Archives for July 2023

Reds Reportedly Willing To Trade Jonathan India

By Darragh McDonald | July 24, 2023 at 10:05am CDT

The Reds have told other teams that they are willing to trade second baseman Jonathan India, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, in order to obtain young, controllable starting pitching. This marks a shift from a couple of months ago, when the club was reported to be disinclined to trading him.

The change in attitude is surprising, as India was awarded Rookie of the Year honors in the National League less than two years ago, taking that trophy in 2021. But there are also some reasons why it’s a logical pivot for the club. For one thing, the club has vaulted itself into contention this year, ahead of the expectations of just about everyone. They were 26-29 at the time of that report from June 1 that said they were disinclined to move India, but they are now up to 55-46 and just half a game behind the Brewers in the National League Central.

That ascent has been fueled by a parade of infield prospects coming up to the majors and succeeding this year. Spencer Steer made his debut last year and cracked this year’s Opening Day roster. He’s seized an everyday role by hitting .277/.363/.461 for a wRC+ of 118, a breakout that MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently looked at in more detail. Elly De La Cruz has cooled off a bit after a scorching hot start but is still a menace on the basepaths. Matt McLain is hitting .305/.371/.528 for a wRC+ of 137 while providing above-average middle infield defense.Christian Encarnacion-Strand was recently promoted after demolishing Triple-A pitching and has held his own in the majors through seven games. In addition to those youngers, veteran Joey Votto has also provided a jolt since returning from the injured list not too long ago.

The combination of those performances is a huge reason why the club is faring so well this year, but also has the side effect of crowding out their position player mix. Steer was playing third earlier in the season but moved to first a bit more when De La Cruz came up. With Votto off the injured list and Encarnacion-Strand in the mix at first as well, Steer has also seen some time in left field, joining an outfield mix that includes TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Will Benson and Nick Senzel.

As all of that has been going on, India has cooled off from a hot start. He was hitting .282/.369/.426 through the end of May for a wRC+ of 112, which is when it was reported that the Reds weren’t planning to move him. It seemed like India was bouncing back from an injury-marred 2022 season where he hit .249/.327/.378 for a 95 wRC+, getting closer to his Rookie of the Year form from 2021 where he hit .269/.376/.459 and earned a wRC+ of 120.

But since the calendar flipped to June, he’s posted a diminished line of .214/.299/.393, which translated to an 83 wRC+. That’s brought his season-long line down to .251/.338/.411 and his wRC+ to 99, just a hair below league average for the season as a whole.

Teams generally shouldn’t wildly change their player evaluations based on a couple of months, and some bad luck has probably been impacting India’s results anyhow. He has a .228 batting average on balls in play since the start of June, well below the .329 mark he had at the end of May. But he might still end up the odd man out in Cincinnati given the success of all the aforementioned players. If India were subtracted from the picture, the club could still have an infield of Steer, De La Cruz, McLain and Encarnacion-Strand/Votto from left to right. Senzel and Kevin Newman can serve as the depth pieces, though the latter is currently on the injured list due to gastritis.

India has only played second base in his major league career, generally getting subpar grades at that spot, and brings a bit less versatility than most of the club’s other infield options. But he would still figure to have plenty of trade value based on his track record. His struggles last year coincided with multiple trips to the injured list due to hamstring issues and he seemed to be back on track here in 2023 before his recent dip. He’s also still young and cheap, having exactly two years of major league service time coming into the current campaign. That means he’ll finish this year at the three-year mark and qualify for arbitration for the first time, with free agency not slated until after 2026.

This year’s trade deadline seems like it will be unique, with so many clubs hovering near contention due to the expanded postseason and some weak divisions. That’s led to widespread speculation that there will be more so-called “baseball trades” wherein two contending clubs each trade win-now pieces, subtracting from an area of surplus in order to address an area of need. Perhaps a different season would have seen more trade rumors surrounding a prospect like Noelvi Marte, who is playing well in Triple-A, but the Reds’ theoretical trading partner might prefer an established big leaguer like India.

But the Reds quite clearly need pitching and might have to give up something to get it. Their rotation was supposed to be fronted by Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene but each has been on the injured list for over a month, with returns not likely until August. Other starters like Justin Dunn, Connor Overton and Vladimir Gutierrez are also on the IL, leaving the club with a rotation of Andrew Abbott, Ben Lively, Graham Ashcraft, Brandon Williamson and Luke Weaver. Each of the latter three have an ERA of 4.60 or higher, with Weaver’s all the way up at 7.20 this year. Lively has a 3.88 ERA but hasn’t had a regular role in the majors in years and just recently came off an IL stint due to a pectoral strain. Abbott has been great this year but his career consists of just nine total starts.

There’s plenty of question marks in there so the Reds will be looking to add pitching, with general manager Nick Krall having admitted long ago that arms will be a target for them this summer. The fact that they are willing to consider India in such talks is notable but doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a lock to be moved. They will first have to line up on a deal with a club that needs a second baseman and also has controllable pitching to move.

The Dodgers would be one speculative fit since they have dealt with various challenges in the middle infield. Gavin Lux required knee surgery during the spring and isn’t expected back at all this year. Chris Taylor also missed significant time while Miguel Rojas has hardly hit, which forced the club to move Mookie Betts in from his customary right field position to play both middle infield spots. They have plenty of the young and controllable starters that the Reds seek but are currently using it themselves. With starters like Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May and Noah Syndergaard on the IL, they have rookies Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan and Michael Grove currently in their rotation.

It would be a similar story in trying to line up with other clubs. Most contenders are looking to add pitching at this time of year, not subtract it. Young and controllable pitching is generally the toughest to pry loose. The Yankees traded Jordan Montgomery for Harrison Bader last year, but that was when the lefty had just a year and a half of club control remaining. Even if there is a club willing to deal a controllable pitcher, they would also need to have a bit of a hole at second and believe in India getting past his recent slump. Time will tell whether anything comes together but it’s an interesting turnaround for the Reds given where things were just a few months ago, when the club seemed to be rebuilding and India felt like a core piece.

The Opener: Red Sox, Wainwright, Reds, Brewers

By Nick Deeds | July 24, 2023 at 8:15am CDT

With the trade deadline fast approaching, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Red Sox infield logjam coming to a head:

Red Sox infielder Pablo Reyes has been on the injured list for just over a month due to an abdominal strain, and most of that time has been spent on a rehab assignment. That rehab assignment is set to expire today, meaning the club will be forced to either roster or DFA Reyes, who is out of options, by the start of tomorrow’s game. That will create a logjam of middle infielders who can’t be optioned on the roster, with Enrique Hernandez, Yu Chang, and Christian Arroyo all also fitting that description.

While this logjam would seemingly create a situation where the Red Sox must trade or DFA a player in that group, MLB.com’s Ian Browne indicated yesterday that Arroyo is dealing with a jammed right thumb. If Arroyo, who hasn’t played since July 18, were to require a trip to the 10-day injured list, that would kick the can down the road for Boston until after the trade deadline on August 1, allowing them to keep all four players in the organization for longer and preserve leverage in trade negotiations.

2. Wainwright to return:

The Cardinals are turning to veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright to start today’s game against the Diamondbacks, as manager Oli Marmol told reporters (including Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). It’s been a disastrous season for Wainwright to this point, as the 41-year-old hurler posted a ghastly 7.66 ERA with a strikeout rate of just 11% against a 7.5% walk rate in 11 starts before going on the injured list with a shoulder strain earlier this month. Upon returning, Wainwright will look to rebound as he sits just two victories away from the 200th win of his enduring 18-year major league career.

3. Series Preview: Reds @ Brewers:

The Reds head to American Family Field in Milwaukee today for a three-game set against the Brewers with the NL Central lead on the line. In back-to-back three-game sets separated by the All-Star break, Cincinnati has ceded significant ground to Milwaukee by losing five of six. Outside of those games against the Brewers, however, the Reds have gone 10-3 in the month of July and are currently riding a five-game win streak. That success has allowed them to stay just half a game back of Milwaukee headed into the coming series.

Tonight’s game will feature young right-hander Graham Ashcraft (5.77 ERA) facing off against journeyman Colin Rea (4.64 ERA), while tomorrow’s game will offer a pitching duel between rookie Andrew Abbott (2.10 ERA) and ace Corbin Burnes (3.48 ERA). The series will wrap with Brewers hurler Freddy Peralta (4.72 ERA) taking the mound against Reds righty Ben Lively (3.88 ERA). The series kicks off this evening at 7:10pm CT.

Braves Claim Yonny Chirinos

By Mark Polishuk | July 23, 2023 at 11:03pm CDT

5:14PM: The Braves announced the Chirinos claim, as well as two corresponding moves. Soroka was optioned to Triple-A, implying that Chirinos will be taking Soroka’s spot in the rotation. Atlanta also designated right-hander Seth Elledge for assignment, just a few days after Elledge’s contract was selected to the active roster. Elledge didn’t see any game action during his brief time in the majors before he sent back down to Triple-A yesterday.

3:42PM: The Braves have claimed right-hander Yonny Chirinos off waivers from the Rays. Chirinos was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay earlier this week.

After Tommy John surgery limited Chirinos to 18 1/3 total innings from 2020-22, he has seemed fully healthy in pitching 62 2/3 frames this year working in a variety of different capacities for the Rays. Chirinos has started four games, worked as a bulk pitcher (behind an opener) on multiple occasions, and also had a couple of traditional relief outings as a long man and mop-up man. He has a 4.02 ERA to show for his efforts, though his 5.34 SIERA is perhaps more reflective of Chirinos’ overall performance. The righty has benefited from a .244 BABIP and he isn’t missing many bats, with only an 11.8% strikeout rate.

These unfavorable secondary metrics could be why the Rays chose to DFA Chirinos, though for a team with as many pitching injuries as Tampa Bay, it still counted as something of an eyebrow-raising move. As MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald noted last Monday when Chirinos was put on waivers, service time could have been a factor, as Chirinos has surpassed five years of MLB service time and now cannot be optioned to the minors without his permission. This might have been a breaking point for a Rays team that often shuffles pitchers back and forth from Triple-A Durham — in fact, Chirinos himself was twice optioned earlier this season before he hit the five-year threshold.

Chirinos’ ability to work in several different roles would’ve made him a good fit on many clubs, but Atlanta is a particularly fitting landing spot given the Braves’ own pitching depth issues. The Braves could see Chirinos as something of a replacement for Kolby Allard, who sent on the 60-day IL earlier this week due to nerve inflammation in his left shoulder.

Allard is one of a whopping eight pitchers on Atlanta’s 60-day IL, including such prominent arms as Max Fried, Kyle Wright, Jesse Chavez, and Nick Anderson. Manager Brian Snitker said today that Fried might be one more rehab start away from returning to the active roster, but with so many other pitchers still out, Chirinos give the Braves flexibility. Atlanta could ease Fried or Wright back into action by teaming them with Chirinos in a piggyback capacity, or Chirinos might be paired with Michael Soroka to manage innings.

Overall, Chirinos is a pretty nice pickup for the Braves to make even before they delve into further moves prior to the trade deadline. There isn’t much financial cost (roughly $515K in remaining salary), and Chirinos is still controlled through the 2024 season via arbitration.

Diamondbacks Place Gabriel Moreno On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | July 23, 2023 at 10:22pm CDT

Prior to today’s game against the Reds, the Diamondbacks placed catcher Gabriel Moreno on the 10-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation. Catcher Jose Herrera was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Carson Kelly will be Arizona’s starting catcher while Moreno is sidelined, though Kelly had taken an increasingly large share of the playing time over the last several weeks due to Moreno’s lingering shoulder issue. “It’s something we’ve been trying to manage for some time,” manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com and other media, and the club ultimately decided that an IL stint was necessary to allow Moreno time to rest up.

In his first full season in the majors and in his first season altogether with the D’Backs, Moreno has hit .270/.316/.360 with three homers over 244 plate appearances, translating to an 82 wRC+. It hasn’t been in the instant impact the D’Backs were hoping to get from the former top prospect, though it is safe to guess that this nagging shoulder problem has had some impact on Moreno’s hitting. While his bat and pitch-framing are still a work in progress, Moreno has already established himself as one of the game’s best throwing arms. Moreno has nabbed 11 of 18 runners trying to steal, for the highest caught-stealing percentage (61%) of any backstop in the league.

Due to a fractured forearm in Spring Training, Kelly has been limited t0 20 games and 63 PA, and he has hit only .183/.206/.250. Beyond Herrera, Ali Sanchez and Juan Centeno are the only other catchers in the Diamondbacks’ system with any MLB experience, so if Moreno is projected to be out for anything beyond the minimum 10 days, catching might emerge as a need for the D’Backs heading into the trade deadline.

Arizona probably wouldn’t pursue anything more than another depth catcher if Moreno will eventually be back, yet it creates another target for a D’Backs team that is already known to be looking for both starting and relief pitching. GM Mike Hazen has said his front office will “be aggressive” in looking for upgrades, and the D’Backs are in need of a spark in general after a miserable July. Arizona has lost 12 of its last 16 games, including today’s 7-3 loss to Cincinnati.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Mark Polishuk | July 23, 2023 at 9:35pm CDT

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

AL East Notes: Orioles, Red Sox, Hernandez, Jansen, Torres, Cortes

By Mark Polishuk | July 23, 2023 at 7:09pm CDT

The Orioles’ 5-3 victory over the Rays today extended Baltimore’s lead over Tampa Bay to two games, and continued a dream month for the upstart O’s. Between Baltimore’s 13-6 record and the Rays’ 4-14 record in July, the Orioles have completely wiped out their 6.5-game deficit from the start of the month, and now look like genuine World Series contenders. Even with this big surge, it remains to be seen how the O’s might approach the trade deadline, as ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that according to executives on other teams, the Orioles have thus far looked like “measured buyers” who are “willing to deal from position player surplus to upgrade pitching, but not perceived to be fishing for big, pricey deals, at this point.”

Should such a stance continue through August 1, Baltimore fans might not be pleased, as the fanbase was already annoyed enough last summer when the O’s dealt Trey Mancini and Jorge Lopez at the deadline rather than make a push for a playoff spot. (Of course, landing Yennier Cano from the Twins has made the Lopez trade a lot more popular in hindsight.) Obviously selling isn’t on the radar for GM Mike Elias this year, but that also doesn’t necessarily mean a blockbuster move is in store. Since the Orioles’ core of young talent is so promising, Elias might not see 2023 as the time for an all-in type of trade, especially considering that the O’s might not yet have decided which of their many star prospects they see as building blocks, and which might be trade chips. Of course, history has shown that lower-level deadline trades can often lead to postseason success just as easily as a headline-grabbing transaction, so Elias can pursue plenty of avenues as he looks to put the final pieces to an exciting young team.

NL East Notes: Candelario, Marlins, Pham, Phillies, Dominguez, Hoskins

By Mark Polishuk | July 23, 2023 at 5:21pm CDT

The Marlins have interest in Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that Miami views “Candelario as a perfect fit.” With a cumulative -0.9 bWAR posted by Marlins third basemen this season, no team has received less from the hot corner than the Fish, as Jean Segura’s resurgence over the last few weeks haven’t been enough to erase his very rough performance over the first three months. Segura could move into a utility role in the event of a Candelario trade, as Luis Arraez is a lineup fixture at second base, Jorge Soler is primarily a DH, and the hot-hitting Garrett Cooper is the primary first baseman.

Candelario is one of the more obvious trade candidates available heading into the deadline, as the Nationals are out of the race and Candelario will be a free agent after the season. After a poor 2022 season with the Tigers, Candelario has bounced back nicely to hit .254/.333/.474 with 15 homers over 390 plate appearances with Washington. He is owed roughly $1.8MM in remaining salary this season, which is a modest sum anyway but shouldn’t be a problem for the Marlins — owner Bruce Sherman has promised financial “resources” for deadline additions. Of course, Sherman’s statement came before Miami suffered through an eight-game losing streak out of the All-Star break, but the Fish got back into the win column with today’s 3-2 win over the Rockies.

Rays Outright Javy Guerra To Triple-A

By Steve Adams | July 23, 2023 at 3:41pm CDT

TODAY: Guerra cleared DFA waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, the Rays announced.

JULY 19: The Rays have designated right-hander Javy Guerra for assignment and recalled righty Calvin Faucher from Triple-A Durham, per a club announcement.

It’s been an eventful eight months for Guerra, who was traded from Tampa Bay to Milwaukee back in November, then designated for assignment and traded back to the Rays in April. This is now the second time the Rays have designated him for assignment since reacquiring him; he cleared waivers back in May and chose to accept an outright assignment at the time.

In 11 innings with the Rays this year, Guerra has posted a 4.09 ERA but issued more walks (13) than strikeouts (nine). The former top infield prospect, who converted to the mound five years ago, boasts a heater that averages 98 mph but doesn’t miss nearly as many bats as one would expect from someone with plus velocity. He’s fanned just 15% of his opponents against a 14.3% walk rate while pitching to a 6.43 ERA in 63 innings at the Major League level.

The Rays will have a week to trade Guerra or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. As was the case back in May, he’d have the option of rejecting an outright assignment in favor of free agency even if he does clear.

Mike Ivie Passes Away

By Nick Deeds | July 23, 2023 at 2:09pm CDT

Former Padres, Giants, Astros, and Tigers first baseman Mike Ivie passed away on Friday, as noted by Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. He was 70 years old.

Selected first overall by San Diego in the 1970 MLB draft, Ivie made his MLB debut at just 18 years old in 1971, slashing a phenomenal .471/.526/.471 in a six-game cup of coffee that season. Initially drafted as a catcher, Ivie developed the yips early on in his professional career, an issue that forced him to move to first base shortly after his debut. He spent the next two seasons in the minor leagues before returning to the majors in 1974. From 1975 to 1977, Ivie served as the Padres’ regular first baseman, slashing a roughly league .271/.322/.393.

Following the 1977 campaign, Ivie was traded to San Francisco, where he would have the best seasons of his career. In 1978 and 1979, Ivie stepped to the plate a combined 807 times, slashing a phenomenal .296/.361/.515 that was 41% better than league average at the time by measure of wRC+. Ivie slugged a combined 38 home runs, 32 doubles, and six triples across those two campaigns, and even chipped in eight stolen bases.

Ivie struggled to replicate that strong production in 79 with the Giants during the 1980 season, and was traded to the Houston Astros early on in the 1981 campaign. Continued struggles led Ivie to request his release from the Astros, which was granted early in the 1982 season. He finished his career as a member of the Tigers, for whom he slashed .232/.299/.448 with 14 home runs and 12 doubles in 80 games during the 1982 campaign before retiring from professional baseball in 1983 at the age of 30. Overall, Ivie’s major league career spanned 11 seasons and saw him record 724 hits including 81 home runs in 857 career games. He finished his playing days with an above average career slash line of .269/.324/.421.

MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, friends, former teammates and loved ones.

Marlins Agree To Terms With First-Round Pick Thomas White

By Nick Deeds | July 23, 2023 at 12:45pm CDT

The Marlins have signed supplemental first-round pick Thomas White, as noted by MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis. The sides came to an agreement on a $4,100,000 signing bonus, a figure first reported by Kevin Barral of Fish On First. That figure checks in far above the $2,420,900 slot value of the 35th overall pick with which White was selected.

White, 18, is a left-handed pitcher selected out of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. Coming into the draft, most evaluators saw White, who was widely considered to be the top southpaw in this year’s draft class, as a clear first-round talent. Keith Law of The Athletic ranked him 27th in the class, as did Fangraphs, though MLB Pipeline had him slightly higher at 24th. Baseball America, meanwhile, is highest on White, placing him 19th in the class. That being said, Law noted that there were concerns headed into draft day regarding whether White would sign with a club or honor his commitment to Vanderbilt.

The 6-foot-5, 210 pound lefty sports a mid-90s fastball and a quality three-pitch mix including a curveball and changeup that both draw plus grades from various services, though the curveball is generally better regarded than the changeup. White’s primary flaw is widely considered to be his command, which most services view as below average. Still, if his command evens out, prospect evaluators seem to be largely in agreement that White has front-of-the-rotation potential.

White’s selection continues the Marlins’ tendency toward selecting pitchers in the first round in recent years. In addition to White, Miami selected right-hander Noble Meyer with the 10th overall pick of this year’s draft. In previous years, the Fish have selected right-hander Max Meyer (2020) along with left-handers Trevor Rogers (2017) and Braxton Garrett (2016) with their first round picks.

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