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Braves Place Arodys Vizcaino On DL

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For the second time since last month, Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino is headed to the 10-day disabled list because of right shoulder issues (inflammation, to be exact). The team announced the move, adding that it has reinstated fellow reliever Peter Moylan from the 10-day DL.

Vizcaino previously landed on the DL on June 24 (retroactive to June 21), but he was able to return quickly. However, Vizcaino has dealt with shoulder soreness throughout the year, so it stands to reason the contending Braves will be extra cautious this time around. His loss will once again be a blow to the Braves’ bullpen, as he has managed a terrific 1.65 ERA while converting 15 of 17 save opportunities in 32 2/3 innings this season.

Vizcaino’s absence should mean more save opportunities for A.J. Minter, who has converted on all four tries this season, and could further press general manager Alex Anthopoulos to beef up the Braves’ bullpen this month. With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaching, Atlanta’s known to be on the lookout for relief help, though it’s reluctant to give up any prospects for rentals. The Braves entered Saturday at 51-41, in control of a wild-card spot by half a game but 1 1/2 behind the NL East-leading Phillies.

Trade Notes: Machado, Braves, Shark, Yanks, Andujar, Rangers, Cards

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The Braves have reportedly made an offer for Orioles superstar Manny Machado, but it doesn’t appear the shortstop will end up in Atlanta prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The Braves “are strictly on the fringes” of the Machado sweepstakes, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, who adds that they’re more concerned about upgrading their rotation.

More on the trade front…

  • The Giants are willing to part with right-hander Jeff Samardzija, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports, adding that they specifically informed the Yankees he’s available. However, the Yankees aren’t sure if he’s the right fit for their stadium, per Nightengale. Sending Samardzija anywhere would be a tall task for San Francisco, as he’s due $19.8MM per year through 2020 and is in the midst of a rough season. The longtime workhorse, 33, has missed time with pectoral and shoulder problems, and when Samardzija has taken the mound, he has only managed a 6.42 ERA/5.47 FIP over 40 2/3 innings.
  • More on the Yankees, whose starting third baseman, Miguel Andujar, has been in the rumor mill of late. The Rangers and “several” other teams have made more than one inquiry regarding Andujar in the past, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. And “multiple executives” informed Sherman that the Yankees are now trying to drive up Andujar’s value so they can sell high on the 23-year-old. General manager Brian Cashman shot that down, though, saying: “That is completely false. I think [Andujar] is a hell of a player. We have said ‘no’ to him [in trade talks] not just this year but from Double-A on up. I have not included him any deals and that should say how I feel about him.” Cashman goes on to defend Andujar’s questionable defense in Sherman’s piece and adds, “Where he was and where he is now, I feel vindicated not moving him.”
  • With the Cardinals sitting at a mediocre 47-45, 6 1/2 games out in the NL Central, they’re not in position to make any bold rental pickups. Rather, any acquisition(s) would likely have to be capable of helping the Redbirds beyond this season, president John Mozeliak suggested to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com and other reporters Friday. “Ultimately we want to do what’s best for this organization, not just in the sense of a Band-Aid [but] long term,” Mozeliak said. “If we thought there was sort of that one magic bullet to change the trajectory of the season, we might chase that. If not, I think looking at it in a broad sense might make the most sense. The ebb and flow of the season, the ebb and flow of the next few weeks always [dictates] the types of deals you make.”

Trade Chatter: Britton, Merrifield, Mets, Beltre, Braves

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Zach Britton’s most recent outing was an encouraging one for scouts, writes Jon Heyman of Fancred in his latest notes column. One scout tells Heyman that the Orioles’ closer was finally beginning to look like himself in a recent save against the Yankees. Heyman notes that Britton was throwing 96-98 mph, although data from both Fangraphs and Brooks Baseball isn’t quite as bullish as that scout’s radar gun was. Certainly, though, Britton’s past few outings have been encouraging. In five scoreless frames, he’s averaged a slightly improved 95 mph on his heater and posted a strong 66.7 percent grounder rate with four strikeouts against one walk. Britton has thrown a first-pitch strike to just 41 percent of the hitters he’s faced in that time, and his ground-ball rate, velocity and swinging-strike rate are all still shy of his peak levels. Nonetheless, he’s certainly trending in the right direction — a welcome sight for the Orioles. Heyman notes that the Astros are believed to once again have interest in Britton after the Orioles backed out of a trade involving him last season, which would’ve sent Colin Moran and a Double-A outfielder to Baltimore.

Some more Thursday night trade rumblings…

  • Heyman also notes that he’s heard the Red Sox mentioned in connection with Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield. The 29-year-old has reportedly drawn interest from the Phillies and from the Brewers already, and the Sox would be a logical addition to that market, depending on the status of Dustin Pedroia. As Heyman notes, Merrifield is particularly enticing for the Sox given his minimal salary and their proximity to the top tier of luxury tax penalization. He’s shown, too, that he can play a number of positions, which would make him ideal for a utility role if the Sox get everyone healthy. That said, there’s no characterization of particularly strong interest in the report, the Sox have a thin farm system, and the Royals are under no urgency to trade Merrifield, who is controlled through 2022. Bullpen help has been rumored to be Boston’s primary focus on the trade market so far.
  • One more from Heyman, who notes that the Mets aren’t especially anxious to listen to offers on lefty Steven Matz. New York will certainly entertain offers on its entire roster, as they’re at least listening on Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, but it sounds like Matz is closer to that pair than to the more available Zack Wheeler. The report also indicates that offers for Asdrubal Cabrera, to this point, have been underwhelming and that the Mets have actually received some inquiries about Jose Bautista, who was hitting .230/.389/.425 in 144 PAs for the Mets before homering in tonight’s contest.
  • Sticking with the Mets, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that the team actually hasn’t received much in the way of inquiries on eiher deGrom or Syndergaard as of late (Twitter link). The general sense that the asking price would be overwhelming could be a factor; as Puma terms it, some teams may have sticker shock “without even seeing the sticker.” Puma also tweets, though, that the Mets are “confident” they’ll find a trade partner for Cabrera. That, he adds, would open a spot for 26-year-old Jeff McNeil — a potentially late-blooming prospect who has batted a combined .346/.417/.634 with 18 homers in 336 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A.
  • Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at the situation in which the Rangers find themselves with Adrian Beltre. The third baseman has full no-trade rights and has not yet given indication about whether he’d prefer to play out the season with a contender, though he has said he wants to play with the Rangers again in 2019. “His value to the organization is above how we would normally consider trade acquisitions,” GM Jo Daniels tells Grant. “For us to consider anything, it’s got to be mutually beneficial, good for all parties involved.” Beltre, 39, hasn’t shown much pop but is hitting .288/.349/.401 on the season. He’s been DHing more of late in an effort to keep his legs healthy.
  • Though the Braves have a number of wants on the trade market — specifically upgrades to the pitching staff — they’re reluctant to trade any prospects of note for a rental piece, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic within his latest notes column (subscription required). Rosenthal also notes that a right-handed-hitting center field option to pair with Ender Inciarte would be appealing, though Inciarte’s glovework is so good that it lessens the blow of his 2018 struggles against lefties.

Manny Machado Trade Rumors: Thursday

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The number of rumors surrounding Manny Machado seems to increase by the day, with the Yankees now not only joining a previously reported field of seven teams, but moving toward the forefront of the teams most prominently linked to Machado. The Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Braves, Indians, Cubs and Red Sox have all been at the very least linked to Machado — though Boston’s interest has been heavily downplayed, and the same is largely true of the Cubs. We’ll track today’s Machado chatter here until more significant developments arise…

  • The Dodgers, Brewers and Yankees have “separated themselves from the pack” with their current offers to the Orioles, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, though he notes that there’s no clear favorite among those three just yet. That’s largely a continuation, then, of previous rumblings surrounding Machado. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported this weekend that the Dodgers and Brewers were the two most aggressive clubs in pursuit, and Fancred’s Jon Heyman reported last night that the Yankees had emerged with a “strong” offer — though Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com added the important context that New York had yet to offer up pitching prospect Justus Sheffield.
  • Not only has Sheffield not been included in an offer to date, he’s been effectively made off limits entirely, per Jim Bowden of The Athletic and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link). The Orioles, Bowden hears, “have been told [Sheffield] will not be included in any potential deal” for Machado. Milwaukee, Los Angeles and Philadelphia all remain in the mix for Machado, he adds, noting that offers are continually improving.
  • Meanwhile, Heyman writes in his latest notes column that the D-backs are definitely interested in Machado, but there’s a belief that they may ultimately end up prioritizing pitching upgrades. Unlike the top three teams linked to Machado, the Diamondbacks have a fairly thin farm system, so perhaps there’s some concern that there’ll be difficulty in adding both Machado and a meaningful upgrade to the pitching staff — though that’s just my own speculation.
  • Buster Olney and Keith Law of ESPN talk extensively about the Machado rumor mill on today’s Baseball Tonight podcast (audio link, with Machado talk beginning around 15:20). Both suggest Sheffield to be too steep a price to pay, with Law stating that he’d be “floored” to see Sheffield moved in nearly any trade — let alone for a rental — given his proximity to the Majors and the potential to develop into a viable No. 2 starter. Olney questions how strongly the Yankees are pursuing Machado, noting that it only helps the Orioles for those rumors to circulate and put pressure on other clubs. Ultimately, both feel it to be likelier that Machado lands with an NL club — with both the Dodgers and Brewers standing out as plausible destinations.

Braves Release Mauricio Cabrera

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The Braves have released right-hander Mauricio Cabrera from the organization, tweets David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Cabrera, 24, made a big impression with the 2016 Braves, tossing 38 1/3 innings of 2.82 ERA ball and showing a blistering fastball that averaged 100.1 mph and would routinely touch 102 mph. However, Cabrera didn’t post the strikeout rates one might expect to go along with that heat, averaging just 7.5 K/9 with a solid but not overpowering 11.7 swinging-strike rate. He also walked 19 batters in those 38 1/3 frames (4.5 BB/9), hit another and threw a pair of wild pitches.

Shaky control and lack of missed bats weren’t necessarily catastrophic red flags considering the fact that Cabrera was a 22-year-old rookie. But Cabrera had some elbow soreness in Spring Training the following season, and his control in the minors in 2017 proved to be disastrous. Cabrera didn’t return to the Majors last season and ultimately walked 46 batters in 45 innings across four minor league levels.

Things haven’t improved for Cabrera in 2018. To the contrary, his startling inability to locate the ball has worsened, as he’s tossed 31 innings but yielded a staggering 41 walks while spending the entire season in Class-A Advanced.

Given Cabrera’s youth and velocity, it’s certainly possible that other clubs will have interest in trying to chip away at the young flamethrower’s control issues. Then again, Cabrera also went unclaimed on waivers back in Spring Training, and that was before he averaged nearly 12 walks per nine innings pitched in A-ball this season. Given the alarming extent of his control issues, it’s not surprising to see the Braves move on from the once-promising right-hander.

7 Teams Have Made Offers For Manny Machado

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SUNDAY: The Dodgers and Brewers are at the forefront of the Machado derby, and the Indians are also “in the mix,” Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets.

SATURDAY: It’s possible Manny Machado’s tenure with the Orioles will come to an end as early as this weekend, according to the Baltimore Sun’s Eduardo A. Encina, who reports that seven teams have made offers for the soon-to-be free agent. The Dodgers have put forth the most enticing proposal, Encina hears, with the Diamondbacks, Brewers, Phillies, Braves, Indians and Cubs (in that order) coming in behind them. But the offers are “very close” in value, per Encina, so any of those other six clubs could leapfrog Los Angeles to land Machado prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com passes along slightly different information than Encina, suggesting the Indians are currently in last place among the previously mentioned seven teams in the race for Machado. Cleveland has made an offer, Kubatko reports, but a source tells him other clubs are “more active” in the sweepstakes. Interest in Machado goes beyond the seven teams mentioned, Kubatko adds, as several others have at least “checked in” on him.

It “seems unlikely” Baltimore will deal Machado this weekend, Encina writes, but it’s all but guaranteed to happen sometime this month. After all, the Orioles (24-64) own the majors’ worst record, and they’ll either have to trade the 26-year-old Machado in the next three-plus weeks or watch him leave for draft-pick compensation in free agency. The superstar shortstop/third baseman is sure to reel in one of the richest contracts in the history of the sport once he hits the open market, and he has helped his future earning power by batting a healthy .310/.381/.560 with 21 home runs and nearly as many walks (40) as strikeouts (50) in 375 plate appearances this season.

If the Dodgers are the team that upgrades at short with Machado this summer, it may come at the expense of either outfield prospect Alex Verdugo or young pitcher Yadier Alvarez. The Orioles have shown interest in both of those farmhands – two of the finest talents in the minors – though the Dodgers’ offers so far have not included either player, Encina relays, and Kubatko writes that LA has not made Verdugo available. Considering their wealth of offensive talent, it’s arguable the Dodgers won’t even need Machado as they seek a sixth straight National League West title and a second consecutive NL pennant. But acquiring him would still be a boon to them and a blow to the rival Diamondbacks, who lead LA by one game in the NL West and haven’t gotten high-end production from their shortstops this year.

Like the D-backs, none of the Brewers, Phillies or Braves have fared well at short. The Indians and Cubs have, on the other hand. But Machado could be a third base solution for the Indians, who have the great Francisco Lindor at short and would be able to shift fellow superstar Jose Ramirez from the hot corner to second base to make room for Machado. In doing so, the Tribe would presumably relegate struggling second baseman Jason Kipnis to a bench role. The Cubs, meanwhile, have an impressive-looking setup at second (Javier Baez), short (Addison Russell) and third (the currently injured Kris Bryant), so it’s unclear where Machado would fit, though there has long been speculation about Russell going to Baltimore in a deal. However, Russell is under affordable control through 2020 and would be a lot to give up for a rental player – albeit one who’d serve as an upgrade for a Chicago team which trails NL Central-leading Milwaukee by 1 1/2 games.

Braves Fail To Reach Agreement With First-Round Pick Carter Stewart

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JULY 7: The “sense” is that Stewart will attend a junior college in Florida, not Mississippi State, Kiley McDaniel of FanGraphs reports on Twitter. If that happens, Stewart will be eligible for next year’s draft, McDaniel adds.

JULY 6: The Braves and first-round draft choice Carter Stewart failed to put pen to paper in advance of today’s 5pm EST deadline, Jon Heyman of Fancred was first to tweet.

Stewart, a Florida high-schooler, entered the draft graded as one of the top eligible hurlers. He had dealt with a wrist injury late in the season, though it was not something that led to any expectations of a ding in his draft stock. Indeed, it seemed there was not much to worry about when the Braves took Stewart eighth overall.

Unfortunately, it seems that a closer look at the medicals has enhanced the concerns for the Atlanta organization. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweeted that it was a “definite concern” for the Braves, noting that player and team never really were close on numbers entering the final signing day.

The eighth overall pick came with a $4,980,700 allocation. The Braves will only get a compensatory pick next year — at one slot lower than the existing selection (#9) — if they offered Stewart at least 40% of the slot value (i.e., $1,992,280).

The Braves kept their offer “a lot closer to the 40% threshold than to pick value,” according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter link), which explains why a deal did not come together. But that also indicates that enough cash was put on the table to ensure that the club will get another top-ten selection next year. Stewart will presumably honor his commitment to Mississippi State, though there’s no clear indication yet as to his immediate future.

AL East Notes: Harvey, Orioles, Rays, Eovaldi

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Some rumblings from around the AL East…

  • The Yankees are known to be exploring the starting pitching market but Matt Harvey isn’t a big target for the team, Fancred’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Harvey has recovered a bit of his former value by pitching well over 10 starts for the Reds, though the Yankees are wary of the right-hander due to the “potential circus” of extra media attention that would accompany Harvey’s return to New York.
  • The Orioles are taking a new approach to this year’s trade deadline, rival evaluators tell ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link).  The O’s “seem much more focused, much more organized, much more aggressive, much more engaged” this season than in past years.  Baltimore is facing some pivotal, long-term decisions in weighing trades of Manny Machado and other major stars, and so it isn’t any surprise that the organization is looking at this deadline with particular intensity.  The change in approach could also have something to do the seemingly power shift in the ownership and front office, as Peter Angelos’ sons have been taking larger roles in the Orioles’ operations.
  • Evaluators from the Red Sox, Phillies, Cubs, and Braves were on hand to watch Nathan Eovaldi’s Monday start for the Rays, MLB.com’s Bill Chastain writes.  Of course, several other players on the Rays or Marlins were also likely under observation, though Eovaldi represents an interesting low-cost option for teams in need of rotation help — of the teams listed, only the Cubs wouldn’t appear to be in need of starting pitching depth.  After missing all of 2017 recovering from Tommy John surgery and then missing time due to minor elbow surgery and a rib muscle strain at the beginning of this season, Eovaldi has returned to post a 3.92 ERA, 49.6% grounder rate, 7.6 K/9, and a minuscule 1.3 BB/9 rate over his first 41 1/3 frames.  He has received some significant help in the form of a .211 BABIP, a 79.6% strand rate and a .285 wOBA that is well under his .321 xwOBA, though ERA indicators (4.75 FIP, 3.59 xFIP, 3.57 SIERA) are largely in line with his real-world ERA.  Eovaldi is also averaging 97mph on his fastball.

AL East Notes: MASN, Happ, Estrada, Machado

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While the ongoing television rights dispute between the Orioles and Nationals has been out of the news for some time, that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any action behind the scenes. Jeff Barker of the Baltimore Sun recently provided a notable update on the situation. While the Baltimore organization has “grown weary of battling Major League Baseball over the [MASN] network” and has tried to work out a settlement, there’s still no resolution. At present, there’s no indication that the stalemate will be broken voluntarily; barring a change in that dynamic, the next big event on the calendar is a scheduled arbitration hearing in November.

Here’s the latest from the AL East:

  • The Yankees may be the “main player” for Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ, per Jon Heyman of Fancred (via Twitter). Not only is Happ arguably the best rental starter on the market, but it seems the Yanks hold him in high regard. They won’t be alone in pursuing the Toronto southpaw, however. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets that the Jays are directing some scouting resources toward the Brewers farm system, perhaps in anticipation of interest from the Milwaukee organization.
  • Fellow Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada left last night’s game with a sore hip, as MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm was among those to tweet. For now, the severity isn’t known, though perhaps it’s promising that the Toronto organization made a roster transaction today but did not feel compelled to rush Estrada onto the disabled list. As we recently examined, Estrada’s strong performance of late has made him seem increasingly like a potential trade candidate this summer, but he’ll only be a useful asset for the Jays if he’s in good health.
  • Orioles third baseman Manny Machado is said to be drawing wide and increasingly active interest from a variety of rival organizations. That’s no surprise, as he’s a mid-prime rental asset of rare ability. The Diamondbacks have held “consistent” talks with the Baltimore organization, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (Twitter links), which largely confirms the steady stream of reports we’ve seen on Arizona’s engagement. Morosi adds that the O’s are interested in young D-Backs prospect Jon Duplantier, whose current injury has “complicated” efforts to put together a package that suits both teams. It’s hard to gauge to what extent Duplantier’s status will impact the broader Machado situation, in no small part because it is not apparent whether he’s a player the Snakes would be willing to part with for a rental. Meanwhile, the Braves do have some interest in Machado, Morosi also tweets, but are mostly exploring the market for “controllable relievers” at the moment. Again, that dovetails with what we’ve heard out of Atlanta in recent weeks.

Peter Bourjos Elects Free Agency

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Outfielder Peter Bourjos has elected free agency, per the MLB.com transactions page. He had recently been designated for assignment and evidently cleared waivers.

Bourjos, 31, has been on and off the MLB roster in Atlanta, providing the team with a .205/.239/.364 batting line over 47 total plate appearances. He has been quite a bit more productive at Triple-A this year, where he carries a .277/.352/.511 slash in 105 trips to the plate.

It seems that Bourjos will at least look around for another opportunity. But he already did so once earlier in the season and ended up returning to the Braves on a minor-league deal. That again seems a plausible, but by no means certain, outcome.

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