NL East Notes: Marlins, Givens, Acuna, Mets, Red Sox
Mychal Givens was a popular figure in trade speculation before the Rockies acquired him from the Orioles earlier today, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link) reports that the Marlins were one of the clubs who also had an interest in Givens’ services. With Givens now off the board, the Fish will continue to pursue relief pitching help, and Rosenthal notes that, unsurprisingly, Miami’s “young starting pitchers are popular with other clubs.” MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (Twitter links) reports that the Marlins have thus far been asked about the likes of Elieser Hernandez, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett, and Trevor Rogers, but the Fish have thus far been resistent to such demands.
Caleb Smith could potentially be a different story, as Frisaro tweets that Miami is at least “exploring his market” with potential suitors. It remains to be seen if the Marlins will actually send any of these young arms elsewhere, though it’s worth remembering that last year’s trade deadline saw Miami send a young starter in Trevor Richards (as well as a very notable young reliever in Nick Anderson) to the Rays for a reliever in Ryne Stanek and an outfield prospect in Jesus Sanchez. One would imagine the Marlins would only move any of Hernandez, Cabrera, etc. if they could land a similarly controllable piece back, rather than a rental player.
More from around the NL East…
- Ronald Acuna Jr. left tonight’s game “as a precaution with right hamstring tightness,” according to the Braves‘ official update. Acuna has already missed a good chunk of the season with a wrist injury, and another injured list visit (especially over something as potentially pesky as a hamstring issue) would leave the Braves without their best player for much of the stretch drive. More will be known once Acuna is tested, though in the short term, one wonders if this could lead Atlanta to look into adding a bat as a security measure by tomorrow’s trade deadline.
- The Braves acquired Tommy Milone from the Orioles today but aren’t likely to stop there in their pursuit of starting pitching, as reporter Robert Murray tweets that Atlanta has considered “every starter imaginable.“
- The Mets‘ deadline wish list includes a catcher and pitching (both starting and relieving) help, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets. Perhaps in a related item, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes that the Red Sox have been “doing background on Mets minor leaguers,” which could hint at a potential trade. Rosenthal figures Christian Vazquez would be a natural fit to address the Mets’ catching needs, and we’ve already heard that the Sox have discussed Vazquez with the Rays in recent days. Speculatively, such Red Sox hurlers as Martin Perez, Matt Barnes, or Ryan Brasier could potentially be on the Mets’ radar, though the Sox just lost potential trade chip Nathan Eovaldi to the injured list.
White Sox, Indians Reportedly Discussing Mike Clevinger Trade
The White Sox and Indians are “actively involved” in trade talks surrounding Cleveland right-hander Mike Clevinger, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Jon Heyman of MLB Network adds the Braves, Yankees, Padres and Dodgers among Clevinger’s pursuers, adding that the right-hander has a “good chance” to be dealt.
As recently as Friday, it seemed unlikely Clevinger would go anywhere, with Cleveland apparently setting an extremely high price tag on him. The price tag seemingly remains high. Heyman hears that Cleveland would want big league talent in return (Twitter link), while Robert Murray reports that the initial ask was “four quality prospects.”
Clevinger’s violation of the Indians’ coronavirus protocols and subsequent demotion are well-known at this point and have made him an interesting trade candidate, although there’s no urgency (at least from an on-field perspective) for Cleveland to move him. Clevinger is controlled through 2022 via arbitration and has offered front-end production for most of the past four years.
The Braves and Yankees have been known to be targeting starting pitching, and Heyman adds that the Padres are seeking another starter. The Dodgers, meanwhile, are targeting players with multiple years of control, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Punkett of the Orange County Register), so Clevinger fits the bill.
The White Sox are also in the market for starters (even more so with Gio González hitting the injured list this afternoon), although a Clevinger deal would be extremely surprising. Players of his caliber with multiple years of control are seldom traded within the division, even less often between two immediate contenders.
Braves Acquire Tommy Milone
10:51 am: The deal is official. Atlanta designated first baseman Matt Adams for assignment to clear roster space for Milone, who is in fact set to start tonight’s game for the Braves.
8:26 am: The Braves are nearing a deal to acquire left-hander Tommy Milone from the Orioles, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com (Twitter link). Atlanta will send two prospects, neither of whom is in the Braves’ 60-man player pool, to Baltimore, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). Because they are outside the player pool, those prospects will be included as players to be named later. Presumably, we won’t know their identities until after the end of the season.
Milone, 33, was surprisingly named Baltimore’s Opening Day starter after latching on with the organization on a minor-league deal over the offseason. That start didn’t go as planned, but he’s quietly performed well in his five starts since. Overall, Milone has a 3.99 ERA in 29.1 innings this season.
The soft-tossing Milone has always been a control artist, and that’s continued in 2020. More importantly, he’s struck out a career-best 24% of hitters in the early going on the back of a career-high 12.5% swinging strike rate. The Braves will place a low-cost bet Milone can mostly maintain that uptick in swing-and-miss while working in his customary 86-87 MPH velocity range. His $1MM base salary was prorated to a little over $370K, of which about $173K remains. Milone will be a free agent at season’s end.
It still seems there’s room for the Braves to explore further rotation acquisitions. Max Fried has been exceptional so far, but the rest of the rotation has been shaky. Despite those starting pitching woes, the Braves are off to an 18-14 start and two games ahead of the pack in the NL East. However, they’re not expected to be involved in the pursuit of Rangers ace Lance Lynn, hears Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link).
At 14-18, the Orioles are technically still on the periphery of the AL wild card race. Serviceable start notwithstanding, this was always expected to be a rebuilding year for Baltimore, so it’s hardly surprising to see them flip present assets for future value. Prospects Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer are already on the 40-man roster and are speculative candidates to replace Milone in the starting rotation.
NL East Notes: Phillies, Robertson, Nationals, Braves, Musgrove
David Robertson will not appear this season for the Philadelphia Phillies, per Jim Salisbury of NBCSPhilly (via Twitter). The reliever has been shut down from any throwing for the next six weeks. The 35-year-old reliever will now have contributed just seven appearances over the span of the two-year, $23MM deal he signed with the Phillies prior to 2019. Philadelphia has a $2MM buyout option for next season, which one has to think they’d execute after two lost seasons. Otherwise, they’ll be on the hook for $12MM in 2021. Instead, Robertson is likely headed back to the open market to look for a non-guaranteed deal. He could return to the Phillies on that type of deal as Brandon Morrow did after missing the entirety of his contract length due to injury with the Cubs, but it’s not clear now if the Phillies would even be interested in investing more time into Robertson. As we near the trade deadline, let’s check in on a couple of Philly rivals…
- The Washington Nationals have stumbled through a rough first half to their title defense, but don’t expect the champs to sell, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Per Heyman, selling is “not in their DNA.” It certainly hasn’t been an option most seasons for the Nats, who haven’t had a losing season since 2011. In recent seasons, we’ve seen them hold onto Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon instead of moving them before free agency. They did move Daniel Murphy a couple seasons ago to the Cubs, but even then the Nats didn’t pull the trigger until just before the August deadline. Theoretically, the Nats could look to move veterans like Kurt Suzuki, Adam Eaton, Asdrubal Cabrera, or Eric Thames, but Heyman reports that GM Mike Rizzo is more likely to add than subtract.
- The Braves have expressed an interest in Joe Musgrove of the Pirates, per Jason MAckey of PGSportsNow. This isn’t likely to turn your hat around as the Braves have expressed interest in a number of potential rotation targets. Musgrove is one of the more likely to move, though he’s just now returning from injury. The former Astro has been a viable rotation arm throughout his career, despite just 3 starts this season. In 2019, he toed the rubber 31 times for a 11-12 record and 4.44 ERA/3.82 FIP. Lance Lynn is probably the top rotation arm available, but Musgrove fits firmly into the next tier in terms of track record and consistency.
Dylan Bundy Drawing Interest From Twins, White Sox, Braves
Los Angeles Angels right-hander Dylan Bundy has drawn trade interest from the Twins, White Sox, and Braves, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter).
After an up-and-down career in Baltimore, Bundy has put together a solid stretch for the Angels here in 2020 to make himself an intriguing trade target. Through six starts in Los Angeles, Bundy is 3-2 with a 2.58 ERA/3.08 FIP and gaudy 5.50 K/BB ratio. Bundy takes the hill tonight for the seventh time this season in what could be his final start in Los Angeles.
If the Angels are believers in Bundy’s progress this year, their chances of contending in 2021 would take a hit by sending him out of town. As much as the Angels have struggled to sign and develop pitching, however, Bundy has just one more season of control remaining. GM Billy Eppler may see an opportunity here to fleece a market shy on sellers and to re-stock their development pool. The Angels gave up four minor-league arms to acquire Bundy, so the price figures to be high. Still, with as much promise as Bundy showed as a prospect, he owned just a 4.67 ERA/4.75 FIP coming into this season, and the Angels could look to sell high on the 27-year-old.
In terms of their suitors, the Twins, White Sox, and Braves are all jockeying for playoff position and could use an additional rotation arm. The Braves have seen their once-strong depth depleted this season and suddenly find themselves lacking certainty in the rotation after Max Fried. Ian Anderson had a strong debut, but he’s just one start into his big-league career. They’d probably prefer to move Josh Tomlin back into a swing role, and Robbie Erlin‘s overall numbers aren’t all that encouraging (6.14 ERA in three starts with the Braves).
The White Sox are known to be scouring the league for an additional rotation contributor. Lance Lynn and Robbie Ray are said to be on their list of potential targets. Chicago has a whole host of options for the back end of their rotation, but none of Reynaldo Lopez, Carlos Rodon, or Gio Gonzalez have been able to muster the health and consistency that the Pale Hose seek. Dane Dunning has looked good thus far, but the White Sox remain likely to land a starter sometime before the deadline.
The Twins reportedly reached out to the Reds about Trevor Bauer but were rebuffed. The Twinkies have stumbled of late, falling behind the upstart White Sox in the AL Central standings. Kenta Maeda and Randy Dobnak have been solid at the front of the rotation, though there’s at least a bit of smoke-and-mirrors behind Dobnak’s sterling 1.78 ERA. Rich Hill and José Berríos occupy two other rotation spots, but the fifth spot is currently up-for-grabs now that Homer Bailey and Jake Odorizzi have both landed on the injured list. In terms of targets, the Angels might be interested in prospects Jordan Balazovic and Jhoan Duran, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. More than likely the Angels would be targeting pitching in any potential return for Bundy.
Braves Activate Nick Markakis, Option Cristian Pache
The Braves have activated outfielder Nick Markakis from the COVID-19 injured list and optioned fellow outfielder Cristian Pache, David O’Brien of The Athletic tweets.
Markakis is back after missing week of action because he may have come into contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus. That interrupted an excellent start to the season for Markakis, who has slashed .353/.421/.616 in 38 plate appearances. He’ll now rejoin the just-reinstated Ronald Acuna Jr., Marcell Ozuna and Ender Inciarte as the Braves’ top outfield options.
Pache, whom the Braves promoted the same day Markakis landed on the IL, only totaled four plate appearances in his first major league experience. But as a 21-year-old who ranks among the sport’s premier prospects, it shouldn’t be long before Pache gets a legitimate chance to prove himself in the majors.
Braves Promote Ian Anderson, Activate Ronald Acuna Jr.
The Braves announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of top pitching prospect Ian Anderson and reinstated outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. from the injured list. Anderson will make his Major League debut and start tonight’s game. In a pair of corresponding moves, right-hander Touki Toussaint and catcher Alex Jackson were optioned to Atlanta’s alternate training site.
Anderson, 22, was the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2016 and has steadily ranked among the game’s 50 or so best prospects over the past three years. He spent the 2019 season with the Braves’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, pitching to a combined 3.38 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and a 44 percent grounder rate. Like so many pitchers, Anderson was blown up in the explosive offensive setting in Triple-A last year, surrendering five homers in 24 2/3 frames. However, he only yielded eight big flies in 111 innings of Double-A work.
Scouting reports on Anderson peg him as more of a mid-rotation starter than a frontline ace. His fastball climbs to 96 mph, and Anderson garners praise for a plus curveball and a changeup that’s a bit behind that offering, though all three are considered above-average pitches.
Given the considerable rotation woes they’ve experienced in 2020, there’s some pressure on Anderson to put forth a strong debut effort. It’s not exactly fair to put such lofty expectations on a young prospect, but Atlanta has lost Mike Soroka (torn Achilles), Cole Hamels (triceps tendinitis), Felix Hernandez (opted out of 2020) and Mike Foltynewicz (outrighted after his fastball velocity dipped 6 mph) from its expected early-season rotation. Sean Newcomb, meanwhile, was optioned to the alternate site after surrendering 17 runs in 13 2/3 innings. Kyle Wright and Toussaint both posted underwhelming numbers in four starts apiece as well. The Braves have recently leaned on swingman Josh Tomlin and waiver claim Robbie Erlin to start games for them.
The Braves waited on Anderson long enough that he’ll miss out on Super Two status and the opportunity to accrue a full year of Major League service in 2020. As such, even if he’s in the big leagues for good, Anderson won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2023 season and won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2026 season. Future optional assignments could further impact those timelines, of course, though the organization surely hopes that he pitches his way into a permanent rotation spot.
The return of Acuna is obviously a major boon for the Braves as well. He’s missed the past 10 days due to a left wrist injury but had rebounded from a slow start to boost his line to .258/.372/.515 at the time of his IL placement. In 10 August games, Acuna was hitting .364/.488/.818 with four homers and three doubles.
Quick Hits: Pence, Acuna, Anderson, Yankees, Andujar, Kazmir
After being designated for assignment by the Giants earlier today, Hunter Pence‘s second stint with the club has likely come to an end, and the longtime fan favorite wasn’t shocked by the news after hitting only .096/.161/.250 through 56 plate appearances. “I think I’ve been in the game long enough to know that no matter what, what I was producing on the field, you’ve got to bring a little bit more to the table than that. I completely understood,” Pence told Henry Schulman and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Pence said he would “stay open” to the possibility of continuing to play should an opportunity arise, though he acknowledged that retirement might be on the horizon, describing the last “couple of years” as “the bonus rounds” of an outstanding career. If this is indeed it for Pence, he’ll hang up his glove after 14 years of Major League ball that included four All-Star appearances, a league-wide reputation as a clubhouse leader, and a place in the hearts of all San Francisco fans for his contributions to two World Series championships.
More from around the game…
- Tuesday could be a big day for the Braves, as their game with the Yankees could mark both the return of Ronald Acuna Jr. from the injured list and the big league debut of pitching prospect Ian Anderson. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman was among those to report the news that Acuna took batting practice on the field tonight, a day after being cleared to take swings. A wrist injury has sidelined Acuna since August 10, though assuming he is pain-free and feels ready to go come Tuesday, one would imagine the Braves would be eager to get the superstar oufielder back into the lineup as soon as possible.
- As for Anderson’s status, manager Brian Snitker gave a hint to Bowman and other reporters in saying that Tuesday’s starter wouldn’t be impacted by pitching usage in Atlanta’s game tonight against Philadelphia. Pundits rank Anderson within at least the top 45 prospects in all of baseball, with The Athletic’s Keith Law citing Anderson’s “real No. 2 starter upside” as one of the reasons for a 27th place ranking on Law’s preseason prospects list. An early display of this potential would be a huge boost to a Braves team that has been short on consistent starting pitching year apart from Max Fried.
- While Yankees fans consistently speculate that the team could or should trade one of their younger players for a more proven talent, George A. King III of the New York Post pours some cold water on the idea of Miguel Andujar, in particular, being dealt. An injury-plagued 2019 season and a slow start in 2020 has seen Andujar produce only an .118/.141/.118 slash line over his last 71 MLB plate appearances, and King feels the Yankees aren’t going to move such a promising slugger when his trade value is so low. It remains to be seen where Andujar will fit into New York’s future plans given the emergence of Gio Urshela as the everyday third baseman, but that isn’t a decision the team has to make any time soon.
- Could a return to the majors be in the cards for Scott Kazmir? The left-hander is scheduled to pitch Tuesday for the Sugar Land Skeeters, and ESPN’s Buster Olney writes that this outing “will probably be his last start” for the independent club. Kazmir hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2016 or in affiliated ball since 2017, though the 12-year MLB veteran was known to be planning another comeback attempt. It isn’t known how many Major League teams have gotten a first-hand look at Kazmir given how the pandemic has altered normal scouting procedures, but Kazmir would be something of a low-risk flier to see what he could potentially contribute (probably as a reliever) at age 36.
Health Notes: Francona, Rays, Hamels, Phils, Grandal
Indians manager Terry Francona will miss their series against the Pirates to undergo surgery for gastrointestinal problems, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com relays. Bench coach Sandy Alomar is managing the team during Francona’s absence. This is the second procedure Francona has undergone in the past month to address the issue. MLBTR wishes him a speedy recovery and hopes to see him back in the Cleveland dugout as quickly as possible.
- Injured Rays right-hander Charlie Morton came out of an “intense bullpen session” unscathed, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. It’s possible Morton will return this weekend after heading to the injured list Aug. 10 with shoulder inflammation. That continued a disappointing opening to the season for Morton, who struggled through his first four starts. Meanwhile, reliever Oliver Drake will begin a throwing program as he works back from the right biceps tendinitis that forced him to the IL on Aug. 9. However, there’s no word on a potential return date.
- Braves manager Brian Snitker stated Tuesday that left-hander Cole Hamels is still “a little ways” from throwing off a mound, Mark Bowman of MLB.com tweets. The Braves remain hopeful Hamels will pitch this year, but time’s obviously of the essence with the regular season due to end in late September. Hamels was a headline-grabbing offseason signing for the Braves, but the triceps injury he has dealt with may stop the pending free agent from ever pitching for them.
- Phillies center fielder Roman Quinn received clearance to come off the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer was among those to report. Quinn went to the IL this past weekend after experiencing mild symptoms, though he didn’t test positive for the virus then. His latest test came back negative, enabling him to rejoin the team.
- The White Sox are hopeful that catcher Yasmani Grandal will return “by the end of the week,” according to manager Rick Renteria (via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times). Grandal exited the team’s game Monday with a stiff back.
Braves Place Nick Markakis On COVID-19 Injured List
The Braves announced that outfielder Nick Markakis is headed to the injured list after he was “potentially exposed to COVID-19.” Markakis tested negative for the virus, but the Braves noted they want to take a cautious approach.
Of course, this news further explains why the Braves promoted outfield prospect Cristian Pache to the majors earlier this afternoon. Markakis is now the second regular in their outfield to land on the shelf since the weekend, as the Braves previously placed Ronald Acuna Jr. on the IL with a left wrist injury. They’re now down to Pache, Marcell Ozuna, Ender Inciarte and Adam Duvall as their main options in the grass.
Before the regular season began, Markakis was one of several notable veterans around baseball to opt out over coronavirus concerns. However, shortly after the season started, the 36-year-old did a 180 and opted back in. The move has paid off handsomely for Atlanta, as Markakis has batted a stellar .353/.421/.618 in 38 plate appearances. Unfortunately, though, his season will come to a halt for an unknown period of time.