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Archives for February 2020

Julio Teheran Dealing With Hamstring Tightness

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FEBRUARY 26: Teheran indicated he doesn’t see much cause for concern; in fact, he’s hoping to be ready to get back on the mound by Sunday or Monday, Fletcher tweets.

FEBRUARY 25: Angels right-hander Julio Teheran won’t make his scheduled start Wednesday because of left hamstring tightness, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to report. Fortunately for the Angels and Teheran, an MRI came back negative.

Teheran appears to be OK, but this is still a situation worth monitoring for an Angels club that has dealt with an abundance of adversity in its rotation over the past couple years. Injuries have been a major problem of late for the club, evidenced in part by the fact that no Angel even threw 100 innings last season. Conversely, a lack of durability hasn’t been a problem for Teheran, whom the Angels signed to a one-year, $9MM contract in free agency.

The 29-year-old Teheran was a member of the Braves from 2011-19, a span in which he amassed 170-plus innings in seven seasons. Teheran didn’t turn into the front-line type of starter the Braves thought they had toward the beginning of his career, but he has nonetheless managed decent overall numbers. Most recently, he piled up 174 2/3 frames of 3.81 ERA/4.66 FIP ball with 8.35 K/9 and 4.28 BB/9 last year. The FIP doesn’t look appealing, but that particular statistic has never been bullish on Teheran, who has consistently found a way to outdo it in the ERA department. Teheran’s the owner of a lifetime 3.67 ERA – a number the Angels would surely sign up for in 2020. He’ll first have to get over this injury, though.

Brodie Van Wagenen Provides J.D. Davis Update

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The Mets received generally promising news on the shoulder health of corner infielder/outfielder J.D. Davis. General manager Brodie Van Wagenen spoke with reporters including Tim Healey of Newsday (who provides a video on Twitter).

Davis underwent an MRI today. While the readout did identify some potential “previous injury” to Davis’s labrum, per Van Wagenen, that wasn’t deemed to be of concern. Davis “wasn’t symptomatic of anything beforehand” and the MRI “didn’t really show any new structural damage to his shoulder,” the GM explained.

Since the imaging also “didn’t show a ton of inflammation,” per Van Wagenen, Davis can begin the rehab process right away. Precisely when he will fully resume baseball activities remains to be seen; the current plan is for the team to re-assess the matter in one week’s time.

Davis says he has some aches and is “a little weak” in the shoulder, but has full range of motion and is generally “feeling alright.” (Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News provided video via Twitter.) While he’s feeling some sense of relief, the 26-year-old is still waiting to see how he progresses before declaring victory. Fortunately, so long as he bounces back at a reasonable pace, there’s certainly still a clear path for Davis to be ready to go at the start of the season.

Alex Anthopoulos: No Concern On Freeman’s Elbow

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Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said today that Freddie Freeman’s surgically repaired elbow is “not a concern.” Freeman was scratched from his start yesterday after experiencing inflammation. (Video via 680 The Fan, on Twitter.)

The reassurances from the GM are nice, but the real key here is that Dr. David Altchek — who performed Freeman’s bone spur removal procedure over the offseason — is evidently not worried. Even consulting with the surgeon was considered an exceedingly cautious step, Anthopoulos suggested. Altchek indicated that this sort of swelling is just part of the long-term recovery process.

While Freeman would prefer to jump right back into action, Anthopoulos says the team will exercise continued caution. The plan is to let the slugger rest for the remainder of the week and “get him back in there next week.”

Going forward, the team doesn’t anticipate any special care. But it’ll be proactive in doling out rest since there’s so much time left before the start of the season. And Anthopoulos noted that Freeman will need to communicate any issues that do arise. Otherwise, says Anthopoulos, “if doctors aren’t concerned then we’re not.”

MLB Teams Reportedly Pursuing Pre-Arb Extension Blitz

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Pre-arbitration extensions aren’t exactly a new phenomenon. We’ve seen an increasing number of long-term deals with newer MLB players — and even pre-MLB players — over the past decade or so. (Way back in 2013, for instance, I referred to a “baseball-wide trend of … early extensions.”) Last winter featured a dizzying number of extensions, including quite a few involving players that hadn’t yet cracked into the big-dollar earnings stages of their careers.

Some further contracts of that kind were to be expected. But we could be seeing yet more expansion of the kinds of players targeted. The early-career extensions inked by still-youthful reliever Aaron Bummer and swingman Freddy Peralta may only be the tip of the iceberg, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan indicates on Twitter.

It seems there’s something potentially afoot that goes beyond typical team-by-team extension targeting. Passan says that “teams across baseball are trying to lock up pre-arbitration players,” specifically, and that “there could be a rash of such deals in the coming weeks.”

This evidently widespread effort is all the more interesting given the marked open-market shift observed in the just-completed offseason. In each of the two prior winters, free agents — even high-end, younger ones — were approached with obvious reluctance. But MLB teams attacked the 2019-20 market vigorously, doling out both market-moving superstar deals and a series of hefty, lengthy payouts to quality older veterans.

It goes without saying that it’s good for business for a MLB organization to put a quality product on the field. But doing so consistently and in a cost-efficient manner is the gold standard. That’s also naturally quite challenging, since a baseball season is not only a zero-sum game but one that can swing upon innumerable, not-always-controllable factors.

Teams understandably prefer only to enter competitive bidding situations for free agents as needed. It’s not difficult to recognize a team’s potential upside in drafting (or trading for), developing, and then extending a player at an early enough stage in his MLB career that it can lock in low-cost, productive seasons for many years to come. There are obvious risks here as well. The Yankees-Luis Severino extension seemed a slam dunk but has been gutted by unfortunate injuries. But that deal could easily still pay out. Even if it doesn’t, it’d equate to whiffing on a good but not great free agent signing.

Anyway, all of that has long been appreciated and acted upon by MLB teams. So, what to watch for the rest of this spring? Beyond the obvious — whether specific young stars will be approached and wooed — it’ll be interesting to find out how far teams can take this approach. Remember: it’s still unclear just how certain major issues — the next CBA, the lively ball, universal DH, robo umps — will be resolved in the near term. Will there be a chase for upside or an attempt to lock in reasonable rates of pay for solid pieces? Will teams look to get a jump on anticipated changes to the labor market? MLB organizations also value roster flexibility and will be loath to tie up future payroll to non-productive players. Much remains to be seen, but it appears we’re in for another lively and interesting extension season this spring.

J.D. Davis Slated For MRI

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Mets corner infielder/outfielder J.D. Davis is heading in for an MRI today after suffering a shoulder injury yesterday, as Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (Twitter links). He was pulled from the club’s spring contest after diving for a groundball.

It’d be presumptuous even to speculate as to the possible outcomes here. The initial word is simply that Davis “jammed” the shoulder on the play. An examination from the Tigers’ team physician indicated a lack of damage to the labrum or rotator cuff.

If that all holds up following the more detailed examination, it’d represent good news for the Mets. The club has been snakebitten at times in recent years by injuries — especially to shoulders, it seems (Michael Conforto, Jeurys Familia, Matt Harvey, David Wright).

Davis was injured while playing at third base, but it seems he’s lined up at present to spend more of his time in left field. That flexibility is particularly useful for the Mets as they wait to see what they’ll get from players such as Yoenis Cespedes and Jed Lowrie. While Davis didn’t grade well at either position last year, the club will feel just fine putting him on the field if he can hit at anything approaching his 2019 levels (.307/.369/.527).

Pitcher Notes: Twins, Wacha, Mariners, A’s

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Veteran right-hander Jhoulys Chacin had to settle for a minor league contract with the Twins at the outset of the month, but he may be impressing the club enough to end up on its season-opening roster. Manager Rocco Baldelli said (via the Star Tribune) that Chacin has “done everything he can to this point to put himself in position to eventually win a spot.” As MLBTR’s Steve Adams explored earlier this week, the 32-year-old Chacin is one of a few candidates in the running. Lefty Lewis Thorpe is also in the mix, but he tweeted Tuesday: “I’ve left camp for a week or 2 for personal matters. I’m healthy and excited for this year. I’ll be back shortly.” Baldelli wasn’t willing to divulge why Thorpe’s taking a leave of absence. However, he noted that the Twins do believe Thorpe will return “at some point during camp, [but I] can’t tell you when that’s going to be” (via Dawn Klemish of MLB.com).

  • The Mets reportedly aren’t sure how the No. 5 spot in their rotation will look this year, but righty Michael Wacha made a strong case for the job Tuesday, as Mike Puma of the New York Post writes. Wacha’s fastball ranged from 94 to 96 mph during his outing. “They told me I am a starter, so that is what I am here for,” Wacha said. The former Cardinal, 28, has worked almost exclusively as a starter to this point, but he did yo-yo between St. Louis’ rotation and bullpen during a rough 2019 campaign. The Mets then added Wacha for a $3MM guarantee in free agency, and he’s now competing against lefty Steven Matz for the last place in their starting staff.
  • Mariners righty Kendall Graveman has made good progress in his recovery from July 2018 Tommy John surgery, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times details. Graveman was with Oakland when he underwent the procedure, but he hooked on with the Cubs as a free agent for 2019 and didn’t end up pitching for the club. Now healthy, the 29-year-old Graveman – whom the Mariners signed for $2MM in November – figures to begin 2020 in the M’s rotation. It has been quite some time since Graveman turned in a full, effective season; at his best, he totaled 186 innings of 4.11 ERA/4.39 FIP ball with a 5.23 K/9, 2.27 BB/9 and a 52.1 percent groundball rate in 2016.
  • Athletics righty Daulton Jefferies is dealing with a biceps strain and will undergo an MRI later this week, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. However, manager Bob Melvin suggested it’s not an especially serious injury. The 24-year-old Jefferies, who originally joined the Athletics as the 37th overall pick in 2016,  was a standout in Double-A ball last season. In his first experience at the level, he posted a 3.66 ERA/3.19 FIP with 10.13 K/9 and 0.98 BB/9 in 64 innings.

Angels’ Brandon Marsh Could Miss Spring

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Angels outfield prospect Brandon Marsh is battling a left elbow strain that could keep him out all spring and possibly into the season, according to manager Joe Maddon (via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). Marsh suffered the injury while trying to make a diving catch last Sunday, but the good news is that it’s to his non-throwing elbow.

Even if healthy, Marsh wouldn’t have been in position to make the Angels’ Opening Day roster, but this is still a disappointing development for him and the team. The 22-year-old has emerged as one of baseball’s top farmhands since the Angels selected him in the second round of the 2016 draft. MLB.com ranks Marsh as the 79th-best prospect in the sport and notes that he has an opportunity to debut in the majors sometime during the upcoming season.

So far, Marsh hasn’t even made it to the Triple-A level, and this injury will only make it more difficult for him to get to the majors in the near term. Marsh, though, was impressive last year in his first taste of Double-A ball, where he batted .300/.383/.428 with seven home runs and 18 stolen bases in 412 plate appearances. It remains to be seen when or if he’ll emerge as a major league option for the Angels, however, considering the team’s loaded outfield picture. The Angels have the best player in baseball, center fielder Mike Trout, another proven veteran in left fielder Justin Upton and an elite prospect who’s nearing the majors in Jo Adell as the most prominent outfielders in the organization.

Camp Battles: Giants’ Second Base Candidates

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Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi hasn’t been all that aggressive since he grabbed the team’s reins in November 2018. Zaidi has instead taken a more reserved approach with his rebuilding club, seldom making a notable splash via free agency or on the trade market. That said, second base has been an area of consistent change since the Zaidi era began, and the Giants have a quite a few choices for the position as the new season draws closer.

The Giants tried several different options at the keystone last year, but they had a hard time finding a solution at the spot. Joe Panik garnered more starts at second than any other Giant, though he had such a poor season that the club released him during the first week of August. Trade deadline acquisition Scooter Gennett lasted less than a month in San Francisco after bombing in its uniform. Similarly, fellow veteran Yangervis Solarte – who began the season on the Giants’ roster – wasn’t long for their roster.

On the other hand, the Giants did receive decent numbers from Mauricio Dubon, whom they picked up from the Brewers in another deadline deal, as well as Donovan Solano. It was rather surprising that Solano logged a .330/.360/.456 line with 1.3 fWAR in 228 plate appearances, as he hadn’t been especially productive with the Marlins and Yankees from 2012-16, didn’t appear in the majors from 2017-18 and joined the Giants on a minor league deal. The 32-year-old’s a candidate to see time at second yet again this season, but at least some skepticism is warranted in regards to his 2019 output. It was buoyed by an impossible-to-sustain .409 batting average on balls in play, after all, and Solano’s BB/K ratio (0.20) was only about halfway to the league average (0.37).

Dubon had similar struggles in the BB/K department (0.25), but it was just his first season in the bigs. The 25-year-old hit .274/.306/.434 in 111 PA between Milwaukee and San Francisco. He has also been a nicely regarded prospect for a while, so it stands to reason the Giants are hopeful he’ll emerge as a useful piece somewhere on their roster. That could mean making him their everyday second baseman or a utility player who moves all over the diamond.

Aside from the holdovers, the Giants have a few new faces vying for reps at second. That includes Wilmer Flores, whom they signed to a two-year, $6MM guarantee a couple weeks back. The former Met and Diamondback is another jack-of-all-trades type, having lined up at various infield positions since his career began in 2013. Offensively, the righty-swinging Flores is known for holding his own against lefties, but he hasn’t been a slouch versus same-handed hurlers. In fact, Flores has shown himself to be a viable option against all pitchers; between that and the value of his contract, he’ll get a lot of playing time for the Giants, though that doesn’t mean he’ll be their main pick at second.

Flores wasn’t San Francisco’s only second base-capable pickup in the offseason. The team claimed Kean Wong, brother of the Cardinals’ Kolten Wong, in November, and signed ex-White Sox second baseman Yolmer Sanchez to a minor league contract a month ago.

Wong’s still just 24 and coming off a couple of respectable Triple-A seasons, but he has almost no major league track record to speak of, and with three options remaining, the Giants could send him down without consequence. They don’t have the same luxury with Sanchez, a rare reigning Gold Glove winner who had to settle for a non-roster invitation in the ensuing offseason. Problem is that the switch-hitting 27-year-old hasn’t enjoyed much success at the plate, where he owns a .244/.299/.357 in 2,438 career attempts. As a result, he’s facing an uphill climb to open 2020 in the majors.

Sanchez’s goal is to win a second straight Gold Glove, as John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote Tuesday, but he’ll have to make the team first. As someone who’s not on the Giants’ 40-man roster, he’ll have his work cut out for him over the next few weeks.

White Sox, Yoan Moncada Have Reportedly Held Preliminary Extension Talks

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The White Sox have opened negotiations on a contract extension with third baseman Yoan Moncada’s newly hired representatives at the Movement Management Group, as first reported by James Fox of FutureSox.com (Twitter link). Bruce Levine of 670 The Score writes that the two sides have had only “initial” talks but cautions that no deal is close at this time. Asked directly about the rumored talks, Moncada himself said he was not aware of any current talks but voiced a desire to stay with the White Sox “for a very long time” (link via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times).

Moncada, 24, is already under club control through the 2023 season and won’t be eligible for arbitration until next winter. Both Fox and Levine note that a potential extension would likely be the largest in White Sox franchise history. Currently, Yasmani Grandal’s four-year, $73MM deal is the largest the Sox have ever issued.

The switch-hitting Moncada was one of the highest-profile international free agents in history and agreed to a $31.5MM signing bonus with the Red Sox back in 2015. He was arguably the game’s top overall prospect when Boston sent him to Chicago as the headliner in the Chris Sale blockbuster, and while it took some time, Moncada broke out in a big way this past season.

In 559 plate appearances in 2019, Moncada hit .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs, 34 doubles, five triples and 10 stolen bases — all while cutting his strikeout rate by nearly six percent (from 33.4 to 27.5). Reviews of his glovework were a bit mixed; Defensive Runs Saved pegged him at -7 runs, but Ultimate Zone Rating (4.3) and Outs Above Average (5) both graded Moncada as an above-average defender.

As for what to expect from the extension itself, the number of recent comparables aren’t exactly plentiful. Alex Bregman secured a five-year, $100MM deal a year ago when he was in the same service class that Moncada finds himself right now. That deal technically begins in 2020 and bought out Bregman’s three arbitration years and two would-be free-agent campaigns. Moncada’s 2019 season wasn’t as strong as Bregman’s 2018 platform, but his power numbers and counting stats will play similarly well in arbitration, giving him strong earning potential from 2021-23 (his would-be arb seasons). If the Sox are comfortable offering a term of six or more seasons, then a Moncada extension could well approach or even exceed that $100MM plateau.

From a broad perspective, an extension for Moncada would represent the continuation of the White Sox’ efforts to keep the young core they spent years trying to acquire for the long haul. Chicago signed outfielders Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert to long-term deals before either played his first MLB game. Shortstop Tim Anderson was signed to a six-year deal with a pair of club options prior to the 2017 season, and just this past weekend, left-hander Aaron Bummer was signed to a five-year contract.

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