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Rangers To Designate Asdrubal Cabrera, Tim Federowicz

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The Rangers will designate infielder Asdrubal Cabrera and catcher Tim Federowicz for assignment on Friday, according to multiple reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News).  Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jose Trevino will be called up to take their roster spots, as per MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, with Kiner-Falefa playing third base and Trevino sharing catching duties with Jeff Mathis.

The moves will clear roster space for two veterans who, now that the trade deadline is passed, don’t have much more utility on a Texas squad that is largely looking ahead to 2020.  Neither player had much trade value anyway, as Cabrera had only hit .235/.318/.393 over 368 plate appearances this season, while Federowicz was basically a stop-gap backup catcher only acquired in June.

Cabrera signed a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Rangers last winter, holding down third base after Adrian Beltre retired.  While Texas did well on quite a few of their veteran signings, Cabrera simply didn’t produce much offensively, as his production dropped off significantly after being an above-average bat for much of the last decade.  Cabrera’s 23.1% strikeout rate this season is a career worst, while his .287 xwOBA ranks in the bottom 12th percentile of all qualified batters.

Between this subpar year and the fact that Cabrera turns 34 in November, the 13-year veteran may have a difficult time landing a Major League contract in the offseason.  It could even be difficult for him to find another gig for the remainder of this season, though Cabrera has enough of a track record that he’ll certainly get a call if another team suffers an injury in the infield.

Federowicz signed a minor league contract with Cleveland in February and was then traded to the Rangers once Kiner-Falefa was placed on the injured list.  The journeyman has appeared in parts of eight big league seasons, with a career .574 OPS over 439 PA.

Deadline Headlines: American League

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Here’s a recap of some of the biggest moves made by American League teams on what ended up being a very busy day of trade deadline action…

Astros Add Arms: It was no surprise that Houston was looking to acquire starting pitching, but the Astros struck the day’s biggest trade just minutes before the 3pm CT deadline, acquiring Zack Greinke from the Diamondbacks for a four-prospect package.  While the Astros gave up some of their best minor leaguers to make the deal happen, the idea of a Greinke/Justin Verlander/Gerrit Cole trio atop the rotation (and, of course, the idea of another World Series trophy) was just too tempting for GM Jeff Luhnow to pass up.

If that wasn’t enough, the Astros also picked up right-handers Aaron Sanchez and Joe Biagini from the Blue Jays, with minor league outfielder Cal Stevenson also coming to Houston while Derek Fisher went to Toronto.  Biagini’s addition will bolster the relief corps while Sanchez will add even more depth to what now looks like a truly fearsome rotation, though Sanchez could potentially also be used out of the bullpen down the stretch.  Finally, the Astros acquired a familiar face behind the plate to help guide these new pitchers, sending Tony Kemp to the Cubs for catcher Martin Maldonado in what marks the second straight year the Astros have traded for Maldonado at the deadline.

Twins Land Sam Dyson: After adding Sergio Romo earlier in the week, Minnesota continued to augment its bullpen by acquiring Dyson from the Giants for three low-level prospects.  While relief pitching was a need, the Twins arguably needed just as much help in the rotation, yet the club couldn’t land a starter despite talks with multiple teams about some very notable names.

Athletics Trade For Tanner: While the A’s are still counting on some of their young arms to return from the injured list and make an impact on the postseason race, Oakland supplemented its rotation with a veteran in Tanner Roark.  The Athletics got Roark and $2.1MM in cash considerations for outfielder Jameson Hannah.  Despite a pretty solid year in Cincinnati, Roark was something of an odd man out after the Reds picked up Trevor Bauer on Tuesday, and the A’s pounced on the opportunity to add a rental player to their starting mix.

The Rays’ Shuffle Continues: Tampa Bay continued to be one of the deadline season’s most active teams, facing the need to both add reinforcements for the wild card chase and also pare down some names from a forthcoming 40-man roster crunch.  To this end, the Rays picked up the right-handed bat they had been seeking in Jesus Aguilar, landing the former All-Star first baseman from the Brewers in exchange for righty Jake Faria.  Another deal with the Marlins also saw the Rays bolster their their injury-riddled rotation with a regular starting pitcher (Trevor Richards) and also add a young and controllable reliever (Nick Anderson), though these adds came at a steep cost — top outfield prospect Jesus Sanchez and erstwhile “opener” Ryne Stanek are headed to Miami.  In other moves, the Rays sent Adam Kolarek to the Dodgers and, in a swap of minor leaguers, outfielder Joe McCarthy to the Giants.

Rangers And ChiSox Swing A Deal: The White Sox and Rangers combined on an interesting under-the-radar trade that saw Nate Jones and $1MM in international bonus pool funds head to Texas in exchange for two minor league pitchers.  The deal may have been more about the int’l signing money in the short term for the Rangers, though Jones could help the club next season if he gets healthy.  From Chicago’s perspective, the Pale Hose save some money in getting the oft-injured Jones’ contract off the books.

The Rebuild Continues In Detroit… Matt Boyd, Shane Greene, and Nick Castellanos were the three biggest trade chips on the Tigers’ plate, and while the controllable Boyd is staying put, Greene and Castellanos were shipped out.  The Tigers acquired minor league outfielder Travis Demeritte and lefty Joey Wentz from the Braves for Greene, and Castellanos went to the Cubs for two more young arms in Paul Richan and Alex Lange.

…and in Seattle… After weeks of speculation, the Mariners finally dealt Mike Leake, sending the right-hander to the Diamondbacks for prospect Jose Caballero.  The M’s will also eat roughly $12.66MM of Leake’s remaining salary (through the 2020 season) in the trade.  Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland also departed the Emerald City, going to the Nationals in a pair of trades that netted the Mariners three minor league pitchers.

…and in Baltimore… The Orioles found a taker for the recently-outrighted Dan Straily, as the Phillies acquired the struggling right-hander.

…and in Toronto: In addition to the aforementioned Sanchez/Biagini deal with the Astros, the Blue Jays also sent Daniel Hudson to the Nationals for high-A ball right-hander Kyle Johnston.  The Jays were such clear deadline sellers that it’s also worth noting who they didn’t trade, as veterans Justin Smoak and Freddy Galvis are still with the team.  Ken Giles received some late buzz, though as expected, the closer’s elbow problem all but erased his trade candidacy.

The Quiet Deadlines: The Yankees and Red Sox almost entirely stood pat, so the arch-rivals will head down the stretch with major question marks still remaining on the pitching front.  Boston’s acquisition of Andrew Cashner two weeks will mark its only noteworthy new arm of the summer, while the Yankees were linked to virtually every pitcher on the market but came away empty-handed.  New York is still one of the league’s best teams simply by dint of its incredible lineup and bullpen, though the Astros’ big pitching additions stand in stark contrast to how the Yankees didn’t address their most prominent weakness.

The Angels were another team with a need in the rotation, though since the Halos are only on the fringes of the playoff race, they opted not to make any big moves and only added backup catcher Max Stassi from the Astros.  The rebuilding Royals and Orioles also stayed quiet on Wednesday, while the Indians took it easy after their huge three-team blockbuster on Tuesday.

Brewers To Promote Trent Grisham

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The Brewers will call up outfielder Trent Grisham in time for tomorrow’s game against the Athletics, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy).  Earlier today, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan tweeted that the move was likely.  Grisham isn’t currently on the 40-man roster, so an accommodating move will have to be made before he hits the field.

Grisham, who went by “Trent Clark” when he was drafted 15th overall in 2015, received some top-100 prospect list attention prior to the 2016 season.  From 2016-2018, however, Grisham showed some decent on-base numbers but was overall lacking at the plate.

Still, the Brewers kept promoting him through the system, and Grisham finally made his big breakthrough this season.  After an .875 OPS over 283 Double-A plate appearances earned him another step up the ladder, Grisham tore up Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .381/.471/.776 slash line over 158 PA.  (This included a stunning game on Tuesday that included hitting for the cycle and adding a second home run for good measure.)

While playing in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League undoubtedly contributed to his Triple-A explosion, MLB Pipeline’s profile of Grisham cites a preseason change to his batting stance that has clearly paid major dividends.  The 22-year-old is now set to make his big league debut, and between his quality baserunning, ability to play all three outfield positions, and improved bat, Grisham becomes an intriguing part-time asset for the Brewers.

Now that Jesus Aguilar has been traded to the Rays, Ryan Braun could potentially see some time at first base as a platoon partner with one of Milwaukee’s two left-handed hitting first base options (Travis Shaw and Eric Thames).  This could open up some outfield playing time for Grisham, though the Brewers also have another left-handed hitting outfielder in Ben Gamel.

Dodgers To Promote Dustin May

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The Dodgers will call up prized right-handed pitching prospect Dustin May in time for Friday’s game against the Padres, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link).

The 21-year-old May only made his Triple-A debut on June 30, but he’ll now get his first taste of Major League competition after posting a 2.30 ERA over 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City.  Over his entire minor league career, May has a 3.50 ERA, 4.43 K/BB rate, and 8.8 K/9 rate in 403 2/3 innings.

A third-round pick in the 2016 draft, May emerged on multiple preseason prospect ranking lists, and his solid performance this year has only elevated his stock.  Fangraphs currently ranks May as the eighth-best prospect in baseball, while ESPN.com’s Keith Law (13th), Baseball America (26th) and MLB.com (35th) were only somewhat less bullish.

May boasts a three-pitch arsenal that includes a two-seam fastball that can touch 97mph, a cutter that reaches the low-90s, and an impressive curveball.  On the 20-80 scouting scale, MLB.com ranks all three pitches with at least a 60-grade, topped off with a 65-grade fastball.  May throws a lot of strikes, and doesn’t allow many walks or home runs.  While his 27 1/3 innings in Triple-A is a small sample size, May didn’t allow a single homer during his brief stint in the very hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

As one might expect, May’s potential has attracted a lot of attention from potential trade partners, though the Dodgers resisted all offers involving the young righty.  May was reportedly heavily targeted by the Orioles last year when Baltimore and Los Angeles were in talks about Manny Machado, though the Dodgers were able to retain May while still landing Machado for a package of five other prospects.  More recently, the Pirates had interest in May while discussing Felipe Vazquez deals with L.A.

With May still in the fold, he’ll now become a weapon for the Dodgers as they pursue another trip to the World Series.  While the rotation hasn’t been quite as much of a revolving door for the Dodgers this season as in past years, May will slide into the fifth spot in the rotation with Rich Hill and Ross Stripling both sidelined with injuries.  Julio Urias most recently served as the fifth starter, though it seems as though he’ll return to his previous role in the bullpen.  Given how flexible the Dodgers are with pitcher usage, May will likely see some time as a reliever himself later in the season.

Details On Yankees’ Pursuit Of Robbie Ray

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7:35PM: The Yankees were willing to give up Clint Frazier and another prospect for Ray, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets, though talks fizzled out after the Diamondbacks requested more prospects.  As per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the D’Backs wanted a four-prospect package that included Frazier and right-hander Clarke Schmidt, who was the 16th overall pick of the 2017 draft and rated by MLB Pipeline as the fifth-best prospect in New York’s system.

1:16PM: The Yankees’ talks with the Diamondbacks regarding left-hander Robbie Ray are “dead” for now, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. Ray’s name has become increasingly prevalent on the rumor mill in the past week, though there’s no firm indication that the club is sure to move him. Ray is controlled through the 2020 season via arbitration.

New York’s rotation hasn’t performed up to expectations in 2019, as Luis Severino hasn’t thrown a pitch. Lefties James Paxton and, in particular, J.A. Happ have struggled to uncharacteristically high ERAs, as has CC Sabathia, who is currently on the injured list. The Yankees have been connected to virtually every starting pitcher on the trade market, but to this point those negotiations have obviously yet to bear fruit.

Ray, 27, has a 3.91 ERA with 12.1 K/9, 4.1 BB/9, 1.60 HR/9 and a 38.4 percent grounder rate in 2019. He averaged 12+ K/9 in both 2017 and 2018 with sub-4.00 ERAs, FIPs and xFIPs, cementing himself as one of the game’s premier strikeout pitchers along the way. He’s earning $6.05MM this season and will command one more arbitration raise this winter, possibly to the $10MM range, before becoming a free agent upon the conclusion of the 2020 season.

The Diamondbacks, with a .500 record, aren’t necessarily embarking on a full-scale tear down but are nevertheless listening with an open mind on some of their more desirable short-term assets.

White Sox Place Yoan Moncada On 10-Day Injured List

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The White Sox have placed third baseman Yoan Moncada on the 10-day injured list due to a hamstring strain.  An MRI revealed only a Grade 1 strain, though GM Rick Hahn told reporters (including Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times) that the infielder will miss around two weeks of action.  The injury forced Moncada out of the first inning of Tuesday’s game against the Mets, after Moncada came up sore after fielding a grounder.

While not a major injury, it’s still unfortunate to see Moncada’s breakout season take a pause.  Heralded as one of the game’s best prospects in recent years, Moncada has started to deliver on that potential in a big way this season, hitting .301/.358/.535 with 20 homers over 409 plate appearances.  After recording a league-high 217 strikeouts in 2018, there’s still quite a bit of swing-and-miss in Moncada’s game, as evidenced by his 27.6% strikeout rate.  When he does make contact, however, he is scorching the ball — Moncada ranks in the 92nd percentile of all players in hard-hit ball percentage, and in the 97% percentile in exit velocity.

After playing mostly as a second baseman in his first two MLB seasons, Moncada has played exclusively at third base this season, with somewhat improved defensive results depending on the metric.  He posted below-average scores (-5 Defensive Runs Saved, -6.5 UZR/150) as a second baseman last year, but while his DRS has dropped to -6 this season, his glovework at the hot corner has seen his UZR/150 jump up to +5.2.

Acquired as the centerpiece of the prospect package the White Sox received from Boston in the Chris Sale trade, Moncada’s huge 2019 season (not to mention the big years for Tim Anderson and Lucas Giolito) represents a notable step forward in Chicago’s rebuilding project.  We already saw the White Sox make a big play to jumpstart their process by trying to sign Manny Machado last offseason, and now armed with more evidence that their new core group can deliver at the MLB level, Chicago is a team to watch this coming winter.

Rockies Acquire Joe Harvey

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In a minor move completed prior to the trade deadline, the Rockies acquired right-hander Joe Harvey from the Yankees for minor league left-hander Alfredo Garcia, as per a Yankees media release.

Harvey, 27, was a 19th-round pick for the Yankees in the 2014 draft.  The righty has worked as a reliever in 118 of his 124 professional games, while posting some impressive numbers — a 1.96 ERA, 10.3 K/9, and 2.98 K/BB rate over 170 innings in the minors.  This performance, in particular some good numbers at Triple-A over the last two years, earned Harvey his first Major League promotion, and he delivered a 4.50 ERA over 10 relief innings for New York this season.

Despite these solid results, Harvey was something of an expendable piece on the Yankees’ depth chart, and opted to move him for a younger arm with perhaps more long-term upside.  Garcia, who just celebrated his 20th birthday on July 22, has a 4.85 ERA, 8.6 K/9, and 2.58 K/BB rate over 200 1/3 minor league innings, none above the A-ball level.  Originally signed for a $1MM bonus at the start of the 2016-17 international signing period, Garcia has worked as a starter in 38 of his 42 games in the Rockies’ farm system.

Ramon Laureano To Miss At Least 4 Weeks

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6:48pm: Laureano will miss at least four weeks, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The club recalled Martini to take his spot.

1:26am: Athletics center fielder Ramon Laureano is heading to the injured list with a stress reaction in his shin, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). Laureano will miss more than 10 days, but there isn’t an exact timetable for his return, according to manager Bob Melvin.

An extended absence for Laureano would be an unwelcome development for the Athletics, who have seen the 25-year-old blossom into a premier center fielder since he debuted last season. Laureano, whom the A’s acquired from the division-rival Astros a few months before the 2018 campaign began, has already posted 5.2 fWAR in 595 major league plate appearances.

He’s known as “Lazor Ramon” for his rocket arm in center, but most of Laureano’s value has come from his offense. He has totaled 3.1 fWAR through 419 PA this season on the strength of a .284/.334/.518 line (good for a 123 wRC+) with 21 home runs and 12 steals in 14 attempts. That’s not the type of production the playoff-contending A’s will be able to replace, especially considering Laureano has been almost their exclusive choice in center this season. Mark Canha, another underrated Athletic, has filled in for Laureano on rare off nights and looks likely to do so during his IL stint.

Oakland’s now down two regular outfielders – Stephen Piscotty has been on the IL with a knee injury for a month – leaving it with Canha, Robbie Grossman, Chad Pinder and DH Khris Davis as its top 25-man choices. The club also has a pair of healthy 40-man options in Dustin Fowler and Nick Martini at the Triple-A level. One of those two could come up to fill Laureano’s roster spot.

40-Man Moves: 7/31/19

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This has been a trade-filled day across Major League Basbeall, leaving plenty of smaller moves somewhat unnoticed. Here’s a look at the DFAs, contract selections and other 40-man transactions that came along with today’s action…

  • The Blue Jays have claimed right-hander Brock Stewart off waivers from the Dodgers, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Once a well-regarded prospect, the 27-year-old Stewart has only managed a 5.46 ERA/5.71 FIP in 84 innings since he debuted in the majors in 2016. Stewart has also experienced a nightmarish 2019 at the Triple-A level, where he has mustered a 7.34 ERA/7.22 FIP with 7.93 K/9 and 4.74 BB/9 in 76 innings.
  • The Nationals announced that they’ve designated righties Javy Guerra and Michael Blazek for assignment. The 33-year-old Guerra has divided the season between Washington and Toronto, combining for a 4.50 ERA/3.86 FIP with 7.36 K/9 and 3.07 BB/9 across 44 innings. Blazek, 30, threw just five innings for the Nationals before his designation. Prior to his addition to the Nats’ roster, Blazek recorded a 5.54 ERA/4.91 FIP with 9.69 K/9 and 3.46 BB/9 in 26 Triple-A innings.
  • The Athletics have designated righty Andrew Triggs and outrighted fellow righty Brian Schlitter to Triple-A Las Vegas, the club announced. The 30-year-old Triggs was a promising piece for the Athletics a couple seasons ago, but health issues – including September 2018 thoracic outlet syndrome surgery – have prevented him from making an impact of late. He hasn’t pitched in the majors at all this season. Schlitter, meanwhile, lost his briefly held 40-man spot with the A’s when they designated him Monday.
  • The Indians have designated infielder Eric Stamets, who opened the season as their starting shortstop on account of Francisco Lindor’s calf strain. Stamets, 27, struggled to a hideous .049/.149/.073 line in 48 plate appearances while filling in for the great Lindor. He has been better – albeit far from spectacular – at the Triple-A level, where he has hit .232/.313/.378 with six HRs and 12 steals in 262 PA this season.
  • The Brewers have designated left-hander Donnie Hart, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com tweets. The 28-year-old has thrown 6 2/3 scoreless innings with the Brew Crew this season, though he has totaled more walks (four) than strikeouts (three). Hart has enjoyed a relatively productive campaign at the Triple-A level, where he has posted a 4.10 ERA/4.28 FIP with 7.23 K/9, 3.13 BB/9 and a 55.4 percent groundball rate in 37 1/3 innings.
  • The Mariners have selected righty Zac Grotz from Double-A Arkansas, the team announced. The 26-year-old Grotz, whom the Mariners signed to a minor league deal in the offseason, has registered a strong 2.51 ERA/2.74 FIP with 10.83 K/9, 1.73 BB/9 and a 57.9 percent groundball rate in 57 1/3 Double-A innings in 2019.
  • The Cubs have designated righty Oscar De La Cruz, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic relays. The 24-year-old De La Cruz entered the season as the Cubs’ 15th-ranked prospect, per FanGraphs, and has since pitched to a 3.89 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 81 innings divided between the High-A and Double-A levels.
  • The Diamondbacks have designated righty Joey Krehbiel, who had a brief MLB debut with the club last season. The 26-year-old has stumbled to an 8.25 ERA/7.25 FIP and notched 8.6 K/9 against 7.05 BB/9 in 52 1/3 Triple-A innings in 2019.
  • More on the Diamondbacks, who have transferred utilityman Blake Swihart to the 60-day injured list. Swihart has been on the IL with an oblique injury since the start of June, so this is just a procedural move on the D-backs’ part.

Twins Release Cody Allen

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The Twins have released reliever Cody Allen, according to Triple-A Rochester broadcaster Nate Rowan.

Allen joined the Twins on a minor league contract in late June, though he didn’t acquit himself particularly well at the Triple-A level. The 30-year-old only allowed three earned runs on seven hits in eight innings, but his 7:5 strikeout:walk ratio didn’t inspire much confidence. That came after an awful showing with the Angels for Allen, whom they signed to an $8.5MM guarantee last offseason. The Angels released Allen, a former star Indians closer, last month after he notched 23 innings of 6.26 ERA/8.40 FIP ball with 11.35 K/9, 7.83 BB/9, a shockingly low 19.7 percent groundball rate and a bloated 20.9 percent home run-to-fly ball rate.

Back when Allen signed with the Twins, a path to the majors looked realistic. However, the World Series hopeful Twins made a couple of notable bullpen trades in recent days, further blocking Allen’s path back to the bigs. The club acquired Sergio Romo from the Marlins last Saturday and Sam Dyson from the Giants on Wednesday.

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