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Latest On Noah Syndergaard, Edwin Diaz

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Mets starter Noah Syndergaard and closer Edwin Diaz have come up as potential trade candidates in advance of the July 31 deadline, but general manager Brodie Van Wagenen may have trouble dealing either. Van Wagenen’s difficulty wouldn’t necessarily stem from trying to find a trade partner, but from attempting to sell Mets ownership on a return for one or both right-handers. Van Wagenen doesn’t even want to present a possible Syndergaard or Diaz trade to owners Fred Wilpon and Jeff Wilpon unless he’s confident they’ll sign off on it, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

While the Mets are reportedly “fully intent” on trading Syndergaard, talks haven’t grown so serious that Van Wagenen has gone to the Wilpons yet, per Sherman, who adds moving Syndergaard or Diaz wouldn’t signify the beginning of a rebuild. Instead, the Mets could part with one or both with the intention of immediately improving their roster – one that has stumbled to a 47-55 record in 2019.

As a rookie GM, Van Wagenen inherited Syndergaard – a member of the organization since 2013 – but he’s just a few months from swinging a blockbuster trade that brought Diaz to New York. The goal in acquiring Diaz and expensive second baseman Robinson Cano from the Mariners last offseason was to push the Mets toward contention this year. But the deal hasn’t worked out at all for the Mets, who’ve gotten disappointing contributions from Diaz and Cano and have watched Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn – the top two prospects they gave up – impress with their new organization. The Mets are leery of risking similar embarrassment now in selling Syndergaard or Diaz, Sherman suggests.

Diaz hasn’t been nearly the pitcher he was a year ago, when he turned in a 1.96 ERA with 15.22 K/9, 2.09 BB/9 and an eye-popping 57 saves in 73 1/3 innings, but he remains valuable. Although Diaz has recorded a 4.81 ERA over 39 1/3 innings, a 3.50 FIP with 13.96 K/9, 2.97 BB/9 and 97 mph velocity accompany that bloated figure. He’s also young (25), on a near-minimum salary this season and under control via arbitration for the next three years. It’s understandable the Mets would need a huge return to move him, though their hope of acquiring a comparable or better package for Diaz than they originally gave up for him is likely a pipe dream.

Meantime, it could be an even bigger challenge for Van Wagenen to talk the Wilpons into giving their blessing to a Syndergaard deal. There’s skepticism Fred Wilpon, in particular, wouldn’t “appreciate the quality” of a return for Syndergaard, writes Sherman. He points to what the Rays received last summer for Chris Archer (whom the Pirates got for Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows and Shane Baz) as a possible comparable for Syndergaard. However, even a valuable package along those lines may not be enough to convince the Wilpons that it would be OK for Van Wagenen to move the coveted 26-year-old hurler.

Padres, White Sox Interested In Nomar Mazara

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Reports yesterday from Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News indicated that Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara was drawing interest from rival teams.  Grant mentioned that Mazara was getting looks from teams who weren’t necessarily contenders this season but were looking to contend in 2020, and today Grant specified that the Padres and White Sox were two of the clubs scouting Mazara.

San Diego is something of an odd fit for Mazara on paper, as the Padres already have multiple corner outfield options on hand.  Franmil Reyes and Hunter Renfroe have both performed very well this season, the struggling Wil Myers isn’t likely to be going anywhere due to his contract, Travis Jankowski and Josh Naylor are the two primary options in the minor leagues, and Franchy Cordero could also rejoin the mix if he gets healthy.

Then again, Padres GM A.J. Preller was the Rangers’ director of international scouting when Mazara was first signed to a then-record $5MM bonus by the Rangers back in 2011.  It wouldn’t at all be surprising if Preller feels a move to a new environment could help Mazara become a consistently productive big league player.  It’s also possible the Padres could create some space in the outfield with some trades for pitching over the next week, as the club has been linked to a long list of starting arms over the last several months.

Chicago has Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert ticketed as their respective left and center fielders of the future, though while Leury Garcia has been a useful player, the White Sox could prefer to land a player with more upside like Mazara.  Garcia has been one of several Sox players who have generated some trade interest as we approach the deadline, though Chicago isn’t considered to be too interested in moving players, as the club has their eye on contending for the AL Central in 2020.  Between Jimenez’s debut, breakout performances from Lucas Giolito and Yoan Moncada, and other young talents who are on the verge of the big leagues, the Pale Hose seem to be on the verge of properly ending their rebuild.  (Of course, they almost did so last winter in their push to sign Manny Machado, before losing him to the Padres.)

Twins Acquire Jeremy Bleich

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The Twins have acquired left-hander Jeremy Bleich from the Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations, as tweeted by Nate Rowan, the director of communications for the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester.  Bleich will be assigned to Rochester.

Bleich signed a minors deal with Boston in April, and has posted an 0.71 ERA in 12 2/3 innings at low-A ball along with a 5.59 ERA over 19 1/3 frames for Triple-A Pawtucket.  These represent the latest stops in an 11-year pro career for Bleich, who was originally selected 44th overall by the Yankees in the 2008 draft.  Minnesota will be the seventh different organization Bleich has called home, and his long resume includes a cup of coffee in the majors, appearing in two games (and pitching a total of one-third of an inning) for the Athletics just last season.

The 32-year-old Bleich has a 3.87 ERA, 7.3 K/9, and 2.08 K/BB rate over 641 1/3 career innings in the minors.  He has started 72 of his 271 career games, though the lefty has worked largely out of the bullpen for the last five years.

Dodgers Option Austin Barnes To Triple-A, Will D. Smith To Be Recalled

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The Dodgers have optioned catcher Austin Barnes to Triple-A, as originally reported by MLB.com’s official transactions page.  Will D. Smith will be called up to take Barnes’ roster spot prior to Friday’s game, according to Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times.

After a big performance down the stretch in 2017 that included usurping Yasmani Grandal’s at-bats in the postseason, it seemed like Barnes was on his way to becoming the Dodgers’ catcher of the future.  That progress was stalled after Barnes had only a .619 OPS in 238 PA in 2018, and he has continued to struggle this year, hitting .196/.288/.328 through 233 plate appearances.

With veteran Russell Martin also not hitting well, Los Angeles hasn’t received much offense from the catcher’s spot this year — that is, apart from Smith’s first two brief stints on the Dodgers’ roster.  Smith’s first exposure to Major League pitching saw him hit .269/.345/.654 with three homers in only 29 PA over nine games.  As we saw with Barnes himself in 2017, the Dodgers aren’t afraid to turn to a young player late in the season, and if Smith continues to hit, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he earns himself regular catching duty come October.

Picked 32nd overall in the 2016 draft, Smith was a top-100 prospect in the eyes of both Baseball Prospectus (59th) and Baseball America (95th) prior to the 2019 season.  He is already thought to have solid defense, and Smith has also hit .232/.334/.497 with 21 homers over 366 Triple-A plate appearances.

Catcher is an interesting long-term position for the Dodgers, as both Smith and top prospect Keibert Ruiz would seem to be the club’s top choices for the future, though L.A. also did its due diligence in exploring J.T. Realmuto’s availability before the All-Star was traded to the Phillies last offseason.  Smith and Ruiz are undoubtedly popular targets for teams looking to make deals with the Dodgers, yet given that Barnes may be falling out of favor, it may behoove the Dodgers to see exactly what they have in both Smith or Ruiz before deciding on who will be their catcher of the future.

Rangers Acquire Shane Carle, Designate Kyle Dowdy

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The Rangers have acquired right-hander Shane Carle from the Braves for cash considerations, per an announcement from John Blake, Texas’ executive vice president of communications.  Carle has been optioned to Triple-A Nashville.  To make room for Carle, the Rangers activated righty Kyle Dowdy from the 10-day IL and designated him for assignment.

Carle was DFA’ed by the Braves yesterday after posting a 9.64 ERA over just 9 1/3 innings of work this season.  Carle emerged as a workhorse with a 63-inning performance out of Atlanta’s bullpen in 2018, though his performance began to fade even down the stretch last year, despite an overall 2.86 ERA.  While strikeouts have never been a huge aspect of Carle’s game, he has missed more bats than usual at Triple-A Gwinnett this season, with an 8.4 K/9 rate over 33 1/3 frames.  Those extra K’s haven’t helped Carle avoid a 5.13 ERA for Gwinnett, however.

A change of scenery could be just what Carle needs, as he does boast some very good velocity (94.7 mph average fastball over his 76 1/3 IP in the big leagues) and a 4.14 ERA over 562 2/3 innings in the minors.  He’s a fairly low-cost acquisition for Texas, and an arm that could provide more immediate MLB upside than Dowdy.

Originally a member of the Indians’ farm system, Dowdy was selected by the Mets in the Rule 5 Draft and then claimed off waivers by the Rangers during Spring Training.  Dowdy had a 7.25 ERA over his first 22 1/3 innings in the majors before going on the injured list in early June with an elbow impingement.  If Dowdy clears DFA waivers, the Rangers will have to offer him back to Cleveland.

Latest On Marcus Stroman

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Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman has looked like a surefire trade candidate for a while. Even he expects to move before the July 31 trade deadline, having said after his Wednesday start – possibly his last with the Blue Jays – “There’s been no willingness from the front office to sign me, so I’ve just kind of come to terms with it and I’m ready to dominate, wherever that may be, absolutely dominate.”

Now, though, there are conflicting reports on whether Toronto is gearing up to part with Stroman, who’s earning $7.4MM this season and still has another year of arbitration control left. While Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that Stroman is “generally viewed within the industry as the most likely top starter to be traded,” Andy Martino of SNY.tv tweets that the Blue Jays have informed teams they may extend the 28-year-old instead of moving him. As Martino notes, though, it may be a negotiating ploy on the part of Toronto, which – as Stroman said – hasn’t shown any real desire to commit to him for the long haul. It’s hard to believe the team will drastically change course on the cusp of the deadline.

The division-rival Yankees are among an array of contenders who have been connected to Stroman of late, but despite the problems in their rotation, a deal doesn’t look particularly likely to come together. New York hasn’t pursued Stroman as ardently as it went after one of his former teammates – fellow starter J.A. Happ – last year, according to Sherman, who reports the Yankees aren’t the perceived front-runners for Stroman right now. The club did land Happ, whom it then wound up re-signing to a two-year, $34MM contract in free agency, but the left-hander has fallen way short of expectations this season. Happ’s struggles are a key reason the league-leading Yankees are in the market for a high-end starter this summer.

Latest On Jameson Taillon, Gregory Polanco

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6:52PM: The belief is that Taillon will need some type of surgery, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets.  Flexor damage is the better-case scenario, rather than elbow surgery, as a flexor procedure wouldn’t likely keep Taillon from being ready for the start of the 2020 season.

10:03AM: The Pirates’ hopes for a competitive 2019 season are looking rockier than ever as key players Jameson Taillon and Gregory Polanco struggle to turn the corner. Both are facing increasingly worrisome injury situations, as they discussed this morning with reporters including Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link) and The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel (links to Twitter).

Taillon’s situation appears to be the one with the most at stake. We heard some ominous news yesterday as his rehab was halted. The additional word out of the Bucs’ locker room doesn’t provide much in the way of comfort.

The team still doesn’t know the outcome of his arm issues, but will learn more soon. Taillon will visit with orthopedist Dr. David Altchek on Monday. The righty says he’s “hoping it’s just the forearm” rather than an elbow problem that could require major surgery.

Taillon, who has previously undergone a Tommy John procedure, indicates that he’s “excited for whatever comes next” even if it means a lengthy rehab process. He says that he has “been stuck in a grey area for a while.” Though the team has long signaled that Taillon was expected to return this season, it seems there may have been greater internal pessimism throughout.

Any kind of significant arm procedure would be a worry for the Bucs. Taillon is one of the organization’s top players and best assets, at least assuming full health. But it seems he’s all but certainly done for the year; as he puts it, “this season is probably a wash for me.” Taillon only made seven starts this year after a superlative 2018 season, which means he’ll enter arbitration in the offseason with a weak platform that will limit his earnings.

As for Polanco, there’s also some longer-fuse worry. He says he pushed too hard to make it back from last year’s shoulder procedure, leading to the problems that have forced him to the shelf after a return. Now, he’s going to take some more time to rest after having his rehab assignment halted a week ago. Whether Polanco can make it back to the majors this year isn’t yet known, but certainly can’t be presumed.

Having already gone through an unsuccessful effort to ramp up relatively quickly and play at less than full health, Polanco says he’s now committed to fully healing. “This time, I want to be 100 percent,” he says. With the club owing him $23MM in future salary, including two guaranteed seasons and buyouts on a pair of options, a long-term outlook makes sense for all sides.

Needless to say, with the Bucs already reeling in the standings, they increasingly appear to be situated as a seller at the coming deadline. There’s not much of an argument to be made that the roster, especially sans Taillon and Polanco, can contend in the present campaign. The question the front office needs to consider most closely is whether it has the pieces needed to bounce back in 2020.

Royals Rumors: Merrifield, Diekman

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Royals utilityman Whit Merrifield is unsurprisingly drawing interest from contenders with the trade deadline just a few days away. The Cubs, Braves and Phillies are among the teams eyeing Merrifield, but it appears they’ll have to look elsewhere. The Royals are telling teams they’re not going to deal him, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports.

Even though the Royals are just 39-64 this season and will have trouble pushing for a playoff spot in the near future, the 30-year-old Merrifield has never looked like an especially realistic trade candidate. Royals general manager Dayton Moore hasn’t made it any secret he has an affinity for Merrifield, who he said in June is “one of the best players in all of baseball right now.” Moore also stated then it would take a “crazy” offer for Kansas City to move Merrifield, whom it signed to a four-year, $16.25MM extension in the offseason.

On a KC team with few major bright spots, Merrifield has continued his run as an eminently valuable performer this year. He has slashed .306/.357/.495 (122 wRC+) with 49 extra-base hits (28 doubles, 12 home runs, nine triples) and 15 steals on 23 attempts in 470 plate appearances. Merrifield has also chipped in 4 Defensive Runs Saved and a 1.3 Ultimate Zone Rating between second base and the outfield. The entire package has been worth 2.9 bWAR/2.7 fWAR. Between Merrifield’s affordability and his on-field excellence, there’s a case the rebuilding Royals should trade him – they’d surely net an exorbitant return – but it doesn’t look as if it’s going to happen.

Meanwhile, reliever Jake Diekman seems almost guaranteed to change uniforms by the end of the month. In addition to the already reported Phillies, Dodgers and Nationals, Diekman has drawn interest from the Cubs, Cardinals and Braves, per Morosi. Diekman, 32, is on a $2.75MM guarantee and has a $5.75MM mutual option for 2020. The hard-throwing left-hander has pitched to a pedestrian 4.75 ERA in 41 2/3 innings this season. But he has logged a far better 3.36 FIP with 13.61 K/9, 4.97 BB/9 and a 48.4 percent groundball rate.

Diamondbacks To Call Up Yasmany Tomas

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The Diamondbacks will call up outfielder Yasmany Tomas prior to Friday’s game against the Marlins, the Pelota Cubana blog reports (Twitter link).  Adjustments will have to be made to Arizona’s 25-man and 40-man roster, as Tomas was outrighted off the 40-man in April 2018.

This will mark Tomas’ first Major League action since 2017, as the 28-year-old spent all of last season at Triple-A Reno.  Signed to a six-year, $68.5MM contract prior to the 2015 season, Tomas hasn’t at all lived up to the buzz that made him one of the most highly-touted players to come out of Cuba in recent years.  Tomas hit .268/.307/.462 with 48 home runs over 1169 plate appearances for the D’Backs from 2015-17, with the bulk of that production coming during a 31-homer campaign in 2016 that seemed like a breakout.

Instead, Tomas regressed in 2017, and seemed to fall out of favor once Mike Hazen took over as Arizona’s general manager.  Since that outright assignment, Tomas has seemed to rediscover some his stroke at the plate, particularly with his .944 OPS in 413 Triple-A plate appearances this season.

Tomas has also spent the bulk of his time this year at first base, which theoretically would be his likeliest role with the D’Backs.  Since Paul Goldschmidt was locked into first base during Tomas’ initial stint with the team, Tomas struggled badly on defense while playing third base and in the corner outfield.  The D’Backs already have the right-handed hitting Christian Walker at first base this season, though while Walker has generally hit well, he has hit enough of a slump over the last month that Arizona might feel it worthy to give Tomas a shot at re-establishing himself.  Tomas could still see some playing time in the outfield, particularly if Adam Jones or David Peralta is dealt before the trade deadline.

The D’Backs still owe Tomas roughly $23.2MM through the end of the 2020 season, so there’s little harm in seeing if Tomas’ Triple-A numbers are for real and if some value can still be salvaged from the contract.  With the Snakes also still in the NL wild card hunt, Tomas could be an in-house (if unlikely) hitting upgrade that can help the club immediately, and potentially keep them from looking for a bat elsewhere before the deadline.

Twins Activate Byron Buxton From Injured List

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The Twins announced that center fielder Byron Buxton has been activated from the seven-day concussion injured list.  Buxton and Triple-A callup Sean Poppen are active for tonight’s game against the White Sox, with outfielder Jake Cave and southpaw Devin Smeltzer optioned to Triple-A in corresponding 25-man roster moves.

After making a diving catch on July 13, Buxton experienced some concussion symptoms that led the Twins to sideline the center fielder.  It was the second brief IL stint of the year for Buxton, who also missed some time in June due to a right wrist contusion.

While Buxton has yet to live up to the enormous hype that followed his selection as the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, the 25-year-old has at the very least put his troubled 2018 season behind him with a very strong showing this year.  Buxton has hit .249/.308/.490 with nine homers over 268 PA, putting him on-pace for his first above-average (104 wRC+) offensive performance in his young career.  Beyond the promise shown by improvements in his hard-contact and walk rates, Buxton continues to be a huge plus away from the plate, as he has already become one of the game’s best defensive center fielders.

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