Twins To Sign Cody Allen
The Twins are expected to sign free-agent reliever Cody Allen to a minor league deal, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. Allen became available when the Angels released him this past Tuesday.
Allen will now reunite with Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey, who was in the Indians’ front office for a large portion of Allen’s Tribe tenure. Now 30, Allen pitched to a sterling 2.98 ERA/3.17 FIP with 11.52 K/9 and 3.53 BB/9 in 440 2/3 innings as a member of the Indians from 2012-18. He also converted on 149 of 172 save opportunities in that span, though a down 2018 helped convince the Indians to move on from Allen last offseason.
Allen inked an $8.5MM guarantee with the Angels over the winter, but his decline continued with Anaheim. After Allen put up a disastrous 6.26 ERA/8.34 FIP with 11.35 K/9, 7.83 BB/9 and a 19.7 percent groundball rate in 23 innings with the Angels, they released him. There was great interest in Allen thereafter, but the Twins won the bidding for his services.
At 50-26, Minnesota boasts the American League’s leading record. However, there’s room for improvement in its bullpen. The Twins’ relief corps ranks 12th in the majors in FIP and K/BB ratio, and 16th in ERA. Perhaps Allen will be able to help the unit’s cause down the stretch.
Marlins Outright Rosell Herrera, Peter O’Brien
The Marlins announced that they’ve outrighted outfielder Rosell Herrera and infielder/outfielder Peter O’Brien to Triple-A New Orleans. Having been outrighted in the past, O’Brien could reject the assignment in favor of free agency, but he’ll stay in the organization, Wells Dusenberry of the Sun Sentinel suggests.
The Marlins designated Herrera for assignment this past Wednesday to make room for the acquisition of outfielder Cesar Puello. A former Royal and Red, the 26-year-old Herrera had chances to prove himself with the Marlins before they cut him. Herrera batted just .200/.288/.314 in 119 plate appearances in the majors this season, though, leading the Marlins to ax him from their roster.
O’Brien, whom the Marlins acquired from the Dodgers in June 2018, hasn’t been able to consistently put his big power to use in the majors. While the 28-year-old journeyman’s a .257/.316/.507 hitter in 1,358 Triple-A plate appearances, he has only slashed .209/.275/.434 in 200 major league attempts. O’Brien batted .167/.255/.262 in 47 PA this year before Miami designated him.
Brewers Move Jimmy Nelson To Bullpen
Today, 1:00 pm: Nelson will indeed move to the bullpen, per mlb.com’s Adam McCalvy. The team has not yet announced a replacement.
Friday, 8:00 pm: Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson is back in action for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in 2017, but it hasn’t been a storybook return to this point. The team’s now discussing whether to keep Nelson in its starting rotation, according to manager Craig Counsell (via Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).
Nelson came back June 5 and has since endured a difficult three starts, all of which lasted between three and five innings and ended in defeat for the Brewers. The 30-year-old has thus far yielded 13 earned runs on 16 hits and 10 walks (against 13 strikeouts) in 12 frames during his major league comeback. Adding to the bad news, Nelson’s velocity is down across the board since 2017. He has lost around 3 mph on his four-seam fastball, slider and curve.
An emotional Nelson called his early season performance “frustrating, upsetting and disappointing” when speaking with Haudricourt and other reporters, though he’s still confident he’ll return to form. Nelson blossomed into a front-end starter two years ago, when he turned in 175 1/3 innings of 3.49 ERA/3.05 FIP ball with 10.21 K/9, 2.46 BB/9 and a 50.3 percent groundball rate. It’s far too soon to say that version of Nelson won’t reappear eventually. However, given that Milwaukee’s pushing for a playoff spot, it may not be in position to keep running Nelson out there.
The problem for the Brewers is that they might not have an obvious solution to replace Nelson. Brandon Woodruff, Zach Davies, Gio Gonzalez and Chase Anderson have been useful members of their rotation, though Gonzalez has been on the injured list for three weeks and may not return until July. Meanwhile, Jhoulys Chacin, Freddy Peralta, Corbin Burnes and Adrian Houser have each posted unattractive numbers as starters this year. Chacin’s the lone member of the group who remains in the Brewers’ rotation. The rest are in their bullpen.
With the Brewers not getting enough from their starting staff, the reigning NL Central champions have stumbled of late. Although they’ve lost six of seven, the Brewers are 40-35, in wild-card position and only a game behind the Cubs in their division. Still, barring an in-house fix, Milwaukee may have to address its rotation before the July 31 trade deadline in order to clinch another playoff spot.
Looking For A Match In A Clint Frazier Trade
In July 2016, when the Yankees were on the periphery of the American League playoff race, they made the bold decision to trade superstar reliever Andrew Miller to the Indians for four players. Outfielder Clint Frazier and left-hander Justus Sheffield, two top 100 prospects, headlined an impressive-looking haul for the Yankees. The Yankees’ hope then was that Frazier and Sheffield would eventually turn into indispensable pieces of their 25-man roster, but three years later, we now know it may not happen. Sheffield’s already out of the organization, which flipped him to the Mariners last winter in a package for two years of control over front-line starter James Paxton. Frazier remains, though his place with the franchise could be on shaky ground.
Frazier, who Yankees general manager Brian Cashman once said possesses “legendary bat speed,” has already racked up his most significant major league playing time this season. Returning from a concussion-marred 2018, the 24-year-old has slashed a solid .283/.330/.513 (118 wRC+) with 11 home runs and a .230 ISO in 2019 plate appearances. Although that’s starting-caliber offensive production on your typical team, a healthy Yankees lineup is anything but ordinary.
The acquisition of designated hitter/first baseman Edwin Encarnacion from the Mariners last weekend helped push Frazier out of New York, which subsequently sent him back to Triple-A Scranton. With Encarnacion and Luke Voit at DH/first and Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner and Cameron Maybin in the outfield, the team had little choice but to take advantage of its ability to option Frazier. Even with Maybin now going to the injured list, the Yankees may not recall Frazier because he’d mostly ride the bench.
Frazier was understandably displeased with the Yankees when they demoted him, though it seems they still hold him in high regard. Owner Hal Steinbrenner voiced his support for Frazier this week, saying he’s going to be “a big part of this team going forward.” Nevertheless, Steinbrenner’s words won’t quell the trade rumblings hovering around Frazier as the July 31 deadline nears. The Yankees don’t have to trade Frazier, who’s not on track to reach arbitration until after 2020 or free agency until the conclusion of the 2023 campaign, but they may not be able to find consistent playing time for him next year either. While Gardner and Maybin could be gone by then, most or all of Encarnacion (if his $20MM club option is exercised), Voit, Judge, Stanton and Hicks will return in prominent roles.
With little space for Frazier in the near term, the Yankees’ best bet may be to flip him for help this year in an effort to boost a World Series-contending roster. Adding up Frazier’s youth, production in the minors and majors, and controllable status, he’d be a valuable commodity on the trade market. New York’s known to be hunting for a middle- or front-of-the-rotation starting pitcher – something it may be able to acquire by dangling Frazier in talks with other clubs. The Yankees don’t boast a high-end farm system, which would make it all the more logical for them to use Frazier as trade currency this summer.
If the Yankees are going to trade Frazier in the next month-plus, it reportedly won’t be for someone who’s due to become a free agent. Should we take that at face value, it would rule out a deal involving Frazier and Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner – this year’s most hyped rental starter. Regardless, Bumgarner would have to waive his partial no-trade clause for the Yankees.
The Giants’ outfield is abysmal, which would seem to make Frazier a fit, though it’s still unclear whether they’d choose him over another team’s offer that could be fronted by a top 100 prospect(s). After all, the vast outfield at Oracle Park in San Francisco is no place for a weak defender. Frazier has been that to this point. Factoring in his nationally televised misadventures in right field against the Red Sox on June 3, Frazier has posted minus-7 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-4.0 Ultimate Zone Rating in just 319 innings as an outfielder this season. Those struggles aren’t anything new for Frazier, who’s at minus-12 DRS with minus-8.4 UZR during his 686-inning big league career as an outfielder.
Bumgarner’s the most proven starter among likely trade chips, but he’s not the most valuable. That honor belongs to Tigers lefty Matthew Boyd, who’s enjoying a breakout season, makes a paltry 2019 salary ($2.6MM) and isn’t set for free agency until after 2022. For all of those reasons, Frazier won’t be enough to headline a package for Boyd, who should be able to net the Tigers a bounty headed by premium prospects. Besides, considering the Tigers don’t want to continue their relationship with defensively limited, offensively gifted corner outfielder Nicholas Castellanos, it’s fair to wonder how much they’d value a similar player in Frazier.
Meanwhile, Detroit’s AL Central rental rival in Cleveland may have its own coveted trade chip in righty Trevor Bauer. The Indians are very much in the wild-card race, yet there has still been ample speculation about a Bauer trade. He’s on a $13MM salary right now and controllable through 2020. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote Thursday that a potential Yankees acquisition of Bauer “would probably be centered around” Frazier. There’s logic behind that – the Indians are already familiar with Frazier, who’d be able to help their woeful offense on a cheap salary right away. However, Frazier alone wouldn’t be able to pry Bauer and his year and a half of remaining control out of Cleveland.
It seems the Yankees would stand a better chance of using Frazier to net Blue Jays righty Marcus Stroman, who, like Bauer, is under control through 2020. Stroman doesn’t have Bauer’s upside, but he’s enjoying a fine bounce-back season at an opportune time for rebuilding Toronto. The fact that Stroman’s earning a reasonable $7.4MM will only help the Blue Jays’ cause when they inevitably move him. Stroman would bring back promising prospects in a trade, but if the Jays want a more established player, Frazier’s bat would fit in an outfield whose only productive full-timer has been Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Although New York and Toronto play in the same division, that wouldn’t serve as a deterrent to a trade. These teams are just a year removed from a deadline deal which saw the Yankees acquire starter J.A. Happ for infielder/outfielder Brandon Drury and outfielder Billy McKinney.
Because we’re discussing high-end starters who’ve come up in trade rumors, we would be remiss not to mention Nationals super-ace Max Scherzer and Diamondbacks No. 1 man Zack Greinke. John Harper of SNY.tv reported Friday the Yankees would love to acquire the still-dominant Scherzer (who wouldn’t?), though it seems like much more of a pipe dream than a realistic hope on their part. For what it’s worth, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo shot down the idea of dealing the soon-to-be 35-year-old Scherzer last weekend. Even if Rizzo were to reverse course, Frazier wouldn’t come close to leading a package for Scherzer.
Frazier would have a better chance to help the Yankees land Greinke, but there are obvious roadblocks standing in the way of that. For one, thanks in part to the 35-year-old Greinke’s terrific production, the Diamondbacks are hanging in the NL playoff race. Still, if the team attempts to trade Greinke, his contract and 15-team NTC would complicate matters. Greinke, signed through 2021, is still owed upward of $90MM (including deferrals). He’ll also count $34MM-plus per season against the luxury tax until his contract runs out. If the D-backs were to assume a large portion of Greinke’s remaining deal, maybe they and the Yankees could work something out. Greinke would still have to sign off on a trade to the Bronx after that. All things considered, a swap around Frazier and Greinke looks like a long shot, to say the least.
More starters than the above figure to be available around the deadline, but ideal matches look hard to find from the Yankees’ perspective. For instance, Texas lefty Mike Minor would give the Yankees what they want – an effective starter who’s not a rental – though he probably won’t wind up on the move with the Rangers in playoff contention. The same may apply to one of Greinke’s D-backs rotation mates, Robbie Ray.
On paper, Frazier looks like a strong candidate to join a new organization by the end of July. However, in trading Frazier, the Yankees would likely need to acquire someone who would provide a noticeable boost to their World Series chances. We’ll find out soon whether they’ll be able to pull off that difficult feat.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Injury Notes: Hendricks, Dodgers, Nats, Tribe, German
Injured Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks played catch in the outfield Friday, though the righty “could miss another couple of turns” through the team’s rotation, Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. “We’re happy that the initial shutdown has been good, but we’re not ready to talk through a plan yet, or a progression,” general manager Jed Hoyer said of Hendricks, who has been out since June 15 with a right shoulder impingement. The Cubs started Tyler Chatwood in Hendricks’ place Thursday, but the next opportunity may go to prospect Adbert Alzolay, per Greenberg. Alzolay, 24, followed Chatwood in Thursday’s game and enjoyed a triumphant debut in a win over the Mets.
- Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and center fielder A.J. Pollock could start rehab stints during next month’s All-Star break, manager Dave Roberts said Friday (Twitter links via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com). Meanwhile, reliever Scott Alexander still hasn’t returned to throwing since left forearm inflammation forced him to the injured list June 8. Seager went to the IL on June 13 with a left hamstring strain, which should cost him four to six weeks. Pollock underwent early May surgery on his troublesome right elbow. The expectation then was that he’d be back in July.
- Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman began a rehab assignment Friday at the Double-A level, Jamal Collier of MLB.com tweets. Zimmerman has been out since April 28 with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, the latest in a long line of injuries for the 34-year-old. While Zimmerman posted a couple resurgent offensive seasons from 2017-18, he came out of the gates slowly this year before hitting the IL. Zimmerman’s a .213/.302/.373 batter thus far in 86 plate appearances. Matt Adams, Howie Kendrick and Gerardo Parra have been the Nationals’ most common first base choices in Zimmerman’s absence. Kendrick has been brilliant at the plate, while Adams and Parra have only put together replacement-level numbers.
- A few reinforcements are trying to work back for the Indians, as Mandy Bell of MLB.com details. Ace Corey Kluber, shelved since May 1 with a fractured right forearm, has an upcoming eight-week checkup that will determine whether he’ll be able to start throwing. Fellow righty Danny Salazar just threw a second two-inning simulated game, but he’s “waiting to advance to a real game in Arizona before he gets a rehab assignment,” Bell explains. Shoulder issues have kept Salazar out of action since 2017. Unlike Kluber and Salazar, reliever Dan Otero‘s not making progress. Already out almost three weeks with right shoulder inflammation, Otero is now dealing with a setback of unknown severity.
- Yankees righty Domingo German could rejoin their rotation before the All-Star break, manager Aaron Boone told reporters Friday (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). German has been out since June 9 with a left hip flexor strain. The 26-year-old struggled over a handful of starts leading up to his IL placement, though he still carries a respectable 3.86 ERA/4.05 FIP in 70 innings on the season.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/21/19
Friday’s minor moves from around baseball…
- The Royals have signed infielder Chase d’Arnaud to a minor league deal, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tweets. D’Arnaud was last with the Rangers, who released him Tuesday. The 32-year-old opened 2019 with a .164/.275/.316 line in 178 plate appearances with Texas’ Triple-A affiliate. While the well-traveled d’Arnaud has primarily played at the Triple-A level as a professional, he has combined for 599 major league PA – 100 of which came with the Giants in 2018. He’s a .222/.273/.316 hitter in the bigs.
- The Mariners have inked infielder Jordan Pacheco to a minors pact, according to Triple-A Tacoma broadcaster Mike Curto. Pacheco saw action with the Rockies, Diamondbacks and Reds from 2011-16, but he has since made a few stops outside the majors – including Monclova of the Mexican League this season. The 33-year-old’s known for his defensive versatility, having lined up at catcher, first base, second, third and in the outfield in his MLB days. Pacheco hit .272/.310/.356 during that 1,149-PA span.
Phillies Notes: Velasquez, Morgan, Bohm
The latest out of Philadelphia…
- The Phillies moved right-hander Vince Velasquez to their bullpen May 26, but they’re already giving him an opportunity to reclaim his old starting role. Velasquez will start Saturday, when he could “take control of the fifth spot for the time being,” manager Gabe Kapler told Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer and other reporters. The 24-year-old Velasquez hasn’t performed well as either a reliever or starter this season, evidenced by a 4.71 ERA/5.57 FIP in 42 innings. But with no obvious answer behind Aaron Nola, Jake Arrieta, Zach Eflin and Nick Pivetta, the Phillies are turning back to Velasquez. For the most part, Nola, Arrieta, Eflin and Pivetta haven’t been great either, which helps explain the Phillies’ recent tumble down the NL East standings. They’ve lost 13 of 19 since sitting a season-best 11 games over .500 on May 29, and now trail the division-leading Braves by 4 1/2 games.
- Philadelphia announced Friday that it has reinstated reliever Adam Morgan from the 10-day injured list and optioned fellow lefty Cole Irvin to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Morgan missed just under a month with a left forearm strain. Before that, the former starter pitched to a 1.96 ERA (with a less shiny 3.93 FIP) and logged 8.84 K/9 against 2.45 BB/9 in 18 1/3 innings. Morgan’s return is a bit of good news for a Philly bullpen which is still dealing with injuries to David Robertson, Seranthony Dominguez, Pat Neshek, Victor Arano, Jerad Eickhoff and Tommy Hunter.
- The Phillies have promoted young third baseman Alec Bohm to the Double-A level, per per the Inquirer’s Matt Breen. The 22-year-old Bohm opened the season at Single-A before jumping to High-A, where he raked with a .329/.395/.506 line (164 wRC+), four home runs, and 17 unintentional walks against 21 strikeouts in 177 plate appearances. Bohm, the third pick in last year’s draft and now MLB.com’s 39th-ranked prospect, could end up in the majors around September if he continues rolling in the minors, Breen writes. The Phillies are weak at third base, where Maikel Franco has managed awful production, though they could remedy that by the July 31 trade deadline instead of counting on Bohm as a late-season savior.
White Sox Sign Hector Santiago
The White Sox have signed left-hander Hector Santiago to a minor league contract, according to Roster Roundup. Santiago was most recently with the Mets, who designated him for assignment last Friday.
This will be the third White Sox tour for Santiago, whom the team selected in the 30th round of the 2006 draft. Santiago wound up pitching with the White Sox from 2011-13, during which he notched a 3.41 ERA/4.49 FIP in 224 2/3 innings.
Chicago dealt Santiago to the Angels in a noteworthy three-team trade heading into the 2014 campaign. After stints with the Halos and Twins, Santiago returned to the Sox on a minors deal in February 2018. He went on to throw 102 innings (49 appearances, seven starts) of 4.41 ERA/5.09 FIP ball with 9.09 K/9 and 5.29 BB/9 at the big league level last season.
Now, Santiago will once again try to turn a minors pact with the White Sox into a major league opportunity. He’ll have to perform better than he did as a Met, though. While Santiago did log a 3.35 ERA over 43 innings with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate this year, his run prevention success came with far less encouraging peripherals. The 31-year-old then fell flat over eight innings with New York, where he gave up six earned runs on 10 hits and five walks (with six strikeouts).
Giants Place Steven Duggar On IL, Recall Alex Dickerson
The Giants have placed outfielder Steven Duggar on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain and recalled fellow outfielder Alex Dickerson from Triple-A Sacramento, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports California was among those to report.
The rookie Duggar has been a regular this season in the Giants’ outfield, where he has split time between center and right. Duggar has combined for an impressive eight Defensive Runs Saved in those spots, though the 25-year-old’s offense has lagged behind. He has hit an ugly .234/.277/.343 (64 wRC+) with four home runs in 267 plate appearances, thus contributing to the generally terrible numbers the Giants’ outfield has put up in 2019.
Duggar’s injury means San Francisco will get its first look at Dickerson, whom it acquired from NL West rival San Diego on June 10. Dickerson enjoyed success as a rookie in 2016 with the Padres, hitting .257/.333/.445 (111 wRC+) with 10 HRs in 285 PA. However, back problems and Tommy John surgery completely kept him out of action from 2017-18.
Dickerson, 29, bounced back in a big way this season with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate before the team dealt him, as he slashed .372/.469/.606 (168 wRC+) with five HRs in 113 trips to the plate. Although, since the Giants acquired him, Dickerson has collected just three hits (all singles) with their highest minors affiliate.
Marlins Place Jorge Alfaro On IL, Select Wilkin Castillo
The Marlins have placed catcher Jorge Alfaro on the seven-day concussion injured list and selected the contract of fellow backstop Wilkin Castillo from Triple-A New Orleans. In other moves, the club transferred catcher Chad Wallach (concussion) to the 60-day IL, recalled righty Jeff Brigham and optioned outfielder Austin Dean.
Alfaro, who suffered his injury in the Marlins’ win over the Cardinals on Thursday, has hit .261/.312/.419 (96 wRC+) with nine home runs in 218 plate appearances during his first year with the Fish. That’s fine production for a catcher, which is something the Marlins were hoping for when they acquired Alfaro in a trade with the Phillies for star backstop J.T. Realmuto last winter.
Despite his solid output, Alfaro hasn’t overcome the plate discipline woes that plagued him with his previous organization. So far this season, the 26-year-old has posted a 33 percent strikeout rate against a paltry 3.7 walk percentage. At the same time, though, Alfaro has earned plus marks behind the plate, where he has used his big arm to throw out 35 percent of would-be base stealers.
Castillo, 35, inked a minor league deal with the Marlins during the offseason. He’s now in line to back up Bryan Holaday, which will make for Castillo’s first major league action since 2008-09 with the Reds. Castillo totaled a mere 37 trips to the plate in the majors during that span. He’s a lifetime .245/.283/.352 hitter in 2,014 attempts at the Triple-A level.