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West Notes: Gattis, Diamondbacks, Cain, Span

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Astros catcher and designated hitter Evan Gattis appears headed to the disabled list after receiving a concussion diagnosis yesterday, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The end of a Corey Dickerson swing caught Gattis in the head on Thursday. The team currently plans to option first baseman A.J. Reed to Triple-A Fresno and promote third baseman J.D. Davis, who was hitting .282/.345/.527 in the high minors this season. The team will have to make another move to add a catcher if it does place Gattis on the DL, however. Here’s more from the West divisions.

  • The Diamondbacks’ rotation has gone from second worst in the Majors last year to second best this season, MLB.com’s Mike Petriello notes. Petriello credits big improvements in the Snakes’ outfield defense and catching, along with Robbie Ray’s breakout, and Taijuan Walker’s addition. He also notes that Zack Godley moved from relieving to starting for the big club this year, while Archie Bradley did the opposite; both moves had a big impact on the fortunes of Arizona’s starting pitchers.
  • The 42-69 Giants are finding new roles for two veteran players, as Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group noted earlier this week. The team will use Matt Cain, who’s in the midst of a third straight season with an ERA above five, as a long reliever until his contract expires at the end of the season. (The team does have an option on Cain for 2018, but almost certainly won’t exercise it.) Chris Stratton will take Cain’s place in the rotation. And the team has told center fielder Denard Span it plans to move him to left field, although he might not actually make that move until next spring. Span, for his part, since he has “no problem” with the move, as John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. “If you look around the league, you don’t see too many everyday center fielders who are 33 years old,” he says. “By the same token, I think I can still play center.”

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/31/17

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Here’s a wrap-up of some recent minor league moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post.

  • Right-hander Al Alburquerque cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent, the Kansas City Star’s Rustin Dodd tweets.  The Royals designated Alburquerque for assignment last week and requested release waivers on him two days ago; Alburquerque was previously DFA’ed earlier this season, though that time he accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A.  The righty signed a minors deal with Kansas City last winter and has a 3.60 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 over 10 innings out of the Royals bullpen.
  • Infielder Nick Franklin cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate, the team announced on Twitter.  Franklin was designated for assignment two days ago, and it was his third DFA of 2017 — he was designated by the Rays in April and then claimed by the Brewers, then designated by the Brewers and traded to the Angels in late June.  After posting above-average production in a part-time role with Tampa Bay last season, Franklin has been unable to get things going this year, with a combined .179/.269/.283 slash line over 119 PA with the Angels and Brewers.
  • The Diamondbacks released catcher Hank Conger, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  Conger signed a minor league deal with the Snakes last winter and has a .239/.316/.394 slash line over 206 PA at Triple-A Reno.
  • Also from Eddy, the Rockies released outfielder Domonic Brown.  Colorado signed Brown to a minors contract in the offseason.  Once considered one of baseball’s top prospects when coming up in the Phillies system, Brown was an All-Star in what looked like a breakout season in 2013, though badly struggled in his next two seasons and hasn’t since returned to the big leagues.  Brown did hit a decent .304/.327/.449 over 171 PA at the Triple-A level this season, though in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
  • Earlier this week, the Marlins announced that first baseman Chris Parmelee had been signed to a minor league deal.  Best known for his stint as a part-timer with the Twins from 2011-14, Parmelee appeared in just eight MLB games last season (with the Yankees) and has yet to reach the Show this season after being released from a minors contract with the A’s in June.
  • Catcher Eric Fryer elected to become a free agent last week, the Cardinals announced.  Fryer was designated for assignment on July 21 and had been outrighted to Triple-A before opting to hit the open market.  The light-hitting catcher has played in parts of seven seasons in the bigs, most recently serving as Yadier Molina’s backup in St. Louis.
  • The Rangers released veteran southpaw Wesley Wright earlier this month.  Wright posted a 4.16 ERA in 307 innings over eight big league seasons from 2008-15, though he hasn’t been back to the majors since, plus he’s struggled at the Triple-A level in the Texas and Boston organizations over the last two seasons.
  • Earlier this month, the Dodgers signed left-hander Tommy Layne to a minor league deal, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.  Layne posted good numbers out of the Red Sox and Yankees bullpens in 2015-16, though his career-long struggles with control plagued him this year, as Layne posted a 7.62 ERA over 13 IP for New York, with eight walks against just nine strikeouts.

Diamondbacks Acquire David Hernandez

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The D-backs and Angels have struck a trade that sends righty David Hernandez from Anaheim back to the familiar environs of Arizona. Young right-hander Luis Madero is going to the Angels in the deal.

David Hernandez

After struggling to find a job this spring, Hernandez has quietly turned in an excellent 2.23 ERA with 9.2 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 47.3 percent ground-ball rate through 36 1/3 innings of work. He’s a free agent at season’s end and is earning an $850K base salary in 2017, so he’s owed an affordable $293K the rest of the way.

Hernandez will deepen the Arizona pen as the club looks to solidify its hold on a Wild Card spot down the stretch. He has provided the team with plenty of good innings in the past, pitching to a 3.54 ERA over 233 2/3 innings from 2011 through 2015.

The 20-year-old Madero has struggled through 49 1/3 innings between Rookie ball and Class-A this season, limping to a 5.69 ERA while working as a starter. He has been hit especially hard since moving up a level. That said, the peripherals look much more promising for the young Venezuelan. He currently carries 8.3 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 47.8 percent ground-ball rate on the year.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported the trade on Twitter, with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweeting the return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Diamondbacks Acquire Adam Rosales

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The Athletics announced that they have traded veteran infielder Adam Rosales to the Diamondbacks in exchange for minor league right-hander Jeferson Mejia.  The minor move coincides with the D’Backs placing shortstop Chris Owings on the 60-day DL due to yesterday’s fractured finger, according to Nick Piecoro of AZ Central.

Rosales, who has played for the A’s in parts of five seasons, was a candidate to be designated for assignment as Chad Pinder approaches his return from a hamstring injury, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  The 34-year-old Rosales is hitting .234/.273/.346 in 223 plate appearances for the A’s this year, appearing mainly at shortstop.  Arizona’s acquisition was likely influenced by a tragedy, as shortstop Ketel Marte left the team after the loss of his mother in a car accident.

Mejia, a 22-year-old reliever who was recently demoted to short-season ball, has struggled with his control and posted a 5.90 ERA in 21 relief appearances this year.  The D’Backs acquired him from the Cubs in 2014 as part of the Miguel Montero deal.

Angels Nearing David Hernandez Trade

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2:32pm: The D-backs could be a landing spot for Hernandez, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

2:27pm: The Angels are getting close to a trade involving Hernandez, reports Feinsand (on Twitter).

12:11pm: MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets that Petit is also generating interest. The 32-year-old has tossed 60 2/3 innings with a 2.52 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and a 34.4 percent ground-ball rate this season in a multi-inning role.

11:37am: The Angels are marketing right-handed relievers Bud Norris and David Hernandez, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). Industry expectation is that both will be traded before today’s 4pm ET non-waiver deadline, Olney adds.

Both Norris and Hernandez have had strong rebound seasons in 2017, though Norris’ numbers have taken a hit in the past week due to a pair of grand slams allowed. That said, he’s worked 41 2/3 innings with a career-high 11.2 K/9 rate against 4.5 BB/9 and a 49 percent ground-ball rate (also a career-best). The resulting 3.89 ERA is a near-mirror image of Norris’ 3.87 FIP and is also largely reported by a 3.59 xFIP and 3.55 SIERA. Norris is a free agent at season’s end, and he’s making $1.75MM this year, with about $602K of that sum still owed to him.

Hernandez, meanwhile, has somewhat quietly turned in an excellent 2.23 ERA with 9.2 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 47.3 percent ground-ball rate through 36 1/3 innings of work. Like Norris, he has enough big league service time to qualify as a free agent following the season, making him a pure rental piece as well. Terms of his minor league deal with the Angels weren’t reported at the time he signed, but I’ve been told he’s earning an $850K base salary — so there’d be about $293K of that sum remaining.

It’s not clear whether the Halos are shopping any of their other short-term assets, though righty Yusmeiro Petit is having a fine year in the bullpen, while third baseman Yunel Escobar has produced at about a league-average pace at the plate. Outfielder Cameron Maybin may well have been a trade commodity, but his knee injury will keep him out into August. It’s still possible that he could clear trade waivers next month or be moved to a team that places a claim, however.

Brandon Kintzler Trade Rumors: Deadline Day

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When the Twins decided to change course and begin selling assets, righty Brandon Kintzler immediately became the club’s most obvious trade chip. He’s a pending free agent with an affordable salary and sterling track record over the past two seasons. While contenders won’t likely be targeting him as a closer, he has succeeded in that role over the past two seasons in Minnesota.

Here’s the latest chatter on his still-developing market:

  • The Twins appear to be nearing a trade involving Kintzler, though it’s not yet apparent where he’s headed, according to a tweet from ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick.
  • Also still involved on Kintzler are the Diamondbacks, per LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
  • The Nationals are indeed “in touch” on Kintzler today, tweets Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, with MLB.com’s Jon Morosi characterizing things similarly on Twitter by citing “ongoing discussions” between the teams.
  • Discussions are likely to go right up until the deadline at 4pm EST today, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). The Nationals and Rockies are among the teams that have checked in on Kintzler, he notes. Likewise, the Rays have shown at least some interest, per 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson (via Twitter).
  • With the Red Sox landing Addison Reed, that may have taken one suitor out of the running. But it also perhaps teed up Kintzler as the next-most-appealing righty rental reliever. As MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand suggests on Twitter, the volume of traffic on Kintzler now has the Twins believing he’ll be dealt today.

D-Backs, Emilio Bonifacio Agree To Minors Deal

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The Diamondbacks are in agreement with veteran utility man Emilio Bonifacio on a minor league pact, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo.

Bonifacio will join the D-backs in the midst of a difficult situation, as MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert tweets that the club is preparing to place infielder Ketel Marte on the bereavement list due to the tragic death of Marte’s mother in a car accident. We at MLBTR express our most heartfelt condolences to Marte and his family.

With both Marte and Chris Owings (fractured finger) unavailable for some time, Bonifacio can step up and play a variety of positions around the diamond. The 32-year-old batted just .132/.150/.211 in 44 plate appearances with the Braves earlier this year but is a career .256/.313/.333 batter in nearly 2900 MLB PAs. Bonifacio has played second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions in his career as well.

Chris Owings Diagnosed With Fractured Finger

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7:42pm: Arizona is “unlikely” to shop for another infielder, per Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (via Twitter). The club thinks its depth is sufficient, particularly with Ahmed expected to return within a month or so.

4:41pm: Diamondbacks infielder Chris Owings has been diagnosed with a fractured middle finger on his right hand, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. While details on an anticipated course of treatment and timeline aren’t known, he’ll obviously be out for a reasonably extended stretch.

With Owings joining Nick Ahmed on the DL, the D-Backs are left with quite a bit less middle-infield depth than they had to open the year. Ketel Marte and Brandon Drury look to represent the top two options on the active roster, with Daniel Descalso also available in a reserve role.

The loss hits the Snakes at an interesting time, with the trade deadline less than 24 hours away. Whether Arizona will feel any major new impetus to pursuing a trade remains to be seen. Owings is now in a state of uncertainty and Ahmed has yet to begin a rehab assignment. But Marte has played well since returning to the majors and Descalso won’t be needed as much in the outfield as he was at times due to the recent addition of J.D. Martinez.

If the D-Backs do take a look at the market, they could consider a variety of options. MLBTR has recently assessed the potentially available shortstops and second basemen. Among those of note are Zack Cozart of the Reds, though he just landed on the DL. Jose Iglesias of the Tigers would represent a controllable piece and is capable of providing top-notch defense at shortstop, though he has never been much with the bat. If the Diamondbacks don’t feel they need a player capable of lining up at short, they could focus on rentals such as Jed Lowrie of the A’s or Neil Walker of the Mets.

As ought to be apparent from some of the names mentioned, there may not be much rush to finding a replacement. Arizona may prefer to see how its injured players progress while waiting to weigh new acquisitions over the month of August. Cozart figures to be available then, and Walker may be as well given that he only just returned from the DL and is earning a big salary. Veterans such as Brandon Phillips, Asdrubal Cabrera, and even Ian Kinsler are also plausible chips that could last past tomorrow’s non-waiver deadline.

Pitching Market Notes: Kintzler, Santana, Astros, Dodgers, Cubs, Verlander, Reed, Lynn

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Here’s the latest chatter on the trade market for pitching …

  • The Red Sox and Diamondbacks are among the teams with interest in Twins righty Brandon Kintzler, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com (via Twitter). Kintzler, 32, represents an interesting potential addition to the trade market as Minnesota ponders a change in plans. The sinkerballer owns a 2.84 ERA with 27 saves on the year. As regards the interest from Boston, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Red Sox had looked into Pat Neshek before he was dealt to the Rockies, due in part to their desire to add a “different look” to their setup mix. With the side-armer now off the market, Boston isn’t a lock to move onto other targets such as the Mets’ Addison Reed or the Marlins’ AJ Ramos, Crasnick notes.
  • While the Astros continue their search for arms, the club has done some “background work” on Twins righty Ervin Santana, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (Twitter links). Santana’s velocity has wavered a bit, though perhaps that’s not the real issue in assessing his value. The veteran righty has produced a strong 3.37 ERA over 136 1/3 innings, following up on last year’s near-identical 3.38 mark, but he’s managing just 6.9 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9 and has benefited from a .227 BABIP and 82.9% strand rate.
  • The Dodgers are also looking at starters, of course, and Morosi hears they are (Twitter links) increasingly confident in landing a big name. Currently, Los Angeles is focused more on Rangers star Yu Darvish than either Sonny Gray of the Athletics or Justin Verlander of the Tigers, he notes. Of course, at this point it’s still unclear whether Darvish will be marketed at all, and it’s not really known how keen the Dodgers’ interest is in the other two starters.
  • The Cubs are the most interested team in Verlander, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, but suggests that the Tigers star’s contract may simply be too great an obstacle to overcome. CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine hears similarly, tweeting that there’s “no traction” between the Cubs and Tigers at this point, though he notes that talks aren’t completely dead. As Nightengale suggests, Verlander would be easier to move in the offseason when teams have greater payroll flexibility.
  • Given the lack of interest they’re receiving in many of their trade assets, the Mets could look to package closer Addison Reed with another piece, reports Newsday’s Marc Carig. Lucas Duda may have been one possibility for such an approach, though he was just dealt alone. Infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, outfielders Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson, and catcher Rene Rivera are among New York’s other potential chips that could be paired with Reed in trades to various teams, which could allow the Mets to enhance the return they’d receive, relative to what they’d net in separate deals, Carig continues.
  • Adam Wainwright’s recent injury won’t have any bearing on whether the Cardinals decide to trade Lance Lynn, nor will their recently improved play, per MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal (all links to Twitter). The Cardinals are open to moving Lynn if they’re presented with an offer they find appealing, as they’re not likely to make Lynn a qualifying offer and risk paying him $18.1MM or so in light of the diminished draft-pick compensation for players that reject a qualifying offer. The Cards are trying to balance winning now with staying competitive in the future, per Rosenthal, who notes that they’d like to strengthen their 2017 bullpen. Reading between the lines, perhaps they’d be amenable to moving Lynn for some MLB-ready relief help, though that’s just speculation at this point.

Diamondbacks Acquire John Ryan Murphy

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The D-backs announced that they’ve acquired minor league catcher John Ryan Murphy from the Twins in exchange for minor league left-hander Gabriel Moya. In a corresponding move, Yasmany Tomas has been transferred from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL to clear a spot on Arizona’s 40-man roster.

John Ryan Murphy| Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Murphy’s tenure with the Twins will come to a disappointing end after roughly a season and a half. Acquired prior to the 2016 season in a straight-up swap for outfielder Aaron Hicks, Murphy floundered in his first season with the Twins in ’16 and has yet to see the Majors in 2017. Hicks, meanwhile, finally broke out and delivered on his former top prospect status as a member of the Yankees in 2017, though he’s been sidelined for about a month due to an oblique injury.

The 26-year-old Murphy showed plenty of promise in 2015, hitting .277/.327/.406 in his first extended look in the Majors as a member of the Yankees. With a long-term need behind the plate and a glut of outfield depth in his system, former Twins GM Terry Ryan moved the out-of-options Hicks to New York in exchange for Murphy with the hope that he could succeed Kurt Suzuki as the Twins’ starting catcher in the long run.

Murphy, though, logged just 90 plate appearances with the Twins in 2016 and hit .146/.193/.220. He posted a .609 OPS at the Triple-A level last year as well and hasn’t been much better in 2017, hitting just .222/.298/.330 with four home runs through 218 plate appearances. The Twins inked Jason Castro to a three-year pact this winter and have backup catcher/mop-up reliever extraordinaire Chris Gimenez controlled through 2018, while 26-year-old Mitch Garver’s strong minor league play has easily vaulted him over Murphy on the organizational depth chart. The inclusion of journeyman Anthony Recker in this week’s Jaime Garcia swap gave the Twins yet another experienced option at catcher and likely made Murphy all the more expendable in their eyes.

For all of his flaws at the plate, Murphy has halted 39 percent of stolen base attempts against him and has delivered superlative framing marks both this season and last in Triple-A Rochester. For a Diamondbacks organization that has placed a clear emphasis on catcher defense — highlighted by the signing of light-hitting Jeff Mathis to a two-year deal — the interest in Murphy is understandable. He’s probably behind Mathis, Chris Herrmann and Chris Iannetta on the depth chart for now, but Iannetta is a free agent at season’s end while Herrmann (also a former Twin) is a clear non-tender candidate, if not a DFA candidate.

In Moya, the Twins will pick up a left-handed arm that ranked as the 25th-best asset in a thin Diamondbacks farm system, per Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. The 22-year-old Moya has served as the closer with the D-backs’ Double-A affiliate this season and posted a gaudy 0.82 ERA with 14.0 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 42.5 percent ground-ball rate. He’s saved 17 games at that level, though Callis and Mayo suggest that he doesn’t have the stuff to close at the game’s top level. They do note that unlike many relievers, Moya has four useful pitches, highlighted by a changeup and also featuring an average fastball and slider.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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