Archives for July 2021

Latest On Mike Trout’s Calf Injury

By Darragh McDonald | July 26, 2021 at 8:26am CDT

Mike Trout’s return from a calf strain has had a slight setback, Joe Maddon told reporters, including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. On July 19th, Trout himself said he was “really, really close” to beginning a rehab assignment. One week later, that rehab assignment still hasn’t begun because he still “feels something,” Maddon says. “He just feels it a little bit in that area, when he really tries to move quickly.”

The health of their superstar outfielder is tremendously important for an Angels club at an important inflection point of the season. As noted by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, they are “trying to decide course”, with the July 30th trade deadline fast approaching. The team is currently straddling the .500 mark with a record of 49-49. They are 11 games back of the Astros in the AL West and 5 1/2 back of Oakland for the second wild card spot, but with four other teams between them. FanGraphs pegs their playoff odds at 8.8%, with just over two months left to gain ground on their competitors.

Any sort of delay to Trout’s return could further deflate the team’s playoff aspirations. Trout has been considered among the most elite players in baseball for a decade now. And before getting hurt, his 2021 numbers were somehow even better than his own otherworldly standards. In 36 games, Trout produced a slash line of .333/.466/.624, good enough for a wRC+ of 193, a few notches above his career mark of 172.

Although the club recently called up top prospect Brandon Marsh to try to cover center field in Trout’s absence, it’s almost impossible for anyone to match the level of production that a healthy Trout can provide.

Padres Acquire Adam Frazier

By Mark Polishuk | July 26, 2021 at 12:38am CDT

The Padres have acquired one of the most sought-after players on the trade market, picking up second baseman Adam Frazier in a four-player swap with the Pirates. Infielder/outfielder Tucupita Marcano, outfielder Jack Suwinski, and right-hander Michell Miliano are the prospects heading to Pittsburgh in the deal, and the Pirates are also sending $1.4MM along with Frazier to San Diego. The deal became official Monday afternoon.

It’s the first big move of deadline season for Padres general manager A.J. Preller, who is no stranger to splashy moves and is pushing to get his team first to the NL West title and then deeper into October. While a number of pitching injuries would very well result in some arms being added between now and July 30, Preller recently indicated that a bat was also on his shopping list.

Frazier is enjoying the best season of his seven-year MLB career, hitting .324/.388/.448 with four home runs over 428 plate appearances for the Bucs in 2021. There is some possibility for regression, as Frazier’s .359 BABIP has helped make up for some very low hard-contact numbers, and his .337 xwOBA is well below his .368 wOBA. However, even that xwOBA is still above average, and Frazier somewhat makes up for that lack of hard contact by making a lot of contact in general — fitting the Padres’ model as a player who rarely strikes out.

Frazier is a left-handed hitter, and while the Padres generally lean more to the right side of the plate, Frazier might supplant another left-handed hitting regular in Eric Hosmer. The hot-hitting Jake Cronenworth could slide from second base to take over from Hosmer as the regular first baseman, opening the door for Frazier to become the new everyday second baseman. Since Frazier also has experience as a corner outfielder, he could move into the grass to spell Tommy Pham or Wil Myers, giving San Diego even more positional flexibility.

Since Frazier also has one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining, he’ll be able to help the Padres for both this year’s playoff race and throughout the 2022 season. Frazier was earning $4.3MM this season, so the $1.4MM sent from Pittsburgh will cover most of his remaining salary for 2021, which helps the Padres stay under the $210MM luxury tax threshold.

There was little doubt that the rebuilding Pirates were going to move Frazier by the deadline, given that his strong season only enhanced his trade value. Pittsburgh fans expecting multiple top-100 type prospects may be disappointed by the return, though it’s worth noting that Frazier has been more solid than outstanding during his career, with an even 100 OPS+ and wRC+ over his first six big league seasons. Nevertheless, the Bucs did add three notable prospects to add to GM Ben Cherington’s overhaul of the farm system.

Marcano is the only member of the prospect trio with any MLB experience, appearing in 25 games for San Diego this season and posting a .485 OPS over 50 plate appearances. An international signing from Venezuela in 2016, the 21-year-old Marcano is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the fifth-best prospect in the Padres’ deep farm system, while Baseball America has him in the eighth spot.

The Pirates valued Marcano highly enough that they were willing to include the $1.4MM to the Padres, Rosenthal reports, while other Frazier bidders like the Mariners weren’t asking for any money back in a proposed trade. Heyman adds that the Padres weren’t willing to discuss Marcano back when San Diego and Pittsburgh worked out the Joe Musgrove trade last winter.

There’s plenty to like about the versatile Marcano, who has played mostly second base during his pro career but has also seen a lot of time at third base, shortstop, and both corner outfield slots. At worst, Marcano seems like he’ll have a future as a utilityman, and he could well become a regular due to his excellent contact skills at the plate. Marcano does lack some power, and while he possesses plus speed, BA’s scouting report notes that he will need to improve his baserunning instincts. Marcano skipped Double-A entirely and made his Triple-A debut this year, hitting .272/.367/.444 with six home runs in 199 PA.

Neither Suwinski or Miliano appeared in the top-30 Padres prospect rankings for either Pipeline or Baseball America, but both youngsters have put themselves on the map in 2021. Suwinski was a 15th-round pick for the Pirates in 2016, and hadn’t hit much in his first pro seasons before exploring for a .269/.398/.551 slash line and 15 home runs over 267 PA at Double-A San Antonio. As noted by BA’s Matt Eddy, Suwinski has been doing this despite hitting in a pitcher-friendly home ballpark, though he’ll be moving to another pitcher-friendly location in the Pirates’ Double-A affiliate in Altoona. Suwinski has experience at all three outfield positions, and is just a few days away from his 23rd birthday.

The 21-year-old Miliano has a 6.11 ERA over 94 1/3 innings in San Diego’s farm system, getting to high-A ball this season. Miliano has given up a lot of hits (84) and, troublingly, almost as many walks (78) over his four seasons, but the Pirates were surely intrigued by his ability to miss bats. The right-hander has a 31.74% strikeout rate in the minors, and that number includes an absurd 44.44% rate over 25 2/3 innings at A-level Lake Elsinore this year.

ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link) was the first to report that the Padres had acquired Frazier. FanSided’s Robert Murray reported that the Pirates were getting three prospects, with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin identifying Marcano and Suwinski and ESPN.com’s Kiley McDaniel identifying Miliano. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweeted that the Padres were getting cash back in the trade, with MLB Network’s Jon Heyman specifying the $1.4MM figure.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Astros Notes: Diaz, James, Pressly

By Mark Polishuk | July 26, 2021 at 12:18am CDT

Aledmys Diaz will be activated from the 10-day injured list prior to Monday’s game against the Mariners. The utilityman has been out of action since his left hand was fractured by a Ross Stripling pitch on June 5, though Diaz will indeed return within the original rehab window of six to eight weeks. Diaz has been a very valuable part-time player over his three seasons with the Astros, hitting .269/.338/.460 in 432 plate appearances and playing multiple positions. Diaz is likely to slide right into third base duty while Alex Bregman is still on his own minor league rehab assignment.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Mark Polishuk | July 25, 2021 at 11:37pm CDT

Click here to read the transcript of tonight’s live baseball chat.

Draft Signings: 7/25/21

By Mark Polishuk | July 25, 2021 at 9:17pm CDT

Today’s most notable signings from Day Two (and beyond) of the amateur draft. As always, you can get more background on these players via the prospect rankings and scouting reports compiled by Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. As well, here is MLB Pipeline’s breakdown of the slot values assigned to each pick in the first 10 rounds, as well as the bonus pool money available to all 30 teams.

All signings reported by MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, unless otherwise noted…

The Marlins signed second-round pick Cody Morrissette, with the Boston College shortstop agreeing to the assigned slot price of $1,403,200 for the 52nd overall pick.
The Diamondbacks went slightly above slot to sign Adrian Del Castillo, the draft’s 67th overall selection and Arizona’s pick in Competitive Balance Round B. Del Castillo, a catcher from the University of Miami, signed for a $1MM bonus, topping the 67th pick’s slot price of $976.7K.
The Angels made a very notable signing outside the top 10 rounds, agreeing to a $1.25MM bonus with 12th-round pick Mason Albright. As Callis notes, this is now the highest bonus given to a player beyond the first 10 rounds since MLB adopted the current draft format. $1.125MM of Albright’s bonus will count against the Angels’ total $9,295,900 spending pool. Albright is an 18-year-old southpaw who had received some rankings (107th from McDaniel, 122th from Pipeline, 134th from BA) far above his station as the 351st overall pick, and the Angels clearly had to go above and beyond to get Albright to break his commitment to Virginia Tech.

AL Central Notes: Duffy, Dodgers, Ramirez, Twins

By Mark Polishuk | July 25, 2021 at 8:46pm CDT

The Dodgers have interest in injured Royals southpaw Danny Duffy, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (via Twitter). This completes the trio of NL West contenders looking at Duffy, since the Padres and Giants have also been linked to the veteran left-hander. San Francisco is known to be interested despite Duffy’s injury, and it can be assumed that the Dodgers are in the same position, considering that Duffy has been on the 10-day injured list for five days now.

Duffy is out of action with his second left flexor strain of the season, so he might not be available until at least early September, based on the timeline of his last IL visit. Since the NL West teams currently have a big lead on the rest of the National League for the two wild card positions, the Dodgers can be reasonably comfortable of reaching the postseason in one form or another, so Duffy could be saved as a late-season reinforcement. While it can certainly be argued that Los Angeles should spend its prospect capital on a healthy pitcher, the Royals’ asking price for Duffy probably isn’t very high, considering his injured status. Duffy controls his trade destiny thanks to 10-and-5 rights, and the California native might be willing to waive those rights to join a team in his home state. (If this is the case, the Angels and Athletics would also seem like hypothetical fits for a Duffy trade.)

Mariners Interested In Whit Merrifield

By Mark Polishuk | July 25, 2021 at 7:30pm CDT

With past Mariners trade target Adam Frazier now headed to the Padres, Seattle is looking into another contact-hitting infielder/outfielder. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and Daniel Kramer (Twitter link) report that “the Mariners are making a push to” land the Royals’ Whit Merrifield.

The Royals have steadily resisted any trade overtures for Merrifield in the past, though recent reports suggest perhaps a small crack in Kansas City’s resolve, as the Royals are at least “more open” to the concept of a Merrifield deal. That doesn’t mean K.C. isn’t still putting a huge asking price on Merrifield’s services, and with good cause. Not only is Merrifield a quality hitter and major stolen-base threat who can play at multiple positions, he is also on a very affordable contract — Merrifield is owed only $3.5MM in guaranteed money through the 2022 season, including the buyout of a $6.5MM club option for 2023.

That option can rise to $10.5MM if Merrifield stays healthy, though that is still a very reasonable price considering everything he brings to the table. That control through the 2023 season is perhaps the key factor for teams, especially a club like the Mariners that plans to contend not just in the near future, but in this very season. Today’s 4-3 victory over the Athletics has put Seattle just 1.5 games behind Oakland for the second AL wild card position.

The 32-year-old Merrifield brings enough versatility to the table that the Mariners would likely deploy him as part of their outfield mix on occasion, but second base is the most obvious area of need. Seattle hasn’t received even replacement-level production from the second base position all year, and Merrifield would solidify the position for at least 2021 and perhaps for years to come. With Merrifield on board, Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto would have the freedom to explore adding other outfielders or second basemen, with Merrifield then moving around the diamond as required.

NL East Notes: Carrasco, Watson, Smyly

By Mark Polishuk | July 25, 2021 at 5:19pm CDT

Carlos Carrasco pitched a rehab outing for Triple-A Syracuse today, with Mets manager Luis Rojas telling reporters (including The New York Post’s Mike Puma) that the veteran righty’s “stuff was great.” It now seems like Carrasco is finally ready to make his Mets debut, as a source tells Puma that Carrasco is likely to be activated from the 60-day injured list for his next outing, which would seem to line up for next weekend’s series against the Reds.

Acquired along with Francisco Lindor in perhaps the biggest trade of the offseason, Carrasco suffered a torn right hamstring during Spring Training. Initially expected to miss roughly six to eight weeks, Carrasco has now missed the majority of the season after his recovery took longer than expected. Assuming Carrasco is healthy and able to return to his usual above-average form, he’ll be able to provide immediate help to a Mets rotation that has been shorthanded by injuries.

Dodgers Place Mookie Betts On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | July 25, 2021 at 3:09pm CDT

Mookie Betts has been placed on the Dodgers’ 10-day injured list due to right hip inflammation, the team announced. In the corresponding move, right-hander Jimmy Nelson was activated from his own 10-day IL stint to take Betts’ spot on the active roster.

There was no mention made of a retroactive placement date, which is somewhat curious since Betts hasn’t played since July 19. Teams are allowed up to three days of back-dating on IL placements, so Betts would have been eligible to return to action in a week’s time. Instead, the star outfielder is now set to miss 10 full days beginning today.

Manager Dave Roberts said last week that Betts was dealing with multiple “nagging” injuries beyond just his hip, so it could be that this 10-day break might be necessary to get Betts fully healed up and ready for the stretch drive. Betts has also missed a couple of games this year with such maladies as a sore shoulder and a sore back, though this represents his first actual IL placement since a minimal 10-day stint in 2018.

After a slow start to the season by his standards, Betts is now back producing at his usual superstar level. The outfielder has 14 home runs and a .270/.374/.502 slash line in 374 plate appearances, and his absence will create another notable gap in the L.A. lineup. Corey Seager and Gavin Lux are also on the injured list, and while Cody Bellinger is dealing with a balky hamstring. Pitching is thought to be the Dodgers’ primary focus at the trade deadline, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the club added another bat to the bench.

Nelson’s return will provide some reinforcement to the bullpen, as the righty missed a little over two weeks due to a back strain. Nelson had another 10-day IL trip earlier this year, but health aside, it has been a very successful comeback year. After missing the entire 2020 season due to back surgery, Nelson has become a full-time relief pitcher and delivered a 2.00 ERA and 41 strikeouts over 27 innings.

Twins, Byron Buxton Unable To Reach Extension

By TC Zencka | July 25, 2021 at 2:40pm CDT

The Twins and franchise cornerstone Byron Buxton have been unable to come to terms on a contract extension, increasing the likelihood of a full-scale sell-off before Friday’s trade deadline. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes report that the Twins’ initial offer was for $73MM over seven years with an unspecified number of incentives. The Twins “increased the guarantee slightly,” but not enough to come to a long-term agreement. The final guarantee increased to $80MM, tweets The Athletic.

The end result here is not surprising, given the muddled valuation process for a talent like Buxton. When he’s at his best, he’s one of the best players in the game, a five-tool player capable of anchoring a first-division lineup on both sides of the ball from a premium position. The injury concerns, however, have limited his contributions and saddled him with a tricky long-term risk profile.

This season perfectly illustrated the dichotomy of Buxton as a team-building asset. In 27 games, he made 110 trips to the plate and accrued an insane 2.7 fWAR with a .369/.409/.767 line, good for a 217 wRC+. But 27 games of MVP-caliber production from Buxton wasn’t enough to keep the Twins anywhere near contention. They currently have a 0.0% chance to make the playoffs, per Fangraphs.

Buxton went on the injured list with a hip strain from May 7th to June 16th, by which point Minnesota’s shot at the playoffs was already slim to nil. He was back for less than a week before breaking his hand and returning to the injured list. Because he’s still out, there’s very little chance that the Twins might move Buxton now.

Instead, they’ll wait for the offseason and re-evaluate. Even just one season of a healthy Buxton ought to pique the interest of a few teams around the league who might be willing to take a chance on keeping him healthy.

The question now is whether Minnesota’s inability to lock up Buxton long-term will push them to be more aggressive in offloading assets like Jose Berrios and Taylor Rogers. Both are under team control through 2022, like Buxton. Both are key cogs in a potential contender in 2022, like Buxton.

With Nelson Cruz already gone and the rest of the present-day roster not looking much like a contender, the Twins may already doubt their chances to battle an increasingly indomitable White Sox team next season.

If Berrios ultimately gets moved in the next week, we’ll know the Twins’ thoughts about next season. If he stays, the Twins may be preparing for one final run with Berrios and Buxton under contract. Either way, it’s looking increasingly likely that Buxton’s long-term future resides somewhere other than Minnesota — where he can tantalize and frustrate a different fanbase.

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