AL Notes: Red Sox, Rangers, Orioles
The Red Sox signed first baseman Mitch Moreland to a one-year, $5.5MM contract over the winter, passing on bigger names in the process, and it has worked out beautifully so far, observes Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. Boston probably would have gone a more expensive route had it not been so close to the luxury-tax threshold, which may have also cost the team a first-round pick, writes MacPherson. To this point, Moreland has held his own relative to more expensive offseason signings such as Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Trumbo, Kendrys Morales, Jose Bautista and Carlos Beltran. Moreland, an ex-Ranger, has slashed .280/.373/.480 with nine home runs in his first 260 plate appearances with the Red Sox. What’s more, the 31-year-old has transferred his strong work in the field from Texas to Boston, having racked up three Defensive Runs Saved and notched a 2.4 UZR/150.
A couple more American League-related items…
- One of Moreland’s former teammates – free agent right-hander Colby Lewis – was unwilling to return to the Rangers on a minor league contract last offseason, and he explained why to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. “I didn’t want to fight for a position,” Lewis said. “Here I am, I have been here forever. I’ll be 38 this season, you want to make me fight for a spot? It was a bitter pill to swallow and still is. I always wanted to wear this uniform, this is where I wanted to be.” Lewis, a Ranger from 2002-04 and 2010-16 who pitched to a 3.71 ERA/4.81 FIP in 116 1/3 innings last year, isn’t ready to call it a career. However, it doesn’t seem as if he’ll take a minors deal anywhere. While Lewis contends he’s only five to six weeks away from being major league ready, it’s difficult to imagine anyone giving him a guaranteed contract.
- Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy‘s wrist is “not good” after he took a 93 mph Lance Lynn fastball off it Sunday, manager Buck Showalter told reporters (via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com). “We took an X-ray here, saw something that concerned us,” continued Showalter. “I know he’s got a scan in the morning and we’ll have a little more definitive idea there.” It’s likely Hardy will head to the disabled list, per Kubatko, meaning the Orioles would have two regular infielders on the DL (first baseman Chris Davis is the other). Ruben Tejada, Paul Janish and Luis Sardinas are the in-house options to fill in for Hardy, notes Kubatko, though Tejada’s the only one on Baltimore’s 40-man roster. The 34-year-old Hardy isn’t exactly an irreplaceable cog at this stage of his career, evidenced by his .211/.248/.308 batting line in 239 plate appearances. The only qualified hitter with a worse wRC+ than Hardy’s (43) is Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (19).
MLBTR Originals
Here’s a recap of the original content featured at MLBTR over the past week:
- Jeff Todd updated his list of top trade deadline candidates, increasing the total from 30 in the first version to 50 in the latest iteration. Combining trade value and the likelihood of a move, White Sox closer David Robertson stands above the rest.
- In this week’s editions of the Taking Inventory series, which breaks down trade possibilities from teams that will likely sell, Charlie Wilmoth focused on the Giants, Steve Adams examined the Royals and Jason Martinez handled the Padres.
- Prior to the beginning of the draft on Monday, Steve polled readers on whom the Twins would select first overall. Kyle Wright, Hunter Greene, Brendan McKay and “Other” were the choices. Minnesota ended up taking high school shortstop Royce Lewis, meaning the 6.79 percent of voters who chose “Other” were closest to being correct.
- In the latest entry in his Knocking Down The Door series, Jason profiled prospects from the Athletics, Phillies, Dodgers, Giants and Blue Jays. Shortly after, the A’s called up third baseman Matt Chapman, who Jason noted had been making a case for a big league promotion in Triple-A.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: D-backs, Hosmer, Mets, Dodgers, Jays, Trout
This week in baseball blogs:
- Inside the ‘Zona looks at which areas the Diamondbacks could address prior to the trade deadline.
- Clubhouse Corner interviews Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer about reaching career milestones.
- Outside Pitch MLB recommends the Yankees trade for Hosmer.
- FiveWAR argues that it’s time for the Mets to sell.
- ThinkBluePC lists some potential options for the Dodgers if they seek pitching help before the deadline.
- BP Toronto isn’t concerned about Blue Jays reliever-turned-starter Joe Biagini‘s workload.
- Big Three Sports notes that, despite his injury, Angels center fielder Mike Trout could still win the AL MVP.
- Fueled by Sports ranks the top 10 Giants of all-time.
- Camden Depot wonders if the Orioles’ recent struggles are a more accurate representation of the team than its season-opening hot streak.
- Mets Daddy wants no part of Jose Reyes in the team’s starting lineup anymore.
- The Point of Pittsburgh applauds Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon for his speedy return from testicular cancer surgery and ponders if more changes are in store for their rotation.
- The Sports Tank suggests that Cubs manager Joe Maddon gets too much credit.
- Padres Prospectus writes about whether a move to the bullpen would enhance starter Jhoulys Chacin‘s trade value.
- Bleeding Royal Blue delves into Kansas City’s recent surge and some other topics related to the team.
- Prospects1500 highlights top performances from each minor league level for the week of June 5.
- Call to the Pen focuses on potential prospect promotions for the Phillies.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) recaps the A’s entire draft and touches on the Yankees’ thriving offense.
- MetsMind profiles first base prospect Dominic Smith.
- Sports Talk Philly doesn’t see the Phillies as a fit for Buck Showalter if he leaves the Orioles in the near future.
- A’s Farm examines the Athletics’ picks in the first 10 rounds of this year’s draft.
- Jays Journal, Clutchlings and Everything Bluebirds are excited about one of Toronto’s top prospects, infielder Bo Bichette.
- FanRag names some potential 2018 draftees to watch in the College World Series.
- Rotisserie Duck pays tribute to Jimmy Piersall.
- The Runner Sports points out that, with the drafting of 35th-rounder Trei Cruz (the grandson of Jose Cruz and the son of Jose Cruz Jr.), three generations of the Cruz family could end up playing for the Astros.
- Pinstriped Prospects profiles the Single-A Staten Island Yankees.
- Outfield Fly Rule reviews the first half of the Braves’ new Single-A affiliate, the Florida Fire Frogs.
- The 3rd Man In recaps the second day of the Brewers’ draft.
- Nyrdcast offers a Cardinals draft tracker.
Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com.
Central Notes: Arroyo, Tigers, Russell
After lasting just three innings and allowing five earned runs on seven hits in a loss to the Dodgers on Sunday, Reds right-hander Bronson Arroyo admitted to reporters (including C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinati Enquirer) that his career could be over. “You have to put up enough quality starts for a ballclub to want to keep you around, you know?” said the 40-year-old. “That could have been the last time I was on the field, yeah. It’s just the way it is.” Given that injuries kept Arroyo out of action between August 2014 and the start of this season, it’s somewhat remarkable that he has even rebounded to make 14 starts in 2017. But most of the longtime innings eater’s appearances this season haven’t gone well, as he has logged a 7.35 ERA and allowed a major league-worst 23 home runs over 71 frames. Arroyo has also battled soreness in his surgically repaired shoulder, contributing to his poor output. “I was hoping my arm would continue to get better and better as the year has gone on,” stated Arroyo. “It’s almost like it’s telling me ‘Hey man, I’m not going to run this race for you anymore.’’
Here’s more from the majors’ Central divisions:
- The Tigers announced Sunday that they’ve recalled righty Anibal Sanchez from Triple-A Toledo and optioned fellow righty Buck Farmer. Sanchez will make his first major league start of the year Monday against the Mariners. After getting off to a poor start out of the Tigers’ bullpen this season, the 33-year-old Sanchez requested a demotion to the minors in May so he could work out of Toledo’s rotation. Since then, Sanchez has pitched to an underwhelming 4.60 ERA over 15 2/3 innings and four starts, though he has also notched 11.49 K/9, 2.87 BB/9 and a 45.2 percent ground-ball rate. Sanchez, who’s in a contract year and making $16MM, has been a quality big leaguer for most of his career, but he hasn’t been particularly effective since 2014.
- With his expensive salary, Sanchez has been a key part of the Tigers’ high payrolls in recent years. As mentioned, though, he’ll be off the books after this season, when the Tigers plan to tamp down their spending. “I don’t think you’ll see us spending over $200 million on payroll like we have in past. You’ll see more lean payroll,” general manager Al Avila told MLB Network Radio on Sunday (Twitter link). Detroit is right around the $200MM threshold at the moment, per Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource, but has only managed a 32-36 record and is on pace to miss the playoffs for the third straight year.
- As of 10 days ago, Major League Baseball was looking into domestic violence allegations against Cubs shortstop Addison Russell. A resolution to the matter doesn’t seem to be in sight, writes the Chicago Sun-Times’ Gordon Wittenmyer, as Russell told him, “As far as I know I haven’t heard anything, and that’s where I’m going to leave it.”
Trade Rumblings: Cozart, Alonso, Yanks, BoSox, Dodgers, Cards
Even though Reds shortstop Zack Cozart has surprisingly been among the majors’ best players this year, there probably won’t be many teams bidding for him at the trade deadline, writes ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required and recommended). Most contenders are in search of pitching, not shortstops, which could hinder the Reds’ efforts to land a quality return for the free agent-to-be. The same lack of demand at shortstop might end up applying to both first base and the outfield, observes Olney, who notes that it may be a problem for Pittsburgh if it tries move Andrew McCutchen or Kansas City in the event it markets Eric Hosmer and/or Lorenzo Cain.
More rumblings as the deadline draws closer:
- Breakout first baseman Yonder Alonso would like to sign an extension with the Athletics, but they’re “nearly certain” to put him on the block, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Contrary to Olney’s argument that there might not be much of a market for first basemen, Morosi contends that three AL playoff hopefuls – New York, Seattle and Los Angeles – could each stand to upgrade at the position. The Yankees will prioritize beefing up their rotation and may battle the Red Sox for Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas, per Morosi, but Greg Bird‘s injury issues might also put Alonso on their radar. The lefty-swinging, fly ball-hitting Alonso, who has slashed .302/.397/.630 with 17 home runs in 219 plate appearances during a contract year, would seemingly be a perfect fit for the short right field porch at Yankee Stadium.
- Meanwhile, the aforementioned Cain could be ideal for the Dodgers, argues Morosi, who suggests they’re likely to adjust their outfield alignment in the coming weeks. Of course, barring other moves, picking up another outfielder would add to an already crowded situation in the grass for LA. The club currently has stellar rookie Cody Bellinger, unexpected 2017 star Chris Taylor, Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson in the mix as prominent outfield options, with Enrique Hernandez and Franklin Gutierrez adding further depth and Andre Ethier on the disabled list.
- Along with potentially addressing their outfield, it’s “increasingly apparent” that the Dodgers will look for rotation help, relays Morosi. Dodgers starters rank third in the majors in both ERA and fWAR, but Morosi points out that some of their hurlers are health risks and they’ll also want to avoid starting ace Clayton Kershaw on short rest if they get to the NLDS. Kershaw took the hill in that scenario during each of the previous four division series in which the Dodgers participated.
- While Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez‘s name has come up in connection to St. Louis, the fact that the Cardinals are 11.5 games out of a wild-card spot might steer them away from position player rentals, notes Olney. As of now, the Redbirds only have one realistic path to a playoff berth – by winning the NL Central – but they also have plenty of ground to make up there (5.5 games). Moreover, they may have a sleeping giant to contend with in the reigning champion Cubs, who are 2.5 games behind upstart Milwaukee for the division lead.
Dodgers Claim Peter O’Brien, Designate Jason Wheeler
The Dodgers have claimed outfielder Peter O’Brien off waivers from the Rangers, according to an announcement from Texas. To make room for O’Brien, the Dodgers have designated left-hander Jason Wheeler for assignment, tweets Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Additionally, right-hander Dillon Gee, whom the Rangers designated on Friday, has cleared waivers and elected free agency.
The Dodgers are already the fifth organization of 2017 for the 26-year-old O’Brien, who spent time with the Diamondbacks, Royals and Reds before joining the Rangers in a waiver claim last month. O’Brien only collected 15 plate appearances with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate before the club designated him Saturday, and has stumbled to an overall minor league line of .167/.254/.301 in 209 PAs this year. Although he’s prone to striking out, teams continue to take flyers on O’Brien because of his prodigious power, as the former Yankees farmhand has swatted 122 minor league home runs – including six this season. He saw brief major league action with the D-backs in 2015 and ’16 and hit six long balls in 79 PAs, though he slashed just .176/.228/.446 with a 40.5 percent strikeout rate during that time.
Wheeler, 26, has only been in the Los Angeles organization for two-plus weeks. Since the Dodgers acquired him from the Twins for cash considerations on June 2, Wheeler has thrown 8 2/3 frames of 10-earned run, 16-hit ball with their Triple-A affiliate. Wheeler made his major league debut with Minnesota earlier this season and surrendered three earned runs on six hits and four walks, with no strikeouts, causing the Twins to boot him from their 40-man roster before dealing him to the Dodgers.
As for Gee, the only somewhat established big leaguer of the three, he made four appearances (one start) for Texas this year and tossed 13 innings of 4.15 ERA ball, but he yielded 17 hits and walked six during that short span. Gee fared better with their Triple-A affiliate, logging a 3.88 ERA, 7.59 K/9 and 2.29 BB/9 across 51 frames. The Rangers originally added Gee on a minor league deal over the winter, which came after a 2016 in which he racked up 125 frames of 4.68 ERA pitching with the Royals and then underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. The 31-year-old has spent the majority of his career with the Mets and owns a 4.13 ERA, 6.47 K/9, 2.85 BB/9 and a 45.1 percent ground-ball rate in 817 1/3 big league frames.
AL Notes: Quintana, Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers
Although the Yankees are currently mired in a five-game losing streak, they’re still atop the AL East at 38-28. The likelihood is that the Bombers will end up as buyers before the trade deadline, then, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that they could pursue a left-handed reliever, a starter and a first baseman in the coming weeks. With regards to the rotation, the Yankees might make a big splash by acquiring White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana, which is “a real possibility” based on long-tenured general manager Brian Cashman’s trade history, according to Sherman. Quintana is affordable, meaning landing the 28-year-old wouldn’t hinder the Yankees’ goal of getting under the luxury tax next season, and surrendering multiple prospects for him would lessen the 40-man roster crunch the team is in danger of facing in the offseason.
More from the Bronx and two other AL destinations:
- Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna is young, dominant and under control through 2020 – all of which are good reasons for the club to trade him, argues Sportsnet’s Jonah Keri. Considering they’re only three games out of a playoff spot, the Blue Jays aren’t guaranteed to sell at the deadline, and they likely regard the 22-year-old Osuna as a key piece of their long-term core. But relievers are unpredictable and often have short shelf lives, notes Keri, who reasons that dealing Osuna could actually help Toronto stay in the playoff hunt if it moves him for talent that’s ready for the majors or close to it. There would be no shortage of interest in Osuna if the Jays actually were to place him on the block, with Keri naming bullpen-challenged Washington as one of the most obvious potential suitors.
- Highly regarded Yankees infield prospect Gleyber Torres departed Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s game Saturday with a hyperextended left elbow, per an announcement for New York. X-rays were negative, but Torres will undergo further evaluation Monday. If he dodges a serious injury, it’s possible Torres will become an everyday player for the Yankees prior to the trade deadline, per Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com. There are officials within the organization who like the idea of adding even more youth to the team’s roster for the stretch run, reports Marchand, and the 20-year-old Torres would certainly provide that. In his first taste of Triple-A, Torres has slashed an impressive .304/.404/.443 in 90 plate appearances. At the same time, he’s making progress at a new position – third base – where the Yankees could stand to upgrade over Chase Headley. “I think he is taking longer at third than second,” Triple-A manager Al Pedrique told Marchand. “You can tell he is starting to figure some things out at third base.”
- Before the Braves traded outfielder Mallex Smith to the Mariners last January, the Tigers had interest in acquiring him, tweets Jason Beck of MLB.com. The speedy Smith, who went from Atlanta to Seattle and then Seattle to Tampa Bay on the same day, posted modest numbers as a rookie last year but has gotten off to a hot start with the Rays (.368/.438/.491 with seven stolen bases in 60 plate appearances). He surely would have factored into the center field mix for Detroit, whose production there has been woeful.
Royals, First-Rounder Nick Pratto Agree To Deal
The Royals and first-round pick Nick Pratto have agreed to a deal, pending a physical, report William Boor and Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. Pratto, the 14th overall selection, will sign for $3.45MM – slightly below the $3,727,600 slot value of the pick.
“We are extremely excited to have drafted Nick Pratto and confident we will sign him at the appropriate time,” said Royals general manager Dayton Moore. “We remain in the signing process and nothing is complete at this time.”
Pratto is both a high school first baseman and a pitcher, but the Royals drafted the 18-year-old California native as as position player. Thanks to his offensive abilities, Pratto ranked as the 13th-best player going into this year’s draft, according to both Keith Law of ESPN and Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen (17th) and Baseball America (24th) also regarded the soon-to-be former USC commitment as a first-round talent entering the proceedings, with each of the aforementioned prospect gurus praising the lefty-swinging Pratto’s bat. Additionally, Pratto offers “very advanced” defense at first, per BA.
Injury Updates: Hendricks, Trout, V-Mart, McCullers, Segura
The right hand tendinitis that has kept Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks out since June 8 will likely shelve him for a while longer, reports Gorden Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Thanks to the setback he suffered Tuesday, Hendricks’ absence “will be measured in weeks,” not days, writes Wittenmyer. Hendricks is “sore,” said manager Joe Maddon, who added that his injury is “awkward” and “just not going away.” Like most of his Cubs teammates, Hendricks has taken steps backward this year on the heels of a magical 2016. After contending for the NL Cy Young last season, when he logged a 2.13 ERA, 8.05 K/9 and 2.08 BB/9 over 190 innings, the soft-tossing 27-year-old has experienced a velocity drop and recorded a 4.09 ERA, 7.44 K/9 and 3.08 BB/9 over 61 2/3 frames in 2017.
The latest on several other notable major leaguers dealing with injuries:
- The top player in the game, Angels center fielder Mike Trout, will resume swinging next week and travel with the Halos during their visits to New York and Boston, relays ESPN.com. Trout, who underwent surgery on torn left thumb ligaments May 31, hopes to return before the six- to eight-week recovery timeline and play in next month’s All-Star Game. “It would be pretty cool just to, hopefully, be back by then,” Trout said. “Before the All-Star break, right at the All-Star break, just depending on how it goes.”
- Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez, diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat this week, was released from a Detroit-area hospital on Saturday, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. It’s unclear whether Martinez will come off the disabled list when he’s first eligible on June 27, per Beck. For now, “the thought process is probably a week of rest,” said manager Brad Ausmus.
- Astros manager A.J. Hinch announced Saturday that righty Lance McCullers will come off the DL during the upcoming week (via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). McCullers just hit the DL on Monday with discomfort in his lower back, so his stay will end up as a short one. He’s one of four Astros starters on the DL – Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton and Collin McHugh are the others – and arguably the best of the bunch. McCullers has been superb over his first 76 2/3 innings this season, having posted a 2.58 ERA, 10.45 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 63 percent ground-ball rate. His teammate Morton, out since May 25 with a lat strain, also seems to be progressing toward a return. Morton is set to make a two-inning rehab start for the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate on Thursday.
- After a high ankle sprain forced Mariners shortstop Jean Segura to the DL on June 2, general manager Jerry Dipoto suggested he could miss two months. However, fortunately for the Mariners, it appears Segura will return much sooner than that, perhaps as early as next week if a Triple-A rehab assignment goes well, relays Greg Johns of MLB.com. Segura batted .341/.391/.462 in 198 plate appearances before his injury, which helped convince the Mariners to sign the offseason trade acquisition from Arizona to a five-year contract extension.
- The Angels have placed righty Matt Shoemaker on the DL, retroactive to Friday, with a forearm strain and activated reliever Cam Bedrosian, per Kaelen Jones of MLB.com. Forearm injuries are scary for pitchers, but Shoemaker’s tightness is in his extensor muscle, making it less likely to be related to his elbow. Still, even if Shoemaker’s only out for a little while, the Angels are in the unenviable position of having a full rotation on the DL with him, Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and Nick Tropeano. On the other hand, Bedrosian’s return is welcome news for the Angels, whose bullpen has been surprisingly effective without him. Bedrosian dominated over 6 2/3 innings before a groin strain forced him to the DL in late April, and the 25-year-old was also a lights-out option in a breakout 2016 campaign.
Cafardo’s Latest: Gray, Astros, Stanton, Phils, Cards, BoSox
The AL West rival Astros and Athletics are mutually interested in making a trade that would involve Oakland right-hander Sonny Gray, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The last-place A’s have been closely monitoring the Astros’ system, per Cafardo, during a period in which Houston’s four best starters (Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers, Charlie Morton and Collin McHugh) are on the disabled list. Gray, who would likely slot in third in a healthy Astros rotation, is only running a 4.44 ERA through 52 2/3 innings, but his secondary stats are encouraging and he’s under control via arbitration through 2019. As such, he’d warrant a strong return for the A’s.
More rumblings from Cafardo as the trade deadline approaches:
- If the Marlins place right fielder Giancarlo Stanton on the trade block in the coming months, the NL East rival Phillies would be a sensible landing spot, opines Cafardo. The cellar-dwelling Phillies are a big-market team with the money and the prospects to swing a deal for Stanton (who’s due nearly $300MM over the final 10 years of his contract), observes Cafardo. Stanton has a full no-trade clause, though, so there’s no guarantee he’d approve a deal to Philadelphia or anywhere else. Further complicating matters, Cafardo has heard that the Phillies would “need” to acquire fellow Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich in a deal involving Stanton. Even though Yelich is under control for reasonable prices through the 2022 campaign, he could end up on the block.
- Given that they’re five games back in their division and 10.5 out of a wild-card spot, the Cardinals don’t look like surefire buyers at the moment. Nevertheless, a pair of right-handed-hitting right fielders – the Tigers’ J.D. Martinez and the White Sox’s Avisail Garcia – have been frequently linked to the Redbirds this year, relays Cafardo. Martinez, a free agent-to-be who’s on an $11.75MM salary, is hitting a torrid .310/.398/.681 with 11 home runs in 133 plate appearances for the scuffling Tigers. Garcia, who’s much cheaper than Martinez ($3MM) and under control through 2019, is in the midst of a career year (.337/.378/.549 with 10 HRs in 262 PAs) for the soon-to-sell White Sox.
- The Red Sox have “limited” interest in signing free agent third baseman Jhonny Peralta to a minor league contract, reports Cafardo. Peralta has been available since St. Louis released him Tuesday, which came after more than a year of subpar production from the once-steady veteran. Peralta would give the Red Sox yet another flawed hot corner option, though he is familiar with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who was the general manager in Detroit during Peralta’s run there from 2010-13.
- Phillies left fielder Howie Kendrick will intrigue both the Red Sox and Yankees if he’s able to play third, writes Cafardo. Kendrick has a bit of experience there (18 games), but the 33-year-old primarily lined up at second base before switching to the outfield. Regardless of whether a move to third is on the horizon, the righty-swinging Kendrick has emerged as a likely trade chip for rebuilding Philadelphia, suggests Cafardo (and as MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk and Jeff Todd have recently noted). Kendrick isn’t cheap ($10MM), but the impending free agent has helped his stock with a .324/.383/.467 line in 115 PAs.