Yankees Designate Tommy Layne For Assignment
The Yankees have designated left-handed reliever Tommy Layne for assignment, reports Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (on Twitter). In a corresponding move, the team has recalled Triple-A right-hander Domingo German.
The 32-year-old Layne joined the Yankees last August after the division-rival Red Sox designated him, and his first taste of action with the Bombers went well. Layne tossed 16 innings of 3.38 ERA ball, generated ground balls at a 46.5 percent clip and posted 7.31 K/9 against 3.94 BB/9. Most impressively, Layne held the 38 lefty-swingers he faced to a .147/.237/.147 line.
Layne’s initial work with the Yankees earned him a roster spot this season, but he has been among the few weak links in one of the majors’ top bullpens. Prior to his designation, Layne logged a 7.62 ERA, 6.23 K/9 and 5.54 BB/9 over 13 frames. He also experienced a dip in velocity, saw his swinging-strike rate drop from 8.9 percent last year to 6.6 percent this season and was subpar against the 26 same-handed hitters he faced (.318/.423/.409).
East Notes: Rosario, Red Sox, Chapman
As Baseball America’s fifth-ranked prospect, the Mets’ Amed Rosario could conceivably help a scuffling team that has gotten little production from the left side of its infield this year. Despite the Mets’ struggles, though, and the strong likelihood that the Super Two deadline has passed, a promotion isn’t imminent, according to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Instead, the Mets want the 21-year-old to continue developing with Triple-A Las Vegas, where he has slashed .339/.379/.500 with six home runs and 11 stolen bases in 269 plate appearances. While Rosario’s in a rather hitter-friendly environment, his output has still been 30 percent better than the Pacific Coast League average. “I think so far this season is so far going pretty excellent, I would say,” Rosario told Davidoff through an interpreter. “I think we’re really seeing the fruits of the labor that’s been put in.”
More from New York and another East Coast city:
- Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval was out of the lineup Saturday, and he’ll likely sit through at least Monday as they work with him on his defensive issues, reports Ian Browne of MLB.com. Sandoval has made four errors in only 48 chances, notes Browne, and has already posted minus-6 Defensive Runs Saved in just 186 1/3 innings at the hot corner. Now in the third season of a five-year, $95MM contract, Sandoval has also acquitted himself poorly on the offensive side, having batted just .205/.253/.364 in 95 plate appearances.
- The Yankees expect closer Aroldis Chapman to come off the disabled list next weekend, manager Joe Girardi said Saturday (via Mark Fischer of NJ.com). The flamethrowing southpaw landed on the DL on May 13 with an inflamed left rotator cuff, which came after back-to-back rough outings that saw Chapman combine to allow four earned runs on six hits and two walks (three strikeouts) over 1 1/3 innings. Prior to those performances, Chapman gave up only one earned run, six hits and four walks, with 18 punchouts, in 11 1/3 frames.
- Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez‘s recovery from a partial dislocation of his right kneecap is on an encouraging path, writes Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. Rodriguez played catch from 130 to 140 feet Saturday, after which manager John Farrell stated: “He’s made, I think, very good progress in the days since being examined by Dr. (James) Andrews. We’re taking this in five-day work increments. He’s coming up on this first five days. We’ll map out increases in physical activity, agility work, all that, after tomorrow. We would hope in the coming days, he’s back on the mound here soon.” The 24-year-old was in the midst of arguably his best season before the injury, with a 3.54 ERA, 9.59 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 61 innings.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/10/17
Saturday’s minor moves:
- Utilityman T.J. Rivera has lost his spot on the Mets’ roster, as the team optioned him (and right-hander Tyler Pill) to Triple-A on Saturday, Mike Puma of the New York Post was among those to report (Twitter link). The Mets sent Rivera and Pill down to make room for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and righty Seth Lugo, both of whom are back from the disabled list. Rivera ranks among the Mets’ top nine in plate appearances this year, having taken 114 and batted a passable .255/.310/.402. He swatted his second home run of the season Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to stave off a demotion.
- The Padres have outrighted righty Tyrell Jenkins to make room for reliever Carter Capps, whom they reinstated from the 60-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A El Paso, tweets AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. A former big-time prospect with the Cardinals, Jenkins joined the Padres off waivers from the Reds over the winter and has struggled with San Diego’s Triple-A affiliate, notching a 6.71 ERA, 6.42 K/9 and a 5.98 BB/9 over 61 2/3 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Capps, meanwhile, continues to work his way back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent as a Marlin in 2016.
- The Twins have selected the contract of left-hander Nik Turley from Triple-A and optioned fellow southpaw Randy Rosario, per Phil Miller of the Star Tribune (on Twitter). Minnesota will need to dump someone from its 40-man roster to make room for the addition of Turley, who has excelled at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season. The 27-year-old will make his major league debut Sunday with a start in San Francisco, with which he was a farmhand in 2015.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Pirates, Orioles, Twins, Mariners
At 27-35, the Pirates on track to miss the playoffs for the second straight year. But the club’s recent woes aren’t threatening the job security of either GM Neal Huntington or manager Clint Hurdle, says FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, who reports that the two are good bets to sign contract extensions before the season ends. Huntington has been at the helm since 2007, Hurdle dating back to 2011, and the team has gone to the playoffs three times during their six-plus-year partnership. The Pirates are now headed for their fourth sub-.500 season under the Huntington-Hurdle tandem, though, and look as if they’ll sell at the deadline, as MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth wrote earlier Saturday.
More from Rosenthal:
- The Orioles have experienced a fair amount of success since 2012, when they hired GM Dan Duquette to team with manager Buck Showalter. Despite that, Duquette and Showalter have an “unsteady” relationship, according to Rosenthal. Therefore, with their contracts set to expire after next season, one or both might end up on the outs in the near future. Showalter, who will be 62 after next season, could take over Duquette’s current job, per Rosenthal.
- If the 32-26 Twins remain in contention around the deadline, not only will they have a hard time parting with trade candidates such as Ervin Santana and Brian Dozier, but they could end up as buyers, suggests Rosenthal. In that situation, the Twins would likely target cheap starting help to aid a rotation that’s missing Phil Hughes and Hector Santiago, both of whom are on the disabled list. Hughes and Santiago have struggled even when healthy this year for Minnesota, whose rotation entered Saturday a solid 12th in the majors in ERA but a troubling 26th in FIP.
- The Mariners will have to address long-term needs in their rotation either at the deadline or during the offseason, notes Rosenthal. Hisashi Iwakuma, Yovani Gallardo and Drew Smyly are only under control for another two years at the most (the first two have club options for 2018), leaving Seattle with James Paxton, Felix Hernandez and Ariel Miranda as its only current prominent starters under contract through 2019.
Cafardo’s Latest: Yankees, Vargas, Gray, Cobb, Volquez
The Yankees are 35-23 and atop the AL East, but both GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi are currently lame ducks, notes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Cashman isn’t worried about his contract status, telling Cafardo: “I’ve been to this point a few times now. It’s just not unusual. It’s not something you can spend a lot of time thinking about. When the time comes, hopefully things will be taken care of, but it’s not something I talk a lot about.” Cashman, in his 20th year as the Yankees’ GM, is likely underpaid, writes Cafardo. The same goes for Girardi, who has been in his position since 2008. Both make around $4MM per year, which Cafardo points out is a far cry from the salaries of contemporaries such as Cubs president Theo Epstein ($10MM), manager Joe Maddon ($7MM) and Dodgers president Andrew Friedman ($7MM).
Now for the latest pitching-related rumblings from Cafardo:
- Royals left-hander Jason Vargas and Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray are the hurlers who are most asked about in trade discussions (in that order), reports Cafardo. While Vargas is a soft-tossing 34-year-old with below-average strikeout and ground-ball rates (7.14 and 37.0, respectively), he’s only walking 2.06 batters per nine and his run prevention hasn’t shown signs of wavering this season. Vargas’ ERA is currently at 2.18 through 74 1/3 frames and hasn’t gone over 2.39. Unlike Vargas, who will be a free agent next winter, Gray comes with multiple years of team control. He’s on a more-than-reasonable $3.575MM salary this year and isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2019 season. The 27-year-old Gray hasn’t prevented runs to the extent that he did from 2013-15 (2.88 ERA in 491 frames), but he has rebounded from a dreadful 2016 to log a 4.37 ERA, 8.94 K/9, 2.66 BB/9 and a 56.7 percent grounder rate over 47 1/3 innings. Also, his 3.35 FIP is right in line with the 3.36 mark he registered from 2013-15.
- The Yankees are leaving the door open for southpaw C.C. Sabathia‘s return in 2018, according to Cafardo. A free agent in the offseason, Sabathia’s next deal certainly won’t come anywhere close to his expiring five-year, $122MM contract. Still, the erstwhile ace is making a case for a decent payday at the age of 36. Across 71 1/3 innings this year, the soft contact-inducing Sabathia has recorded a 3.66 ERA, 7.32 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 48.8 percent ground-ball rate.
- Righty Alex Cobb is the Rays starter most likely to end up on the move by the trade deadline, relays Cafardo. The 29-year-old hasn’t been as stingy as he was prior to 2015, when he underwent Tommy John surgery, but has given the Rays 79 2/3 innings of 4.29 ERA ball (with a matching FIP) this year. Along the way, the impending free agent – who’s on a $4.2MM salary – has somewhat offset a low K/9 (6.44) with a quality BB/9 (2.6) and generated grounders at a 43.9 percent clip.
- If the Marlins go into fire-sale mode, righty Edinson Volquez could draw interest, suggests Cafardo. The offseason signing has been lights out recently, especially during his 11-strikeout no-hitter last Saturday, and has dropped his ERA nearly a run and a half over the past three weeks (from 4.87 on May 18 to 3.41). Volquez, 33, has helped his cause by pairing his best K/9 in five years (8.52) with a 48.6 percent ground-ball rate, though his BB/9 (4.59) is also at its highest since 2012. An acquiring team would take on the remainder of Volquez’s $9MM salary this year and another $13MM in 2018.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mariners, Braves, Bucs, Nats, Dodgers, Rox
This week in baseball blogs:
- Off The Bench expects the Mariners to regret extending shortstop Jean Segura.
- Infield Shift opines that dealing left-hander Alex Wood to the Dodgers in 2015 could go down as Braves general manager John Coppolella’s worst trade.
- Pirates Breakdown searches for the causes of Bucs right-hander Gerrit Cole‘s recent woes.
- The K Zone analyzes which players’ hot starts are for real and which players are bound to come back to earth.
- NatsGM scouts highly touted Nationals outfield prospect Victor Robles, while Notes From the Sally observes well-regarded Braves Single-A hurler Ian Anderson.
- ThinkBluePC asks if the Dodgers should attempt to acquire more offensive help by the trade deadline.
- Inside The Seams notes that the success of the Rockies’ rookie pitchers isn’t nearly as surprising as many believe.
- Big Three Sports delves into Mets righty Matt Harvey‘s struggles and his fantasy outlook.
- Rotisserie Duck checks in on the league’s WAR leaders at the one-third mark of the season.
- FiveWAR, BP Toronto and Call to the Pen each have pieces on Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak‘s breakout.
- Pinstriped Prospects talks with Yankees outfield prospect Clint Frazier.
- Sports Talk Philly lists the five players the Phillies are most likely to trade.
- Outfield Fly Rule profiles just-promoted Braves pitching prospect Sean Newcomb.
- World Series Dreaming reacts to the domestic violence allegations against Cubs shortstop Addison Russell.
- Prospects1500 highlights top performances from each minor league level for the week of May 29.
- MetsDaddy argues that the team is out of excuses for not calling up top infield prospect Amed Rosario.
- Fueled By Sports ranks the 10 best five-tool players in major league history.
- Jays From the Couch takes a look at right fielder Jose Bautista‘s up-and-down season.
- The Point of Pittsburgh breaks down 20 potential first-round picks for the Pirates.
- RSNStats revisits Ted Williams‘ 502-foot “red seat” home run at Fenway Park, which occurred 75 years ago Friday.
- MetsMind asks which position infielder Wilmer Flores should play.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2, 3) previews two potential draft picks for the Astros and writes about the present and future of surging Yankees pitching prospect Chance Adams.
- Clubhouse Corner proposes some tweaks to improve the fan experience.
- Everything Bluebirds provides reasons why the Blue Jays should and shouldn’t trade infielder Ryan Goins.
- Reviewing The Brew and The 3rd Man In examine some of the Brewers’ draft possibilities.
- Minor League Ball spotlights some draft-worthy Division II college players.
- Call to the Pen focuses on the Phillies’ improved play in June.
- Bronx Bomber Ball wants the Yankees to recall first baseman Tyler Austin.
Please send submissions to ZachBBWI @gmai.com.
MLB Looking Into Abuse Allegations Against Addison Russell
3:55pm: The Cubs have now also issued a statement, via press release: “Last night, we were made aware of a serious claim posted on social media about Addison Russell. We reached out to Major League Baseball and, following the protocol established by MLB, will fully cooperate with the Commissioner’s Office as it gathers pertinent facts. Addison will not be in uniform tonight to allow him to work through this matter.”
It should be stressed, of course, that there’s no team-issued suspension at play here. The Cubs, rather, are merely giving Russell a day off to work through the matter (as noted by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers). They’ll play a man short for tonight’s game.
3:35pm: Both Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago/670 The Score and Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago report that MLB has not launched a formal investigation of the matter (Twitter links). Rather, the league is “looking into” the matter, per Levine. Mooney, meanwhile, cites a source close to Russell in reporting that MLB is at a “fact-finding stage.” The exact distinction between a formal investigation and fact-finding is somewhat unclear, though the implication is clearly that the former is more serious than the latter.
3:20pm: Russell has issued a brief statement on the matter via a team press release: “Any allegation I have abused my wife is false and hurtful. For the well-being of my family, I’ll have no further comment.”
9:32am: Major League Baseball will investigate domestic violence allegations against Cubs shortstop Addison Russell, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago-Sun Times.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, a friend of Russell’s wife, Melisa, accused Russell of “mentally and physically” abusing Melisa. As a result, the league would like to interview both Melisa Russell and her friend, according to Wittenmyer.
Addison Russell is now the second major leaguer to face domestic abuse allegations this week. Rays catcher Derek Norris‘ ex-fiancee accused him of “physical and emotional abuse” in an Instagram post on Tuesday, but Norris quickly refuted that, saying: “I have NEVER been physically or emotionally abusive towards her, or anyone else in my life. I plan to go above and beyond to assist MLB with their investigation into this matter.”
Since the league instituted its current domestic violence policy two years ago, suspensions have been handed out to Aroldis Chapman, Jose Reyes, Hector Olivera and Jeurys Familia. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted on Wednesday, each of those players’ situations dealt with singular incidents and came with criminal investigations. The cases of Russell and Norris differ from theirs, but both players are clearly at risk of facing some sort of punishment from the league.
NL Notes: Phillies, Neshek, Reds, Syndergaard
Contract-year reliever Pat Neshek has enjoyed his season with the Phillies, but the right-hander expects to end up in another uniform by the trade deadline, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. “I would say yes,” Neshek said. “It would be really cool to stay around here. I like it here. I feel very comfortable here. But if that happens … I’m sure it will happen.” The 36-year-old joined the Phillies in an offseason deal with the Astros, and though Neshek’s now on a rebuilding team instead of a contender, he regards the trade as “the best thing that happened to me in a few years.” Given their impressive collection of relievers, Neshek understands why the Astros phased him out, but he was “miserable” in a diminished role last season. “I would almost rather retire than do a role like I was doing for them,” commented Neshek, who has taken advantage of a higher-leverage job in Philadelphia. One of the few Phillies to perform well in 2017, Neshek has pitched to a microscopic .82 ERA over 22 innings, also posting 8.59 K/9 against 1.64 BB/9. In doing so, the $6.5MM man has beefed up his trade value, as MLBTR’s Jeff Todd recently noted.
More from the NL:
- The Reds’ rotation currently ranks last in the majors in both ERA (5.95) and fWAR (minus-0.9), but a couple of reinforcements are on the way, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Righty Homer Bailey and southpaw Brandon Finnegan will begin Double-A rehab assignments in the next week. “I think both of them [could return] by the end of the month,” said manager Bryan Price. “That would be realistic. It’s not written in stone, but I think by the end of the month, we could have both Finnegan and Homer in our rotation.” Bailey hasn’t pitched at all this season after undergoing February surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow, and has combined for a meager 34 1/3 frames since he had Tommy John surgery in 2015. Before injuries derailed Bailey’s career, he was a quality starter for the Reds, who inked him to a six-year, $105MM extension in 2014. The 31-year-old is still owed more than $60MM through 2020. Finnegan, meanwhile, managed a 2.70 ERA and struck out 14 in 10 innings before going on the DL in mid-April, though he also walked nine. Last season, his first full year as a starter, he managed a 3.98 ERA over a team-high 30 starts.
- While the Reds’ pitching has been disastrous, their position players have been a different story. That group paces the majors in fWAR (13.0), and a large chunk of the unit’s production has come from NL fWAR leader Zack Cozart (3.3). The shortstop produced at respectable levels over the previous two seasons, but he wasn’t anything close to the superstar-caliber performer he has been this season. With that in mind, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs took a look at Cozart’s early success, including a ridiculous .351/.436/.623 line in 225 plate appearances, and came away skeptical that the 31-year-old has truly broken out offensively. There’s nothing in Cozart’s batted-ball data that shows he’s a great hitter now, observes Cameron, who urges the Reds to sell high on him if they can. Cozart is in the final year of his contract, making him a prime trade candidate if Cincinnati goes the expected route and sells at the deadline.
- Mets ace Noah Syndergaard, out since late April with a torn lat, told “I probably won’t be able to pick up a ball for quite some time,” he said. “I have no pain right now, but I want to make sure my lat is nice and stretched out and flexible before I’m ready to go.” Syndergaard should’ve been able to throw off flat ground by now, contends Cerrone, who wonders if the 24-year-old will even pitch again this season if he doesn’t return to throwing by the end of the month.
Astros Place Dallas Keuchel On DL
The Astros have placed ace Dallas Keuchel on the 10-day disabled list with neck discomfort, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com was among those to report (Twitter links). The club has also transferred righty Collin McHugh from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL, thereby opening up a 40-man roster spot for the just-promoted Francis Martes, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26.
This is the second DL stint of the year for Keuchel, both of which have come on account of neck issues. Keuchel landed on the shelf in mid-May with a pinched nerve in his neck, but he made a quick return to the mound in that instance. For now, there’s no timetable for a Keuchel comeback, per McTaggart.
An extended absence for the left-handed Keuchel would obviously be a significant concern to Houston, even though it owns the majors’ best record (42-18) and already leads its division by 12 games. Keuchel is among the team’s most valuable players and, after a down 2016 season, has resembled his Cy Young-winning self from 2015. The 29-year-old has averaged nearly seven innings per start in his 11 appearances, having combined for 75 2/3 frames, and posted a microscopic 1.67 ERA. Along the way, Keuchel has helped his cause with the second-highest K/9 of his career (8.21), a low BB/9 (2.14) and the majors’ best ground-ball rate (67.4 percent).
The Astros now have four starters on the DL – Keuchel, McHugh, Charlie Morton and Joe Musgrove – leaving them with an iffy group behind righty Lance McCullers Jr. McHugh’s move to the 60-day DL is retroactive to the beginning of the season, so it won’t affect his timeline, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle notes (on Twitter). An elbow injury has kept him from taking the hill this year.
Phillies Select Casey Fien’s Contract
The Phillies have announced the addition of reliever Casey Fien to their 25- and 40-man rosters. Fien will take the place of fellow reliever Joely Rodriguez, whose designation for assignment is now official.
Philadelphia acquired the 33-year-old Fien in a cash trade with Seattle last month, which came after the Mariners outrighted him. The right-hander signed a $1MM deal with the Mariners over the winter and then posted disastrous results in six innings with the club, allowing 10 earned runs on nine hits and four walks, with six strikeouts. Fien also struggled in the majors last year across 39 1/3 innings with the Twins and Dodgers, combining for a 5.49 ERA despite logging 8.0 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9.
Unlike 2012-15, when he pitched to a 3.54 ERA over 223 2/3 innings with the Twins, home runs have been problematic lately for Fien. He gave up homers on 24.5 percent of fly balls last year and has yielded them at a 50 percent rate during his small sample of big league work this season. That could be an issue in the Phillies’ hitter-friendly confines, but there’s little harm in giving Fien an opportunity to reestablish himself in the majors. The 21-36 Phillies are already out of the playoff race, after all, and their bullpen has produced the majors’ seventh-worst ERA (4.74). Fien, for his part, fared well with their Triple-A affiliate before his promotion, throwing nine homer-less innings of two-run ball and adding 11 strikeouts against two walks.