Quick Hits: Strasburg, Cole, Rangers, Butler
The pitching matchup in tonight’s game between the Nationals and Pirates features two former No. 1 overall picks: Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Gerrit Cole (2011). Pitching matchups between No. 1 overall picks are rare, not only because there’s only one No. 1 pick each year, but also because many top picks are position players, and because some top draft picks don’t pan out. Prior to Strasburg, the last No. 1 picks who were pitchers were David Price of the Rays (2007) and Luke Hochevar of the Royals (2006), and Hochevar is now a reliever. The previous two No. 1 overall pitchers (assuming one doesn’t count 2004’s Matt Bush, who converted to pitching and never played in the big leagues) were Bryan Bullington (2002, Pirates) and Matt Anderson (1997, Tigers). Here are more notes from around the big leagues.
- In 2011, the Rangers drafted, but did not sign, three players who could be first-round picks in this year’s draft, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan notes. Those are Virginia outfielder Derek Fisher (the Rangers’ sixth-round pick in 2011), Kennesaw State catcher Max Pentecost (seventh round) and TCU pitcher Brandon Finnegan (45th round). MLB.com currently ranks Finnegan the 11th-best prospect in the draft, with Fisher at No. 22 and Pentecost at No. 24. Fisher and the Rangers could not find common ground on a signing bonus, and the Rangers were worried about Pentecost’s health. As for Finnegan, it’s not uncommon for teams to fail to sign late-round picks, and Sullivan points out that the Rangers did manage to sign C.J. Edwards, who they drafted three rounds later, then sent to Chicago in the Matt Garza deal.
- Cardinals pitcher Keith Butler will have Tommy John surgery, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch tweets. Butler has pitched a total of 22 innings of relief for the Cardinals in 2013 and 2014 combined, with a 6.14 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9. He is only 25, however, and has pitched very well at the Triple-A level.
Showalter On The Troy Patton / Nick Hundley Deal
Earlier today, the Orioles sent lefty reliever Troy Patton to the Padres for catcher Nick Hundley and cash. Orioles manager Buck Showalter says Matt Wieters‘ health was the driving force behind the deal, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. The team is still waiting to determine whether Wieters will need season-ending elbow surgery.
“We still hope Matt doesn’t need anything,” Showalter says, but adds that the team needs brace itself for the worst. “You’ve always got to prepare for what-if.”
With Wieters on the disabled list, the Orioles had been using Steve Clevenger and 27-year-old rookie Caleb Joseph behind the plate. “We think Caleb and Steve have done a capable job. We like Brian Ward down below. He’s having a good year. And [prospect Michael] Ohlman is learning his trade,” Showalter says. “But [the Padres] had a surplus there.”
The Padres had three catchers in Yasmani Grandal, Rene Rivera and Hundley, plus a catching prospect at Double-A in Austin Hedges, so they had plenty of depth from which to deal. Patton gives them another bullpen lefty to pair with Alex Torres.
Showalter says he’s sad to see Patton go. “Troy did a lot of good things for us here. It’s kind of tough parting with someone you’ve been around that long. A good teammate, good friend to a lot of guys, but there’s a need that, him being wanted somewhere, could potentially serve.”
Rosenthal On Rangers, Cubs, Jays, Utley, Detwiler
Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via two videos on FOX Sports:
- In light of Prince Fielder‘s injury, the Rangers could pursue free agent Kendrys Morales, although they will not do so until after the draft, since that would require them to lose a pick. If they fall out of contention, they could trade Alex Rios or Joakim Soria, either of whom could become free agents if the Rangers don’t pick up their 2015 options. They could also consider dealing Elvis Andrus, given their depth of young middle infield talent.
- When the Cubs and Blue Jays discussed a Jeff Samardzija deal this offseason, the Cubs asked for Drew Hutchison plus either Aaron Sanchez or Marcus Stroman, Rosenthal reports. Especially in retrospect, that would have been a steep price to pay — Hutchison has been terrific in the Jays’ rotation so far this year, and while Sanchez has struggled with walks at Double-A New Hampshire, Stroman continues to look like a top prospect. The Jays are not likely to pursue Samardzija again this summer.
- All signs indicate that the Phillies will not trade Chase Utley: Utley can veto any trade, he signed an extension last August, and GM Ruben Amaro tells Rosenthal that an Utley deal isn’t going to happen.
- The Astros are not interested in trading pitchers Dallas Keuchel or Collin McHugh, both 26-year-old pitchers who are having surprisingly strong seasons in Houston’s starting rotation.
- The Nationals could trade Ross Detwiler, a potential starter who’s currently in their bullpen. He’s currently earning $3MM in his second year of arbitration eligibility. (Detwiler is currently struggling with a 5.24 ERA with 13 strikeouts and 13 walks in 22 1/3 innings. That means the Nationals aren’t likely to get much for him.)
Minor Moves: Zagurski, Carson, Rogers, Storey, Loe
Here are today’s minor moves from around baseball.
- The Indians have released lefty reliever Mike Zagurski, according to MiLB.com. Zagurski pitched well for Triple-A Columbus, posting a 2.76 ERA with 12.1 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9 in 16 1/3 innings, but his minor-league contract had a June 1 opt-out date, so Zagurski may be hoping to find work in the big leagues. (Zagurski did, in fact, opt out of his deal, as the Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes tweets.) Zagurski appeared with the Pirates and Yankees in 2013, and has also pitched for the Phillies and Diamondbacks.
- The Dodgers have signed pitchers Robert Carson and Jhan Marinez to minor-league deals, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy tweets. The Angels recently released Carson after he walked 13 batters in 15 2/3 innings for Triple-A Salt Lake. He pitched a total of 33 innings of relief for the Mets in 2012 and 2013. The Tigers released Marinez last week after he struggled out of the bullpen at Triple-A Toledo. He appeared briefly with the Marlins in 2010 and the White Sox in 2012.
- The Blue Jays have outrighted pitcher Esmil Rogers to Triple-A Buffalo, MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm tweets. The Jays designated Rogers for assignment yesterday. Rogers had posted a 6.97 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 20 2/3 innings with the big-league club this season. He pitched 137 2/3 innings for Toronto in 2013.
- The Jays have also re-signed pitcher Mickey Storey to a minor-league deal, MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo tweets. The Jays released Storey last month, clearing space on their 40-man roster. He’ll head back to Triple-A Buffalo, where he struggled in four outings early in the year. Storey posted a 2.56 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 for Buffalo in 2013.
- The Phillies have announced that they have placed pitcher Luis Garcia on the 15-day DL with a right forearm strain and have selected David Buchanan‘s contract from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Buchanan, 25, had posted a 3.98 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 40 2/3 innings at Triple-A this season. He was a seventh-round pick in the 2010 draft. Buchanan will start today against the Dodgers.
- The Royals have released pitcher Kameron Loe, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star tweets. The Royals had signed Loe to a minor-league deal in April, and he pitched in 11 innings for Triple-A Omaha, posting a 4.09 ERA while striking out four batters and walking seven. Last season, Loe pitched for the Mariners, Cubs and Braves, posting a 7.09 ERA with 5.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 over 26 2/3 innings. The 32-year-old has also pitched for the Rangers and Brewers in his nine-year big-league career.
Central Notes: Kluber, Cardinals, Manaea
Corey Kluber of the Indians has pitched like an ace this season, August Fagerstrom of Fangraphs writes. Fagerstrom notes that, since the beginning of 2013, Kluber’s pitching has compared favorably to that of David Price, and while Price appears likely to land a nine-figure contract in the 2015-16 offseason, Kluber remains relatively obscure. In ten starts, Kluber has produced 2.2 fWAR, behind only Felix Hernandez among all pitchers in baseball. Kluber has a 3.43 ERA so far, but with peripheral numbers that are better, with 10.1 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9. Kluber’s excellent cut fastball has been the key to his emergence, Fagerstrom writes. Here are more notes from the Central divisions.
- Given their outfield depth, the Cardinals are in good position to make trades, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Miklasz cites a scout who suggests that if the Cardinals do try to make a big move, it will likely be for a third strong starting pitcher to complement Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha.
- The Royals‘ gamble on Sean Manaea in the 2013 draft is paying off, Alan Eskew of Baseball America writes. Manaea fell to the Royals at No. 34 overall as other teams passed on him due to injury concerns. He now has a 5.40 ERA with Class A+ Wilmington, but with 3.7 BB/9 an an outstanding 13.6 K/9. Manaea has been pitching at 92-93 MPH, ranging up to 96 MPH, and the Royals have him working on his secondary pitches and on consistency in his delivery.
Padres, Orioles Swap Troy Patton, Nick Hundley
The Orioles have announced the trade of lefty reliever Troy Patton to the Padres for catcher Nick Hundley and cash considerations. (MLB.com’s Corey Brock tweets that the Orioles will receive under $2MM.) The Orioles also promoted Steve Lombardozzi from Triple-A Norfolk.
With Matt Wieters on the disabled list, the O’s were playing Steve Clevenger and Caleb Joseph behind the dish. They had been rumored to be shopping Patton for another option at catcher.
Patton, 28, has struggled in nine outings so far this season and has already served a 25-game suspension for Adderall use, but he was a reliable contributor for the Orioles from 2011 through 2013, and he has a 3.28 career ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9. He is making $1.28MM this season in his second year of arbitration eligibility as a Super Two player.
Hundley, 30, hit .271/.271/.373 in 59 plate appearances for the Padres this season. In his absence, the Padres will go with Yasmani Grandal and Rene Rivera at catcher. Hundley got 408 plate appearances in 2013, hitting .233/.290/.389. He is in the last year of a three-year, $9MM deal that pays him $4MM in 2014, which likely partially explains why the Orioles are receiving cash in the trade. Hundley’s contract also contains a $5MM option for 2015, with no buyout.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Pierzynski, Blue Jays
The Red Sox, who are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, look like a different team than last year’s edition, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. The team has lost players like Jacoby Ellsbury and Jarrod Saltalamacchia who contributed big hits this year, while some newer ones, like Jackie Bradley and Grady Sizemore, have struggled. In any case, Cafardo suggests, the 2014 edition doesn’t seem to have the same spark the 2013 team did. Here are more notes from the American League East.
- A.J. Pierzynski symbolizes the Red Sox’ problems so far this season, John Tomase of the Boston Herald writes. Many players dislike Pierzynski, and Tomase wonders what it might mean that, when the Red Sox signed Pierzynski, one rarely heard that his teammates disputed his notorious reputation throughout the game. Even in his short time with the Red Sox, there has been “tension” between Pierzynski and Red Sox pitchers. Pierzynski is also hitting just .258/.291/.356 in his first 142 plate appearances. The Red Sox signed him to a one-year, $8.25MM deal last offseason.
- With Esmil Rogers now gone, and Jeremy Jeffress and Moises Sierra gone as well, the Blue Jays‘ roster is now based on “merit rather than asset management,” SportsNet.ca’s Shi Davidi writes. With the Blue Jays now in first place in the AL East, the team can no longer wait for players like Rogers to harness their potential. “It’s fun being on a winning team,” says infielder Steven Tolleson. “All of us want to be in the lineup every day, but all of us understand how we contribute to this team.”
Week In Review: 5/18/14 – 5/24/14
Here’s a look back at this week at MLBTR.
Key Move
- The Red Sox re-signed shortstop Stephen Drew to a one-year deal.
Trades
- Blue Jays — acquired P Raul Valdes from Astros for a PTBNL or cash considerations
- Braves — acquired IF Osvaldo Martinez from Dodgers
Designated For Assignment
- Blue Jays — P Esmil Rogers (link)
- Pirates — P Wandy Rodriguez (link) and P Phil Irwin (link)
- White Sox — P Frank Francisco (link)
Outrighted
- Royals — OF Justin Maxwell (link)
- Tigers — IF Francisco Martinez (link)
- Rangers — C J.P. Arencibia (link)
- Yankees — P Bruce Billings (link)
Key Minor-League Signings
- Marlins — IF Miguel Tejada (link)
- Mariners — P Todd Coffey (link)
- Reds — P Jair Jurrjens (link)
- Phillies — RP Shawn Camp (re-signed)
Released
- Dodgers — C Miguel Olivo (link)
- White Sox — IF Jeff Keppinger (link)
- Marlins — RP Carlos Marmol (link)
Other
- Cardinals — sold contract of OF Joey Butler to Orix Buffaloes (Japan)
- RP Brandon Lyon, who had been pitching in the Angels organization, elected free agency
Red Sox Considering Third Base Upgrades
The Red Sox are considering potential upgrades, including trades, at third base, WEEI’s Rob Bradford writes, citing a source within baseball. With Will Middlebrooks currently out with a fractured index finger, the Red Sox currently have Brock Holt at third. The Red Sox were struggling at third base this season even before Middlebrooks’ injury, with Middlebrooks hitting .197/.305/.324 in 82 plate appearances.
Bradford notes that the Red Sox have not recently had discussions with Scott Boras about free agent shortstop Stephen Drew. One potential reason for that, as the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber notes, is that they are uninterested in moving Xander Bogaerts to third — they want a full season to evaluate Bogaerts at shortstop before considering moving him elsewhere. “We don’t have any reason to believe he can’t play short,” says GM Ben Cherington. “You’ve got to keep going in the right direction, but he looks, to me anyway, a little more comfortable out there making the routine plays. And that’s all he needs to do.”
Minor Moves: Osvaldo Martinez, Angel Sanchez
Here are today’s minor moves from around baseball.
- The Braves have acquired infielder Osvaldo Martinez in a trade with the Dodgers and assigned him to the Gwinnett Braves, who announced the move. Martinez, 26, played in parts of the 2010 and 2011 seasons with the Marlins, hitting a combined .258/.300/.348 in 71 plate appearances. This season, he had been hitting .176/.242/.269 with Double-A Chattanooga, where he played mostly shortstop and third base.
- Infielder Angel Sanchez has signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the independent Atlantic League, the New York Post’s Ken Davidoff tweets. Sanchez has collected 630 career MLB plate appearances, the overwhelming majority of them with the Astros in 2010 and 2011, with a line of .254/.303/.307. He appeared briefly for the White Sox in 2013.