NL Notes: Phillies, Mets, Cards, Dodgers
While the Phillies will shop players with expiring contracts leading up to the trade deadline, team president Andy MacPhail also suggested Friday that general manager Matt Klentak would at least listen to offers for all of their big leaguers, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. “He needs to keep a wide spectrum, wide horizon, and any opportunity that makes sense for us going forward, he should explore,” MacPhail said of Klentak. The Phillies own the majors’ worst record (26-52), but they’re not devoid of intriguing, controllable players who might pique teams’ interest in the next month. Outfielders Aaron Altherr and Odubel Herrera stand out in their group of position players, while Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez and Hector Neris are among their cheap pitchers who could be on clubs’ radars.
More from the National League:
- Mets third baseman David Wright is at least three to five weeks away from beginning baseball activities, GM Sandy Alderson told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and other reporters Friday. A setback would likely end the 34-year-old Wright’s chances of playing this season, observes DiComo, which is the latest discouraging update regarding the longtime franchise cornerstone. Wright, who’s dealing with neck, shoulder and back issues, has appeared in just 75 games dating back to 2015 and hasn’t played since May of last year.
- Cardinals first baseman Matt Carpenter hasn’t seen any action at second base this year, but he did get some work at his former position before the Redbirds’ game on Friday, relays Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. Langosch adds that moving Carpenter back to the keystone, at least temporarily, could lead to more opportunities for first baseman Luke Voit (via Twitter). Notably, St. Louis didn’t try this season earlier in the season when it couldn’t find at-bats for first baseman Matt Adams, whom it traded to the Braves in May for an insignificant return. Adams has since been one of the majors’ hottest hitters. In fairness to the Cardinals, though, second baseman Kolten Wong wasn’t on the disabled list at that point. Wong landed on the DL with an elbow strain the week after the Adams trade and won’t return until mid-July.
- A first baseman throughout his professional career, the Dodgers are considering turning Ike Davis into a pitcher, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Pitching isn’t foreign to the 30-year-old Davis, who was an accomplished hurler in high school and went on to strike out 78 hitters in as many innings at Arizona State. Now struggling offensively at Triple-A this season (.206/.257/.381 in 70 plate appearances), Davis threw a bullpen session Friday, tweets Oklahoma City broadcaster Alex Freedman. Dodgers director of player development Gabe Kapler then commented, “We all know he’s an athlete, and we believe he might be able to provide value in many different areas.” Davis is best known for his 32-home run season with the Mets in 2012, though he hasn’t made much of an offensive impact in the majors or minors since then. Davis isn’t the first Triple-A position player the Dodgers have experimented with on the mound this year, as they’ve also tried outfielder Brett Eibner in that role. Unfortunately, though, the club had to shut down Eibner on account of a sore arm, according to Gurnick.
Quick Hits: Garland, Cardinals, Yankees, Orioles
Right-hander Jon Garland, 37, hasn’t pitched professionally since the Rockies released him in June 2013. Four years later, Garland is mulling a comeback, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Garland threw Sunday for White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, as Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com was first to report (via Twitter). Before that, Garland told Levine that his arm feels the best it has in three years. However, he also informed Merkin that he’s unsure if he’s committed to returning because it would mean spending less time with his family. Garland pitched to a 4.37 ERA over 2,100-plus innings with six teams (mostly the White Sox) from 2000-13. He exceeded the 200-inning plateau in six seasons during that span, including a career-high 221 as a member of the World Series-winning White Sox in 2005.
More from around baseball:
- At 33-40, the Cardinals are already 12 games out of a wild-card spot in the National League. Consequently, their only realistic avenue to the playoffs is to erase a 5.5-game deficit in the NL Central. They’re going to have to start making up ground by next month’s trade deadline, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak admitted to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. “This team has a chance to do good things, but we have to get it going,” said Mozeliak. “Urgency has to be on the forefront of our thinking. There is no clock in baseball, but time is moving.” Mozeliak revealed that the Cardinals are “open-minded” to buying or selling, but Crasnick argues that taking the latter path could be difficult because they’re not exactly chock-full of trade chips. They already sold one veteran last month, sending first baseman Matt Adams to the Braves for minor league infielder Juan Yepez. While Adams has caught fire since the trade, Mozeliak doesn’t regret shipping him out. “Sometimes a change of scenery for players is what they need,” he noted. “Matt’s killed it, but that’s not to say he didn’t get opportunities a year ago. Sometimes when you make decisions, you know there might be more upside in a player. But unless you can create that availability [for playing time], it’s pretty tough.”
- The Yankees, mired in their worst stretch of the season, are likely to place outfielder Aaron Hicks on the DL, manager Joe Girardi announced Sunday (Twitter links via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Hicks left the Yankees’ loss to the Rangers on Sunday with right oblique tightness and will undergo an MRI on Monday, relays Hoch, but the player indicated that he’ll miss three to four weeks. Hicks has surprisingly been among the majors’ most valuable players this year, with a .290/.398/.515 batting line and a 2.7 fWAR. Fortunately for the Yankees, they have a quality replacement in Jacoby Ellsbury, who could come off the DL on Monday. Ellsbury has been out since late May with a concussion. Meanwhile, another of the Yankees’ top performers, second baseman Starlin Castro, has been dealing with a wrist issue for six weeks, tweets Hoch, who adds that he received a cortisone shot Sunday.
- In better news for the Yankees, left-hander C.C. Sabathia is “progressing very, very well” as he works back from a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, Girardi said (via Matthew Martell of MLB.com). Sabathia threw 35 pitches Sunday in his first bullpen session since hitting the DL on June 15, relays Martell, who writes that the former ace could be back in New York’s rotation by month’s end. Sabathia has been one of the Yankees’ steadiest starters this year, having logged a 3.46 ERA, 7.41 K/9, 2.87 BB/9 and a 49.8 percent ground-ball rate over 75 1/3 innings.
- The goal is for Orioles closer Zach Britton to return by July 5, manager Buck Showalter told Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com and other reporters on Sunday. Forearm problems have forced Britton to the disabled list twice this year, limiting the two-time All-Star to just nine innings (he last pitched on May 4). While Brad Brach has filled in with aplomb as Baltimore’s closer, the team’s Britton-less bullpen hasn’t been great overall. Orioles relievers entered Sunday ranked 13th in the majors in ERA and 23rd in fWAR.
Cardinals Place Dexter Fowler, Kevin Siegrist On DL
The Cardinals have placed center fielder Dexter Fowler and reliever Kevin Siegrist on the disabled list, according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com (on Twitter). In other moves, the team has optioned outfielder Chad Huffman to Triple-A, recalled outfielder Randal Grichuk and right-hander Mike Mayers, and selected the contract of outfielder Luke Voit, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was among those to report (Twitter link).
Fowler, who hasn’t played since Wednesday, is dealing with a right heel spur, per Langosch. The big-money offseason signing has pulled his weight offensively for a club that has struggled to a 33-40 start, making his loss another blow to its slim playoff chances. Fowler has slashed .245/.336/.481 with 13 long balls, matching his home run total from last year in nearly 300 fewer plate appearances (277 to 551), and a career-best .237 ISO. The 31-year-old has seemingly taken steps backward in the field, though, after he made progress in the grass with the Cubs in 2016. All told, Fowler has accounted for minus-8 defensive runs saved and a minus-8.3 UZR/150 in 60 games.
At times a dominant member of St. Louis’ bullpen since debuting in 2013, the 27-year-old Siegrist is in the midst of one of his worst seasons and is now battling a cervical spine strain. The left-hander has managed a disappointing 4.28 ERA in 27 1/3 innings. Along the way, Siegrist has posted his lowest strikeout rate per nine (8.23), had issues with control (4.94 BB/9) and experienced a notable velocity drop. Siegrist has also had trouble versus left-handed hitters, who have batted .268/.375/.463 off him this year.
Voit, a 22nd-round pick in 2013, will fill the last spot on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster. The 26-year-old toyed with Triple-A pitchers prior to his promotion, slashing .322/.406/.561 with 12 homers in 293 PAs.
NL Notes: Phillies, Marlins, Cards, Rox, Cubs
The last-place Phillies will be open for business at the trade deadline, reports Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. While free agents-to-be like Pat Neshek, Howie Kendrick, Jeremy Hellickson, Joaquin Benoit and Daniel Nava stand out as obvious trade candidates, Zolecki suggests that the Phillies could also listen to offers for some controllable players. That list includes first baseman Tommy Joseph, injured second baseman Cesar Hernandez and shortstop Freddy Galvis. Joseph is currently on a minimum salary and won’t even be eligible for arbitration until 2020, but moving him would enable the Phillies to open up first base for prospect Rhys Hoskins, who’s destroying Triple-A pitching. Hernandez, meanwhile, is on a $2.55MM salary and has three arbitration-eligible years remaining. However, he’s blocking another hot-hitting prospect – Scott Kingery, who’s at Double-A. Galvis is the most expensive of the three right now ($4.35MM) and only has another year of arbitration eligibility remaining. Behind him is J.P. Crawford, who hasn’t hit much at Triple-A since debuting there last year. Nevertheless, he still ranks as Baseball America‘s 19th-best prospect.
The latest on a few other NL teams…
- The Marlins probably won’t trade any major pieces as long as their ownership situation is in flux, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. If true, that would rule out deals involving the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna and J.T. Realmuto, all of whom have been part of rumors this year. However, Frisaro notes that trades featuring lesser players (including Adeiny Hechavarria, Tom Koehler and certain relievers) remain possible.
- The Cardinals will recall outfielder Randal Grichuk, whom they demoted to the minors May 29, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Redbirds sent down Grichuk after he batted a paltry .222/.276/.377 with a 29.8 percent strikeout rate in 181 plate appearances. He fared better at Triple-A, slashing .270/.313/.603 in 67 PAs, but struck out even more frequently (29.9 percent) and only posted a 4.5 percent walk rate. It’s unclear how often Grichuk will play in his return to St. Louis, at least initially, as the team has gotten terrific production in his spot (left field) from Tommy Pham. The Cardinals also have Dexter Fowler and Stephen Piscotty as everyday outfielders, of course, so there’s no obvious fit for Grichuk in a starting role.
- Right-hander Jon Gray will make his long-awaited return to the Rockies’ rotation during their series against Arizona next weekend, per Nick Groke of the Denver Post (Twitter links). Gray entered the season as the de facto ace of Colorado’s staff, but he has been out since mid-April with a stress fracture in his left foot. Still, the Rockies have stormed out of the gates at 47-30, and Gray’s return should only help the team’s already high playoff odds. The Rox will deploy a five-man rotation when Gray comes back, meaning someone will have to exit the group, observes Groke.
- Cubs righty Kyle Hendricks threw Saturday for the first time since going on the disabled list June 8, and he told reporters – including Glenn Sattell of MLB.com – that it was a pain-free session. “The arm felt good. I’ve been doing a lot of shoulder work. It took a few throws to find the arm slot and actually felt pretty normal,” said Hendricks. “I was actually surprised by it.” A return isn’t imminent, though, with manager Joe Maddon noting, “It’s probably aggressive to think he’d be back by the All-Star break, but I don’t want to rule anything out.”
Brewers Claim Stephen Vogt
The Brewers have claimed catcher Stephen Vogt off waivers from the Athletics, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN (on Twitter). Milwaukee was the only team to put in a claim for Vogt, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
[RELATED: Updated Brewers Depth Chart]
The 32-year-old Vogt had been in limbo since the A’s designated him for assignment on Thursday. Moving on from the respected clubhouse leader was a difficult decision for Oakland, but the club deemed it necessary after Vogt batted just .217/.287/.357 over 174 plate appearances. That was a steep drop-off for Vogt, who served as a better-than-average offensive catcher from 2013-16, when he combined for a .260/.319/.423 line in 1,478 trips to the plate and earned All-Star nods in each of the previous two seasons.
Defensively, Vogt has struggled behind the plate as a pitch framer throughout his career (per Baseball Prospectus). Vogt hasn’t fared well at keeping would-be base stealers at bay this year, either, having thrown out just 15 percent of runners. However, he did hover around the league-average mark in prior seasons.
In the aggregate, Brewers catchers Manny Pina and Jett Bandy have offered better production than Vogt this year, having combined to slash .250/.307/.416 in 323 PAs. But both have come down to earth at the plate since hot starts, and Bandy has been especially poor lately (he’s hitting .053 this month). Bandy’s also giving the Brewers subpar production behind the plate and, unlike Pina, has a minor league option remaining. As such, it appears he’ll head to Triple-A, which would leave the righty-swinging Pina and the left-handed Vogt to work in a timeshare.
A resurgence from Vogt could help the surprising Brewers stay in the playoff hunt this season (they’re a half-game up on the Cubs for the NL Central lead), but he also comes with further team control. Vogt, who’s earning an affordable $2.965MM salary this season, is scheduled to take two more trips through arbitration.
AL Notes: Sox, Mariners, Rays, Angels
Red Sox third base prospect Rafael Devers is making a case for a promotion in Double-A, but the team still isn’t ready to summon the 20-year-old to the majors, writes Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. Devers, Baseball America’s 14th-ranked prospect, has slashed .289/.346/.550 with 14 home runs in 272 plate appearances this year and impressed Red Sox vice president of player development Ben Crockett along the way. “It’s been a really positive year,” Crockett said of Devers. “He’s learned a lot. Playing with older teammates, more experienced guys, it’s a different life experience. I think it’s been great for him. The staff, with manager Carlos Febles, has done a great job being consistent with him. He’s a great worker. He’s passionate and cares about what he’s doing.” Crockett’s glowing review aside, the Red Sox are hesitant to call up a prospect unless they know he’ll play every day, notes Mastrodonato, who suggests they’ll look to acquire a veteran third baseman by the trade deadline. Whether help comes in the form of a veteran or Devers, Boston is in serious need of aid at the hot corner. The club’s third basemen rank last in the majors in wRC+ (a pitiful 44) and fWAR (minus-1.3).
More from the American League:
- The Mariners have battled through a spate of injuries to post a 39-38 record and plant themselves firmly in the playoff hunt, and now a significant reinforcement is on the way. Left-hander Drew Smyly, out all season with an elbow injury, is targeting a return for the Mariners’ July 17-19 series against AL West rival Houston, relays Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Smyly threw a two-inning sim game Saturday, and the plan is for him to do the same on June 28 and then embark on a three-start rehab assignment in early July. The 28-year-old hasn’t yet pitched for the Mariners, who acquired him in an offseason trade with Tampa Bay.
- Just over a month after his mid-May demotion to Triple-A, Rays southpaw Blake Snell will return to the team’s rotation Wednesday, reports Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). He’ll take over for Erasmo Ramirez, who will return to the bullpen amid a rough June in which he has posted a 7.65 ERA in 20 innings. Snell, who logged a 4.71 ERA, 7.29 K/9 and 5.36 BB/9 in 42 innings before heading to the minors, earned his way back with a 2.66 ERA, 12.48 K/9 and a 3.07 BB/9 in 44 Triple-A frames.
- Meanwhile, the White Sox will also get back a notable lefty in Carlos Rodon, who will make his 2017 debut during the upcoming week, tweets Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com. Rodon, who just completed a four-start rehab assignment, hasn’t pitched in the majors this year on account of shoulder bursitis. The 24-year-old combined to rack up strong numbers from 2015-16, when he notched a 3.90 ERA, 9.08 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 45.3 percent ground-ball rate over 304 1/3 innings.
- Earlier this month, there was some positive news on Tyler Skaggs‘ recovery from an oblique strain, but the Angels left-hander has suffered a setback, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (Twitter links). Skaggs didn’t make his scheduled rehab start on Saturday because of “general soreness” in his oblique. Angels manager Mike Scioscia called the latest update on Skaggs “disturbing” and “frustrating.” Skaggs’ most recent start for the Halos was on April 28.
Indians Sign Michael Martinez To Minors Deal
The Indians have signed utilityman Michael Martinez to a minor league contract, per a team announcement. He’ll report to Triple-A Columbus.
The 34-year-old Martinez was most recently with the Rays, who designated him for assignment this past Monday, but there’s plenty of familiarity between him and the Cleveland organization. This will be the third stint with the franchise for Martinez, who debuted with the team back in 2015 and was on and off the Indians’ roster last year. The Tribe traded Martinez to the Red Sox last July and then brought him back via waivers in August. The light-hitting right-hander ended up making the final out in Game 7 of the World Series, which the Indians lost to the Cubs, and then opened 2017 in Cleveland.
In 395 career major league plate appearances with the Indians, Red Sox, Rays, Phillies and Pirates, Martinez has hit just .194/.243/.261. He has fared much better at Triple-A, where he owns a .282/.336/.395 line in 1,399 PAs.
Taking Inventory: Detroit Tigers
This is the ninth entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory series. Click for entries on the White Sox, Royals, Phillies, Pirates, Giants, Padres, Reds and Braves.
The Tigers entered the 2017 campaign with the seemingly realistic goal of contending for a playoff spot, but their season has gone off the rails in recent weeks. Losers of eight straight, the Tigers own the American League’s worst record (32-42) and sit seven games out of a wild-card spot and 7.5 games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland. With the trade deadline approaching, Detroit looks like a seller in the making, which general manager Al Avila essentially admitted earlier this week when he indicated he’d listen to teams’ offers for his veteran players.
Rentals
J.D. Martinez, RF | Salary: $11.75MM
As an impending free agent in the midst of his fourth straight excellent season at the plate, the 29-year-old Martinez stands out as the Tigers’ most obvious trade chip. A foot injury suffered in spring training kept Martinez out of action until May, but he has returned to slash a red-hot .288/.373/.626 with 12 home runs and a .338 ISO in 161 plate appearances. While those power numbers will regress (he slugged .540 and posted a .241 ISO from 2014-16), Martinez will remain a significant offensive threat when they do. Few major leaguers are hitting the ball harder than Martinez this year, per Statcast (via Baseball Savant), and he’s also running what’s easily a career-high walk rate (12.4 percent). Dating back to last season, Martinez has been rather weak in the field, where he registered minus-22 defensive runs saved and a minus-17.2 Ultimate Zone Rating in 2016 (and has already been worth minus-5 DRS this year). Despite that, teams in need of an offensive jolt will show pre-deadline interest in the reasonably priced slugger.
Alex Avila, C | Salary: $2MM
As impressive as Martinez’s batted-ball numbers are, Avila’s might be even better. The resurgent 30-year-old, who’s the son of Detroit’s GM, trails only Aaron Judge and Miguel Sano in average exit velocity (93.9 mph) and paces the majors in rate of balls hit at least 95 mph (62 percent). That has led to a ridiculous .320/.438/.588 line in 185 PAs for the lefty-swinging Avila, who has emerged as one of the newest poster boys in baseball’s fly ball revolution. Avila’s fly ball rate has nearly doubled since last season (from 22.8 percent to 41 percent), and he has cut down on strikeouts while managing an elite-level walk rate for the third straight year. As with Martinez, some regression is in order (Avila won’t sustain a .433 batting average on balls in play, for instance), and Avila’s pitch-framing numbers leave plenty to be desired on the defensive side. But the onetime All-Star’s offensive revival looks worthy of betting on, especially given his cheap salary. A contender like the Red Sox could clearly use more offensive production from behind the plate, and their president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, is quite familiar with Avila after previously serving as the Tigers’ GM.
Controlled Through 2018
Ian Kinsler, 2B | Salary: $11MM in 2017; $10MM club option (or a $5MM buyout) in 2018
It would make sense for the Tigers to shop the 35-year-old Kinsler, who’s amid another solid season, but moving him won’t be easy. He can block deals to 10 teams, for one, and wasn’t interested in waiving his no-trade rights over the winter unless a contract extension came with it. Also, barring injuries, it doesn’t look as if second basemen will be in high demand prior to the deadline.
Justin Wilson, RP | Salary: $2.7MM in 2017; arbitration eligible in 2018
Teams might not line up for Kinsler should he land on the block, but given the ever-increasing importance of bullpens in today’s game, the same won’t be true for Wilson if the Tigers shop him. The 29-year-old left-hander took over for the just-released Francisco Rodriguez as Detroit’s closer earlier in the season, and while save opportunities have been scarce, Wilson has still offered quality production when the team has turned to him. After averaging more than a strikeout per inning in each season from 2014-16, Wilson’s K/9 has increased to a career-best 12.84, and he’s running a palatable 2.96 ERA/3.50 FIP/3.58 xFIP trio. There are some concerns here, including an elevated walk rate (3.95 per nine, up from 2.61 last season) and a career-low ground-ball percentage (35.0, down from 54.9 in 2016), but effective, low-priced relievers who throw hard are hot commodities.
Jose Iglesias, SS | Salary: $4.1MM in 2017; arbitration eligible in 2018
It’s unclear whether the Tigers will market Iglesias. If they do, though, the Marlins’ return for the on-the-block Adeiny Hechavarria will be worth watching for Detroit. Hechavarria is a similar player to Iglesias and comes with matching team control and a nearly identical salary (Hechavarria makes $4.35MM). Like Hechavarria, Iglesias is a defense-first shortstop, though the latter was once a league-average hitter. That has changed over the past two seasons, as the 27-year-old Iglesias has combined to bat just .255/.306/.366 with four homers across 513 PAs. To his credit, Iglesias has saved 12 runs (including nine already this year) and posted a 16.3 UZR over that time.
Longer-Term Assets
Justin Upton, Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Shane Greene, Alex Wilson
Of the three-high priced names on this list (Upton, Cabrera and Verlander), Upton is the only one with iffy team control status. At the end of the season, the left fielder will have the chance to opt out of the remaining four years and $88MM left on his contract, which won’t do his trade value any favors. The 29-year-old Upton has rebounded from a disappointing 2016, his first season in Detroit, to slash .268/.354/.496 with 14 long balls in 288 trips to the plate to perhaps make an opt-out a bit more realistic than it previously looked. The odds of a trade, on the other hand, appear remote.
Cabrera and Verlander are on even larger salaries than Upton over the next several years, and both have earned full no-trade rights. Those factors make potential trades complicated enough, but when you add in that both are 34 and now look downright mortal relative to their usual selves, in-season deals for either probably aren’t happening.
It’s debatable whether the Tigers should shop Greene or Wilson (or any other inexpensive assets), as they’ll need cheap contributors to step up in their forthcoming efforts to cut spending. Avila did listen to offers for Greene last winter, though, and he could continue to pique bullpen-needy teams’ interest as a hard thrower who’s making a near-minimum salary and comes with three arbitration-eligible years of control. Greene, 28, has pitched to a 3.57 ERA and posted 9.68 K/9 against 4.58 BB/9, with a 46.7 percent grounder rate, over 35 1/3 innings this season. Wilson also carries some appeal as a high-velocity righty with an affordable salary this season ($1.175MM) and two arb-eligible years. He doesn’t bring Greene’s bat-missing ability to the table, but the 30-year-old Wilson has survived a below-average K/9 (5.77) during his 230 2/3-inning career to post a 2.93 ERA (3.69 this season).
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Pirates, Orioles, Cards, A’s, Mets, Jays
This week in baseball blogs:
- Pirates Breakdown explores the possibility of the Bucs adding another arm by the trade deadline.
- Camden Depot names the Orioles’ top five trade chips.
- Notes From The Sally lists the top 25 prospects in the South Atlantic League at the midpoint of the season.
- The Redbird Daily examines Cardinals center fielder Dexter Fowler‘s power surge.
- A’s Farm interviews Athletics scouting director Eric Kubota about the team’s top 11 picks in this year’s draft.
- Mets Daddy suggests that the team doesn’t have many appealing trade possibilities.
- Jays From the Couch doesn’t expect Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista‘s mutual option to be exercised in the offseason.
- Padres Prospectus seems similarities between Friars right-hander Dinelson Lamet and the 2016 version of Pirates righty Tyler Glasnow.
- The Sports Tank is buying into rookie Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger‘s early success.
- Fueled by Sports ranks the majors’ divisions thus far.
- Call to the Pen lists the odds of a promotion for each of the Phillies’ top candidates.
- MetsMind focuses on righty Matt Harvey‘s woeful 2017.
- BP Toronto doesn’t see an obvious second base fix for the Blue Jays.
- The Point of Pittsburgh asks if the Pirates are in rebuild denial.
- Outside Pitch MLB reacts to the Nationals’ rumored interest in Phillies reliever Pat Neshek.
- Prospects1500 highlights top performances from each minor league level for the week of June 12.
- Ladodgerreport looks at the recent dust-up between Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig and the Mets.
- The North Shore Nine writes about the success of Pirates reliever Felipe Rivero.
- Everything Bluebirds wonders if the Blue Jays should acquire another reliever.
- Pinstriped Prospects shares a scouting report on Yankees Single-A outfielder Blake Rutherford.
- The 3rd Man In expects the Brewers to regret passing on high school outfielder Jo Adell in the first round of the draft.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) highlights Tyler Clippard‘s importance to the Yankees’ bullpen and profiles Astros sixth-round pick Jake Adams.
- Rotisserie Duck uses Bowman baseball cards to search for the next Mike Trout.
- Sports Talk Philly revisits the incredible June that former Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee had in 2011.
Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com.
Taking Inventory: Cincinnati Reds
This is the seventh entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory series. Click for entries on the White Sox, Royals, Phillies, Pirates, Giants and Padres.
After entering the season expected to finish as one of the majors’ worst teams, the Reds got off to a hot start and then hung around .500 through late May. But since holding a 19-15 mark on May 11, the Reds have lost 24 of 34 to fall to 29-39 and plummet to last place in the National League Central. Now, with the trade deadline approaching, they look like surefire sellers.
Rentals
Zack Cozart, SS | Salary: $5.325MM
There are questions regarding how much demand there will be for shortstops at this year’s deadline, which could hinder the Reds’ efforts to net a quality return for Cozart. Nevertheless, the impending free agent has done his part to drive up his value. The 31-year-old served as a roughly league-average player from 2012-16, but he’s now in the midst of a shockingly great season. Cozart has slashed .320/.404/.562 across 255 plate appearances. Thanks to that output and his typically effective work in the field (four Defensive Runs Saved, 8.5 UZR/150), he’s tied with three established superstars – Joey Votto (his teammate), Bryce Harper and Mookie Betts – and Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks for fourth among position players in fWAR (2.9). That figure represents a career best for Cozart, whose trade value could increase if interested teams feel he can play another position. The Red Sox, for example, are set at shortstop but have a glaring need at third base. Cozart has spent his entire career at short since debuting in 2011.
Drew Storen, RP | Salary: $3MM
Realizing they weren’t going to compete this year, it’s fair to say the Reds signed Storen with the goal of flipping him at the deadline. The 29-year-old has pitched well enough this season to make that a real possibility, having recorded a 2.45 ERA, 7.67 K/9, 3.99 BB/9 and a stellar 54.1 percent ground-ball rate in 29 1/3 innings. Storen’s velocity has continued on a downward plane, and his ERA estimators aren’t nearly as kind as his actual run prevention numbers (3.82 FIP, 4.00 SIERA, 4.71 xFIP), but it’s a good bet that some playoff hopeful(s) will want the former closer.
Scott Feldman, SP/RP | Salary: $2.3MM
As with Storen, Feldman has seemed like a very short-term Band-Aid for the Reds since the minute they took a cheap flyer on him in the offseason. While Feldman, 34, has emerged as the ace of the Reds’ staff this year, that merely indicates how poor and injury plagued their rotation has been. To Feldman’s credit, he has performed like a bona fide back-end type, with a 4.29 ERA/ 4.28 FIP, 7.18 K/9 and 3.13 BB/9 over 77 2/3 frames. Feldman’s probably not going to interest playoff contenders searching for mid-rotation starters, but he could garner looks from teams that want someone to competently soak up innings from the rotation and/or the bullpen down the stretch. That was the case at the deadline last year, when the postseason-bound Blue Jays sent a teenage pitcher, Lupe Chavez, to the Astros for Feldman.
Controlled Through 2018
Devin Mesoraco, C | Salary: $7.325MM in 2017; $13.125MM in 2018
Mesoraco broke out in 2014, hitting .273/.359/.534 with 25 home runs, leading the Reds to sign the offense-first backstop to a four-year, $28MM extension. Little went right over the next two years for Mesoraco, whom injuries limited to 106 PAs and a woeful .158/.245/.500 line with no homers. Mesoraco became somewhat of an afterthought as a result, but the 28-year-old has quietly rebounded this season to slash .235/.343/.518 with six homers and career highs in walk rate (12.1 percent) and isolated power (.282) across 99 trips to the plate. That’s an admittedly small sample, though, and it’s debatable how much in-season trade value he’d have as a somewhat expensive player fresh off a couple of lost years.
Blake Wood, RP | Salary: $1.275MM in 2017; arbitration eligible in 2018
The 31-year-old righty was decent last year, his first with the Reds, and has contributed respectable production again this season. The hard-throwing Wood entered Sunday ranked ninth among relievers in grounder rate (60.9 percent), and he’s currently running a career-best 3.63 ERA through 34 2/3 frames. Wood has also registered acceptable strikeout (9.09) and walk (4.15) rates per nine. With all of that considered, it’s easy to imagine a bullpen-needy playoff contender with a capable infield defense and/or a small ballpark having interest in the grounder-heavy, inexpensive Wood.
Longer-Term Assets
Joey Votto, 1B; Raisel Iglesias, RP; Billy Hamilton, CF; Adam Duvall, OF; Scott Schebler, OF; Eugenio Suarez, 3B; Anthony DeSclafani, SP; Brandon Finnegan, SP; Scooter Gennett, IF/OF; Michael Lorenzen, RP; Wandy Peralta, RP
Votto, who inked a 10-year, $225MM contract extension in 2012, is both the Reds’ most expensive player and the crown jewel of the franchise. The potential Hall of Famer is enjoying yet another all-world season and would improve most (or all) big-spending contenders’ situations at first base. Votto has a no-trade clause, though, and suggested over the winter that he’d like to mimic retired San Antonio Spurs superstar Tim Duncan and the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady by playing his entire career in one place. Before that, Reds general manager Dick Williams stated he hadn’t had any discussions with Votto about waiving his no-trade clause. The reality is, Votto’s not going anywhere.
The rest of the Reds’ longer-term assets are probably safe bets to at least last the season in Cincinnati. Of course, there was interest this past offseason in Hamilton, whose fading team control (he’s signed through 2019) could make him a legitimate trade candidate soon. The 26-year-old has continued his light-hitting ways this season, but the baserunning brilliance and defensive excellence that have made him valuable throughout his career remain intact.
Hamilton’s outfield mates, Duvall and Schebler, are much different players than the speedster. But the two sluggers have turned into real finds for Cincinnati and emerged as viable regulars. The 26-year-old Schebler isn’t even eligible for arbitration until 2020, while Duvall (28) won’t go through the arb process until 2019. Given both their cheap control and production, the two corner outfielders would likely warrant quality returns in trades, but there’s no indication the Reds are interested in moving either player.
Similarly, both Suarez and Gennett have been solid pickups for the Reds, with the former in the midst of what could be a breakout year and the latter having recently turned in the first four-home run game in team history. That was an anomaly for Gennett (as it would be for any player, but especially one who has never been much of a power threat), who’s nonetheless in the midst of a nice season and previously put up a couple league-average campaigns in Milwaukee. Although the 27-year-old Gennett joined the Reds via waivers at the end of March, he has probably at least built some trade value since then. The utilityman’s affordable this season ($2.525MM) and controllable through 2019. Suarez is under wraps through 2020 and currently on a near-minimum salary ($595K), but the 25-year-old seems a lot likelier than Gennett to be part of the Reds’ long-term core. Assuming Cozart doesn’t stick around, Suarez could shift to shortstop (his previous position) when highly touted third base prospect Nick Senzel eventually comes up to the majors.
Elsewhere, the Reds have several young starting pitchers, but DeSclafani and Finnegan stand out as the most promising. A sprained ulnar collateral ligament has kept DeSclafani out all season, however, and he might not debut until August. Finnegan, meanwhile, has been out since April on account of a shoulder issue. While he’ll be back sooner than DeSclafani, the Reds aren’t going to sell low on either of these two this season.
Conversely, the Reds would be selling high on some of their top bullpen assets – Iglesias, Lorenzen and Peralta. Iglesias has turned into a premier reliever since shifting from the Reds’ rotation last season, and the 27-year-old signed a very reasonable contract with the club in 2014 after fleeing his native Cuba. Of course, Iglesias only went to the bullpen in the first place because of shoulder problems, so there’s a case to be made that Cincinnati should at least listen to any offers that might come in for the dominant righty prior to the deadline. While Lorenzen and Peralta aren’t on Igleslias’ level, they’re good and cheap. The former won’t hit arbitration for the first time until the upcoming offseason and the latter is a pre-arb player through the 2019 campaign. Each of these 25-year-olds would intrigue teams looking for relievers, but there’s nothing to suggest that Williams is going to put either on the block.