5 Key Stories

Here are the top stories from the past seven days here at MLBTR.

Matt Cain to retire. Giants righty Matt Cain, once one of the National League’s top starters, told reporters this week that he’ll step away from baseball after making one last start today. Cain turns 33 tomorrow. “I think Saturday will be the last time I put on the Giants uniform, and I can’t see myself going to play somewhere else,” he says.

Phillies to find new manager as Pete Mackanin moves to front office. In a somewhat surprising move, the Phillies announced this week that Pete Mackanin would transition to a front office role, creating a managerial opening in Philadelphia. The Phillies had extended Mackanin through 2018 earlier this season. “We see our roster right now is littered with young players who look to have a very, very bright future. It’s time to look forward. That’s the message today: it’s time to look forward,” GM Matt Klentak told reporters.

MLB owners approve Marlins sale. MLB owners this week unanimously approved the sale of the Marlins to a group headed by Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman. The deal is expected to be finalized next week. The Marlins also fired a number of members of their front office this week.

Mets to tender Matt Harvey, likely to dismiss Terry Collins. The Mets prepared to make a pair of decisions that will affect their immediate future — they’re likely to retain starter Matt Harvey, but dismiss manager Terry Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen. Mets owner Fred Wilpon reportedly prevented the team from parting ways with Collins in past seasons, but it doesn’t appear he’ll stand in the way this time. Rays third base coach Charlie Montoyo and various former Mets personnel have already emerged as potential replacements for Collins.

Carlos Rodon likely to miss six to eight months. White Sox starter Carlos Rodon had shoulder surgery for bursitis this week, likely meaning he’ll need six to eight months before he returns. It appears, then, that he could miss a chunk of the 2018 season. In other White Sox news, GM Rick Hahn spoke this week about the futures of Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia. It’s possible the team could extend either player, but both are currently eligible for free agency after the 2019 season, a time frame that doesn’t overlap well with the White Sox’ likely window of contention. Either one could therefore be traded this winter.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Here are the top stories from the last week here at MLBTR.

Extensions everywhere. Several players agreed to extensions this week, keeping them off this winter’s free agent market (or, in the case of Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart, postponing his free-agency eligibility from after 2020 through at least 2021). Righty Marco Estrada and the Blue Jays agreed to a $13MM deal for 2018, while catcher Kurt Suzuki and the Braves agreed to a $3.5MM pact. (The Braves also indicated they plan to exercise Tyler Flowers’ option, keeping both members of their catching tandem for 2018.) The Padres, meanwhile, extended lefty Clayton Richard for two years and $6MM.

Tigers to part ways with Brad Ausmus. The Tigers will continue their rebuild with a new manager at the helm. It emerged this week that the team planned to part ways with Brad Ausmus, their skipper for the past four years, at the end of the season. Ausmus has accumulated a 312-327 record in his managerial career.

Bronson Arroyo calls it quits. Veteran righty Bronson Arroyo called it a career this weekend, as the Reds honored him during a series against the Red Sox, the other team with which he’s most strongly associated. Arroyo finishes with a 4.28 ERA and 148 wins over parts of 16 big-league seasons.

Drew Storen to have Tommy John surgery. Another 2017 Reds pitcher, Drew Storen, will presumably miss the 2018 season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Storen is eligible for free agency this winter, but his injury will obviously all but ruin his market. Once one of baseball’s better righty relievers, Storen posted a 4.45 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 over 54 2/3 innings this year.

Jimmy Nelson to miss start of 2018 season. Brewers righty Jimmy Nelson had shoulder surgery this week, and doctors found they needed to repair his labrum. As a result, he’s expected to miss “a chunk” of the 2018 campaign. That’s bad news for the Brewers, as Nelson was one of the keys to their surprising emergence this season — he posted a 3.49 ERA, 10.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over 175 1/3 innings, breaking out after a 2016 season in which he led the Majors in walks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Here are the top stories from the past week here at MLBTR.

Rangers promote Willie Calhoun, release Tyson Ross. In a pair of related moves, the Rangers promoted top prospect Willie Calhoun (the headliner in this summer’s Yu Darvish trade) and released veteran starter Tyson Ross. The 22-year-old Calhoun had batted .300/.355/.572 with 31 homers at the Triple-A level this year. Ross struggled to a 7.71 ERA, 6.6 K/9 and 6.8 BB/9 over 49 innings in Texas after signing with the Rangers in January.

Shohei Otani appears likely to request to be posted. Reports from Japan indicate that Japanese superstar Shohei Otani will ask his current club, the Nippon Ham Fighters, to post him this winter. If he is, he’ll be a key to the offseason free agent market. (Here’s a scouting report on Otani.)

Jimmy Nelson out for remainder of season. Young starter Jimmy Nelson has been a key to the Brewers’ surprising season, but he’s done for the year after being diagnosed with a right rotator cuff strain and a partial anterior labrum tear that will require surgery. The Brewers will also be without outfielder Lewis Brinson, who has a hamstring strain.

Athletics identify Oakland ballpark site. While there remain many hurdles before the A’s get a new ballpark, they’ve identified a potential site for a new home. A new ballpark at that site would keep them in Oakland for the foreseeable future.

Teams complete Justin Upton, Neil Walker deals. While it obviously isn’t trading season, teams put the finishing touches on some previously announced transactions this week. The Angels sent 19-year-old righty Elvin Rodriguez to Detroit to complete the Justin Upton trade, while the Brewers shipped righty Eric Hanhold to the Mets to put the finishing touches on the Neil Walker deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Recapping the top stories from the past week at MLBTR:

Juan Nicasio on the move again: Nicasio went from the Phillies to the Cardinals in a rare September trade, thus continuing a peculiar week-plus for the right-hander. After they couldn’t put together a trade for him via revocable waivers, the Pirates placed Nicasio on outright waivers Aug. 29 in a cost-cutting move, leading the out-of-contention Phillies to claim him on the final day of the month. The Phillies then flipped him to playoff-contending St. Louis this past Wednesday for a quality prospect, infielder Eliezer Alvarez, whom MLB.com ranked 19th among the Redbirds’ farmhands prior to the trade. As an impending free agent, Nicasio might only be a Cardinal for a few weeks. Even if the Cards overcome a four-game NL Central deficit or a three-game disadvantage in the wild-card race, Nicasio won’t be able to pitch in the postseason because they acquired him after the Aug. 31 waiver trade deadline. Nicasio did his part to help the Cardinals play into October in his first appearance, though, as he picked up a four-out save Friday against a familiar team – the Pirates.

Brewers lose their ace: The Brewers’ already low playoff odds took a hit Saturday when they announced that Jimmy Nelson will miss the rest of the season with a right rotator cuff strain and a partial anterior labrum tear. All the more frustrating for Milwaukee and Nelson is that he suffered the injury while running the bases. The breakout star, 28, was in the middle of another excellent start at the time, one that saw him shut out the NL Central-leading Cubs for five innings in a 2-0 victory.

Pirates retain their brain trust: The Bucs on Tuesday announced extensions for Neal Huntington, the general manager who cut Nicasio, and skipper Clint Hurdle through 2021. While the Pirates are on track to finish under .500 for the second straight season, the seven-year Huntington-Hurdle partnership has mostly yielded positive results. Pittsburgh made the playoffs each season from 2013-15, with the first of those berths ending a 21-year drought for the franchise. Further, as Baseball America’s Ben Badler tweeted this week, the low-payroll club has won the fifth-most games in the majors over the past half-decade.

Potential stars debut: The Nationals, Dodgers and Phillies each called up a top 100 prospect this week. Washington controls the highest-ranked member of the trio, 20-year-old outfielder Victor Robles, who divided this season between the High-A and Double-A levels before the soon-to-be NL East champions selected his contract Thursday. He has collected one plate appearance since his promotion, while the Dodgers’ Walker Buehler and the Phillies’ J.P. Crawford have also seen action. One of baseball’s elite pitching prospects, the 23-year-old Buehler threw two scoreless innings in relief against the Rockies on Thursday. Crawford, a 22-year-old shortstop, is off to a slow start through a meager 16 PAs.

More misfortune for David Wright: The longtime Mets captain and third baseman suffered yet another setback in his rehab and will need rotator cuff surgery. Wright, who previously went under the knife to repair a herniated disk in his neck, won’t play this year after combining to appear in only 75 games from 2015-16. His most recent big league showing came May 1 of last year. With $47MM still owed to him through 2020, the 34-year-old isn’t considering retirement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Here’s a look back at some of the top stories from an eventful week here at MLBTR.

Astros acquire Justin Verlander. The Astros made one of the biggest moves at the August 31 deadline, acquiring Justin Verlander, $16MM, and a player to be named later or cash considerations in return for prospects Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron and Jake Rogers. The run-up to the deal was dramatic, as Verlander initially said no to being dealt to Houston, hoping instead to be traded to the Cubs. The Astros also added outfielder Cameron Maybin in a waiver claim from the Angels.

Angels acquire Justin Upton, Brandon Phillips. The Tigers completed another leg of their rebuilding plan in a surprising move this week, sending Justin Upton to the Angels for prospect Grayson Long and a player to be named later or cash. The Angels, hoping to aid their run at contention, took on all of the $88.5MM left on Upton’s contract beyond this year, assuming he doesn’t exercise his opt-out clause. They also added another veteran big-leaguer, Brandon Phillips, sending catcher Tony Sanchez to the Braves in return.

Mariners acquire Mike Leake. Upton’s wasn’t the only big contract to change hands this week, as the Cardinals shipped righty Mike Leake, international bonus spending rights, and around $17MM to Seattle for infielder Rayner Ascanio. Leake, who is under contract through 2020, has joined the Mariners’ rotation. In a separate deal, the Mariners also sent outfielder Leonys Martin and cash to the Cubs for a player to be named later or cash. In other significant Cardinals news this week, the team designated longtime reliever Kevin Siegrist for assignment. The Cardinals also promoted top prospect Jack Flaherty to take Leake’s place in the rotation.

Rangers acquire Miguel Gonzalez. The Rangers sent Yu Darvish to the Dodgers earlier this summer, but this week they made a move that suggests they haven’t quite pulled the plug on their 2017 season, acquiring righty starter Miguel Gonzalez from the White Sox for infielder Ti’Quan Forbes. The Rangers also welcomed back reliever Jake Diekman this week after Diekman struggled for months with inflammatory bowel disease. The team will have to pursue a playoff berth without Adrian Beltre, however, as it emerged this week that he would miss four weeks with a hamstring strain.

Phillies claim Juan Nicasio after Pirates place him on outright waivers. The Pirates made the surprising decision earlier this week to place reliever Juan Nicasio on irrevocable outright waivers, and the Phillies snapped him up even though they’re not in contention and Nicasio is eligible to depart via free agency in the offseason. (The Phillies also added a second veteran reliever this week, claiming Siegrist from the Cardinals.) Pirates GM Neal Huntington explained that he hoped placing Nicasio on waivers would enable him to be claimed by a contender in the American League.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Here’s a recap of the top five stories from the last week here on MLB Trade Rumors…

Trevor Rosenthal to undergo Tommy John surgery.  In devastating news to both the right-hander and to the Cardinals bullpen, Rosenthal will be out of action for the next 12-18 months, sidelining him for both the rest of this season and quite possibly all of the 2018 campaign.  Rosenthal had one final year of arbitration eligibility before hitting free agency following the 2018 season, so his injury will result in a non-tender from the Cards this winter and quite a few questions about his next contract.  For the short term, St. Louis has a big hole in its relief corps, and the Cardinals have turned to a closer-by-committee including Seung-hwan Oh, Tyler Lyons and Matt Bowman.

Red Sox acquire Rajaj Davis.  With Jackie Bradley Jr. hitting the disabled list with a sprained thumb, Boston shored up its outfield by acquiring Davis from the A’s in exchange for minor league outfielder Rafael Rincones.  Davis adds speed, defensive depth at all three outfield spots, a decent bat against left-handed pitching and veteran experience to the Red Sox roster as Boston looks to keep its lead in the AL East.

Indians lose three key players to the disabled list.  The Tribe’s efforts to lock up the AL Central took a hit when Danny Salazar, Andrew Miller and Jason Kipnis all hit the DL within the span of two days.  The good news is that the injuries suffered by Salazar (elbow inflammation) and Miller (patellofemoral syndrome) don’t appear to be too serious.  Kipnis, however, was sidelined with a right hamstring strain for the second time in as many months; his previous DL stint cost him four weeks earlier this season.

More Mets injuries.  The Mets’ snake-bitten season continued with two more major names hitting the disabled list.  Yoenis Cespedes suffered another hamstring injury, which could keep him out of action for the remainder of the season.  In potentially more serious long-term news, Michael Conforto suffered a posterior capsule tear and a dislocation of his left shoulder after taking a swing.  If surgery is necessary, Conforto could potentially face a lengthy rehab process that could last into Spring Training or potentially even into the start of next season.  More concrete details should be revealed after Conforto is re-examined on Monday.

Yankees/Tigers suspensions handed out.  After the Yankees and Tigers engaged in multiple bench-clearing altercations on Thursday, two players from each team will miss time (though the current penalties could be reduced on appeal).  Miguel Cabrera will be suspended for seven games, Alex Wilson and Gary Sanchez will miss four games each, and Austin Romine will miss two games.  All four players were also fined, as were several other players involved in the various brawls.  Tigers manager Brad Ausmus will also serve a one-game suspension.  From a pennant race perspective, it certainly won’t help New York to lose its star catcher Sanchez, though it could be argued that the Yankees were lucky that Dellin Betances and Tommy Kahnle weren’t also issued suspensions.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Here are five top stories from throughout the week here at MLBTR.

Brewers acquire Neil Walker. The Brewers made a significant move to upgrade their infield, acquiring second baseman Neil Walker from the Mets (plus a bit of salary relief) for a player to be named later. Walker had previously cleared waivers, meaning the Mets were able to trade him to any team. The 31-year-old is batting 7-for-15 with a home run in his first four games with Milwaukee.

Dodgers acquire Curtis Granderson. The Mets had already moved Walker and Jay Bruce this month when they struck another deal Friday, sending Curtis Granderson to Los Angeles for cash or a player to be named. Granderson, who’s batting .228/.334/.481 with 19 homers this season, will join a Dodgers team that also includes fellow recent additions Yu Darvish, Tony Watson and Tony Cingrani. It remains to be seen how the Dodgers will use Granderson, as the team is currently loaded with potential outfield options.

Jered Weaver retires. Veteran righty and longtime Angel Jered Weaver hung up his spikes this week after a frustrating season with the Padres in which he struggled with hip troubles and made just nine starts. “While I’ve been working hard to get back on the mound, my body just will not allow me to compete like I want to,” Weaver said. Weaver finishes with a 3.63 ERA, 1,621 strikeouts and 150 wins in just over 2,000 career innings.

Astros acquire Tyler Clippard. The Astros acquired veteran righty Tyler Clippard from the White Sox for cash this week. It’s the second change of teams for Clippard in 2017, as he’d previously headed from the Yankees to the White Sox in the David Robertson / Todd Frazier / Tommy Kahnle trade. The Astros are also in the market for a starter and have discussed a deal for Justin Verlander, although those talks don’t currently seem to be active, and the team has downplayed the possibility that the team will make another big move before the end of the month.

White Sox extend Kenny Williams, Rick Hahn. This week it emerged that the White Sox extended the contracts of executive vice president Kenny Williams and GM Rick Hahn earlier this summer. The White Sox currently sit at 46-73 and in last place in the AL Central, but their front office has earned praise for a series of trades that has given the organization one of the game’s best minor-league systems.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Here are the key stories from this week at MLBTR.

Jeffrey Loria to sell Marlins to Derek Jeter’s group. It’s been a long time coming, but Jeffrey Loria has agreed to sell the Marlins to Derek Jeter’s ownership group for $1.2B. It appears another bidder, local billionaire Jorge Mas, could be involved in Jeter’s group as well. Current Marlins front-office execs David Samson and Michael Hill will remain with the team.

Indians acquire Jay Bruce. The Indians bolstered their outfield by acquiring Jay Bruce from the Mets in exchange for minor-league pitcher Ryder Ryan. Bruce had ranked second on MLBTR’s list of the Top 25 August Trade Candidates. In the wake of the deal, the Mets promoted top first base prospect Dominic Smith to the Majors.

Mariners acquire Yonder Alonso. The Mariners struck a significant deal with a division rival, adding first baseman Yonder Alonso from the Athletics in exchange for outfielder Boog Powell. The Mariners had been pursuing Alonso since before the July 31 non-waiver deadline. This week, the M’s also struck a variety of smaller deals to add depth to an injury-ravaged collection of pitchers, acquiring Ryan Garton from the Rays, Ernesto Frieri from the Rangers and Andrew Albers from the Braves.

Pirates acquire Sean Rodriguez. The Bucs made a deal to re-acquire utilityman Sean Rodriguez (and, significantly, the remainder of his contract) from the Braves in exchange for minor-league corner player Connor Joe. Rodriguez, who hit well with the Pirates in 2016, will give the team an alternative to Jung Ho Kang, who has not yet played this season as he deals with visa issues. The Pirates also added George Kontos on a significant waiver claim this week, as the Giants placed the veteran reliever on revocable waivers and then let him head to Pittsburgh for free. The Braves were also active in other moves this week, not only sending Albers to the Mariners but also acquiring first baseman Kevin Franklin from the Reds as the player to be named in the Brandon Phillips deal.

Injury news on Willson Contreras, Felix Hernandez, Troy Tulowitzki and Phil Hughes. This week saw a number of significant injury developments. Cubs catcher Willson Contreras injured his hamstring and is out four to six weeks, so the Cubs will lean on new acquisition Alex Avila as their starting catcher for the time being. Mariners starter Felix Hernandez was diagnosed with shoulder bursitis that should keep him out three to four weeks. The Blue Jays moved shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (ankle) to the 60-day DL, effectively ending his season. And Phil Hughes underwent thoracic outlet syndrome revision surgery.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Here’s a look back at this week’s key stories from around the league.

Yankees get Todd Frazier, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle from White Sox. The Yankees and White Sox pulled off a blockbuster this week, with the Yankees upgrading their corner infield spots with Todd Frazier and their bullpen with David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle. The White Sox, meanwhile, received Tyler Clippard, plus three prospects (including two former first-round picks, Ian Clarkin and Blake Rutherford. In the wake of the deal, the White Sox also announced the promotion of Yoan Moncada, one of the game’s top overall prospects, to the Majors.

Diamondbacks acquire J.D. Martinez. In yet another significant July trade, the Diamondbacks acquired slugger J.D. Martinez from the Tigers for a trio of prospects headed by young infielder Dawel Lugo. The Tigers seemingly continue to be one of the more buzzed-about teams on the trade market, with Justin Wilson, Justin verlander and Ian Kinsler all coming up in various scenarios.

Mariners acquire David Phelps. The Frazier/Robertson and Martinez deals weren’t the only big one this week. The Marlins shipped righty reliever David Phelps to Seattle in exchange for a quartet of prospects headed by outfielder Brayan Hernandez. The Mariners had a busy week, also acquiring lefty Marco Gonzales from the Cardinals in exchange for outfielder Tyler O’Neill and sending veteran relievers Mark Lowe and Jean Machi to the White Sox.

Nationals deal for Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson. The Nationals boosted their bullpen this week by acquiring veteran relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson from the Athletics in return for Blake Treinen and a pair of prospects. The Nats remain interested in acquiring pitching and have been connected to a number of the remaining bullpen names.

Pablo Sandoval set to return to Giants. Last week, the Red Sox began the process of cutting ways with third baseman Pablo Sandoval. This week, he agreed to head back to his former team, the Giants, on a minor-league deal.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

The biggest stories featured on MLBTR over the past week:

Braves end the Bartolo Colon experiment: Even though Colon, 44, is the majors’ oldest player, the Braves’ decision to hand him a $12.5MM guarantee in the offseason was hardly indefensible at the time. The revered Colon was coming off his sixth straight quality season since an unexpected resurgence, and another respectable showing this year from the ex-Met could have helped the Braves hang in the playoff race or give them a potential trade deadline chip. Unfortunately, Colon’s career has taken a disastrous (and potentially fatal) turn this season. The 235-game winner pitched to an 8.07 ERA over 63 innings with the Braves, forcing them to designate him for assignment.

Drew Smyly to undergo Tommy John surgery: Smyly was one of Seattle’s key pickups over the winter, when it took a circuitous, costly route to acquire him from the Rays, but it’s now possible he’ll never pitch for the Mariners. The 28-year-old left-hander suffered an elbow injury prior to the regular season, thereby keeping him out through June, and then discovered during the rehab process that he’ll need to undergo surgery on a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Smyly will miss the next 12 to 15 months, putting his future with the M’s in question. After all, Smyly is only under control for one more year, and at $6.85MM, he’ll be fairly expensive in 2018 for someone who won’t be able to contribute. For now, the loss of Smyly takes away a potential midseason rotation reinforcement for the Mariners, who have fought through a rash of injuries to hang around a crowded American League wild-card race.

Veteran catchers in flux: The past week was an eventful one for established catchers Miguel Montero, Stephen Vogt and Derek Norris. Montero is the only member of the trio who has turned in a solid year offensively, having hit .286/.366/.439 in 112 plate appearances, but the Cubs designated him Wednesday after a regrettable on- and off-field performance Tuesday. Montero, with the help of right-hander Jake Arrieta, yielded seven stolen bases in a loss to the Nationals and then criticized the hurler after the game for his role in the debacle. Montero had a point, as FanGraphs’ Travis Sawchik wrote, but publicly throwing a teammate under the bus didn’t endear him to either the Cubs’ players or decision makers. As such, the club moved on from Montero after two-plus seasons. A few days before Montero’s tenure with the Cubs unexpectedly concluded, the team they’re chasing in the NL Central, the first-place Brewers, claimed Vogt off waivers from the Athletics. Vogt had been in Oakland since 2013, but his poor start to the season convinced the A’s to designate him. The 32-year-old has been a welcome addition to Milwaukee’s roster, though, as he has already swatted two home runs in eight trips to the plate. Meanwhile, Norris landed on the free agent market when the Rays released him Tuesday. The once-capable hitter was in the midst of his second consecutive subpar offensive season before the Rays moved on from him.

Marlins to change hands soon: To the relief of many Marlins fans, much-maligned owner Jeffrey Loria’s reign looks as if it’s on the verge of ending. Loria, who purchased the Marlins for $158MM in 2002, is likely to sell the team soon for between $1.1 billion and $1.3 billion. It’s unclear who will buy the franchise, but one prospective ownership group features Hall of Famer Tom Glavine and another includes the Cooperstown-bound Derek Jeter.

Rays find a shortstop: In on-field Marlins news, they shipped shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria to the Rays on Monday for a pair of minor leaguers. In doing so, the Marlins rid themselves of what’s left of Hechavarria’s $4.35MM salary and freed up the shortstop position for JT Riddle. Tampa Bay – which, unlike Miami, is contending for a playoff spot – sought help at short thanks to Matt Duffy’s seasonlong injury woes. Hechavarria has earned a rep as a defense-first shortstop, but he was a decent offensive player as recently as 2015 and has so far collected eight hits in 16 PAs with the Rays.