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Phillies, Red Sox Discussing Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree

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2:46pm: MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports that the two sides have also discussed right-hander Heath Hembree. Unlike Workman, the 31-year-old Hembree is controlled through 2021, so he’d give the Phils an option for this year and next. Hembree has yielded six runs through 9 2/3 innings in 2020, but he carries a solid 3.65 ERA with 10.1 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 through 222 innings dating back to 2016.

2:06pm: The Phillies and Red Sox are actively discussing a deal involving “multiple players,” including Workman, tweets Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

12:47pm: The Phillies have spoken to the Red Sox about right-hander Brandon Workman as they look to upgrade their bullpen, Ken Rosenthal and Matt Gelb of The Athletic report (via Twitter).

The Phils just picked up David Hale in a small deal with the Yankees, and it’d hardly be a surprise to see them aggressively target additional bullpen arms. Philadelphia’s offense, fueled by monster seasons from Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto, has been among the best in the game.

The rotation, led by huge efforts from Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, has pitched to a combined 4.10 ERA, although the unit beyond that top duo has been rather shaky. Jake Arrieta’s past two starts were rough, and top prospect Spencer Howard has yet to complete five frames. Righty Zach Eflin has missed bats at a surprising rate but has also yielded eight earned runs in his 14 innings.

Phillies relievers, on the other hand, have been the worst collective unit in baseball. The Philadelphia bullpen has produced an astonishing 8.07 ERA — nearly two runs worse than the 29th-ranked Reds — and also ranks 27th in FIP and 20th in xFIP. No Phillies reliever has even thrown 10 innings, and the only sub-4.00 ERAs among pitchers with at least three appearances belong to veteran Blake Parker, who was only recently added to the big league roster, and lefty Jose Alvarez, who was carted off the field in yesterday’s game.

As an impending free agent on the 8-18 Red Sox, Workman is among the likeliest players in MLB to change hands before the Aug. 31 trade deadline. He’s pitched to a 4.05 ERA in his tiny sample of 6 2/3 frames this year, but the 32-year-old also logged a 1.88 ERA with 13.1 K/9 and 16 saves for the Red Sox in 2019. He averaged 5.7 walks per nine frames last year, which is obviously unpalatable, but his control prior to that season was generally sharp.

In all, since moving to the Red Sox’ bullpen on a full-time basis in 2017, Workman has compiled 159 1/3 frames with a 2.65 ERA, 10.5 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, 0.79 HR/9 and a 46.4 percent ground-ball rate.

If a deal involving Workman does ultimately come together, it’ll be telling to see what type of return the righty brings. Boston won’t be making a qualifying offer regardless, so the Sox are better off moving him than holding. But the Phillies (or any other team) would only be acquiring about a month of regular-season innings from Workman. The general expectation has been that rental players like Workman will yield relatively minimal returns due to that fact. To this point, however, we’ve not yet seen any such deals come together, so the first couple deals that come to fruition could conceivably serve as a barometer for other potential rental swaps.

Phillies Designate Austin Davis For Assignment

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The Phillies announced that they’ve designated left-hander Austin Davis for assignment. The move opens a spot on the 40-man roster for righty David Hale, whom the Phillies acquired in exchange for pitching prospect Addison Russ (as reported earlier today).

Davis, 27, has spent parts of the past three seasons in the Majors with the Phillies but has yet to establish himself as a consistent option. He’s allowed seven runs in three innings this season and pitched to an overall 5.86 ERA in 58 1/3 MLB frames. Davis has punched out 64 hitters in that time, but control has also been an issue, as evidenced by the 27 walks he’s allowed and the five batters he’s hit.

A 12th-round pick back in 2014, Davis has a sharp Triple-A track record, having compiled a 2.69 ERA with 11.2 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in 83 2/3 innings of relief at that level. Throughout the upper minors, he’s generally posted above-average strikeout numbers with solid control. He’s also averaged 93.5 mph on his heater in the Majors and has a minor league option remaining beyond the current season, so it’s possible another club will have interest in hopes that a change of scenery can help get him on track.

Yankees, Phillies Swap David Hale For Addison Russ

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2:03pm: The Phillies have formally announced the trade.

12:30pm: The Yankees are sending right-hander David Hale to the Phillies, per Ken Rosenthal and Matt Gelb of The Athletic (Twitter link). Hale was designated for assignment earlier this week but has consistently posted solid numbers in the bullpen for the Yanks.

In 54 1/3 frames wearing Yankee pinstripes, Hale owns a 2.98 ERA and 3.54 FIP with averages of 6.0 strikeouts, 1.8 walks and 0.7 home runs allowed per nine innings pitched. The righty generates grounders at an above-average rate and has proven plenty capable of pitching multi-inning stints, so he should provide a boost to a Phillies bullpen that has far and away been the worst in baseball this season.

12:26pm: The Phillies have traded minor league right-hander Addison Russ to the Yankees, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter). The 25-year-old will head to the Yankees’ alternate training site for now. The Phillies’ return isn’t yet clear.

A 19th-round pick of the Phillies back in 2017, Russ spent the 2019 season in Double-A, where he pitched to a 2.54 ERA with 12.9 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 0.79 HR/9 and a 44.9 percent ground-ball rate in 56 2/3 innings of work. He wasn’t considered to be among the Phillies’ top tier of prospects despite those solid numbers, however. Baseball America ranked him 24th in the system, while MLB.com omitted him from its top 30 and FanGraphs had him outside the top 40.

Russ was in the Phillies’ 60-man player pool, so the trade to New York opens a spot for them, unless of course they receive a 60-man player in return. For the Yankees, they’ll add a bullpen prospect with decent minor league success, providing a bit of depth in the wake of injuries to Tommy Kahnle and, more recently Zack Britton.

Orioles Promote Ryan Mountcastle, Place Chris Davis On 10-Day IL

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1:57pm: The Orioles have formally announced Mountcastle’s promotion. In a corresponding move, Chris Davis was placed on the 10-day IL due to patellar tendinitis in his left knee.

11:40am: The Orioles are calling up top prospect Ryan Mountcastle for his MLB debut, as first reported by Jason La Canfora of 105.7 The Fan (Twitter link). The 23-year-old slugger was the No. 36 overall pick in the 2015 draft. He’s already on the 40-man roster, so they’ll only need to clear space on the 28-man roster to accommodate him (although the corresponding move could still include a 40-man subtraction, of course).

Mountcastle has ranked among the organization’s best prospects since the time he was drafted out of high school. He has at times ranked among the game’s 100 best prospects according to outlets like Baseball America, MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus, etc. — and he’s currently just on the outside of FanGraphs’ Top 100, sitting at No. 111.

Questions persist about just where on the field Mountcastle will play. He was drafted as a shortstop but has slid down the defensive spectrum — first moving to third base and then spending time at first base and in left field last year in Triple-A. There are far fewer questions, though, about the slugger’s promising bat. Mountcastle followed up 2018’s .297/.341/.464 slash (121 wRC+) in a pitcher-friendly Double-A setting with a .312/.344/.527 slash (117 wRC+) in Triple-A last year. He doesn’t walk much but also doesn’t strike out at an alarming rate and has never batted worse than .281 in a full professional season.

It’s possible that Mountcastle will supplant the struggling Dwight Smith Jr. as the team’s primary left fielder. Smith has posted a woeful .222/.306/.365 batting line in 72 plate appearances this year and wasn’t much better in 2019 when he hit .241/.297/.412. Given that Smith himself has graded out as a poor defender in left, there may not be a dip in glovework at all, and Mountcastle is a clear part of the organization’s future (which cannot be said of Smith).

Mountcastle could also be worked into the corner infield and designated hitter mix, but regardless of the position listed next to his name on the lineup card, it would behoove the Orioles to get him regular at-bats through season’s end. The hope is that Mountcastle will be a fixture in the lineup for years to come, and now that we’ve passed the point where he’d qualify as a Super Two or reach free agency after “only” six years instead of seven, there’s little reason for the O’s to keep him down at the alternate training site. Assuming Mountcastle is in the big leagues to stay, he’d be controllable through 2026 and arbitration-eligible after the 2023 season.

It is, of course, also worth noting that the O’s are just a game below .500 after a surprising start to the season. They’ve dropped five straight and are currently on the outside looking in on the playoff picture, but slotting Mountcastle into the lineup can’t hurt their odds of making a Cinderella run at this year’s expanded playoff format.

Marlins Activate Jorge Alfaro, Designate Ryan Lavarnway For Assignment

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The Marlins made a series of roster moves Friday, announcing that catcher Jorge Alfaro and lefty Richard Bleier have been reinstated from the injured list. Fellow catcher Ryan Lavarnway was designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot for Alfaro. Miami also confirmed its previously reported promotion of top outfield prospect Jesus Sanchez, optioned fellow outfield prospect Monte Harrison to the alternate training site and placed infielder Eddy Alvarez on the paternity list.

Alfaro, 27, is being activated for his first action of the 2020 campaign after spending the entire season to date on the injured list. He’ll take over primary catching duties from veteran Francisco Cervelli. Acquired as one of the main pieces in the blockbuster deal that sent J.T. Realmuto to Philadelphia, Alfaro hit .262/.312/.425 with a career-best 18 home runs in his first season with the Fish last year. He’s controlled through the 2023 season.

The well-traveled Lavarnway was 4-for-11 in his limited time with the Marlins, but his stay on the active roster always figured to be limited. Such is the life for the journeyman 33-year-old, who has appeared in the Majors in nine separate seasons for seven teams but never tallied more than 46 games or 166 plate appearances. Lavarnway is a career .215/.272/.344 hitter in 456 Major League plate appearances and a .272/.364/.426 batter in parts of nine Triple-A campaigns. The Marlins have a week to trade him, release him or run him through waivers.

Mets/Yankees Weekend Series Postponed

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This weekend’s series between the Yankees and Mets has been postponed due to the recent positive Covid-19 tests within the Mets organization, Major League Baseball announced in a press release. Newsday’s Tim Healey reported minutes beforehand that the league would be taking this step (Twitter link). Last night’s game between the Mets and Marlins was also postponed.

There have been some degree of cancellations stemming from positive Covid-19 tests each weekend in MLB since the Marlins played in the wake of a few positive tests on opening weekend. That led to a team outbreak which ultimately resulted in a reported 18 cases for the Marlins, and the league has since been more diligent and proactive in postponing games in an effort to avoid similarly widespread instances of the virus. While the Cardinals had an outbreak of their own, the Reds and Mets are the only other clubs to have had positive tests during the season. The Reds only saw three games postponed, and the hope here is obviously that the Mets will see a similarly brief stoppage of play.

When the game against the Marlins and the series against the Yankees will be made up isn’t yet determined, although the East-centric nature of this year’s schedule gives ample opportunity for doubleheaders and other makeup games. The Mets are scheduled to play at Yankee Stadium from Aug. 28-30, and they’re slated to host the Marlins at Citi Field from Aug. 25-27. The Athletic’s Tim Britton points out that Aug. 24, Sept. 3 and Sept. 14 are all mutual off-days for both the Mets and Yankees.

Blue Jays Looking For Rotation Upgrades

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The Blue Jays might’ve looked like a potential deadline seller just one week ago, but they’ve rattled off five straight wins to boost their record to 12-11. That, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet writes, has them back in the playoff picture and thinking about ways to add to the club with the Aug. 31 trade deadline looming. Specifically, general manager Ross Atkins cites starting pitching as an area of focus.

It’s been a rather inauspicious start to the year for the Toronto rotation, which ranks 19th in the Majors in ERA (4.93), 26th in FIP (5.34) and 24th in xFIP (4.84). Further complicating matters is the fact that prized pitching prospect Nate Pearson just landed on the injured list due to tightness in his right elbow after a pair of rough starts.

Lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu has been a solid presence atop the starting staff, giving the Jays five starts and a 3.46 ERA with terrific K/BB and ground-ball numbers. Beyond that, however, it’s been a struggle. Fellow winter signee Tanner Roark has battled uncharacteristic control issues and run up an ERA of 4.76. Pearson’s last two starts were ugly, and Matt Shoemaker has not at all resembled the 2019 form he showed prior to sustaining an ACL tear. Chase Anderson has been limited by an oblique strain and is still building up his workload (though he’s pitched well through 9 2/3 frames).

There’s some depth beyond that group down at the alternate training site, but none of Sean Reid-Foley, T.J. Zeuch or Sam Gaviglio can necessarily be relied upon to stabilize the rotation. The Jays plan to utilize left-hander Ryan Borucki as a reliever for the foreseeable future, per Atkins, which only further limits their in-house options.

The expanded postseason field might drive down the number of motivated sellers, but that should also drive up the number of buyers and create a market for the interesting arms that are out there. Lance Lynn, Mike Minor, Taijuan Walker, Kevin Gausman, Johnny Cueto, Alex Cobb and perhaps Dylan Bundy (among others) could all draw varying levels of interest this year. Nicholson-Smith reports that Gausman was of interest to the Jays before he signed with the Giants this winter.

Given the big-picture status of the Blue Jays — a young club just now beginning to emerge from a rebuilding effort — it’s unlikely that they’d part with anything of particular significance for a short-term piece. It stands to reason that they’d be interested in low-cost rentals or in arms they could control beyond the 2020 season. The rental market, in general, seems unlikely to yield any major returns, given that acquiring teams would only be picking up a month or less in terms of regular-season control over said player (plus any possible postseason contributions).

Atkins also discusses the team’s defensive outlook, his thoughts on Teoscar Hernandez’s upside, Borucki’s future role and several other topics in a broad-reaching piece that Jays fans will want to take in. Nicholson-Smith also suggests that a bench bat with some pop could be a potential target for the Jays, which opens no shortage of additional possibilities as the deadline looms.

As noted earlier when looking at the D-backs’ hunt for bullpen pieces, it’s worth pointing out that any current fringe contender is, to a degree, at the mercy of their next week’s results. A substantial losing streak or additional key injuries could tamp down the motivation to make a win-now trade or even swing the pendulum in the other direction. One could also argue that that reality only increases the urgency to make a move proactively, but recent history suggests that today’s breed of front office will wait until closer to the deadline to gather more information before making a rash move. Perhaps that trend will be bucked in this atypical 2020 campaign, but we’ve yet to see a notable swap throughout the league.

D-backs Eyeing Bullpen Upgrades

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The Diamondbacks have shaken off an early slump to get themselves back to .500 and keep themselves in the playoff picture in a bizarre 2020 season. At the moment, the team hopes to add pieces with the trade deadline looming, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. General manager Mike Hazen spoke to Piecoro about his club’s potential deadline approach, noting that the bullpen could be an area of focus.

“I think going down the stretch and looking at how playoff runs and games transpire, I think the more firepower you have out there the better,” Hazen said of the bullpen. The D-backs could also look for an upgrade at designated hitter in the hopes of getting some more home run power in the lineup, but they’ll take a look at recently recalled Kevin Cron in that role for now.

To this point, Arizona relievers have combined for a 4.62 ERA that ranks 18th in the Majors. (Their 5.01 FIP lands 22nd, and their 4.70 xFIP is 20th.) It’s been a roughly middle-of-the-pack unit, with closer Archie Bradley and righty Stefan Crichton looking particularly sharp in this year’s small sample of innings. Fellow righties Taylor Widener and Taylor Clarke have given strong bottom-line results, but their poor command calls into question just how sustainable those low ERAs are. Offseason pickup Hector Rondon, meanwhile, has been hit hard. Lefty stalwart Andrew Chafin landed on the injured list due to a finger sprain this week, which removes him from the equation at least temporarily.

Suffice it to say, there’s room for at least another arm or two in the ’pen, although the intricacies and oddities of this shortened 2020 season make trade values difficult to determine. Hazen explores that concept in his interview with Piecoro, which is well worth a full read-through, calling this a “bizarre” deadline season that will put all 30 clubs outside their comfort zones.

As for the newly created designated hitter spot in the NL, the D-backs haven’t gotten much production there. While their combined .245/.311/.351 output obviously trounces what could’ve been expected from the pitching staff, it still ranks 16th in the game in terms of wRC+ and leaves clear room for an upgrade. David Peralta and Christian Walker have hit well while DH’ing, but they’re better served playing on the defensive side of things — particularly in the case of Walker, as Jake Lamb has struggled to hit at all in 2020.

There’s time yet for Cron, who led the minors in long balls and homered in nearly 10 percent of his plate appearances last year, to change the club’s thinking, but the desire to add some more pop is plenty justifiable. Arizona has hit just 22 home runs as a team, which is tied for 26th among MLB’s 30 clubs. And even that poor standing undersells their lack of pop; two of the four clubs that trail the D-backs are the Marlins and Cardinals, who both missed more than a week of games due to Covid-19 outbreaks on their rosters. Among teams that have played a full slate of games, only the Rangers and Pirates have hit fewer homers than the D-backs.

Any middle-of-the-pack team’s thinking is still somewhat subject to change, of course. We see teams pivot with their deadline approach at the eleventh hour even in standard 162-game seasons, and the short nature of this year’s schedule could lead to even more of that. Were the D-backs to drop six of their next seven games, the front office would surely rethink its approach, for instance. But for the time being, it appears they’re taking an optimistic outlook and eyeing one of the 16 available postseason spots this season has to offer.

60-Man Player Pool Additions: D-backs, Rangers, Brewers

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The latest 60-man player pool moves from around the league, all via team announcements…

  • Outfielder Kristian Robinson is now in the Diamondbacks’ pool (not the one at Chase Field just yet). The club signed the Bahamian for a $2.5MM bonus in 2017, and he’s now the Diamondbacks’ No. 1-ranked prospect at MLB.com, which also ranks him 47th overall in the sport. MLB.com calls the 19-year-old “a physical specimen” who could develop into a “revered” slugger in the majors. Robinson divided last year between low-A and Single-A, slashing .282/.368/.514 with 14 home runs in 291 plate appearances.
  • The Rangers have added second baseman Justin Foscue, their first-round pick this year, to their pool. The 21-year-old Foscue joined the Rangers as the 14th overall choice after an outstanding run at Mississippi State. Texas locked him up for a below-slot bonus ($3.25MM) in late June.
  • Catcher Payton Henry is now at the alternate training site of the Brewers, who used a sixth-round pick on him in 2016. The 23-year-old Henry, who hit .242/.315/.395 with 14 home runs in 482 plate appearances at Single-A last season, possesses “considerable raw power” and has made enough progress behind the plate to stick as a catcher, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs writes.

IL Placements: P. Baez, Knebel, Swanson, Wieters

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There were several 10-day injured list placements around the majors Thursday afternoon. Here’s a rundown…

  • The Dodgers placed reliever Pedro Baez on the IL with a right groin strain and recalled righty Josh Sborz. Baez was in the midst of yet another quality season before the wheels came off in his three most recent appearances, in which he allowed a combined four earned runs on three hits (including two homers) in 2 2/3 innings. In all, he has pitched to a 3.97 ERA/5.35 FIP with 6.35 K/9 and 3.97 BB/9 over 11 1/3 frames.
  • Brewers reliever Corey Knebel went down with a strained left hamstring. The team recalled infielder/outfielder Mark Mathias to take Knebel’s roster spot. 2020 has been a rough go for Knebel, a former star closer who has slumped in his first action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2019. The 28-year-old, who has allowed at least one earned run in five of nine appearances, owns a 9.45 ERA with 9.45 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 across 6 2/3 innings.
  • The Mariners sent righty Erik Swanson to the shelf with an ominous-sounding injury – a forearm strain. Despite averaging almost 96 mph on his fastball and totaling seven strikeouts against one walk, Swanson has allowed nine earned runs on seven hits and three HRs in 5 1/3 innings.
  • The Cardinals put catcher Matt Wieters on the IL when they activated starting backstop Yadier Molina. Wieters is dealing with a left toe contusion. Andrew Knizner will back up Molina in place of Wieters, who has gone without a hit in 13 plate appearances on the year.

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