Orioles Designate Craig Gentry, Outright Jhan Marinez
The Orioles have designated outfielder Craig Gentry, per MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli (via Twitter). He’ll be replaced on the active roster by fellow outfielder Joey Rickard.
Meanwhile, the club also outrighted right-hander Jhan Marinez after activating him from the 10-day DL. He has been assigned to Triple-A after clearing waivers.
Gentry, 34, has seen a decent amount of action in a reserve role for the Baltimore organization over the past two seasons. All told, he carries a .265/.326/.362 batting line in 286 plate appearances with the O’s.
That output falls right in line with Gentry’s career numbers at the plate. In parts of ten seasons in the majors, he’s an 85 wRC+ hitter. That’s not really enough bat to warrant the playing time he has received (602 games). But Gentry has long graded as a high-quality defender and baserunner.
As for Marinez, 30, he has bounced around quite a bit in recent seasons. He struggled mightily in eight MLB appearances this year, but was better when pitching at the club’s top affiliate. In 47 2/3 innings for Norfolk, he owns a 3.21 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.
Yankees Acquire Andrew McCutchen
The Yankees and Giants have struck a trade that will send veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen to New York, the teams announced on Friday. Minor league infielder Abiatal Avelino and minor league right-hander Juan De Paula are heading to the Giants in exchange.
McCutchen has reportedly cleared revocable waivers, which freed the Giants to shop him around the league without restriction. We had recently looked at some plausible landing spots for the veteran, with MLBTR readers pegging the Yanks as one of the likeliest suitors. McCutchen also topped MLBTR’s most recent ranking of the top August trade candidates.
While the Yanks still are counting on top slugger Aaron Judge to return in time for the postseason, it’s increasingly worrisome that he remains sidelined by a chip fracture in his wrist. And though the Yanks are all but certain to end up in a Wild Card play-in, the club still needs to prepare both to maximize its chances of winning that game and to be ready for a full postseason series of it does so.
Presently, the Yankees are utilizing long-time infielder Neil Walker in the outfield while also giving a roster spot to the light-hitting Shane Robinson. While Clint Frazier would be an appealing option, he’s just launching a rehab assignment after a lengthy DL stint of his own. Under the circumstances, it’s not hard to see why the Yankees held interest in McCutchen, who has produced solid offensive numbers this year despite failing to play to his once-great levels.
True, McCutchen’s batting line — .255/.357/.415 — doesn’t look all that appealing at first glance for a corner outfielder, though it’s roughly 15 percent better than that of a league-average bat when adjusting for his cavernous home park (by measure of wRC+). McCutchen is drawing walks at a strong 12.9% clip and has perhaps been unfortunate only to carry a .160 isolated power that’s lower than any full-season mark in his career. There’s a statistical argument to be made that his overall numbers are worse than should be expected of someone who makes the quality of contact McCutchen has made so far in 2018; Statcast credits him with a .364 xwOBA that lands well over his actual .339 wOBA output.
Nonetheless, as he closes in on his 32nd birthday, McCutchen simply isn’t the player that he once was. But he’s still a solid performer who is still capable of playing on a near-regular basis. McCutchen has hit more against lefties and isn’t grading well on the bases despite 13 steals, however, so once the Yankees’ roster is at full strength, he could potentially be deployed more selectively. He has generated average or better grades for his glovework in right, a welcome change after some rough seasons in center field.
For the Yankees, the optimal roster situation does not include McCutchen as an everyday presence. But, once Judge is back, he could potentially be quite a useful player by entering the mix with Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner.
For the Giants, there isn’t much reason to hold onto McCutchen at this point. The club isn’t going to make the postseason regardless, barring a miracle. And the veteran likely won’t be worth a qualifying offer. If the Giants want him back, they can still pursue him on the open market.
Meanwhile, the Giants will pick up some new assets. Avelino, 23, raked at Double-A to open the year but has fallen back to earth upon ascending to the highest level of the minors. He’s struggling to reach base and hasn’t sustained the power burst he showed earlier in the year, though it’s still notable that he has hit 15 home runs in 501 plate appearances after never previously even reaching double digits in a full season.
Avelino also runs well and has mostly played shortstop as a professional, though he also has seen significant time at second and third. He rated 23rd among Yankees prospects on MLB.com’s midseason ranking of the Yankees’ best prospects, so the scouting community has recognized his intriguing recent developments. While Avelino will need to be added to the 40-man roster to be protected from Rule 5 draft consideration, the Giants likely won’t find that too onerous and may consider allowing him to compete for a job in camp next spring.
In De Paula, the Yanks will add a hard-throwing 20-year-old who has spent the summer playing with the Yankees’ short-season Class-A affiliate in Staten Island. In 47 1/3 innings (nine starts, one relief appearance), he’s worked to a 1.71 ERA with 8.8 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9 and a 48.5 percent ground-ball rate. De Paula ranked 26th among Yankees prospect, per MLB.com, drawing praise for a curveball and changeup that give him a chance for three above-average pitches.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported that a deal was close and that Avelino would head to the Giants (Twitter links). ESPN’s Buster Olney reported an agreement had been reached (Twitter link). Ken Rosenthal and Jim Bowden of The Athletic added financial details and that De Paula would be the second prospect in the deal (Twitter links).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dodgers Activate Josh Fields, Designate Rob Segedin
The Dodgers announced today that they have activated righty Josh Fields from the 60-day disabled list. To clear a 40-man roster spot, the organization designated corner infielder/outfielder Rob Segedin for assignment. Righty Yimi Garcia was optioned to open active roster space.
Fields has missed a lengthy stretch owing to shoulder issues. His return is most welcome for a Los Angeles organization that has had its share of bullpen woes. In 34 1/3 innings earlier this year, Fields worked to a 2.36 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.
The 29-year-old Segedin, meanwhile, received brief MLB action with L.A. in each of the prior two seasons, though he was not able to match his healthy Triple-A output at the game’s highest level. This year, he has fallen well short of his usual numbers at Oklahoma City, slashing just .211/.299/.325 in 134 plate appearances.
D-Backs Acquire Chris Stewart
7:14pm: The deal is official. Arizona will send cash considerations in the deal.
5:27pm: The Diamondbacks have agreed to a deal to acquire veteran catcher Chris Stewart from the Braves, per Robert Murray of The Athletic (via Twitter). Cash or a player to be named later will head to Atlanta in return, The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan tweets.
Stewart had been designated for assignment recently. He had briefly returned to the majors after being designated and outrighted earlier in the season. When the Braves acquired third catcher Rene Rivera yesterday, it became clear that Stewart wasn’t in their plans down the stretch.
While the D-Backs already have three catchers on their active roster, this’ll represent another depth piece for an organization that obviously values having options behind the dish. Stewart is not on the 40-man roster at present, but would need to be added to join the active roster.
Though he has rarely hit much at all in the majors, the 36-year-old is valued for his work behind the dish and in managing a staff. He has spent most of the present season at Triple-A, where he carries a .219/.299/.277 slash in 156 plate appearances.
Cubs Acquire Bobby Wilson From Twins For Chris Gimenez
The Cubs have acquired backstop Bobby Wilson from the Twins in a deal that will send fellow veteran receiver Chris Gimenez to Minnesota, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press was among those to report on Twitter. Cash or a player to be named later will also go to the Twins in the arrangement.
To create space on their 40-man roster, the Cubs announced, righty Cory Mazzoni was designated for assignment.
This deal involves a pair of catchers whose careers to date share quite a few similarities. Clearly, the Chicago organization preferred Wilson to Gimenez — at least, that is, at this point in the season.
Truthfully, there isn’t a ton that separates the two on the stat sheet. Both are 35 years of age and known for their positive clubhouse presence. Wilson and Gimenez have respectively, appeared in nine and ten MLB seasons while taking a grand total of 1,000 and 1,033 plate appearances. At the time of the trade, they had each spent time in the majors with six different clubs — several of them in common (Rangers, Rays, Twins, and now Cubs).
Though Gimenez has the advantage in the hitting department over the course of his career, he has endured a dreadful season at the plate. He didn’t produce at all in a dozen MLB games with the Cubs earlier in the year and is batting a meager .204/.282/.303 in 227 Triple-A plate appearances.
Wilson, certainly, hasn’t impressed the Chicago brass with his offensive output in 2018. In 151 plate appearances for the Twins, he’s slashing just .178/.242/.281 with a pair of home runs. Instead, it’s likely his sturdy defensive reputation — in particular, as a pitch receiver — that sparked today’s move.
Josh Donaldson Rumors: Thursday
AUGUST 30: Donaldson is in the lineup tonight, Davidi tweets.
AUGUST 29, 3:49pm: Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi tweets that Donaldson will be out of the lineup tonight for Class-A Dunedin due to soreness in his calf and legs. Obviously, that’s an unwelcome development for all parties involved.
10:24am: The Blue Jays hope to trade Josh Donaldson before the end of the month, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription link). Donaldson, who just launched a rehab assignment, will reportedly go on revocable trade waivers today.
There are many factors still at play in finding a taker for the 33-year-old, as we discussed earlier this month. Getting Donaldson onto the field of play meant clearing one major hurdle, but that only kick-starts what could be a fascinating process over the next few days. Donaldson will need to be moved before the end of the month in order to be eligible to play in the postseason for an acquiring team.
Whether or not Donaldson’s hefty salary will prevent him from being claimed on waivers remains to be seen. As Rosenthal notes, teams weighing a claim will be looking at an approximately $4MM tab for a player who has been injured — and, when healthy, not quite to his typical form — for much of the season. American League organizations will get first crack, in reverse order of the standings. Among contenders, then, the Mariners and Indians are first in line.
If a claim is made, then the Toronto organization will either have to work out a deal with the claiming team, allow Donaldson to depart without compensation, or hold him with intentions of issuing a qualifying offer at season’s end. Notably, Rosenthal says that last option is not one the Jays wish to fall back on. Should Donaldson go on to accept a hypothetical QO, the organization would be staking a ~$18MM salary on his ability to return to form while also creating a roster obstacle to uber prospect Vladimir Guerrero. Should he decline and sign elsewhere, the upside would be limited to recouping a compensatory draft selection after competitive balance Round B. The likelihood of an offer being warranted and of Donaldson rejecting it would depend in no small part upon his showing over the final month of the season.
[RELATED: The New Qualifying Offer Rules]
If, on the other hand, Donaldson makes it through the wire, the Jays would be able to negotiate with any interested organizations. Of course, there would also already be a clear parameter set on his market, since all involved would know that no teams were willing to give up ~$4MM in payroll to add him. While the Toronto organization could still look to create an opportunity to effectively purchase a prospect, the quality of the potential return would be limited by the implied value the market would have assigned to the right to employ Donaldson for the final month of the season (along with the 2018 postseason).
For all involved, there are loads of fascinating considerations and possibilities at play. The Blue Jays seem to have decided to avoid playing the QO game, preferring instead to make the best of the opportunities at hand. Of course, that could presumably still change. Contending teams with interest will need to assess Donaldson’s health and ability to contribute after a long layoff. He has dealt with both shoulder and calf issues this year. On the other hand, Donaldson has also been among the very best players in baseball over the past several seasons. Donaldson’s own outlook is also at stake, as he’d no doubt prefer to be dealt. Not only would that give him an opportunity to showcase his abilities in the spotlight before reaching free agency at season’s end, but it would eliminate any possibility that he’d be saddled with a qualifying offer.
An earlier version of this post mistakenly indicated that Donaldson would be placed on waivers on Thursday, August 30th.
MLBTR Chat Trancript: 8/30/18
Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat with host Jeff Todd.
Mark Trumbo To Undergo Knee Surgery
Aug. 29: Trumbo will indeed undergo season-ending surgery, Showalter told reporters Wednesday (Twitter link via Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun). Trumbo received opinions from the Orioles’ medical staff and Dr. James Andrews, among others, before ultimately electing to go under the knife.
Aug. 24: Orioles slugger Mark Trumbo is weighing knee surgery that would end his season. Indeed, he indicated today that he’s leaning toward undergoing a procedure, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to tweet.
While it seems increasingly likely that Trumbo will have the work done, that has still yet to be decided conclusively. He’s still planning to receive further medical opinions and manager Buck Showalter suggested there’s still some possibility that he’ll suit up this year, as Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports on Twitter.
It’s still not fully clear just what the issue is, or what kind of procedure is under consideration, but Trumbo is said to have been dealing with issues in the joint all year long. Presumably, the hope is to avoid any further damage and to give him a head start on an offseason recovery program.
The balky knee hasn’t stopped Trumbo from turning in a productive run at the plate in August. On the year, he’s carrying a solid .261/.313/.452 slash with 17 home runs, though that’s not really the level of output Trumbo needs to be a productive player given his deficiencies in other areas.
The knee troubles, perhaps, are showing up primarily in the field. The 32-year-old has never been regarded as a very good fielder, of course. But his metrics reached a new low this season. In just 152 1/3 innings in right field, Trumbo ran up -7 defensive runs saved and graded at -31.1 UZR/150. Understandably, the Orioles have preferred to utilize him as a DH.
Since signing a three-year, $37.5MM contract to return to Baltimore in the 2016-17 offseason, Trumbo has played below replacement level in the aggregate. He’s owed hefty $13.5MM for 2019. While partial no-trade protection presents one barrier to a deal, the larger issue for the rebuilding O’s is that few other teams are likely to have much interest in taking on any significant portion of that salary. These health issues don’t help. Whether or not surgery is required, it seems all but certain that the Orioles will have to hope that Trumbo has a productive run to open the 2019 season and can be flipped at some point next summer.
Cardinals Place Jedd Gyorko On Disabled List
The Cardinals have placed infielder Jedd Gyorko on the 10-day disabled list, per a club announcement. Fellow infielder Adolis Garcia has come up from Triple-A in his place. Gyorko has been dealing with a left groin strain. While there had been some hope he’d avoid a 10-day minimum stint on the shelf, he’ll instead join fellow infielder Kolten Wong.
On the positive side, the St. Louis organization has several fill-in options with at least some prior MLB experience. Greg Garcia, Yairo Munoz, Patrick Wisdom, and Garcia will all presumably see time as the Cards patch things together.
That being said, the Cardinals are at a point in the season where every win is precious. The club has sprinted into Wild Card position, but is still trying to fend off a number of challengers while also hoping to track down the NL Central-leading Cubs.
The expectation seems to be that both Gyorko and Wong will return in relatively short order. Still, there’s always the potential for aggravation of a muscle injury, and there’s an argument to be made that the club ought to look into opportunities to improve regardless.
A move to add an infielder is far from a sure thing, but there are some options that could be worth considering. Several quality veterans have already reportedly cleared trade waivers. Others could also be considered potential trade candidates, potentially including Josh Donaldson, a player the Cards have targeted previously and who is going through the waiver process as we speak.
Indians Place Andrew Miller On 10-Day DL
The Indians have placed lefty reliever Andrew Miller on the 10-day disabled list with an external impingement in his left shoulder. Fellow southpaw Tyler Olson was recalled to take the open roster spot.
Details on Miller’s outlook are not yet known, but it’s obviously concerning to see the 33-year-old hitting the shelf yet again. He has already missed time this year, owing to hamstring and knee issues, and has not been quite himself when he has been available.
Through 24 innings on the season, Miller carries a 3.38 ERA with 12.4 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9. Those are still productive numbers, needless to say, but they’re a far cry from the dominant levels at which Miller has performed in recent years. He is still tough to square up, but now owns a 1.292 WHIP in 2018 after averaging a minuscule 0.789 figure since the start of the 2014 season.
There are other less-than-encouraging signs as well. Miller’s 12.4% swinging-strike rate is his lowest level since he first became a full-time reliever in 2012. His average fastball is down to 93.2 mph; it had registered at 95.4 (2016) and 94.5 (2017) in the prior two campaigns.
The DL placement may just be an opportunity to get Miller some added rest, to be fair. It isn’t as if the Indians are desperate to squeeze out wins down the stretch; they’ll understandably be prioritizing his readiness for the postseason. Still, it’s not exactly promising that the move was deemed necessary, particularly given the general struggles exhibited this season by the Cleveland relief corps.