NL Notes: Padres, Upton, Cards, D-backs, Rockies
The resurgence of Padres outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. is “opening eyes,” according to Friars general manager AJ Preller, who told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that the 31-year-old is garnering trade interest as a potential 30/30 player (Twitter link). Upton has racked up 16 home runs and 20 steals this year, so he at least has an outside shot at joining the 30/30 club. Overall, he has hit an above-average .262/.311/.454 through 353 trips to the plate this season. Dating back to last year, Upton has accounted for 3.2 fWAR while logging 581 plate appearances, thereby reviving his career after back-to-back poor seasons in Atlanta. The longtime Ray is expensive, though, with a $15.45MM salary this year and $16.45MM coming his way next season.
More from the National League:
- Given Cardinals reliever Trevor Rosenthal‘s ongoing struggles, manager Mike Matheny isn’t ruling out sending the right-hander to Triple-A. “You never know how guys are going to respond,” Matheny told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “We’ve got keep trying to figure out whatever it is we have to do to get him right. I don’t think you take anything off the table.” Rosenthal would join Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk as the third Redbird to unexpectedly receive a demotion this year, though the latter two responded well to theirs and are now back in the majors. A late-game ace with the Cardinals from 2012-15, Rosenthal has posted some ugly numbers – namely a 5.64 ERA, 7.12 BB/9 and 15.8 percent home run rate – leading the team to remove him from the closer role earlier this summer. Rosenthal also picked up his fourth blown save of 2016 on Friday, when he retired only one of four seventh-inning batters and allowed an earned run.
- In light of Rosenthal’s troubles, the Cardinals will search for bullpen aid before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, writes Hummel. General manager John Mozeliak doesn’t seem particularly worried, though, saying, “That’s not necessarily a thing (where) we have to do that.” The Cardinals rank 10th in the majors in bullpen ERA (3.66) and 11th in K-BB percentage (14.8). Help from within could come from star right-handed prospect Alex Reyes, Mozeliak stated, though the executive added that Reyes is likelier to receive a promotion as a starter. For now, Mozeliak is content with Reyes, 21, continuing to develop at the Triple-A level in Memphis, where he has accumulated 41 1/3 innings this year. The flame-throwing Reyes is Baseball America‘s second-ranked prospect.
- Diamondbacks standout center fielder A.J. Pollock is making “ridiculously good” progress in his recovery from April surgery to repair a fractured elbow, and he expects to play this season, he told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. “With these types of injuries, I’ve done research in the past and for some reason you don’t always see bone-to-bone healing,” Pollock said. “Maybe you see a little bit, but usually you have kind of fibers that bridge the gap. They don’t expect 100 percent bone-to-bone healing, but if you can get 50, 60 percent … but I’m way past that. I’m up in the 80s or 90s.” A return to the D-backs is nowhere near imminent for Pollock, notes Piecoro, who points out that the 28-year-old is only hitting off a tee right now, still has to rebuild his throwing strength and will need to embark on a multi-week rehab assignment upon receiving medical clearance to come back.
- The Rockies’ next 16 games might decide whether they hold or sell at the deadline, opines Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. At 42-48, Colorado sits six games out of a Wild Card position, but it has a chance to inch closer with its next eight matchups coming against the bottom-feeding Braves and Rays. If not, outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon, left-handed starter Jorge De La Rosa and southpaw reliever Boone Logan are among the players the Rockies could ship out, Saunders contends.
Rumors: Mets, Marlins, Dodgers, Archer, Rangers
Although the Mets’ bullpen entered Saturday ranked sixth in the majors in ERA (3.20) and seventh in K-BB percentage (16.4), the team is in the market for right-handed relief help, according to Marc Carig of Newsday. An addition might not necessarily come by the Aug. 1 trade deadline, per Carig, who reports that the Mets nearly signed righty Kevin Jepsen before he inked a free agent deal with Tampa Bay earlier this week. Further, the Mets are skeptical of paying a significant price for a reliever via trade, which could rule out someone like the Brewers’ Jeremy Jeffress, notes Carig. As of now, the Mets have three quality late-game right-handers in closer Jeurys Familia, Addison Reed and Hansel Robles.
More of the latest rumors:
- While the Marlins are aiming to upgrade their rotation in advance of the deadline, they’re reluctant to trade anyone from their roster for a starter, per Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier Saturday that the Fish would move shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria for a top starter like the Rays’ Chris Archer, but that might be unrealistic, as Frisaro suggests.
- Speaking of Archer, the Dodgers were among the clubs scouting his start Friday against Baltimore, relays Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Archer has a connection to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who was formerly the Rays’ GM and acquired the right-hander in a trade with the Cubs in 2011. Archer has disappointed this year, but given his track record of excellence from 2013-15, age (27) and extremely team-friendly contract through 2021, he’d likely command a hefty return.
- In the weeks leading up to the deadline, various reports have linked the Rangers to several starting pitchers and Brewers backstop Jonathan Lucroy. Rangers president and GM Jon Daniels spoke about that Friday and declared that he’s looking to improve his club’s rotation more than its catcher situation. “We’re a lot more focused on the pitching side,” Daniels told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Rodger Mallison, who writes that the Rangers’ goal is to acquire a starter who’s under control beyond this season.
Marlins Designate Asher Wojciechowski, Sign Cole Figueroa
The Marlins have designated right-hander Asher Wojciechowski for assignment and signed free agent second baseman Cole Figueroa, per a team announcement. Figueroa received a major league contract, though the Marlins have optioned him to Triple-A New Orleans.
Wojciechowski, 27, threw a combined 18 innings between Double-A and Triple-A for the Marlins after they claimed him off waivers from the Astros in May. He was previously a highly regarded prospect for both the Astros and Blue Jays. Houston picked up Wojciechowski in 2012 as part of a 10-player trade that included J.A. Happ (going to Toronto) and Francisco Cordero (going to the Astros). The 41st overall selection in the 2010 draft, Wojciechowski ranged from seventh to 28th on Baseball America’s Top 30 prospect rankings between the two organizations from 2011-15. Wojciechowski totaled 16 1/3 innings last season in the majors, his only big league experience, and allowed 13 runs on 23 hits and seven walks against 16 strikeouts. As a minor leaguer, he owns a 4.13 ERA with 7.1 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 in 674 innings.
Figueroa became a free agent earlier this week after rejecting an outright assignment to Triple-A from the Dodgers. Los Angeles designated the 29-year-old for assignment July 8 despite claiming him off waivers from the Pirates only two weeks prior. Figueroa has picked up just 84 major league trips to the plate, but he has produced a respectable .288/.356/.376 line in nearly 2,000 Triple-A PAs.
Braves Place Arodys Vizcaino On DL
In a move that could take away a bit of intrigue from the trade deadline, the Braves have announced the placement of closer Arodys Vizcaino on the 15-day disabled list. The right-hander left the Braves’ game against the Rockies on Friday after just three pitches because of an oblique injury. Atlanta has activated left-handed reliever Eric O’Flaherty from the DL to take Vizcaino’s roster spot.
[RELATED: Updated Braves Depth Chart]
Vizcaino drew interest from the Red Sox as recently as three weeks ago, but his newfound performance issues and injury will likely keep him in a Braves uniform for the rest of the season.
“Anybody who gets [an oblique strain], they’re just so time consuming,” Braves manager Brian Snitker told Mark Bowman of MLB.com. “You’ve got to calm everything down until they’re not feeling anything before you can let them begin throwing again.”
In his most recent five pre-injury appearances, Vizcaino allowed five earned runs on eight hits and seven walks while recording only a pair of strikeouts. In total, the 25-year-old has amassed a career-high 36 innings this season and logged a 3.00 ERA, 11.75 K/9, 5.5 BB/9, 54.8 percent ground-ball rate and converted 10 of 13 save opportunities. Since establishing himself as a quality major league reliever last season, the former well-regarded prospect has put up a stingy 2.33 ERA to go with 10.85 K/9 and 4.52 BB/9 across 69 2/3 frames. Vizcaino’s production, youth and team control (three arbitration-eligible years remaining) could have combined to make him an interesting name around the deadline.
With Vizcaino on the shelf, the Braves will likely turn to veteran Jim Johnson as their closer, according to Bowman. Johnson has 136 career saves on his resume, including back-to-back 50-save campaigns in 2012 and ’13.
AL Notes: Sox, Rays, Hill, Mariners, Indians
Given that they’re in the same division as the Red Sox, the Rays wanted no part of trading any of their controllable arms to Boston before the latter picked up Drew Pomeranz from San Diego earlier this week, reports Rob Bradford of WEEI. The Red Sox might have had interest in Tampa Bay’s young starters had it been open to a deal, Bradford writes. Meanwhile, both the Athletics’ asking price for 36-year-old southpaw Rich Hill and his status as a pending free agent prevented Boston from trying to reacquire him, according to Bradford.
More from Boston and a few other AL cities:
- The White Sox, who are 4 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot, are looking to buy in advance of the Aug. 1 trade deadline, general manager Rick Hahn said Friday (via Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com). Hahn conceded that deals could be difficult to come by because, at least as of now, “it’s a strong seller’s market.” Chicago already made one trade earlier this season – acquiring right-hander James Shields from the Padres – signed first baseman Justin Morneau, and promoted shortstop prospect Tim Anderson and young righty Carson Fulmer. In regards to those changes (and future moves), Hahn stated, “Already this year, you’ve seen us change 40 percent of the rotation, change the shortstop, add various players to the bullpen, and we’re going to continue to operate in that manner.”
- Thanks to his season-long struggles and the Pomeranz trade, Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz is now in the bullpen and he realizes his lengthy tenure in Boston might end by the deadline. “They’re going to do everything they can if it’s going to make them better, and if that involves moving me somewhere, that’s what it is. I don’t have any control over that,” he told Ian Browne of MLB.com. “I think of myself as a starting pitcher, and that’s a crowded bunch right now,” continued Buchholz, who acknowledged that he has put himself in this situation by performing poorly. The 31-year-old, whom the Red Sox drafted in 2005, has logged a 5.91 ERA, 5.91 K/9 and 4.13 BB/9 through 80 2/3 innings this season. Buchholz is playing on a $13MM club option this year and has another, for $13.5MM, in 2017.
- Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto discussed his team’s recent struggles with Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times and voiced confidence that a healthy iteration of the club can compete for the postseason. As Divish notes, the Mariners are 17-26 over their past 43 games, but they’ve seen Felix Hernandez, Taijuan Walker, Wade Miley, Leonys Martin and Ketel Marte all spend time on the disabled list over the life of that stretch. Injuries in the rotation, in particular, have taxed the club’s bullpen. “Good teams find a way in struggles to persevere, to get through,” said Dipoto. “You are going to go into streaks and starts and stops and slumps, but you can’t turn it into a death spiral.”
- With a dreadful .163/.198/.310 batting line, Yan Gomes has the worst wRC+ (29) among players with at least 250 plate appearances this season, but the Indians’ catcher isn’t in danger of losing his job, writes Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com. The Indians value Gomes’ defense too much to demote him, per Hoynes. Plus, despite Gomes’ problems with the bat, the Tribe still entered Saturday an above-average fifth in the AL in runs scored. Defensively, Gomes’ framing has drawn minus grades in 2016, but he has thrown out a solid 11 of 30 attempted base stealers and – whether in part because of Gomes or in spite of him – the Indians have a premier pitching staff.
Latest On Jay Bruce
With the Aug. 1 trade deadline closing in, Reds right fielder Jay Bruce is “a bit surprised” to still be in Cincinnati, he told FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, who writes that the 29-year-old would likely waive his limited no-trade clause to play for a contender.
“What I want most is the chance to play in a World Series,” said Bruce, who can block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox, Athletics, Rays, Marlins, Twins, Indians and Diamondbacks, Heyman reported last month.
Of that group, only the Red Sox, Marlins and Indians are above .500. Boston and Miami are on the hunt for pitching more than an outfielder, though, per Heyman, who expects Bruce would waive his no-trade clause to remain in Ohio with the Indians despite recently adding them to his no list.
“I’m not ruling anything out,” Bruce stated. “But I think it would be shortsighted to rule out a team that wanted me and has a chance to win. I’d likely have to at least strong consider it.”
Aside from the Tribe, the defending World Series champion Royals and other playoff hopefuls – the Blue Jays and perhaps the Giants and Nationals (previous report via FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal) – could try to augment their outfields and-or first base situations by the deadline. That might put them in the market for Bruce, who has rebounded from back-to-back subpar offensive seasons to post a .267/.315/.538 line with 18 home runs in 343 trips to the plate this year.
Bruce’s strong output at the plate over the first few months of the 2016 campaign earned him his third career All-Star selection, though advanced fielding metrics like Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved are heavily down on his work in right. Because of that, fWAR grades Bruce as a replacement-level player this year. But it’s up for debate how much of a defensive liability Bruce actually is, as FanGraphs’ August Fagerstrom detailed last week.
The way teams assess his defense could certainly impact the trade value of Bruce, who’s on a $12.5MM salary for the remainder of this season and is controllable by way of a $13MM club option next year.
“I’m interested to see what happens,” said Bruce, who’s no stranger to potential deals after the Blue Jays nearly acquired him from the Reds over the winter.
Quick Hits: Groome, Red Sox, Lucroy, Chapman
With Friday’s deadline to sign 2016 amateur draft picks creeping up, the Red Sox and first-round selection Jason Groome are in a dispute over how much the left-hander is worth, reports Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball. Boston is currently offering Groome $3.5MM – which is $372K more than the 12th overall selection’s $3,192,800 slot value – according to Heyman, who adds that the 17-year-old had a pre-draft agreement with the Padres to sign for $5MM had he fallen to them at No. 24. The Red Sox have in the neighborhood of $400K remaining in their pool and could up their offer to Groome, Heyman notes, and he expects the two to eventually reach a deal.
More from Boston and a few other major league destinations:
- An unusually high number of scouts (18) recently took in a Class-A Rookie League Game for the Rangers, leading FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal to wonder if a trade is on the way. Specifically, the Rangers and Brewers could match up in a deal for catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Rosenthal suggests, with a scout informing him that Milwaukee has been observing Texas’ system. Brewers general manager David Stearns has not been averse to acquiring teenage prospects in the past, writes Rosenthal, who lists 17-year-old outfielder Leody Taveras and 18-year-old shortstop Anderson Tejada as a couple of the Rangers’ top Arizona League players. The Rangers have drawn connections since the offseason to Lucroy, an All-Star backstop who’s signed for cheap through next season.
- Prior to his late-season major league breakout last year, Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. garnered the attention of several GMs while he was thriving in the minors, according to agent Scott Boras. “I had six different general managers calling me, because he was just killing the ball in Triple-A,” Boras said (via Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald). Boras added that he doesn’t ask GMs to trade his clients, so he didn’t request a deal out of Boston for Bradley – who has been outstanding for the Red Sox since last August. The 26-year-old earned his first All-Star trip this season on the strength of a .296/.378/.548 batting line with 14 home runs in 344 trips to the plate. In addition to his prowess with the bat, Bradley has been among the majors’ premier base runners this year, as FanGraphs shows.
- The Yankees’ playoffs odds at FanGraphs sit at a measly 7.5 percent, which Joel Sherman of the New York Post cites while arguing that it would be “terrible business” for the .500 team to retain lefty closer Aroldis Chapman past the Aug. 1 trade deadline. With World Series contenders like the Cubs, Rangers and Nationals looking to augment their bullpens, Sherman believes the Yankees are in prime position to orchestrate a bidding war for Chapman, whom they acquired from the Reds for an underwhelming group of prospects over the winter. Chapman was then dealing with a troubling domestic violence incident off the field, but he served a month-long suspension to begin the year and has continued dominating on the mound since. Even if the Yankees do trade Chapman, that wouldn’t preclude them from making a push to re-sign the pending free agent in the offseason, Sherman points out.
NL Notes: Lucroy, Giants, Cards, Dodgers
Brewers catcher and eminently valuable trade chip Jonathan Lucroy said Monday that he and the team are not engaging in contract extension talks (Twitter link via Chris Cotillo of SB Nation). “I want to be competitive. I want to be on a team that is playing for a championship,” Lucroy told Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball. “If that’s the Brewers, great. If not, not. It’s a tough situation.” With a relatively insignificant $4MM salary this year and a $5.25MM club option for 2017, Lucroy is currently on one of the most team-friendly contracts in baseball. That should help the Brewers land a quality haul for the All-Star if they deal him by the Aug. 1 trade deadline. The 30-year-old has rebounded from an injury-plagued 2015 to hit .304/.361/.491 with 11 home runs in 324 plate appearances this season. Defensively, Lucroy has thrown out a terrific 39 percent of attempted base stealers while rating near the top of the league in the pitch-framing department.
More out of the NL:
- While the NL West-leading Giants have come up as a possible fit for either Aroldis Chapman or All-Star Andrew Miller in advance of the deadline, the Yankees don’t regard San Francisco as a match for either, according to Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Notably, five Giants – right-handers Phil Bickford (No. 50) and Tyler Beede (No. 81), shortstop Christian Arroyo (No. 56), first baseman Chris Shaw (No. 83) and lefty Adalberto Mejia (No. 91) – are on Baseball America’s Midseason Top 100 Prospects list. The lefty-swinging Shaw, 22, would seem to make sense for the Yankees, offers Schulman, though it seems they disagree.
- Cardinals All-Star infielder Matt Carpenter hopes to make a four-week recovery from the oblique strain that sent him to the disabled list July 7, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Carpenter has a “significant” tear along his right side, he said Monday, and the 30-year-old had a similar injury in 2012 that kept him out four weeks. Prior to going on the shelf, Carpenter slashed a tremendous .298/.420/.568 with 14 homers and nearly as many walks (58) as strikeouts (61) in 351 PAs.
- Agent Scott Boras is “happy” with the way the Dodgers have handled 19-year-old phenom Julio Urias, he told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register on Monday (Twitter link). The Dodgers are monitoring the workload of the left-handed Urias, who is currently with Triple-A Oklahoma City and could factor in as both a reliever and starter in the majors down the stretch. Between OKC and LA, Urias has thrown 78 1/3 innings, which is just 9 1/3 fewer than the career-high 87 2/3 frames he amassed in 2014.
AL East Notes: Miller, Beltran, Encarnacion, Rays
The Rays optioned catcher Hank Conger to Triple-A on Monday, reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin, who adds that either J.P. Arencibia or Luke Maile will likely replace him. Before joining the Rays via trade with the Astros in the offseason, Conger served as an excellent pitch-framing defensive option and, in both 2013 and ’15, a league-average bat over 484 plate appearances. Neither has held true this year, though, as Conger has hit an ugly .194/.265/.306 through 137 major league plate trips and earned negative pitch-framing marks. The 27-year-old also had a stretch of allowing 48 straight stolen bases dating back to last season, though he put an end to that May 1. Overall, Conger threw out 8 of 35 would-be base stealers this year prior to Monday’s demotion.
More from the AL East:
- The .500 Yankees have told left-handed reliever Andrew Miller that they’ll trade him by the Aug. 1 deadline if an offer comes along that’s too enticing to pass on, he said Monday (Twitter link via Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post). It’s unclear what kind of package would compel the Yankees to deal Miller, but the 31-year-old has established himself as an elite bullpen weapon in recent seasons and should be able to bring back an impressive return. Miller, who’s signed through 2018 at a reasonable $9MM per year, has thrown 101 innings as a Yankee going back to last season and put up a 1.78 ERA, 15.06 K/9, 2.23 BB/9 and 51.1 percent ground-ball rate.
- The Blue Jays and pending free agent Edwin Encarnacion have not restarted dormant contract talks, the designated hitter and first baseman told Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (Twitter link). “Nothing. We don’t talk anymore about that,” said Encarnacion, whom MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes currently ranks as the third-best free agent in the upcoming class. With a .267/.358/.541 line and 23 home runs in 387 plate appearances, the 33-year-old has remained among the game’s most formidable sluggers this season.
- Soon-to-be 40-year-old Yankees right fielder and DH Carlos Beltran is aiming to play two more years – though he acknowledged that he’d likely to have remain in the AL because of the DH – writes Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “The way I’m contributing and the way I feel physically, two more years would be a great accomplishment for me personally and give me a chance to win a World Series,” said the free agent-to-be and potential trade chip at this year’s deadline. A potential future Hall of Famer, Beltran has slashed .299/.338/.550 with 19 home runs in 320 PAs this year en route to his ninth All-Star selection.
Giants Release Mike Broadway
The Giants have announced the release of right-handed reliever Mike Broadway, whom they designated for assignment July 4.
A Braves fourth-round pick in 2009, Broadway debuted in the majors with the Giants last year and went on to throw 22 2/3 frames with them prior his designation. The 29-year-old posted a 6.75 ERA, 6.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and 36 percent ground-ball rate during that time frame. After averaging just over 95 mph with his heater last year, Broadway had lost two ticks in his brief stint in the majors in 2016.
Broadway has logged a far more extensive career in the minors, where he has racked up 530 innings of 4.02 ERA pitching to go with a 7.5 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9.