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Mariners Receiving Trade Interest In Santana, Elias

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The Mariners, as one would expect with GM Jerry Dipoto at the helm, continue to be active in trade discussions and are receiving the most interest in outfielder Domingo Santana and lefty Roenis Elias, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required). Interest in Santana is strong enough that Seattle “will at least consider trading him,” Rosenthal writes.

Santana, 27 in early August, is in his first season with the Mariners after coming over from the Brewers in an offseason swap that sent Ben Gamel to Milwaukee. The slugger has been every bit as productive as Seattle could have reasonably hoped upon acquiring him, hitting at a .280/.346/.489 pace with 19 home runs, 19 doubles, a triple and six steals. Santana, though, has also fanned at a 29.5 percent clip and racked up more total strikeouts (122) than any player in Major League Baseball.

More concerning than Santana’s strikeouts, however, is his glovework in the outfield. Santana’s -14.4 Ultimate Zone Rating and -12 Outs Above Average are the worst marks of any outfielder in baseball. Only Colorado’s Ian Desmond (-16) has fared worse than Santana (-13) in the estimation of Defensive Runs Saved. It’s not fully clear what has prompted the downturn in Santana’s defensive ratings. A year ago in Milwaukee, he drew above-average marks from all three of those metrics. And while those positive ratings look to be an outlier relative to the rest of his career, Santana has also never struggled anywhere close to this extent in seasons past.

Surely, some teams — particularly those in the NL — will be wary of Santana’s defense. But a club that could give Santana some time at designated hitter (or, speculatively, first base) and/or one that believes it has a solution to this season’s pronounced decline could hardly help but be intrigued by his bat. Santana has been an above-average hitter in every season he’s received regular playing time, and he’s controlled through the 2021 season at an affordable rate. This year’s home run and RBI totals will undoubtedly boost his salary in arbitration, but he’s earning just $1.95MM in 2019, so his forthcoming raise won’t make his salary burdensome. Santana has been good against right-handed pitching (.277/.338/.449) while obliterating lefties (.287/.374/.621), so he’d be of particular interest to a team that has been overmatched by opposing southpaws (e.g. Indians, Rockies).

As for Elias, MLBTR explored the left-hander’s likely trade candidacy at greater length last week, noting that while he’s not an elite reliever, he’s a solid arm whose modest $910K salary and remaining club control (also through 2021) should generate plenty of interest. Elias can miss bats, throws rather hard for a lefty and gets good spin on both his heater and curveball, all of which makes him an appealing asset. With so many teams around the league eyeing bullpen help and Dipoto never afraid to move a piece as he rebuilds the Seattle roster and farm system, it’d be more surprising to see the Mariners retain Elias than it would be to see him traded.

Injury Notes: Mondesi, Hembree, A’s, Webb

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Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi is headed for an MRI on his left shoulder after sustaining an injury on a diving attempt at a foul pop in yesterday’s game, writes Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. Mondesi told teammate Hunter Dozier that he thinks he dislocated his shoulder upon impact, and the video of the injury makes it apparent that the shortstop immediately knew something was wrong in his shoulder; Mondesi briefly attempted to lift his left arm before leaving it still and motioning toward his left shoulder with his right hand. The Royals obviously aren’t contending for a postseason berth, and Mondesi himself was never a trade candidate, but a prolonged absence would still be deflating for the club. The 23-year-old Mondesi has slumped a bit lately but generally been a bright spot since claiming an everyday role in 2018. Dating back to last season, Mondesi is hitting .270/.299/.462 with 21 home runs and a whopping 62 stolen bases in roughly a full season’s worth of work (156 games, 648 plate appearances).

  • Red Sox right-hander Heath Hembree’s average fastball velocity is down roughly 2.5 mph since his return from the injured list, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com observes. As one would expect, Hembree’s decreased velocity and his potentially related struggles — three runs on three hits and no outs recorded Tuesday — raised red flags with manager Alex Cora and the coaching staff. Cora said after the game that the Sox would “check in” Hembree to gauge how he’s feeling, acknowledging some concern over the right-hander.
  • Stephen Piscotty, on the injured list due to a sprained MCL in his right knee, is confident that he can return to the Athletics on the shorter end of his initial four- to six-week timeline, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. He could begin a minor league rehab stint next week and potentially return before month’s end. Meanwhile, lefty Sean Manaea will make a third rehab start with Class-A Stockton on Thursday before transferring his rehab to Triple-A — likely for another three starts. That’d put Manaea in line for an August return — an encouraging timeline for an A’s club that once feared he’d miss the entire 2019 season.
  • An MRI on Jacob Webb’s right elbow did not reveal any structural damage, writes Andrew Wagner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. As such, the Braves are hopeful that the right-hander, who was placed on the IL with an elbow impingement Monday, can begin playing catch within a matter of days. Webb, 25, has been a breath of fresh air for an Atlanta ’pen that struggled early in 2019. Through 32 1/3 innings, he’s pitched to a 1.32 ERA with nine holds and a pair of saves. Beyond the bottom-line results, Webb’s numbers are a bit of a mixed bag. He sports pedestrian strikeout and walk rates, and he’s benefited from a .233 average on balls in play and an 86 percent strand rate. However, his swinging-strike rate (13.1 percent) suggests more punchouts could manifest in the future, and Statcast is bullish on the low quality of contact he’s allowed to opponents (.281 xwOBA).

Cubs Rumors: Trade Deadline, Maldonado, Caratini, Hamels

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The Cubs, buoyed by a weekend sweep of the Pirates and a dramatic walk-off victory Tuesday, are likely to approach the trade deadline as a buyer. However, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein tells Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required) that “it would take a special deal to sacrifice the very top of the farm system.” Epstein plainly states that while his goal is to win in 2019, the team is simultaneously trying to build its farm back up after years of aggressive, win-now deals. Epstein himself doesn’t list specific untouchables, though one can presume that players like Miguel Amaya, Nico Hoerner, Adbert Alzolay and Aramis Ademan will be tough to pry away. The Cubs have recently been linked to left-handed bullpen upgrades, and manager Joe Maddon spoke recently about his desire to add a more consistent veteran bat to the lineup.

More Cubs rumblings…

  • Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times dispels some speculative theories following the Cubs’ surprise acquisition of Martin Maldonado. Adding a third catcher to the mix doesn’t indicate that Willson Contreras’ foot injury is worse than has been suggested. To the contrary, Contreras said he expects to be cleared for full baseball activity by the end of the week, calling his injury a “bruise” after a visit with a specialist. The Maldonado trade was not made with the intent of either shopping Victor Caratini or optioning him back to Triple-A, Wittenmyer further reports. The Cubs have a history of acquiring a third catcher in recent August waiver periods — Bobby Wilson in 2018, Rene Rivera in 2017 — but there’s no opportunity to do so now that August trade waivers have been eliminated. “You can never have enough good catching, especially catching that is playoff-experienced and respected by veteran pitchers and coaches alike,” GM Jed Hoyer said following the Maldonado deal.
  • An early August return could be in the cards for lefty Cole Hamels, Wittenmyer writes in a second piece. Hamels will have a mound session today after a previous pair of throwing sessions from flat ground. The southpaw conceded that while he “hates it,” he’ll need to make at least one minor league rehab start because it’s the “smart thing to do.” If today’s session goes well, that could put him in line to reclaim his rotation spot on Aug. 3, tentatively putting his total absence at a period of about five weeks. Hamels, 35, had pitched to a terrific 2.98 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 0.81 HR/9 and a 51.1 percent ground-ball rate in 99 2/3 innings when he landed on the IL late last month. He’d been doing his best work of the season prior to being shelved, making his absence all the more costly for the Cubs. In six June starts (37 innings), Hamels allowed five earned runs with a 37-to-9 K/BB ratio.

Rangers Considered Optioning Nomar Mazara, Ronald Guzman

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The Rangers welcomed back All-Star slugger Hunter Pence from the injured list Tuesday. Pence’s return forced the Rangers to option someone else from their 25-man roster to Triple-A Nashville. They chose outfielder Willie Calhoun, which left him “speechless.” Demoting Calhoun was not a slam-dunk decision on Texas’ part, though. The club also considered optioning two regulars – right fielder Nomar Mazara and first baseman Ronald Guzman – Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Mazara was billed as a potential superstar coming up through the minors with the Rangers, so sending him back would have been especially notable on their part. To this point, however, Mazara hasn’t matched the hype since his initial promotion to the majors in 2016. The Rangers realize it.

“We want him to be better,” manager Chris Woodward told Wilson of Mazara. General manager Jon Daniels believes Mazara has “been a solid contributor,” but “he’s got another step he can get to.”

Daniels may be right – Mazara’s just 24 years old, after all. Still, it’s difficult to regard Mazara’s career .259/.319/.428 line (91 wRC+) and 1.7 fWAR across 2,077 plate appearances as anything but a disappointment. Likewise, his 2019 has been a letdown. As has typically been the case during his time in the majors, southpaw pitchers have handled the lefty-swinging Mazara. He hasn’t been great against righties either, though. In all, Mazara has hit a personal-worst .258/.310/.433 (86 wRC+) with 12 home runs and a replacement-level fWAR (0.1) over 361 trips to the plate. While Mazara’s on pace for his fourth straight 20-home run season, the HR-heavy nature of today’s game means that accomplishment doesn’t carry as much weight as it once did.

As for Guzman, it seems his position helped spare him of a demotion. Sending him down would’ve left the club with too many outfielders, Wilson notes. Also 24, Guzman has been a decidedly below-average offensive player (83 wRC+) since his 2018 debut. So far this season, Guzman has hit a punchless .201/.286/.413 (73 wRC+) with eight HRs and minus-0.4 fWAR in 217 PA. Like Mazara, lefties have stymied Guzman this year – he has batted .111/.203/.296 against them – which has led the Rangers to use righties Danny Santana and Logan Forsythe against them.

Barring in-season turnarounds from Mazara and Guzman, one wonders how much longer the Rangers will rely on them as key parts of their lineup. Mazara’s team control is running out – next year will be his penultimate season of arbitration eligibility – meaning he’s not guaranteed to stick in Texas for much longer as it is. Guzman won’t be eligible for arbitration until after 2020, so he could be with the organization for a while longer. However, a team with designs on contending can’t keep turning to an offensive albatross at a bat-first position.

Dodgers Interested In Jake Diekman

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The Dodgers are among the teams “known to be interested” in Royals left-handed reliever Jake Diekman, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com writes. They join the Nationals in that regard.

As a 32-year-old who could reach free agency after the season, the rebuilding Royals are likely to part with Diekman before the July 31 trade deadline. The club figures to say goodbye to as many non-core veterans as possible in the next two weeks, and has already started the process in the past few days. The Royals have traded two impending free agents – right-hander Homer Bailey (Athletics) and catcher Martin Maldonado (Cubs) – since the weekend. Diekman does have a $5.75MM mutual option (or a $500K buyout) for next year, though the Royals probably wouldn’t exercise their half of it.

Like Bailey and Maldonado, Diekman isn’t someone who figures to bring back a large return in a trade. Although Diekman boasts 96 mph heat, he has only managed a 4.97 ERA in 38 innings this year, thanks in part to an unpalatable walk rate (5.45 BB/9). That’s not to say Diekman hasn’t been serviceable for Kansas City, though. On the contrary, Diekman has struck out just over 13 hitters per nine and posted a career-high swinging-strike rate (16.4). He has also logged a 3.71 FIP, induced grounders at a 46.5 percent clip and generated infield pop-ups at a 20.0 percent rate. Diekman has been useful against lefty hitters (.289 weighted on-base average) and righties (.313 wOBA) in the process.

The Dodgers are in possession of the majors’ best record (63-34), which plainly suggests they’re low on weaknesses. Their bullpen has been vulnerable, though, including when it helped turn what should have been a win into a loss against the Phillies on Tuesday. Kenley Jansen, Pedro Baez, Dylan Floro and Joe Kelly have all taken notable steps backward compared to their 2018 production, while lefties Tony Cingrani (out for the season) and Scott Alexander (out since June 7 with forearm inflammation) either haven’t pitched at all or have seldom been available.

The absences of Cingrani and Alexander have left Julio Urias as the lone southpaw in the Dodgers’ bullpen. Urias, to his credit, has been eminently effective. Still, judging by the Dodgers’ reported interest in Diekman, Felipe Vazquez and Will Smith, they wouldn’t mind adding another late-game lefty to a righty-heavy group.

Seunghwan Oh To Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery

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Rockies right-handed reliever Seunghwan Oh is set to undergo season-ending surgery on his elbow to remove loose particles, Kyle Newman of the Denver Post reports. It’s the second bit of unwelcome health news of the night for the Rockies, who previously lost infielder Brendan Rodgers to season-ending shoulder surgery.

This news wraps up a miserable campaign for Oh, who last pitched May 30. The 37-year-old took the mound 21 times for the Rockies this season and pitched to a hideous 9.33 ERA/6.70 FIP with 7.85 K/9, 2.95 BB/9 and a 37.9 percent groundball rate over 18 1/3 frames. It was a far cry from the Oh who dominated at times over the previous three seasons with the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Rockies. Even factoring in this year’s disastrous production, the Korean-born Oh has still recorded a 3.31 ERA/3.46 FIP with 10.05 K/9 against 2.23 BB/9 across 225 2/3 innings since emigrating from the Japan Central League in 2016.

Oh turned in excellent numbers last year between Toronto and Colorado and amassed enough appearances (73; he needed 70) for his $2.5MM club option to vest for this season. The Rockies were happy to welcome Oh back at such a reasonable salary, though he indicated last October that he wanted to return to the Korea Baseball Organization, where he pitched from 2005-13.

While Oh decided to honor the remainder of his contract with the Rockies, it’s now fair to wonder what the future holds for the hurler known as the “Final Boss.” As a soon-to-be free agent, Oh could return to his homeland to finish his career or simply retire. If Oh returns to the majors, it seems likely he’ll have to settle for a minor league deal on the heels of a nightmarish contract year.

David Stearns Discusses Brewers’ Deadline Approach

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Milwaukee laid waste to Atlanta in a 13-1 rout Tuesday, but the Brewers entered the game amid a terrible stretch that could help prevent them from earning their second straight playoff berth. The reigning NL Central champion Brewers have led the division for a large portion of the year, but they’ve won just 11 of 30 since sitting a season-best 10 games over .500 on June 9. They’re now a mediocre 49-47 and looking up at the Cubs in their division. Despite their recent downturn, all hope isn’t lost for the Brewers, who are still 2 1/2 games behind Chicago and only a half-game back of a wild-card spot.

With the July 31 trade deadline coming up, Brewers general manager David Stearns discussed his plans for the next couple weeks with Adam McCalvy of MLB.com and other reporters Tuesday. Unsurprisingly, Stearns revealed it’s “our preference” to acquire outside help and suggested it’s likely to happen. But Stearns didn’t fully commit to bolstering his roster, noting Milwaukee’s current players will decide whether it happens with how they perform on the field. The Brewers “have not played good baseball” of late, stated Stearns, who admitted the club’s “fortunate” to be within striking distance of a playoff spot despite its lengthy stretch of poor play.

If the Brewers do persuade Stearns into making any aggressive moves this month, their pitching staff seems likely to be a major area of focus. The club has been connected to a few of the best potentially on-the-move starters – the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler (links here) and the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner (link) – as well as Giants closer and ex-Brewer Will Smith in the rumor mill. It stands to reason some of the majors’ other prominent trade candidates have also landed on the Brewers’ radar.

Milwaukee’s rotation entered Tuesday 19th in ERA and a similarly uninspiring 17th in FIP, owing to subpar performances from an array of starters. Jhoulys Chacin has fallen flat after a strong 2018, while Freddy Peralta, Corbin Burnes and Jimmy Nelson couldn’t stick in the Brewers’ rotation after offering disappointing numbers earlier in the season. The struggles of Peralta, Burnes and Nelson have opened the door for Adrian Houser, who had been working as a reliever. Houser’s three starts this month haven’t gone well, as he has allowed 12 earned runs on 21 hits with a 10:5 K:BB ratio in 15 innings.

In more encouraging news, Zach Davies has managed a 2.89 ERA – albeit with less-than-dazzling peripherals – while the 26-year-old Brandon Woodruff looks as if he’s breaking out. Chase Anderson has pitched fine in 13 starts (4.23 ERA/4.10 FIP), though he hasn’t even averaged five frames per outing. Gio Gonzalez notched a 3.19 ERA/3.24 FIP in a six-start, 31-inning span from his late-April signing through the end of May. However, Gonzalez hasn’t taken the mound for the Brewers since then because of a dead arm. Gonzalez recently began a rehab assignment, though, perhaps giving the Brewers hope that the long-competent lefty could help stabilize their rotation down the stretch.

The Brewers’ bullpen, meanwhile, isn’t quite the force it was a year ago. Josh Hader has been outstanding again, as was Houser before the Brewers shifted him to their rotation. Peralta has recorded much better production in relief than he did as a starter. Meanwhile, unlike last year, Jeremy Jeffress has been more decent than dominant in 2019. That group aside, the Brewers haven’t received particularly impressive numbers from any other relievers they’ve used extensively this year. Losing Corey Knebel to Tommy John surgery in late March was a brutal blow to take just as the season was getting underway. His lack of availability is one of the reasons the Brewers may be in the market for late-game help this month.

White Sox Likely To Place Eloy Jimenez On Injured List

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White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez departed the team’s loss to the Royals on Tuesday with right elbow soreness after a collision with center fielder Charlie Tilson. While the severity of the injury isn’t yet known, Jimenez is “likely” headed to the IL, manager Rick Renteria told Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times and other reporters. He’ll undergo an MRI in the meantime, James Fegan of The Athletic tweets.

An IL stint would be the second of the year for the ballyhooed Jimenez, who suffered a right ankle sprain in late April. That injury cost Jimenez approximately four weeks of action. Since Jimenez returned May 20, he has started all but one of the White Sox’s games in left field.

Considered one of the majors’ elite prospects entering the season, the 22-year-old Jimenez has lived up to the billing at the plate since a rough April and May. The rookie posted a 144 wRC+ in June and has so far mustered a 124 mark in July. Overall, Jimenez has slashed .244/.307/.483 (107 wRC+) with 17 home runs in 267 plate appearances. Jimenez hasn’t been as successful in left, though, with minus-10 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-2.8 Ultimate Zone Rating.

Thanks in part to Jimenez’s offensive contributions, Chicago was unexpectedly in the AL playoff race not long ago. But reality has set in of late for the White Sox, losers of five straight to begin the second half of the season. They’re now 42-49 and a potentially insurmountable 9 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot. Losing Jimenez isn’t going to help the fading club’s cause.

Latest On Johnny Cueto, Evan Longoria

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Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto is less than a year removed from undergoing a Tommy John procedure Aug. 2, 2018, but he’s already nearing a rehab assignment, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle relays. Cueto will begin pitching in rehab games in the Arizona rookie league at the start of August, manager Bruce Bochy announced Tuesday.

The Giants’ expectation is that Cueto will factor into their major league plans this season, and considering the recent tear they’ve gone on, the 33-year-old could influence a playoff push. At 45-49, the Giants remain a serious long shot for a playoff spot, especially if they start dealing veterans by the July 31 trade deadline. For now, however, they’ve rallied to within three games of a wild-card spot in a crowded race.

Regardless of whether he does pitch for the Giants in 2019, Cueto has two more guaranteed seasons left on the six-year, $130MM deal he signed with the team going into 2016. The longtime workhorse and ex-ace lived up to the pact in its first year, firing 219 2/3 innings of 2.79 ERA/2.96 FIP ball, but has struggled with injuries and failed to perform to his previous levels since then. Dating back to 2017, Cueto has given the Giants 200 1/3 frames of 4.18 ERA/4.55 FIP pitching.

Meanwhile, another of the Giants’ high-paid veterans – third baseman Evan Longoria – revealed Tuesday that he could miss two weeks to a month because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The injury forced Longoria to the IL on Monday, derailing a superb stretch for the former superstar. Longoria has posted a video game-like 1.537 OPS and swatted six home runs in 34 plate appearances in July, raising his 2019 line to .241/.318/.446 (101 wRC+) with 13 HRs in 311 PA. The 33-year-old’s overall production as a Giant has still underwhelmed since they acquired him from the Rays prior to 2018, though Longoria’s recent play has aided in the team’s improbable run toward contention. As long as he’s out, fellow vet Pablo Sandoval figures to handle third for the Giants. That is, if they don’t trade Sandoval in the next two weeks.

Cardinals Place Matt Carpenter On Injured List

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The Cardinals placed third baseman Matt Carpenter on the injured list with a right foot contusion on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com was among those to report. It’s unclear how much time Carpenter will sit out, but for now, infielder Edmundo Sosa is up from Triple-A Memphis to take his roster spot.

Carpenter’s injury continues a surprisingly dreadful season for the accomplished 33-year-old, who just returned right after the All-Star break from a back strain that forced him to the shelf in late June. When Carpenter has been healthy enough to take the field in 2019, he has slashed an unappealing .215/.321/.372 (86 wRC+) with 10 home runs in 343 plate appearances. That’s a marked drop-off from the production the Cardinals have become accustomed to receiving from Carpenter, a .275/.377/.471 hitter with a 133 wRC+ in 4,298 trips to the plate from 2012-18.

With Carpenter having missed a fair amount of time of late, the Cardinals have gotten somewhat used to deploying Tommy Edman and Yairo Munoz at the hot corner. Those two will man the position again during Carpenter’s latest IL stay, according to Rogers. Neither player has performed much better (if at all) than Carpenter on a per-PA basis, though, and Edman and Munoz have combined for a measly four walks in 161 trips to the plate. They’ll need to do better than that going forward for St. Louis, which entered Tuesday tied for the National League’s second wild-card spot and a manageable two back of the first-place Cubs in the NL Central.

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