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Packy Naughton Undergoes Flexor Tendon Surgery

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Cardinals left-hander Packy Naughton underwent surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his left elbow, reports Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, but his ulnar collateral ligament did not require repair.

It was reported last week that Naughton would require season-ending surgery of some kind, though the exact nature of the procedure wasn’t known. The fact that the lefty’s UCL didn’t need any work is surely a silver lining in this challenging process.

Despite that small bit of good news, Naughton is likely still looking at a long road back to the mound, as flexor tendon surgery can also lead to extended absences. For instance, Matthew Boyd required the procedure in late September of 2021 and he got back to the big leagues in early September of 2022, missing almost a year. Tarik Skubal went under the knife in August of last year and is currently on a rehab assignment more than 10 months later. Each person and injury is different but it seems likely that Naughton will miss part of the 2024 campaign, in addition to missing the remainder of 2023.

Last year was his first with St. Louis and he posted a 4.78 ERA in 32 innings, but with strong peripherals. He struck out 22% of opponents while walking just 5% and getting grounders on 49.5% of balls in play. He started 2023 with five scoreless innings before landing on the injured list and that will now be the totality of his work for the year. He’s already on the 60-day injured list and will stay there for the rest of the year, though he’ll need to be added back to the roster in the offseason.

Turning to another injured Cardinal, Tyler O’Neill is back to baseball activity, per Jones. The outfielder is hoping to be heading out on a rehab assignment next week. He’s been on the shelf since May 5 due to a lower back strain.

The return of O’Neill will make for an interesting storyline with just over a month to go until the August 1 trade deadline. The Cardinals have had a disappointing season so far and are currently 33-45, placing them eight games back of the Reds in the National League Central and even further out in the Wild Card race. Though a hot streak in the next few weeks could get them right back into the mix, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak recently admitted that they may have to make some tough decisions this summer.

O’Neill will be returning to a crowded outfield picture. Tommy Edman started the year at shortstop but a resurgent Paul DeJong has bumped him to center field, where he has carried himself well. Through 189 1/3 innings in center so far this year, he has two Outs Above Average and a grade of 1.1 from Ultimate Zone Rating, while Defensive Runs Saved considers him exactly league average. His .238/.308/.403 batting line on the year is slightly below par, translating to a wRC+ of 96, but he’s still plenty valuable due to his defense, versatility and baserunning.

Similarly, the ascendance of Nolan Gorman at second base has often pushed Brendan Donovan into left field this year. Donovan has been producing roughly league average defense while hitting .269/.362/.384 for a wRC+ of 111. Then there’s Lars Nootbaar, who’s hitting .262/.368/.378 for a wRC+ of 111 while playing the corners. Rookie Jordan Walker is hitting .303/.369/.472 for a wRC+ of 135, slotting in as the designated hitter regularly but also taking a corner outfield spot at times. Dylan Carlson is also in the mix, hitting .248/.327/.404 for a wRC+ of 105. Alec Burleson and Óscar Mercado are also on the roster but neither has been able to get much playing time of late.

Even without O’Neill, the club is juggling plenty of different options and it won’t clear up any time soon as all of those players are still under control for 2024. The club has a $12.5MM option for DeJong’s services in 2024, with a $2MM buyout, that once seemed sure to be bought out but he might be playing his way into that getting picked up. He’s still providing strong shortstop defense while hitting .234/.297/.467 for a 109 wRC+. Even if DeJong isn’t there next year, shortstop prospect Masyn Winn is in Triple-A and will need a major league audition soon.

O’Neill can be retained for 2024 as well, though that would be his final arbitration year before qualifying for free agency. That perhaps makes him the most logical trade candidate of the bunch. Given the overcrowded roster in St. Louis and the fact that he and manager Oli Marmol got in a public argument earlier this year, perhaps O’Neill will be reading his name in trade rumors in the next few weeks.

He’s making $4.95MM this year and would be in line for a raise next year. It would likely be a modest bump given his missed time and the fact that he’s hit just .228/.283/.337 on the season so far, 73 wRC+. Nonetheless, he’d be an intriguing buy-low candidate for other clubs. In 2021, he hit 34 home runs and slashed .286/.352/.560 for a 144 wRC+. He also stole 15 bases and was graded well in the outfield, leading to a tally of 5.6 wins above replacement from FanGraphs. His production has dipped in the past couple of seasons while dealing with injuries, but there should still be some trade value there.

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: The Angels Trade for Infielders, Indecisive NL Central Teams and Aaron Judge’s Toe

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

  • The Angels acquired Eduardo Escobar from the Mets and Mike Moustakas from the Rockies (1:25)
  • The Pirates and Cubs and Cardinals are thinking about their respective trade deadline approaches (7:20)
  • The Yankees’ hopes are hanging on Aaron Judge’s toe (16:05)

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • How do you think the Red Sox will approach the deadline? Will they try to toe the line like last season (which did not work)? (18:50)
  • I would like to know what you think the Padres are going to do? They have numerous holes in that lineup, they are selling out game after game at home? You think major trades forthcoming? Or what? (22:40)
  • What do you think are the chances that the Braves trade Vaughn Grissom at the deadline? What caliber of player do you believe a package built around Grissom would bring in? (25:35)

Check out our past episodes!

The Opener: Mets, Central Divisions, Abrams

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As the 2023 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Cohen to hold press conference:

Mets owner Steve Cohen will be holding a press conference before the club’s game against the Brewers this evening, as Cohen himself announced on Twitter. Cohen’s presser comes as the Mets are in the midst of a brutal June that’s seen them go 7-16 and fall to 8.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Their chances of an NL East title this season appear even more remote as they’ve fallen to fourth place in the division and sit a whopping 16 games back of the Braves.

With the odds of playoff baseball coming to Queens this season appearing remote, rumors have begun to percolate regarding the Mets as potential sellers, up to and including the idea of veteran ace Max Scherzer changing uniforms before the trade deadline on August 1. It’s not currently known what Cohen’s plans for the press conference are, though as perhaps the most unconventional and publicly active owner in the sport, the presser is sure to be worth keeping an eye on.

2. Central division races tightening:

While the Braves, Rangers, Rays, and Diamondbacks all have relatively healthy leads in their respective division races with Arizona’s 2.5 game lead on the Giants standing as the smallest margin, both the AL Central and the NL Central appear to be extremely competitive in the run up to the All Star break. Following a loss by the Twins to the Braves and a win over the Royals by the Guardians yesterday, Cleveland (38-40) has moved within half a game of the Twins in the AL Central (40-41). With six more games against the Royals prior to the break while the Twins stare down a pair of matchups against Baltimore, the Guardians have a clear path toward taking a lead in the division.

In the NL Central, meanwhile, the Pirates have begun to fall out of the race after going just 4-15 over their last 19 games. That leaves the top dogs in the division as the Reds, who have surged to the front of the division after rattling off 12 straight wins earlier in the month. Milwaukee lurks just half a game behind them, and the Brewers will have an excellent opportunity to separate themselves from the pack in the Central prior to the All-Star break. In their final seven games before the break, they’ll play four against the Cubs (in third place, three games back of the division lead) and three against Cincinnati.

3. Abrams to be re-evaluated:

Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams is set to be re-evaluated this morning following his departure from last night’s game against the Mariners, according to MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman. The young shortstop was struck by a pitch in the right elbow during yesterday’s game, the second time he’s been hit in that spot this week. Abrams missing time would be an unfortunate turn for the Nationals as the 22-year-old looks to continue developing at the big league level in hopes of reaching the promise that made him a consensus top-10 prospect in baseball heading into the 2022 season and a cornerstone of the Juan Soto trade. Utility infielder Ildemaro Vargas took over for Abrams at shortstop last night and figures to fill in should Abrams miss time.

Max Scherzer Reportedly Open To Waiving No-Trade Clause

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The Mets have dropped seven of their last ten, leaving them at 35-43 heading into Tuesday’s game against Milwaukee. Coming off a 101-win season and boasting the highest player payroll in MLB history, they’re on the shortlist of the most disappointing teams in the league.

A little more than a month from the trade deadline, New York could wind up being one of the more fascinating clubs to follow. Ownership and the front office would surely prefer the club plays its way back into contention and puts them in position to add this summer, though that’s no small feat. Hopes of winning the NL East are gone, and the team sits 8 1/2 games out of the last Wild Card spot with six teams to surpass.

If the Mets pivot to selling off veteran pieces, opposing teams could at least ponder a run at Max Scherzer. The three-time Cy Young award winner is in the second season of a three-year, $130MM free agent deal. He’s making an MLB-record $43.333MM annually and can opt out and retest free agency at season’s end.

Scherzer’s deal contains a full no-trade clause, so the Mets couldn’t move him without his consent. Industry sources suggest to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com that Scherzer would be amenable to waiving the provision in the right circumstances — presumably one that’d see him shipped to a team with legitimate 2023 championship aspirations. Scherzer famously waived a no-trade clause in his deal with the Nationals at the 2021 deadline, enabling the stunner that landed him and Trea Turner in Dodger blue.

That’s not to say a trade is likely this time around. The no-trade clause is one of myriad roadblocks. The Mets aren’t going to pull the plug on the ’23 season until absolutely necessary; the roster still has a few weeks to take itself off the bubble. Even if the Mets were to consider moving veteran players, parting with Scherzer would represent a much bigger decision than relinquishing pure rentals like David Robertson and Tommy Pham.

While Scherzer could join Robertson and Pham on the open market, he’s by no means a lock to do so. He’d have to forfeit the largest single-year salary in MLB history. Scherzer isn’t performing at vintage level and will turn 39 next month, so there’s no assurance he’d do much better than $43.333MM on the open market. The eight-time All-Star might be able to top that guarantee but would probably have to spread it over a two-year deal with lesser yearly salaries.

Over 13 starts and 70 2/3 innings, he’s carrying a 3.95 ERA. His 26.2% strikeout rate is still quite good but a few points below typical levels. His velocity and swinging strike numbers aren’t far off his customary marks, though he’s allowing home runs at a career-high clip.

If the Mets feel Scherzer is unlikely to opt out, they could view dealing him this summer as too much of a blow to their 2024 chances even if they’re definitively out of this year’s mix. The record salaries, meanwhile, could be a problem for teams considering a run at him. It’s unlikely another franchise would absorb the approximate $14.2MM Scherzer will collect between August 1 and season’s end, to say nothing of the ’24 commitment they could assume if he doesn’t test free agency.

Of course, the Mets could shoulder much of Scherzer’s deal to facilitate a trade if they wanted to restock the farm system. Andy Martino of SNY reported last week that owner Steve Cohen was willing to leverage his spending capacity to bolster the prospect pipeline — either by taking on another team’s undesirable deal or covering contracts of players shipped out of Queens. New York put that into action by paying down Eduardo Escobar’s $9.5MM salary to the league minimum to facilitate his trade to the Angels.

Doing the same with Scherzer would be in a completely different stratosphere — both in terms of the money New York is retaining and the hit they’d deal to the MLB roster. There’s no indication it’s a consideration right now. That Scherzer may not be categorically opposed to changing uniforms at least leaves open the possibility of a second blockbuster in three years, but the no-trade clause is far from the only impediment.

Reds Outright Silvino Bracho

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The Reds sent reliever Silvino Bracho outright to Triple-A Louisville, according to the transactions log at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment on Sunday.

Bracho has made five appearances for Cincinnati this season. He has tossed 7 1/3 innings of three-run ball, striking out and walking six batters apiece. Bracho has reached the big leagues in three of the past four seasons, but this year’s brief workload represents his largest since he tossed 31 innings for the D-Backs back in 2018.

The right-hander has pitched 21 1/3 frames over 21 outings in Louisville. His 4.22 ERA is fine but built on a huge 98.7% strand rate. Bracho has decent strikeout and walk numbers for the Bats. He’s allowed seven homers in that time, though.

It’s the second time this season in which the Reds have sent him through waivers. He bypassed the right to test minor league free agency in favor of the outright assignment in May. He’ll again have the option to rejoin Louisville or explore other opportunities.

Braves To Reinstate Kolby Allard From Injured List

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The Braves will reinstate left-hander Kolby Allard from the 60-day injured list to start tomorrow’s game against the Twins, the team informed reporters (including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). It’ll be his season debut.

Allard, a former first-round draftee, made his first three major league appearances with Atlanta in 2018. The Braves dealt him to the Rangers the following season. He spent four years in Texas but never posted an ERA below 4.96. At the start of last offseason, the Rangers traded him back to the Braves for Jake Odorizzi.

So far, neither team has gotten anything out of the swap. Odorizzi might not throw a pitch as a Ranger. He underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery in April and will miss the entire season; he’s headed to free agency at year’s end. Allard has been down since suffering a Grade 2 oblique strain in Spring Training.

The southpaw has made just two rehab starts for Triple-A Gwinnett. He has combined for 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball with eight strikeouts. Allard tossed 62 pitches in his most recent outing on Thursday, so it’ll likely be a relatively brief start. The Braves optioned AJ Smith-Shawver yesterday, leaving a vacancy in the fifth rotation spot behind Spencer Strider, Bryce Elder, Charlie Morton and Jared Shuster.

Allard will reoccupy a spot on the 40-man roster. Atlanta already has a vacancy after designating Charlie Culberson for assignment last week. They’ll only need to make a corresponding active roster transaction tomorrow.

Royals’ Josh Taylor To Undergo Lower Back Surgery

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Royals reliever Josh Taylor will undergo surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back, tweets Anne Rogers of MLB.com. The team hasn’t provided a recovery timetable.

Taylor has been on the injured list for a month while battling a shoulder impingement. The back issue apparently arose during his rehab process. Taylor missed the entire 2022 campaign as he battled a lower back strain.

It’s obviously an unfortunate setback that makes it seem likely he’ll find himself on the 60-day injured list once the club needs a 40-man roster spot. A 60-day IL transfer could be backdated to the time of his initial placement even though he’s now dealing with a separate injury.

Kansas City acquired the southpaw over the offseason in a swap that sent Adalberto Mondesí to the Red Sox. The deal hasn’t worked for either team, as both players have battled injuries. Mondesí still hasn’t played for Boston as he works back from last year’s ACL tear. Taylor has made 17 appearances for K.C. but been tagged for 16 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings. He has struck out just under 32% of opposing hitters, an excellent clip, but nine walks and four homers contributed to the inflated ERA.

This is Taylor’s second season of arbitration eligibility. He’s making $1.025MM this year and eligible for the process twice more. An extended absence would increase the odds of Kansas City non-tendering him next offseason, though it’s unclear precisely how long he’ll be out.

Wilson Ramos Signs With Long Island Ducks

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Veteran catcher Wilson Ramos has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, the club announced. He’d briefly appeared in the Mexican League earlier in the year before making the jump to independent ball.

Ramos, a two-time All-Star, is looking to play his way to the majors for a 13th season. The Venezuela native didn’t make it there last year, as his only affiliated experience was a three-game stint with the Rangers’ Triple-A team. He appeared in 44 games between the Tigers and Indians two seasons back but had his year cut short when he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in August.

Now 35, Ramos is unlikely to recapture his 2016-18 peak form. The bat-first backstop claimed a Silver Slugger award and some down-ballot MVP support in the first of those seasons and combined to hit .298/.343/.483 over that stretch.

He was still a productive hitter thereafter, posting a .262/.321/.407 line over three clubs between 2019-21. That wasn’t quite enough to compensate for Ramos’ shortcomings as a defender, though, and the knee injury dealt a major hit to his efforts to find his way back to the big leagues last season.

Red Sox Acquire Andres Nunez From Royals

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The Red Sox have acquired right-hander Andres Núñez from the Royals, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The return for the Royals isn’t listed, suggesting it’s likely a cash deal. Núñez wasn’t on a 40-man roster, so no corresponding moves will be necessary. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Worcester.

Núñez, 27, was selected by the Royals in the 29th round of the 2018 draft. The reliever has been quite effective in the minors but has seen his results take a step back this year. In 2018 and 2019, he posted a combined 2.43 ERA in 77 2/3 innings, pitching in Rookie ball and Single-A. The minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic in 2020 and Nunez has been in the upper levels since. He split 2021 between Double-A and Triple-A with a combined 3.98 ERA that year, then had a solid 3.61 ERA mark in Triple-A last year.

Here in 2023, however, things have generally gone in an unfavorable direction with a 6.66 ERA through 24 1/3 innings. He’s allowed a .355 batting average on balls in play and has a 59.6% strand rate, which could point to some bad luck. On the other hand, he generally ran strikeout rates of 25-30% in previous seasons but is down to 17.5% this year. Similarly, his walk rate has jumped to 12.3% after being much lower in previous seasons.

Those poor results have apparently prompted the Royals to accept some cash and move on, while the Sox clearly believe they can get him back on track. He’ll head to Worcester and give the club some extra bullpen depth in Triple-A. He’s yet to crack a 40-man roster but will be eligible for the upcoming Rule 5 draft if not added ahead of time.

Penn Murfee To Undergo Season-Ending UCL Surgery

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The Mariners are dealing with a rash of significant pitching injuries, as relayed by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times (Twitter links one, two and three). Right-hander Penn Murfee will undergo season-ending surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament. Meanwhile, pitching prospect Taylor Dollard will undergo season-ending labrum surgery. Additionally, lefty Marco Gonzales will be shut down for two weeks due to nerve issues in his elbow.

The news is a very unfortunate development for Murfee, who has been a strong presence in Seattle’s bullpen over the past two years. He debuted last season with a 2.99 ERA in 69 1/3 innings, striking out 27.9% of opponents against a 6.6% walk rate. This year, he’s struggled with control but nonetheless dropped his ERA to 1.29. He twice landed on the injured list due to elbow inflammation and will now have to go under the knife.

It’s not exactly clear exactly what kind of surgery Murfee will require, but he’s sure to face a significant absence either way. Full ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, also known as Tommy John surgery, typical requires 14 to 18 months of recovery time. Even the internal brace alternative usually requires close to a year. That means that, in addition to missing the remainder of the 2023 season, Murfee will miss a chunk of the 2024 campaign as well.

Dollard, 24, is also set to miss the remainder of this year, though his timeline beyond that isn’t clear. He was selected by the Mariners in the fifth round of the 2020 draft and pitched in the lower levels of the club’s system in 2021. Last year, he posted a 2.25 ERA in Double-A, striking out 22.9% of opponents against a 5.4% walk rate. He figured to serve as rotation depth this year but made just three starts in Triple-A before landing on the injured list.

As for Gonzales, his timeline is still up in the air but he’s already been on the injured list for over three weeks and will now be shut down for two more. Even if he’s given a clean bill of health at that time, he’ll need to ramp back up after such a long layoff, which will push his theoretical return further down the line.

He posted a 5.22 ERA before landing on the IL but a 62.1% strand rate was likely pushing that up. His peripherals were roughly in line with his previous seasons and his 4.29 FIP suggests he may have deserved better results. The lefty may not be an ace but has a serviceable 4.02 ERA dating back to his 2018 breakout campaign.

The Mariners have some rotation challenges with Robbie Ray and Easton McGee both out for the year and Chris Flexen now designated for assignment. Bryce Miller has cooled off after a red hot start while Bryan Woo has a 5.09 ERA thus far. With Gonzales now unlikely to be available for a while, it could impact the club’s approach to the deadline. Their 38-39 record has them fourth in the American League West but just four games back of a Wild Card spot.

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