Orioles Acquire Milton Ramos From Mets
The Orioles have acquired shortstop Milton Ramos from the Mets for international signing bonus slots, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link).
Baltimore, which is known for largely eschewing the international market, has now acquired several players in 2017 in exchange for bonus slots. After this year’s international signing period opened Sunday, the Orioles landed pitchers Matt Wotherspoon and Jason Wheeler from the Yankees and Dodgers, respectively. Previously, the O’s picked up the likes of Damien Magnifico, Paul Fry and Alex Katz for international spending space earlier this season.
The 21-year-old Ramos, who topped out as Baseball America’s 19th-best Mets prospect after the 2015 campaign, has hit just .242/.296/.312 at the lower levels of the minors since New York chose him in the third round of the 2014 draft. He owns a .227/.272/.276 line in 197 plate appearances at Single-A this season. He’ll remain at that level with the Orioles, per Kubatko.
It’s unclear how much international money the Orioles have traded away during the current period, but they opened the proceedings with $5.75MM. The Mets entered Sunday with $4.75MM to work with and have since agreed to use a combined $3.6MM on Dominican shortstops Ronny Mauricio and Adrian Hernandez.
Brewers Sign First-Rounder Tristen Lutz
The Brewers have signed supplemental first-rounder Tristen Lutz, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter link). Lutz, a high school outfielder and the 34th overall selection, landed an over-slot deal worth $2,532MM (up from the $1,983,600 value of the pick).
MLB.com (No. 34), Baseball America (No. 35) and ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 39) gave Lutz similar rankings entering the draft, though the 18-year-old lagged behind on FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen’s big board (No. 61). The right-handed Lutz’s bat is “easy” to believe in, according to BA, which notes that the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder already possesses a “pro-ready body.” The other outlets also offer promising assessments regarding the former University of Texas commitment’s offensive game, and the general belief is that he’ll end up in right field if he cracks the majors.
With Lutz officially in the fold, the Brewers have now locked up their first several picks of 2017, as MLB.com’s draft tracker shows. While the Brewers went above slot to sign Lutz, they previously saved over $500K in inking their top choice, No. 9 overall selection Keston Hiura, to a deal worth less than the value of his pick.
Reds Place Devin Mesoraco On DL
3:24pm: It appears Mesoraco has dodged a major injury, as multiple people have told Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer that his latest shoulder issue is neither serious nor related to last year’s surgery (Twitter links).
3:19pm: The Reds have placed catcher Devin Mesoraco on the 10-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain. His roster spot will go to right-hander Ariel Hernandez, whom the Reds recalled from Triple-A Louisville.
[RELATED: Updated Reds Depth Chart]
At 36-47, the Reds are well out of the playoff hunt, meaning Mesoraco’s loss isn’t a blow to their chances to contend. The injury itself could be worrisome, though, considering Mesoraco missed nearly all of last season with a torn labrum in the same shoulder. Mesoraco had surgery on that shoulder in May 2016, ending his season, and then underwent a procedure on his hip in July. As a result, he didn’t debut this year until the end of April.
Mesoraco missed most of the 2015 campaign with hip problems, so the 129 plate appearances the offense-first backstop has racked up this year are already more than the 106 he combined for from 2015-16. Prior to landing on the DL, the 29-year-old was in the midst of an encouraging season, as he has slashed a solid .234/.333/.459 with six home runs.
Now, with over $3MM left on his contract this year and another $13MM on the way in 2018, the Reds are left to hope Mesoraco hasn’t suffered yet another serious injury. In the meantime, they’ll turn to Tucker Barnhart and Stuart Turner as their top two catchers.
Quick Hits: HRs, Velocity, Rockies, A’s
Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis underwent chemotherapy earlier this year to treat testicular cancer, but it doesn’t look as if that’s going to stop him from taking the mound in 2017. In terrific news, the 28-year-old has progressed enough in his recovery that he’s on pace to begin a minor league rehab assignment during the upcoming All-Star break, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “It’s a really good feeling to watch this unfold,” said manager Bud Black, whose playoff-contending team could use more rotation depth. Bettis would provide that, having served as a solid starter for the Rockies since joining their rotation on a full-time basis in 2015.
More from around the game:
- With home runs having spiked over the past couple seasons, Ben Lindbergh and Mitchel Lichtman of The Ringer concluded earlier this month that Major League Baseball is playing with a juiced ball. However, MLB insists that’s not the case. On Saturday, the league sent a memo to all 30 teams declaring that “there is no evidence that the composition of the ball has changed in any way,” reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The ball’s size, weight, COR (bounciness), seam height and circumference are tested at least three times a year at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell Baseball Research Center, according to the league. The exact cause for the HR increase is up for debate, but an all-time high 13.7 percent of fly balls have cleared fences this year. That’s up from 12.8 percent last season, which was a record at the time.
- Given the high frequency of pitcher injuries, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson believes teams will soon begin valuing durability over velocity, as Roger Rubin of Newsday writes. “I think what you’ll find over the next several years is clubs will be more interested in ‘pack horses’ instead of ‘thoroughbreds’ because it’s about being able to go out . . . and get 30 starts,” Alderson said Friday. There’s an emphasis on velocity at all levels, but Alderson noted that throwing harder “often leads to injury,” adding, “The things that might be the difference between good pitching and great pitching may also be the difference between health and an injury.”
- Jesse Hahn is tied for second among Athletics in starts (13), yet the team demoted him to Triple-A on Sunday. In response, Hahn told reporters (including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle): “It’s a little frustrating. I thought I’d been having a really good season up until these last two starts. I don’t want to say it’s unfair because I understand it’s a business thing, but I don’t like that I was kind of judged off of two starts there.” Hahn’s ERA climbed from 3.56 to 5.30 thanks to those outings, both of which came against the formidable Astros. They racked up 15 earned runs over just four innings against Hahn. His trip to the minors will lead to more starts for rookie righty Paul Blackburn, whom the A’s acquired from the Mariners over the winter for Danny Valencia. Blackburn, 23, made his major league debut Saturday and held the Braves to three hits, a walk and an unearned run across six frames.
Pirates Notes: Marte, Cutch, Cole, Rangers, Phillies
Eligible to return from his 80-game PED suspension July 18, Pirates outfielder Starling Marte began a High-A rehab assignment Sunday. When Marte does rejoin the Bucs, he’ll do so as a left fielder, manager Clint Hurdle told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and other reporters. Marte has spent the majority of his career in left since debuting in 2012, but thanks to both his excellent work there and Andrew McCutchen‘s decline in center field, the Pirates moved the former to center and the latter to right in the offseason (Gregory Polanco shifted from right to left).
Now, with McCutchen enjoying a bounce-back season at the plate, Pittsburgh will keep its longtime face of the franchise in the outfield’s most important position. McCutchen is in the midst of his second straight poor year in center, though, as he posted minus-28 defensive runs saved and a minus-18.7 Ultimate Zone Rating in 2016 and already has a minus-15 DRS and a minus 18.5 UZR/150 this season. But general manager Neal Huntington has seen improvement, noting: “His metrics are better this year. Part of that … is we’ve pushed him back a little bit to play to his strengths and to his confidence, playing gap to gap.”
- It’s possible Marte will head back to center if the Pirates trade McCutchen before this month’s deadline, and Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette observes that the value of both McCutchen and right-hander Gerrit Cole is increasing. Rival evaluators have pointed to Texas as a fit for the two, with one evaluator suggesting that the Rangers would have to give up outfielder Leody Taveras or left-hander Yohander Mendez just for McCutchen, according to Brink. Both Taveras (No. 45) and Mendez (No. 46) rank among MLB Pipeline’s top 50 prospects.
- Sticking with the McCutchen theme, Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com opines that the in-state rival Phillies should pursue a deal for the 30-year-old. Given that the Phillies have the majors’ worst record (27-53), McCutchen wouldn’t help them vie for a playoff berth this year, but Lawrence argues that he’d still be a worthwhile addition. Philadelphia could acquire McCutchen with the goal of extending him past next season, when his team control expires. If they fail to reach a multiyear agreement by next summer and the Phillies aren’t in the playoff hunt, they’d potentially be able to flip McCutchen, contends Lawrence.
MLBTR Originals
Here’s a recap of the original content featured at MLBTR over the past week:
- Tim Dierkes updated his free agent power rankings for the first time since mid-May, listing the 10 players likely to earn the most money if they hit the open market in the offseason. Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish is No. 1, as he was in the previous edition, while teammate Jonathan Lucroy was among those who dropped out of the top 10.
- Athletics righty Sonny Gray could end up elsewhere by this month’s trade deadline, so Steve Adams searched for a fit for the affordable 27-year-old. As Steve detailed, there are plenty of clubs that could involve themselves in a possible Gray sweepstakes.
- The Red Sox have a gaping hole at third base, leading Jeff Todd to look for hot corner upgrades for the first-place club. As Jeff noted, there are lots of pre-deadline possibilities for Boston but not much demand elsewhere for third basemen, which could be advantageous for president Dave Dombrowski in trade discussions.
- Jeff took a look at 2018 vesting options, offering updates on Greg Holland, Gio Gonzalez, Ricky Nolasco, Matt Cain, Hisashi Iwakuma, Andre Ethier, Matt Garza and J.J. Hardy.
- Jason Martinez highlighted rising prospects from the Brewers, Twins, Reds, Diamondbacks and Yankees in this week’s version of his Knocking Down The Door series.
- In the latest editions of MLBTR’s Taking Inventory series, Jeff analyzed potential trade chips for the Mets, and he and Steve also broke down which Marlins could soon be on the move.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Cubs, Bucs, Jays, Cards, Phils, Tigers, O’s
This week in baseball blogs:
- Big Three Sports examines Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant‘s batted-ball data and suggests that he could be underappreciated.
- The Point of Pittsburgh and Pirates Breakdown have pieces on resurgent Bucs outfielder Andrew McCutchen.
- Jays Journal and Everything Bluebirds address Toronto closer Roberto Osuna‘s anxiety issues.
- The Intrepid STL uses Statcast to evaluate the Cardinals’ baserunning.
- PhoulBallz chats with two of the Phillies’ best prospects, first baseman Rhys Hoskins and second baseman Scott Kingery, and Triple-A manager Dusty Wathan.
- Camden Depot names four potential paths for the mediocre Orioles.
- Off the Bench wants the Tigers to blow it up.
- The Sports Tank isn’t worried about reigning AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello‘s 2017 struggles.
- FanRag speaks with well-regarded Yankees outfield prospect Blake Rutherford.
- Clutchlings talks with Blue Jays director of player development Gil Kim about the team’s farm system.
- Underthought wonders if injured Angels center fielder Mike Trout will be able to finish atop the wins above replacement leaderboard this year.
- The Runner Sports addresses the Astros’ organizational logjam at third base and what it could mean for Alex Bregman.
- Notes From The Sally scouts just-drafted Twins first base/outfield prospect Brent Rooker.
- Sports Talk Philly asks who will be managing the Phillies a year from now.
- Reviewing The Brew says Milwaukee’s season is at a critical juncture.
- Jays From the Couch believes the 13-game stretch the Blue Jays are currently in could decide their deadline approach.
- Mets Daddy uses Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom as examples to remind teams not to implement the same routines for all pitchers.
- ThinkBluePC analyzes the Dodgers’ middle infield depth.
- BP Toronto makes a case for Rogers Communications to sell the Blue Jays.
- The North Shore Nine focuses on the Pirates’ future behind the plate.
- MetsMind explains how left-hander Steven Matz is becoming a smarter pitcher.
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Prospects1500 highlights top performances from each minor league level for the week of June 19.
- The 3rd Man In profiles Brewers fifth-round pick Nick Egnatuk.
- Call to the Pen (links: 1, 2) notes that the Rangers’ bullpen has bounced back after a rough start and looks at upcoming decisions for Phillies general manager Matt Klentak.
- Motor City Bengals ranks the Tigers’ 20 best prospects.
- Fueled By Sports names the top 10 Twins of all-time.
- Clubhouse Corner interviews Yankees 28th-round pick Shane Roberts and his father
- Pinstriped Prospects shares a scouting report on another young Yankee, Single-A outfielder Estevan Florial.
Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com.
Angels Release Michael Bourn
A month after signing outfielder Michael Bourn to a minor league contract, the Angels have released him, per an announcement from the Pacific Coast League.
Bourn joined the Angels as depth in the wake of Mike Trout‘s late-May thumb injury, but they ultimately didn’t summon the veteran speedster to the majors. Another minor league signing, Eric Young Jr., has stepped up in the soon-to-return Trout’s absence, while everyday options Cameron Maybin and Kole Calhoun have also fared well. With those three and expensive reserve Ben Revere on hand, there wasn’t room on the Halos’ roster for Bourn.
In 106 plate appearances with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake, Bourn hit an uninspiring .260/.317/.365 with two home runs and four stolen bases. The two-time All-Star has spent the entire season at Triple-A, having previously played with the Orioles’ affiliate in Norfolk before opting out of his deal in May.
Last season, when Bourn was most recently in the majors, the 34-year-old collected 413 PAs between Baltimore and Arizona and slashed .264/.314/.371 with five homers and 15 steals.
Orioles Acquire Matt Wotherspoon, Jason Wheeler
The Orioles have made a pair of trades, according to a team announcement. They’ve acquired right-hander Matt Wotherspoon from the Yankees and left-hander Jason Wheeler from the Dodgers, surrendering international signing bonus slots for both players. Wotherspoon and Wheeler will report to Triple-A Norfolk.
Trading international money for players is nothing new for the Orioles, who took that route before Sunday to acquire the likes of Damien Magnifico, Paul Fry and Alex Katz earlier this season. Their aversion to spending on the international market has led to criticism from Baseball America’s Ben Badler, who laid into O’s ownership back in April for their “antiquated” approach.
The 25-year-old Wotherspoon has mostly served as a reliever in the minors since the Yankees chose him in the 34th round of the 2014 draft. He debuted at the Triple-A level last season and has been quite effective since, having logged a 2.10 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 34 1/3 innings.
Unlike Wotherspoon, Wheeler comes with major league experience. An eighth-rounder of the Twins in 2011, the 26-year-old made his debut earlier this season with Minnesota. He fared poorly over three innings, though, yielding three earned runs on six hits and four walks, with no strikeouts. The Twins then traded him to the Dodgers on June 2, but Los Angeles designated him for assignment on June 18. Wheeler pitched exclusively with their Triple-A affiliate, recording a 10.38 ERA over 8 2/3 innings. Overall, Wheeler owns a 4.74 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 281 Triple-A frames and 51 appearances (48 starts).
The Dodgers and Yankees both began Sunday, the opening of the 2017-18 international signing period, with $4.75MM available. LA is unable to sign anyone for more than $300K, however, while New York ate into its total by agreeing to deals with Venezuelan outfielder Everson Pereira and shortstop Roberto Chirinos for a combined $2.4MM. The Yankees are also likely to sign Dominican shortstop Ronny Rojas in August for a projected $1.05MM.
West Notes: D-backs, Angels, Dodgers
The fractured right hand shortstop Nick Ahmed suffered this week could force the Diamondbacks to address the position prior to the trade deadline, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. With Ahmed out for the foreseeable future, general manager Mike Hazen indicated that he’s open to acquiring a shortstop. “I felt like we had a clearer path,” Hazen said. “I do think, as you take on injuries, those things do change a little bit. I think over the next month, we have to be somewhat flexible given what may happen with the major-league team. I do think we have areas, like I’ve said before, that we’re going to at least focus in on to see if there are ways to improve the club.” Piecoro names the Reds’ Zack Cozart, the Tigers’ Jose Iglesias and the Phillies’ Freddy Galvis as potential targets, suggesting that each are likely defensive upgrades over the Diamondbacks’ in-house tandem of Chris Owings and Ketel Marte.
More from the majors’ two West divisions:
- When Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney underwent Tommy John surgery a year ago, general manager Billy Eppler was unwilling to rule him out for all of 2017. Now, there’s a good chance Heaney will indeed take the hill this season, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. Heaney threw a 90-pitch simulated game Saturday and could embark on a rehab assignment later this month, and manager Mike Scioscia believes the 28-year-old has made “remarkable” progress. “I would say that his rehab has gone as well as you could hope for,” Scioscia said. “For him to throw the ball the way he did this afternoon, on the one-year anniversary of his surgery, is incredible. It’s very promising where he is.”
- Mike Trout‘s return from the disabled list later this month could create a dilemma for the Angels, who might have to decide between fellow outfielders Ben Revere and Eric Young Jr., writes DiGiovanna. Revere is the far pricier player, raking in $4MM to Young’s minimal salary; however, Young has slashed .275/.353/.418 with three home runs and 11 steals in 104 plate appearances to trump Revere’s output (.223/.237/.311, one homer, five steals over 152 PAs).
- Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez won’t return until after the All-Star break, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). The back troubles Gonzalez has dealt with for years continue to pose a problem, and he still hasn’t resumed baseball activities since going on the DL in the first half of June. “He’s not where he wants to be,” noted manager Dave Roberts.