Players Clearing Revocable Waivers: Smoak, Cron, Flores, Duda
The end of August is in sight, which means that final player transaction jockeying is taking place. To this point, we haven’t heard of many players to have cleared waivers, but the details of the process are rarely revealed as they unfold. August maneuvering involves multi-factor strategies that play out largely in the dark; that makes this time of year fascinating, in theory, but generally difficult to examine.
This evening’s reporting has revealed a few intriguing nuggets, though, two of which we’ve already covered (see here and here). And now we can add some new names to our list of players that can be freely traded, according to a report from Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak went through without a claim. While that’s perhaps surprising at first glance, other organizations are surely aware that the Jays won’t be allowing the 31-year-old to walk for nothing. Accordingly, a claim isn’t likely to do much to facilitate an agreement. The switch-hitting slugger has largely carried forward his surprising 2017 output, turning in 487 plate appearances of .257/.363/.465 hitting on the current season. But he’s cheap this year ($4.125MM) and controllable for an affordable rate ($6MM) for 2019. While there’s obviously no reason to believe that Smoak is particularly likely to be dealt, he could still be an interesting chip for the Toronto organization — particularly if other quality hitters don’t make it through the wire.
- The Rays have been rewarded for rolling the dice on first baseman C.J. Cron over the winter, and could now cash him in via trade. Of course, the 28-year-old first baseman cleared waivers in large part because there’s no pressure for the Tampa Bay club to part ways with him. Cron is earning just $2.3MM in 2018 with two more years of arbitration control remaining. He’s sporting a .250/.317/.480 slash with a career-high 24 long balls.
- Elsewhere, Mets infielder Wilmer Flores has long seemed like an interesting target for a club in need of a little defensive versatility and an option against left-handed pitching (though he has, atypically, produced reverse splits this year). He’s earning a reasonable $3.4MM this year and comes with another arb year as well. Flores has been a steadily above-average producer at the plate for the last several years and has taken his plate discipline to another level this season (7.2% walk rate vs. 9.4% strikeout rate). While he has never been loved for his baserunning or glovework, he’s capable of playing anywhere on the infield (at short only in a pinch).
- Former Flores teammate Lucas Duda, on the other hand, finds himself on this list for different reasons. The 32-year-old has struggled this year with the Royals, slashing just .235/.304/.395 with 11 long balls in his 313 plate appearances. But he has still handled right-handed pitching, with a 111 wRC+ when batting with the platoon advantages this year, and has certainly shown more overall in years past. Duda is also earning just $3.5MM this year before reaching free agency.
Giants Reportedly Place Andrew McCutchen On Revocable Trade Waivers
The Giants have placed outfielder Andrew McCutchen on revocable trade waivers, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports on Twitter. Those in need of a refresher on how dealmaking works during the month of August should follow this link.
In terms of timing, it’s not entirely clear exactly when McCutchen hit the waiver wire. If the placement occurred today, though, then other clubs will have until Wednesday to place claims. From there, the way things proceed will depend upon whether or not the veteran outfielder is claimed.
While we’ll need to wait on the details, a deal of some kind seems rather likely, as Baggarly notes. The Giants are now eight games out of the division lead with three teams ahead of them and not in much better shape in the Wild Card chase.
Some may wonder whether the Giants would prefer to keep McCutchen down the stretch, with designs on issuing him a qualifying offer at season’s end. But the QO ticket price is sure to land in the $18MM range, which seems like a steep rate for a player entering his age-32 season three years removed from elite offensive production.
Indeed, it’s at least questionable whether any organization will place a claim on Cutch, who’ll cost around $3MM for the rest of the season before hitting free agency. The Giants, presumably, will be willing to allow him to walk if a claim is made — or, if not, for a rather reasonable price that mostly involves cost savings.
None of that is to say that McCutchen is without appeal. He’s slashing .257/.354/.417 on the year, with 14 home runs in 528 plate appearances. That’s a far cry from his former output, but still good enough for a 114 wRC+. McCutchen sports a career-low .160 isolated slugging mark, and his baserunning grades have joined his defensive reputation in decline, but he can still draw a walk (12.1% BB rate) and actually carries a career-high 45.3% hard-hit rate. Indeed, Statcast numbers indicate he has underperformed the quality of contact he has made (.337 wOBA vs. .366 xwOBA).
It’s certainly possible, then, that a contender in search of a quality righty outfield bat (and highly respected veteran) will gladly take over McCutchen’s salary, if not also give up at least something of a return to the Giants. The National League clubs will get the first crack on the waiver wire. Teams that believe McCutchen has another gear left to reach may well jump on the opportunity, as it’s still not clear that any better options will come available.
Daniel Murphy Reportedly Claimed On Revocable Trade Waivers
An unknown team has claimed Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy on revocable trade waivers, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The identity of the claiming team is not known, though Sherman notes that the veteran did not make it to the Yankees on the wire.
Murphy was reportedly placed on waivers on Friday. That means the situation is likely still pending. The unidentified team would have been awarded the claim on Sunday, setting off a period of 48.5 hours during which that club and the Nationals will see if they can work something out.
[RELATED: How August Trades Work]
It seems, then, that we’ll learn by tomorrow whether or not Murphy will be in the move. If so, he could go via trade or simply be allowed to leave for salary relief. After all, he’s owed nearly $4MM through the end of the season, when he’ll reach free agency.
For the Nats, there’s obvious appeal in shaving that much cash. Importantly, Murphy will not be eligible for a qualifying offer since he has received one previously. While the Nationals could still pull him back from waivers, that’d mean passing on a chance to recoup some of the money invested into what has been an immensely disappointing season. With the Braves winning tonight, the Washington franchise sits 7.5 games out of the division lead and one game under .500 with less than six weeks left to play.
Just what the Nationals intend to do isn’t yet clear, but Murphy would figure to be among the most obvious players to leave if the organization decides to pack it in and reload for next year. Star Bryce Harper would surely be an appealing asset to other teams, but there’s less incentive there since he can still be issued a qualifying offer at season’s end and the organization may yet have designs on re-signing him.
As for Murphy, the fact that a team put in a claim with that hefty remaining obligation suggests that organizations believe he’s back to being a high-quality hitter. He missed a long stretch of the season after microfracture surgery on his knee and struggled upon returning to action. But Murphy raked throughout the month of July and has been hitting at a solid clip since the calendar flipped to August.
Defensive and baserunning metrics, unsurprisingly, take a dim view of the 33-year-old’s present skill level. That clearly limits his utility, even in a late-season rental scenario. Still, Murphy would represent a potentially compelling addition to a postseason lineup with his penchant for grinding out plate appearances and career 1.020 OPS through 24 playoff games.
Those interested in guessing at a claiming team will note that National League clubs have the first crack, in reverse order of the standings. Arguably, though, Murphy makes the most sense on an American League roster at this stage of his career. While he can still line up at second or first base, a DH slot might be the preferred place for his bat to reside.
Leonys Martin Recovering From Bacterial Infection
TODAY: Martin has been released from hospital, Antonetti told reporters (including Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal). The news is “beyond a relief,” Antonetti said, though he isn’t sure of a timetable for Martin since all parties are in “uncharted waters” with this health situation.
Aug. 14: The Indians issued an encouraging statement on Martin’s progress:
“Leonys has made considerable progress and is currently in stable condition. The medical team is optimistic that he will make a full recovery, but progress is expected to be slow. The collective focus is to help Leonys return to full health, and there have been no considerations regarding a timeline for his return to baseball activities.”
Aug. 13: Indians outfielder Leonys Martin, who was recently placed on the 10-day disabled list for a then-unidentified ailment, is battling a serious bacterial infection. Club president Chris Antonetti provided the update to reporters including MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian (Twitter link).
Martin is said to have faced a life-threatening situation involving “multiple organs.” Fortunately, it seems his treatment at the Cleveland Clinic has been proceeding well. Indications are that the 30-year-old’s “outlook looks good,” as Bastian characterizes the situation based on the update provided by the organization.
While it’s sobering to hear of just how significant a health issue Martin faces, it’s obviously quite a relief to learn that he’s on the upswing. It still seems that he faces a long road back to full health, with Antonetti explaining that “progress will be measured in weeks, not days.”
In situations like this, the baseball ramifications are of limited importance. What it means for Martin’s future is not yet clear. But it now appears uncertain whether he will have a chance to contribute to his new organization the rest of the way. Given that the Indians acquired Martin to play a significant role in their outfield mix, the team may now need to look again at possibilities on the August trade market.
MLBTR extends its best wishes to Martin, along with his friends and family members, for a full and speedy recovery.
Health Notes: Martin, Bauer, Devers/Kinsler, Hicks, DeShields, Altuve, Helli/Stras, Wacha/Martinez
In his latest column, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer calls it “unlikely” that outfielder Leonys Martin will play with the Indians again this season. A trade deadline pickup, Martin has been on the disabled list for more than a week after being diagnosed with a bacterial infection that, at one point, was considered to be life-threatening in nature. While all of baseball breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Indians announced that Martin was in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery, his absence puts Cleveland back in the same spot it was prior to acquiring him in late July. Michael Brantley is performing well again as the team’s regular left fielder, but the rest of the outfield mix is comprised by struggling rookie Greg Allen and poorly performing veterans Rajai Davis and Melky Cabrera. It seems reasonable to expect that the team will be on the hunt for additional outfield help between now and Aug. 31.
Here are some additional health updates from around the game:
- Indians skipper Terry Francona says the club anticipates that breakout righty Trevor Bauer will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a fibula stress fracture, as T.J. Zuppe of The Athletic was among those to tweet. That’s obviously a huge disappointment for a pitcher who has emerged as one of the best in baseball this year. With the postseason beckoning, it’s also a big concern for the Cleveland ballclub. Of course, the team will not need to worry about the loss down the stretch with the division all but in hand. But it’ll certainly be interesting to see just how Bauer is brought along as the playoffs approach.
- It was a mixed bag of injury news today for the Red Sox, who will send third baseman Rafael Devers to the 10-day disabled list while activating second bagger Ian Kinsler. No further roster moves will be necessary to accommodate the change. Devers is hitting the shelf for the third time in the last six weeks or so and it’s the second occasion as to which the hamstring is to blame. That said, it’s not clear that the organization really believes there’s cause for concern that Devers won’t be at full strength come October.
- Tigers backstop John Hicks likely won’t make it back this year after requiring abdominal surgery, as Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press recently reported. That’s a disappointing turn for a player who has turned in a solid performance in a robust role this year. Hicks, who is nearing his 29th birthday, has hit within range of league average at the MLB level since landing in Detroit. While he has been miscast as a part-time first baseman, his offensive work is more than adequate for a time-sharing catcher.
- The Rangers have placed center fielder Delino DeShields Jr. on the 10-day DL with a finger fracture. He suffered the break to the tip of his right middle finger. Drew Robinson will be recalled to take the roster spot. It has been a tough year at the plate for DeShields, who turned 26 just yesterday. He has swiped 18 bags on the year, but carries only a .204/.303/.272 slash over 348 plate appearances. As the Rangers look ahead to an offseason of uncertainty, they’d surely like to see DeShields in action as much as possible, so the hope will be that he can bounce back relatively quickly.
- Elsewhere in Texas, the slumping Astros were glad today to get some promising injury reports. Outfielder George Springer was activated off of the 10-day DL, as Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports (Twitter links). Meanwhile, star second bagger Jose Altuve will likely need a rehab stint but seems to be progressing from his knee issues. The ‘Stros are trying to hold off a surprisingly strong challenge in the division.
- Nationals righty Jeremy Hellickson is destined for his own DL stint, as Pete Kerzel of MASNsports.com was among those to report. Fortunately, he’s dealing with a sprain rather than a break in his wrist, which was injured in a play at the plate. It seems the Nats are hopeful that Stephen Strasburg could be ready to return by Tuesday, when Hellickson was next scheduled to start. Losing Hellickson would only be the latest blow for an organization that has dealt with problem after problem in 2018. While it’s still not impossible to imagine a late surge, the Nats need all hands on deck to make a comeback plausible.
- For the Cardinals, it has been all positives of late. But the team could still stand to get a few pieces back. In particular, righties Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez are on the come back trail. As MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch tweets, Wacha is set to begin a rehab assignment in short order and Martinez is now working in a relief capacity in the minors. In the case of Martinez, the plan is for him to shift to the bullpen when he is ready to roll, which perhaps won’t be far off now that he’s pitching competitively.
Outrighted: Alec Asher, George Kontos
We’ll track the day’s minor moves in this post …
- The Brewers announced that Alec Asher was outrighted after recently being designated for assignment. That’s the second time this year the Milwaukee organization has sent Asher to Triple-A after he cleared waivers. He can choose instead to go into free agency now or at the end of the season. Asher, 26, has spent most of 2018 at Triple-A, where he owns a 5.42 ERA with 39 strikeouts and 32 walks in 88 innings.
- Likewise, the Yankees say they outrighted veteran righty George Kontos, who was also in DFA limbo. As with Asher, he can elect the open market now or later. Kontos has seen time with three MLB teams this year, most recently making only a single appearance in New York. The eight-year veteran carries a 4.39 ERA with 5.1 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 in 26 2/3 innings in the majors this season.
Rangers, Diamondbacks Complete Jake Diekman Trade
The Rangers annnounced today that they have acquired minor-league lefty Joshua Javier from the Diamondbacks. He’ll represent the player to be named later from the agreement that sent veteran southpaw Jake Diekman to Arizona at the trade deadline.
Javier, 19, showed well last year in the Dominican Summer League. He reached the Rookie level Arizona League in 2018, marking his first time playing professionally outside of his native Dominican Republic. Through 35 1/3 innings over four starts and six relief appearances, he carries a 2.80 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 15 walks.
Otherwise, there isn’t much information available publicly on Javier, who is a native of the Dominican Republic. He’ll join young righty Wei-Chieh Huang in constituting the return for Diekman. While both pre-MLB hurlers seem to have their share of promise, it doesn’t appear to be a major haul of talent, though neither was one expected for a rental reliever who has his share of demerits on the hill. Of course, the 31-year-old Diekman still brings a mid-nineties heater and has dominated right-handed hitters this year, contrary to his more typical career platoon numbers. He owns a 3.86 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9 this year through 42 innings and figures to be a useful asset for Arizona down the stretch.
Rangers, Pirates Complete Keone Kela Trade
The Rangers will acquire prospect Sherten Apostel from the Pirates, as first reported by John Dreker of PiratesProspects.com (via Twitter) and as has since been announced. Apostel was chosen as the player to be named later in the deadline-day swap that sent reliever Keone Kela to the Pirates.
Apostel, 19, has been in the Bucs system for the past three years. The Curacaoan third baseman has put up strong offensive numbers in 2017 and 2018. This year, he’s slashing .259/.406/.460 with seven long balls along with a 42:32 K/BB rate over 175 plate appearances in the Rookie-level Appalachian League.
Though he has many hurdles to clear before he’ll be seen as a likely major-league asset, Apostel has certainly carved out a place for himself on the prospect map. He entered the current season ranked 16th among the pre-MLB players on the Pittsburgh farm by Fangraphs, based upon his intriguing upside. (Truly passionate Pirates supporters will want to consider a subscription over at PiratesProspects.com, where there are loads of stories documenting the progress of Apostel and his now-former prospect brethren.)
It seems, then, that the swap will infuse the Texas farm system with some quality new assets. Lefty Taylor Hearn was already acquired as the headliner of the package and could be a factor in the MLB mix as soon as 2019, if he develops as hoped. Apostel will no doubt be viewed as an increasingly important part of the Rangers’ future if he can continue to progress, though his outlook perhaps hinges most upon the question whether he will be able to handle third base defensively at full physical maturity. (Fangraphs just inserted him at 13th on its current ranking of Rangers prospects, which features Hearn in the #6 slot.)
It always figured to require a reasonably steep package of talent to get Kela, given his strong work this year and remaining seasons of arbitration eligibility. For the Pirates, Kela’s initial performance has at least helped validate the acquisition cost. The still-youthful reliever has allowed only one earned run in six frames for the Bucs, striking out six batters and issuing one walk. He’ll remain under club control through 2020.
Mariners Select Gordon Beckham, Designate John Andreoli
The Mariners announced today that they have selected the contract of veteran infielder Gordon Beckham. He’ll help the club fill out its infield mix while shortstop Jean Segura is on paternity leave. To create a 40-man opening, the Seattle organization designated outfielder John Andreoli for assignment.
Beckham, who’ll soon turn 32, has played two-dozen MLB games over the past two seasons with the M’s. He has spent most of his time of late, though, at Triple-A Tacoma. This year, the ten-year major-league veteran has posted a strong .311/.411/.479 slash with 52 walks against 46 strikeouts in his 370 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors.
The 28-year-old Andreoli, meanwhile, reached the majors this year only long enough to record his first and only big-league base hit. He’s in his first year in the Mariners org after spending seven professional campaigns in the Cubs system. Andreoli has posted a .287/.397/.401 slash in 388 plate appearances with Tacoma in 2018.
Cubs Place Mike Montgomery On 10-Day DL
The Cubs have placed lefty Mike Montgomery on the 10-day disabled list, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune was among those to report on Twitter. He’s said to be experiencing shoulder inflammation.
It is not yet clear just how significant an injury Montgomery is dealing with. Clearly, though, it’s a concern with only six weeks of the regular season remaining. He’ll be replaced in the rotation for the time being by Tyler Chatwood, with southpaw Randy Rosario being recalled to take the open roster spot.
Montgomery, 29, has been a godsend since moving into the rotation. In 13 starts, he has provided the club with 73 innings of 3.08 ERA pitching. While his 45:21 K/BB ratio in that stretch isn’t all that compelling, Montgomery does have a strong history of inducing groundballs. He has also consistently outperformed ERA estimators since reaching the majors, holding opponents to a .276 batting average over his career, though it’s certainly debatable whether that’s something we should expect to continue.
Regardless of one’s beliefs regarding Montgomery’s true talent levels, he has unquestionably represented a steadying force for a rotation that has dealt with a fair bit of uncertainty. With Yu Darvish slated to begin a rehab stint this weekend, there is at least the promise that he’ll be able to return before too long. But he’s still likely going to require a few outings and had struggled before hitting the DL. Meanwhile, turning to Chatwood really isn’t all that appealing an option. His control woes have continued since he was dropped from the starting five. In 5 2/3 innings over three relief appearances, Chatwood has allowed four earned runs and handed out five walks to go with three strikeouts.
Of course, the Cubs were not fully committed to utilizing Montgomery as a starter. They had just skipped his most recent outing, though that was said to have been done to keep him fresh. And while Montgomery has previously expressed consternation at being pushed to the pen, he seemed at peace with the possibility of spending time again as a reliever. Even if the plans may have called for an eventual return to the relief corps, though, that doesn’t mean that now was the preferred time. And it certainly does not draw the sting of any time lost due to injury. Montgomery, after all, would be quite useful to have in the bullpen while still constituting a key rotation depth piece. The Cubs will certainly hope he’s able to return to action in relatively short order.