continue the relationship between the skipper and the team. Maddon reiterated these feelings today, while admitting that he made a point of being more open with both the front office and his players this season.

“It’s about interactions,” he said. “It’s about communication. It’s about the ability to work together. That’s what it comes down to….This year I’ve taken it to a different level,” Maddon said. “I want to be somewhere where I want to work, too. Everything about what we do with the Cubs, you can’t beat it. It’s impossible to beat. That’s the allure for me.”

This interpersonal relationship seems to be the key factor, as Maddon noted that an extension “has nothing to do with wins and losses. If that’s the case, I would have signed a contract at the end of last season….You can’t just reduce it to wins and losses. That makes no sense at all.”

Today’s victory over the Reds improved the first-place Cubs’ record to 64-54, and Chicago holds a two-game lead over Milwaukee and a 2.5-game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central race. While there’s a long way to go before the Cubs can start printing playoff tickets, the team appears to be on pace for their fifth postseason appearance in as many years since Maddon was hired as manager. His previous four years saw the Cubs win two NL Central crowns and two NL wild card berths, and of course, the Cubs finally ended over a century of frustration by winning the World Series in 2016.

Diamondbacks Release Greg Holland

By Mark Polishuk | August 11, 2019 at 5:28pm CDT

The Diamondbacks have released right-hander Greg Holland, officially announcing the move today after designating the reliever for assignment earlier this week.

It isn’t surprising to see Holland clear DFA waivers without a claim, as a team interested in his services can now sign him for merely a prorated portion of the minimum salary for the remainder of the season. Between guaranteed salary and already-achieved bonuses, Holland has roughly $1.08MM still owed to him, the bulk of which (subtracting the minimum salary on any new contract) will be paid by the Diamondbacks.

Finances aside, it isn’t out of the question that another team will take a chance at adding Holland, given both his career track record and the fact that he was still posting good results only weeks ago. Holland had a 2.08 ERA over his first 26 innings for the D’Backs, and as recently as July 22, had a 3.00 ERA over 33 innings. Over his last five outings, however, the righty was crushed for a 23.63 ERA and six walks with just one strikeout in 2 2/3 innings of work.

Advanced metrics raised an eyebrow at Holland’s early-season success, however, and given that Holland’s velocity and swinging-strike rate both began to drop off as the season continued, it isn’t a surprise that his numbers took a big dip. Any club looking to sign Holland would be hoping for a repeat of his late-season run in 2018, when he signed with the Nationals (after struggling with the Cardinals and being released) and proceeded to post an 0.84 ERA over 21 1/3 frames for Washington. Speculatively, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Nats themselves perhaps check in on Holland again, given that the Nationals are still looking for bullpen reinforcements.

Astros Notes: Bullpen, Tucker, Guduan

By George Miller | August 11, 2019 at 4:49pm CDT

Though the Astros’ lack of a left-handed reliever may appear to be a troubling dilemma at face value, general manager Jeff Luhnow and company are not treating it as such, and appear poised to move into the postseason with a bullpen consisting entirely of righties, writes Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Of the four lefties on the 40-man roster, Framber Valdez is the only reliever with significant Major League experience—experience that hasn’t yielded the most promising results. However, the Stros’ righties have done nothing to suggest a southpaw is needed: left-handed hitters have managed a dreadful .263 wOBA versus the Houston bullpen, the lowest mark in the Majors. Luhnow points to Chris Devenski and Will Harris as two veterans who have been instrumental in that success and could be deployed in October as pseudo-lefties. Of course, Roberto Osuna and Ryan Pressly have likewise dominated lefty hitters, but that duo will likely be used as matchup-proof late-inning options.

Here’s more of the latest news out of Houston…

Kyle Tucker has been receiving continued reps as a first baseman with the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate and will receive heavier exposure at the position in the offseason, writes Rome. He and fellow rookie Yordan Alvarez are being groomed into first baseman with an eye on next year’s version of the Astros. Having Tucker and Alvarez available at first could offer added flexibility in the club’s roster construction, as well as providing a clearer path to Major League at-bats for Tucker, who has accumulated more than 900 Triple-A plate appearances in part because of the Astros strong corner outfield rotation. Rome notes that if and when Tucker returns to the Majors as part of expanded rosters, he would only line up at first base in a relatively inconsequential game.
Rome provides further details (via Twitter)on the suspension that Astros management handed down to Reymin Guduan last week, clarifying that the suspension only spans the entirely of the minor-league season. As a consequence, Guduan will be eligible to pitch for the Astros in September, though there’s no indication that the 27-year-old will see any more Major League action this season. Guduan, a southpaw, does offer depth in an organization that is thin on lefties, but his performance in limited big league exposure has not been encouraging.

Juan Soto Exits Game With Right Ankle Sprain

By George Miller | August 11, 2019 at 4:15pm CDT

Nationals outfielder Juan Soto left Sunday’s matchup with the Mets in the seventh inning after suffering an apparent ankle injury while rounding third base. Following the Nats’ win, Sam Fortier of the Washington Post reports that Soto suffered a mild ankle sprain and that X-rays came back negative. Soto has been listed as day-to-day.

Needless to say, Sunday’s victory was a bittersweet one after a nerve-wracking scene saw the team’s star 20-year-old roll his ankle while rounding third. However, it appears that the Nationals and their fans can breathe a tentative sigh of relief; the injury won’t require an IL stint and Soto likely won’t miss an expended period. In fact, Alex Chappell of MASN adds that Soto suggested that he may be able to return to the lineup as early as tomorrow. Of course, it seems likely that the Nationals will be careful not to rush their phenom back to action, but it’s a promising sign that Soto anticipates a hasty return.

Soto has entered rarefied air with prodigious offensive success at such an advanced age, displaying elite plate discipline and power that has fueled a .944 OPS this season, solidifying himself as a cornerstone of the playoff-hopeful Nationals lineup. Should he miss a game or two over the next few days, the Nationals are well-equipped with Gerardo Parra on tap to step into the lineup. Parra, though surely an offensive downgrade from the unparalleled Soto, has enjoyed a successful Nats tenure, posting a solid .845 OPS in 58 games as the club’s reserve outfielder.

Reds Sign Junichi Tazawa To Minor-League Deal

By George Miller | August 11, 2019 at 3:15pm CDT

The Cincinnati Reds have added veteran right-handed pitcher Junichi Tazawa on a minor-league contract, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. He’ll be sent to Double-A Chattanooga and will be added to the minor-league injured list.

The 33-year-old Tazawa has yet to appear in a Major League game in 2019, with his only affiliated action coming in a brief stint with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate before he was released in July. In 19 games, he worked to an even 4.00 ERA, striking out 17 batters in 18 innings of work. He last appeared in the Majors with the Angels in 2018.

Needless to say, the veteran is far removed from his stellar years in Boston, which earned him a hefty two-year contract in Miami, an ill-advised move in hindsight. During that Marlins stint and most recently with the Angels, Tazawa’s velocity declined markedly from his peak years, bottoming out at 91.9 mph in September of 2018.

At 33, Tazawa will have a chance to revitalize his career and crack a Major League bullpen. A reasonably strong performance in Triple-A suggests that there’s something left in the tank, but Tazawa will need to output sustained success in the Reds’ system before getting another chance in the big leagues.

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