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Tigers Acquire Nolan Blackwood From Athletics

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4:24pm: Detroit hasn’t decided yet whether it’ll take the other PTBNL or cash to complete the trade, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.

3:48pm: The Tigers have acquired right-hander Nolan Blackwood from the Athletics, per an announcement from Detroit. Blackwood’s one of the two players to be named later in the teams’ Mike Fiers trade from earlier this month.

The 23-year-old Blackwood had been with the A’s since they used a 14th-round pick on him in 2016. He ended up ascending to the Double-A level this year with Oakland, pitching to a 4.08 ERA/3.51 FIP with 8.15 K/9, 2.72 BB/9 and an excellent 62.5 percent groundball rate in 53 innings (39 appearances). Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com ranked Blackwood as the A’s 30th-best prospect prior to his departure from the organization, noting that the 6-foot-5 sidearmer has quality stuff, including a 91 to 93 mph fastball with “heavy sink,” and “tremendous deception.”

Fiers, meanwhile, has been terrific for the A’s thus far, having thrown 11 1/3 innings of three-run ball with 13 strikeouts against zero walks in two starts since the surging AL West title contenders added him on Aug. 6. But with the Tigers in a rebuild and well out of contention, it didn’t make sense for them to keep the 33-year-old Fiers through the season. Now, at Fiers’ expense, Detroit has picked up at least one promising prospect in Blackwood. He’ll join a Tigers farm system that Baseball America ranks as the majors’ 14th-best group (subscription required).

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/18/18

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The latest minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Royals have selected right-hander Jake Newberry’s contract from Triple-A Omaha and optioned fellow righty Jason Adam, per a team announcement. Meanwhile, righty Blaine Boyer is now a free agent after clearing waivers, Maria Torres of the Kansas City Star tweets. The 23-year-old Newberry is in line to make his major league debut long after joining the Royals as a 37th-round pick in 2012. Newberry has dominated at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season, with a combined 1.63 ERA and 9.6 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in 49 2/3 innings. Boyer, whom KC released Wednesday, has logged a godawful 12.05 ERA with 3.7 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 21 2/3 major league frames this year.
  • The Angels announced that righty Akeel Morris has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake. The 25-year-old Morris, whom the Angels designated for assignment on Wednesday, has struggled at both the Triple-A and major league levels in 2018. He owns an ERA near 6.00 in a combined 53 2/3 innings between Salt Lake and Anaheim, with the majority of his work (39 2/3 frames) coming with the former.
  • The Braves have outrighted righty Chase Whitley to Triple-A Gwinnett, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Whitley, 29, has thrown just one inning this year with the Braves. The former Yankee and Ray has recorded a 4.56 ERA/4.01 FIP with 7.25 K/9 and 2.31 BB/9 in 167 2/3 major league innings.

Red Sox Place Chris Sale On DL

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The Red Sox announced that they’ve placed left-handed ace Chris Sale on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 15, with mild inflammation in his pitching shoulder. The club recalled righty Brandon Workman from Triple-A Pawtucket in a corresponding move.

Sale previously went to the DL on July 31 (retroactive to the 28th) with the same injury, which perhaps makes this an alarming development for Boston. However, given that the Red Sox own the American League’s best record by a comfortable 10 1/2 games, this may be a precautionary move on their part as the playoffs draw closer. The last time he hit the DL, Sale missed a limited amount of time, returning Aug. 12 to run roughshod over the toothless Orioles in a five-inning, one-hit, 12-strikeout performance.

With his latest outing factored in, Sale has pitched to a stunning 1.97 ERA/1.96 FIP with 13.5 K/9 against 2.03 BB/9 in 146 innings this season. Even though 13 other AL starters have racked up more innings than Sale, he paces the league in fWAR (6.0). The seven-time All-Star, 29, may be on his way to his first Cy Young Award, then, though an extended stay on the shelf could derail that effort.

Quick Hits: Padres, Galvis, Rangers, DeShields, Trade Deadline, Tigers

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Padres shortstop Freddy Galvis is on track to reach free agency in the offseason, but that may not happen if the team has its druthers. San Diego has “serious interest” in re-signing Galvis, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports. However, considering the Padres have an excellent shortstop prospect in 19-year-old Fernando Tatis Jr. – who has held his own at the Double-A level this season – it doesn’t seem Galvis is destined to be their long-term starter at the position. Acquired from the Phillies last winter for young right-hander Enyel De Los Santos, the 28-year-old, switch-hitting Galvis has amassed 477 plate appearances in 2018 and batted an unimpressive .237/.296/.355 (79 wRC+) with eight home runs, also drawing mixed reviews in the field (seven Defensive Runs Saved, minus-2.2 Ultimate Zone Rating).

More notes from around the game…

  • Rangers center fielder Delino DeShields may be running out of time to show he’s capable of holding down the position in Texas, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News observes. DeShields, now 25, joined the Rangers in the 2014 Rule 5 draft and subsequently performed well as a rookie in 2015, only to flop in 2016. While DeShields returned to being a decent contributor in 2017, the speedster’s now in the throes of a forgettable season in which he has hit a lackluster .208/.310/.279 (63 wRC+), endured a short minor league demotion and taken multiple trips to the disabled list. Meanwhile, the Rangers like fellow center fielders Drew Robinson and Carlos Tocci, and they have good prospects at the position, notes Grant – who writes they’re “determined” to retain Tocci for the long haul. Like DeShields, Tocci hooked on with the Rangers as a Rule 5 pick. The soon-to-be 23-year-old Tocci has been in way over his head at the plate during his initial MLB action this season, though.
  • “There’s a movement within baseball” to extend the non-waiver trade deadline from July 31 to mid-August, and eliminate the August waiver period, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. “The way it is now is just futile. If you’re a good team, you constantly get blocked for players that could be useful to you,” one NL official tells Cafardo.  From a league standpoint, eliminating the trade waiver process would also cut down on a lot of paperwork and red tape.  It isn’t clear if there is sentiment from both the owners and the MLBPA to change the August trading process, as such mutual agreement would be required for the deadline to be extended.
  • Veteran reliever Zach McAllister chose to sign with the Tigers earlier this week not only because of the on-field opportunity they presented, but because they were “aggressive” in pursuing him, the righty tells Max Bultman of The Athletic (subscription required). Even though McAllister’s not under control past this season, the fact that Detroit put forth such an effort to add him suggests it could be open to retaining him beyond 2018, Bultman notes. In the meantime, McAllister, 30, will use the rest of the season to try to rebuild his once-solid stock after struggling this year with the Indians. If the hard-throwing McAllister succeeds and puts himself back on other teams’ radars heading into the winter, his tenure with the rebuilding Tigers could go down as a short-lived union.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/12/18

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The latest minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Athletics announced that they’ve outrighted reliever Chris Hatcher to Triple-A Nashville after he cleared waivers. The club previously designated Hatcher for assignment on Friday to make room for just-acquired reliever Fernando Rodney. The 33-year-old Hatcher’s stay in the minors won’t be a long one, it seems, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle suggests he’ll return to Oakland in either September or sometime later this month. Since the Athletics acquired Hatcher from the Dodgers almost exactly one year ago (on Aug. 15, 2017), the right-hander has recorded 57 innings of 3.95 ERA/4.71 FIP ball with 7.58 K/9, 4.11 BB/9 and a 42.1 percent groundball rate.

Earlier updates:

  • Cubs reliever Anthony Bass has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Iowa, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic was among those to tweet. The move came after the Cubs activated Bass from the 10-day disabled list, where he had been since July 21 on account of a back muscle issue. Because he has been outrighted in the past, Bass has a right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, but there’s no indication that he’ll head back to the open market. The 30-year-old has been a good find this year for the Cubs, who signed him to a minor league deal last December, having pitched to a 2.93 ERA with 8.22 K/9, 1.76 BB/9 and a 53.3 percent groundball rate in 15 1/3 innings.
  • The Royals have reinstated reliever Blaine Boyer from the 60-day disabled list and transferred outfielder Jorge Soler to the 60-day DL, per a team announcement. But Soler – who hasn’t played since June 15 because of a left toe fracture – could still return as early as Aug. 16. Meanwhile, Boyer has struggled to a horrendous 11.76 ERA with 3.92 K/9 and 5.23 BB/9 in 20 2/3 innings this year with the Royals, who added him on a minor league pact last offseason.

Logan Morrison To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery

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SUNDAY: Morrison could actually require up to eight months to recover, he told Tyler Fenwick of MLB.com and other reporters. He wouldn’t return until April in that scenario, though it’s possible Morrison will need as few as four months to come back, as noted below.

SATURDAY, 10:38pm: Morrison seems to be facing a four- to six-month recovery period, per Berardino, who adds that he should be healthy in time for spring training next year.

8:45pm: Twins first baseman Logan Morrison will undergo season-ending surgery on his left hip, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press was among those to tweet. Morrison has a hip impingement and will head to the 10-day disabled list, according to the team. His roster spot will go to right-hander Kohl Stewart (previously reported).

The injury brings a premature conclusion to a disappointing season for Morrison, whom the Twins signed to a one-year, $6.5MM guarantee in free agency last February. The deal also includes an $8MM club option for 2019, but it seems likely the Twins will instead buy out Morrison for $1MM.

When the Twins added Morrison, who lasted longer than expected on the open market, he was coming off a career-best season in which he hit 38 home runs as a member of the Rays. At the same time, the Twins were fresh off their first playoff berth since 2011. But both sides have struggled this season, as Morrison has hit a mere .186/.276/.368 (74 wRC+) with 15 home runs across 359 plate appearances and the Twins have stumbled to a 53-62 record.

In the event Morrison returns to free agency in the offseason, he’ll do so as a 31-year-old who, 2017 aside, hasn’t produced great results in the majors. Over 3,713 PAs, the left-handed hitter has only been a bit better than league average as an offensive player, according to FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric (106). Although, for the second straight year, Morrison garnered positive reviews from Statcast, which places his expected weighted on-base average (.355) well above his actual wOBA (.284).

NL Notes: Realmuto, Mets, Brewers, Dodgers

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Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto suggested last month he’d be open to discussing a contract extension with the club, but if he’s uninterested in signing a deal over the winter, “there’s a good chance” the team will trade him, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. The 25-year-old Realmuto, one of the game’s elite backstops, is controllable via arbitration through the 2020 season.

More from the National League…

  • The Mets are considering Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava and Rays special assistant Bobby Heck as candidates to be their next general manager, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Neither man has been a GM before, though both LaCava and Heck have a wealth of front office experience, particularly in the areas of scouting and player development.  LaCava has been with the Blue Jays since 2002, when J.P. Ricciardi (now a Mets special advisor) was Toronto’s GM.  Heck has been with the Rays since 2012, following lengthy stints with the Astros and Brewers that saw him play a notable role as both those clubs amassed a strong collection of young talent.
  • Brewers right-hander Zach Davies hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 29, owing to shoulder and back problems, and there’s still no timetable for his return, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. But Davies’ absence hasn’t been crippling for the Brewers, as Haudricourt writes that they’ve “been satisfied” with the current members of their rotation. Further, after serving as a solid starter from 2016-17 (his first two full seasons), Davies came out of the gates slowly this year with a 5.23 ERA/5.29 FIP in 43 innings.
  • The Dodgers’ decision to move Kenta Maeda to the bullpen may negatively affect the righty from a financial standpoint, given that he has incentives in his contract based on games started and innings pitched. However, the Dodgers and Maeda’s reps at the Wasserman Agency “have a good relationship,” tweets the Los Angeles Times’ Andy McCullough, who notes it would be sensible for both sides to change the language in his deal to include incentives for relief appearances. If the two sides do attempt to work something out, the MLBPA would have to sign off on it.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Eovaldi, Archer, Phillies, Rollins, A’s

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This week in baseball blogs…

Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com

NL Notes: Myers, Wright, Strasburg, Phils, Ramos, Eflin

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Padres outfielder Wil Myers will play third base in a rehab game on Sunday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic tweets, and it’s “virtually certain” that he’ll start at the hot corner when he returns from a short DL stint on Monday, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. If true, it would continue a nomadic pro career around the diamond for Myers, a former catcher prospect who has primarily lined up at first base and in the outfield in the majors. It’s anyone’s guess whether the 27-year-old Myers will be able to handle third base from a defensive standpoint at the MLB level, but he does seem to have the bat for it. The third basemen the Padres have used this year rank 23rd in the majors in fWAR (0.9) and 26th in wRC+ (83).

More from the National League…

  • Mets third baseman David Wright will begin a rehab assignment Sunday, and there’s optimism the long-injured captain will actually return to the major leagues. Manager Mickey Callaway told Tim Healey of Newsday and other reporters Saturday that, in his opinion, “there’s a very good chance” Wright will suit up again for the Mets. Upper body injuries have kept the 35-year-old Wright off a major league diamond since May 2016. He’s signed through 2020 on an eight-year, $138MM contract.
  • The Nationals hope to have injured right-hander Stephen Strasburg back in their rotation before Aug. 21-23, a key series against division-rival Philadelphia, Jamal Collier of MLB.com writes. Strasburg, out since July 26 with a pinched nerve in his neck, threw a successful 64-pitch bullpen session Saturday.
  • The Phillies announced that catcher Wilson Ramos will begin a rehab assignment at the Single-A level on Sunday. Philadelphia acquired Ramos from Tampa Bay at the July 31 non-waiver deadline, but he still hasn’t debuted with his new team. Ramos hasn’t played since July 14, in fact, as he has been dealing with a hamstring strain. The 31-year-old had been amid a quality season at the time and could be a nice reinforcement for the Phillies, who are neck and neck with the Braves for the NL East title. However, it’s not clear whether Ramos is all that close to returning. “From a results standpoint, we just want to see him healthy,” manager Gabe Kapler said (via Katie Woo of MLB.com). “One of the ways to get there is making sure he has the reps under his belt, get a little timing and rhythm at the plate, and then he’s ready to roll.”
  • Sticking with the Phillies, the club optioned right-hander Zach Eflin to Triple-A on Saturday to clear 25-man roster room for newly acquired first baseman Justin Bour. Given that Eflin has been a key part of the Phillies’ rotation this year, his demotion’s only temporary, but it’s one that will cost him nearly $30K and 10 days of big league service time, Matt Gelb of The Athletic notes (subscription required). While Eflin was “professional” about the decision, according to Kapler, the hurler’s representative is unhappy about the transaction. As part of a statement issued to Gelb, agent Tom O’Connell called the move “tremendously disappointing” and added, “While the club may feel that they are doing what’s best for the organization, they also lose sight of the human element and how it will affect the player.”

Central Notes: Scooter, Encarnacion, Fulmer, Smyly

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Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett was pushing for a contract extension back in May, but no deal has come together since. Nevertheless, the 28-year-old – who’s only controllable for another season – told Bill Ladson of MLB.com this week that he remains hopeful he’ll continue his career in his hometown of Cincinnati. Asked whether he’d still like an extension, Gennett said: “Yeah. For me not to have an extension — I don’t think would make a whole lot of sense for it to not to happen at some point. What I’m willing to do for this team, for the fans in Cincinnati and being from Cincinnati, it’s kind of the perfect formula for me.” Gennett spoke more about his future Saturday, saying (via Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer):  “I just feel like we’re kind of reaching that point where we’re going to start having talks. But like I said, when we do, I’m not going to be sharing that information.” The Reds were skeptical of extending Gennett off a career-best 2017, according to the player, though he has done his best this season to show that performance wasn’t a fluke. Overall, since the Reds claimed Gennett off waivers from the division-rival Brewers prior to last season, he has slashed an excellent .304/.352/.512 with 44 home runs and 5.8 fWAR in 961 plate appearances.

Here’s more from baseball’s Central divisions:

  • Speaking with Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com and other reporters on Saturday, Indians manager Terry Francona revealed that designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion could be headed for the disabled list. Encarnacion, who’s dealing with an injured left biceps, had an MRI on Saturday and visited with a hand specialist, Hoynes writes. The 35-year-old has also battled a bone bruise in his right hand, which likely helps explain his so-so production to this point. One of the game’s biggest offensive threats from 2012-17, Encarnacion has only posted a .229/.317/.461 line (108 wRC+) this year, though he has continued to show off serious power with 25 home runs and a .232 ISO. [Update: The Indians have indeed placed Encarnacion on the DL, Hoynes tweets. The club’s recalling infielder Yandy Diaz from Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move.]
  • Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer is closing in on a rehab assignment, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. Fulmer, out since July 20 with a left oblique strain, threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Saturday. Regardless of whether the 25-year-old returns in 2018, with the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline having passed, he no longer looks like a candidate to end up on the move this season. Fulmer had been popular in the rumor mill until hitting the DL, and if he comes back this year and performs well, he’ll surely be a target for teams over the winter.
  • Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly is holding out for a September return, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. Smyly, a former Tiger, Ray and Mariner whom the Cubs signed to a two-year, $10MM guarantee in December, continues to work back from the Tommy John procedure he underwent last June. The 29-year-old hasn’t taken a major league mound since Sept. 26, 2016.

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