Yankees Nearing Deal For J.A. Happ
There was quite a lot of chatter yesterday surrounding Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ, with a run of rumors that certainly suggests negotiations are building toward a conclusion. The Toronto organization has seemingly decided it’d rather move Happ now than let him take the ball this weekend, and Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets that the team is sending that message to interested rivals.
We’ll use this post to track today’s developments on the veteran southpaw, a pure rental player who’s earning $13MM this year:
- The Yankees appear to be zeroing in on Happ. The club is said by Sherman (Twitter links) to be “getting closer” to a deal structured around Drury. Jon Heyman of Fancred has it even closer to the finish line, tweeting that the Yanks and Jays are working to finalize a swap.
Earlier Updates
- As of this morning, it seems there are still multiple organizations in the mix. Largely reflecting the state of play last night, as reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Bob Nightengale of USA Today suggests on Twitter that the Brewers and Yankees are still the two likeliest landing spots, with the Cubs also still “in the mix.”
- Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that, as Sherman also previously suggested, infielder Brandon Drury has arisen in talks between the division-rival Jays and Yanks. That “could lead to [an] expanded deal,” Rosenthal notes, with the Yankees perhaps also eyeing some catching depth. New York GM Brian Cashman said yesterday that he’s open to bolstering his group of receivers with Gary Sanchez on the shelf. The phrasing of the report doesn’t really appear to suggest that high-priced veteran (and former Yankee) Russell Martin is a target. The more obvious candidate seems to be reserve Luke Maile, who has been a solid performer this year in Toronto, though there’s no direct reporting to establish any particular connection.
Cubs Place Kris Bryant On 10-Day DL
The Cubs have announced that third baseman Kris Bryant is heading to the 10-day disabled list with left shoulder inflammation. He’ll be replaced on the roster by infielder David Bote.
The move was made retroactive to July 24th, so Bryant will be eligible to return as soon as August 3rd. It’s not clear at this point, though, whether he’ll be in a position to do so. This is the second time that shoulder troubles have forced a respite.
There’s still no reason to believe that Bryant is dealing with a significant injury. Given that fact, along with the team’s position-player depth, there’s also no cause to think the move will impact the organization’s deadline plans.
Still, it hurts to lose a player who’s among the very best in the game. Bryant hasn’t hit quite at his prior levels thus far in 2018, but still sports a strong .276/.380/.474 batting line. He has been decidedly less productive since raking his way through the first two months of the season, so perhaps this layoff will help him get back in form for the stretch run.
It’s hardly the primary concern for all involved, but it’s worth noting that Bryant’s future arbitration earnings are now likely to take a hit based upon how the season has played out. He set out on a record-setting pace after receiving a whopping $10.85MM as a Super Two, so he’ll be building off of a big starting point. To this point in 2018, though, Bryant has only recorded 11 home runs and 44 runs batted in through 358 plate appearances, so his counting stats likely won’t support a major raise this winter.
Nationals Select Tommy Milone, Designate Jose Marmolejos
9:15am: Washington has announced the move, along with a corresponding decision to designate first baseman/outfielder Jose Marmolejos for assignment. The 25-year-old had struggled at the plate this year at Triple-A.
8:24am: The Nationals are set to select the contract of southpaw Tommy Milone to start tonight’s game. The TalkNats blog first tweeted that it appeared Milone would get the nod, with MLB.com’s Jamal Collier tweeting that was indeed the plan.
Milone will step into the rotation spot opened when Stephen Strasburg was sent back onto the disabled list. While an active roster spot is already accounted for, the Nats also seemingly need to make a 40-man move to accommodate the return of Milone. The veteran southpaw last pitched for the organization in his rookie campaign of 2011.
Milone has compiled 736 2/3 innings of 4.37 ERA ball in his seven seasons in the big leagues, but has struggled in recent campaigns. This will represent his first MLB action of the 2018 season.
Through twenty starts at the Triple-A level on the year, Milone carries a 4.19 ERA over 109 2/3 frames. He’s averaging 9.3 K/9 — well above his typical levels in the majors but right at his career mean at the highest level of the minors — along with a characteristically minimal walk rate of 2.0 BB/9.
Blue Jays “Appear Close” To Striking J.A. Happ Swap
10:18PM: “The industry belief” is that the Yankees and Brewers are the front-runners for Happ, Sherman writes. The Cubs still “might be in play,” though Chicago also asked the Jays about Marcus Stroman. In another tweet, Sherman mentions that the Blue Jays like Yankees infielder Brandon Drury.
9:33PM: The Yankees still look like the favorite for Happ right now, with Feinsand calling them “the leader” of the teams in pursuit, and SNYTV’s Andy Martino saying the Bombers are “in strong position.” A trade may not be imminent, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that a deal is “unlikely” to take place tonight. (All links to Twitter.) Both Feinsand and Martino list the Cubs and Brewers still being involved, with Martino adding the Rockies as a new team to the Happ rumor mill. Feinsand feels the number of teams in on Happ will result in a nice trade return for the Blue Jays.
9:10PM: There are conflicting reports about the Yankees’ involvement in the trade, as Steve Phillips of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM tweets that the Jays are “focusing on finalizing” the Happ deal with New York. Fancred’s Jon Heyman, however, reports that other teams are still in the running, and the Yankees “seem unaware they are getting [Happ], as of this moment.”
3:46PM: The Yankees are “heavy in the mix” for Happ, Feinsand tweets, with other teams (such as the Brewers) still possibly being in play. The Cubs are one of the other teams involved, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
3:39PM: As the Blue Jays and Twins began action at 3:07pm CT today, Happ hadn’t heard about a trade, Fancred’s Jon Heyman tweets. Happ is in Toronto’s dugout, Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and others have reported.
2:54PM: The Blue Jays “appear close” to striking a deal to send lefty J.A. Happ to a contender, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Particulars of the potential match are entirely unknown, though certainly a variety of contenders make sense generally as destinations for the veteran starter.
Happ has mostly been a quality performer for the past several seasons. He currently sits at a 4.18 ERA on the present season, with peripherals suggesting he has been even more effective than the results would suggest. Though Happ endured a few rough outings recently, he racked up nine strikeouts and allowed just one earned run over five innings in his last start.
As a pending free agent on a struggling Toronto team, it has long seemed clear he’d be dealt this summer. Happ ranked sixth among trade deadline candidates on MLBTR’s recent list.
Last we heard, the Jays were said to be lowering their asking price on Happ as the deadline draws near. The Yankees, Phillies, and Cubs have been linked to him in recent weeks, though it’s not at all clear whether any of those teams is pressing to land the southpaw today.
Chris Tillman Elects Free Agency
3:43PM: Tillman has been officially released, the Orioles announced.
1:15PM: Long-time Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman has elected free agency after clearing outright waivers, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports on Twitter. He had been designated for assignment recently.
Tillman seemed all but certain to clear waivers, as he was pitching on a $3MM guarantee. The O’s will remain responsible for all of that cash, though it’s possible they’ll save a bit if he ends up returning to the majors with another organization. (Any team can employ him for only the league-minimum rate.)
It had seemed possible, though, that Tillman would elect to remain in the Baltimore organization at Triple-A — an option the team had expressed interest in. Instead, he’ll try to begin reviving his career elsewhere.
This brings an end to a lengthy relationship. Tillman came to Birdland as part of the notable 2008 trade that sent Erik Bedard to the Mariners — click here for a blast from MLB Trade Rumors past — and provided the O’s with plenty of quality innings. Tillman could have headed elsewhere after an injury-plagued 2017 campaign, but ended up returning on a make-good deal that obviously did not turn out as anyone hoped.
Tillman has struggled mightily across the board this year. He lasted only 26 2/3 innings in seven MLB starts while being tagged for a 10.46 ERA with a 13:17 K/BB ratio. After he went out on a rehab assignment, the results weren’t much different: in six minor-league starts, Tillman threw 26 2/3 frames of 6.75 ERA ball with a 13:12 K/BB ratio.
Central Notes: Davies, Fulmer, Castellanos, Moustakas, Duffy
The Brewers have received some poor news of late on the health of their rotation. Righty Zach Davies is slated to undergo an MRI, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy tweets, rather than embarking on a rehab assignment as had been planned. Davies hit the DL with rotator cuff inflammation nearly two months back. Now, though, he’s said to be dealing with a back issue. The Milwaukee organization certainly seems as likely as ever to pursue a rotation piece on the trade market, especially after the recent news on Brent Suter.
Here’s more chatter from the central divisions:
- It seems the Tigers likely won’t be moving some of their most notable potential trade assets. Jayson Stark of The Athletic had tweeted that Detroit isn’t interested in structuring a deal involving starter Michael Fulmer while he’s on the DL and likely won’t be moving outfielder Nicholas Castellanos “barring a huge overpay.” He has pared down those rather definitive characterizations in a subsequent tweet, suggesting greater openness on the Tigers’ part to consider trade scenarios. There’s still no real indication that either player is particularly likely to be moved, though it seems that talks could still take place.
- There’s wide interest in Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Indeed, a whopping nine teams are said to be “in discussions” with the Kansas City organization on a possible agreement. That is rather a surprising figure to hear, if only because it seems to include almost every realistic contender, but perhaps quite a few teams can at least imagine a place for Moustakas on their roster. While his limits as a player are well known, Moose still delivers a useful, power-heavy bat and has returned to drawing above-average ratings at the hot corner.
- While Moustakas is a near-certain trade piece, the same is not true of Royals teammate Danny Duffy. Nightengale tweets that the organization has “no intention” of striking a deal involving its top starter. That’s really not terribly surprising, as Duffy has not been in top form this year. On the other hand, the southpaw has been on a much better run of late. Since taking the hill on May 24th, he has allowed just twenty earned runs over 69 2/3 innings. Duffy is earning $14MM this year with $46MM guaranteed over the ensuing three campaigns.
Red Sox Acquire Nathan Eovaldi
The Red Sox have officially struck a deal to land righty Nathan Eovaldi from the Rays, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported (via Twitter). Young lefty Jalen Beeks will go to Tampa Bay in return, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
This swap is the second in the last two days that sends rental pitchers between AL East rivals. Yesterday, of course, the Yankees got lefty reliever Zach Britton from the Orioles. The Yanks will temporarily dodge Eovaldi, who had been scheduled to start against them today, but will surely see him down the stretch.
For Boston, the move will add an intriguing arm to their roster. Eovaldi has worked as a starter almost exclusively in his career, and may well continue to do so over the final two months of the season as he helps to shore up a Red Sox rotation that is showing a few cracks. But his role in the postseason could end up being an interesting one. The Sox have an unusual number of southpaws among their rotation candidates, making Eovaldi an interesting pitcher to pair up with one or more lefties.
Eovaldi is a pure rental, and a cheap one at that. He’s earning just $2MM this year, with some affordable incentive pay also included. Though it took him quite a while to make it all the way back from Tommy John surgery, Eovaldi has returned with vigor thus far in 2018.
Over 57 frames in ten starts this year Eovaldi has pumped his customary 97+ mph heat while working to a solid 4.26 ERA. But that only tells part of the story. He’s sporting a career-best 20.1% K%-BB% while generating more swings and misses (11.0%) than ever before, though he has also been touched for 11 long balls. Eovaldi merited rather lofty placement on MLBTR’s latest ranking of the top trade deadline candidates and has certainly increased his stock heading into free agency.
It seems likely the Rays will have designs on using Beeks in a flexible manner, too, but on a more regular basis. The 25-year-old has been roughed up in two MLB outings this year, but has also turned in increasingly interesting results in the upper minors in recent seasons.
Over 16 Triple-A starts in 2018, Beeks carries a 2.89 ERA with 12.1 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 over 87 1/3 innings. That strong showing led Baseball America to rank Beeks the Sox’ sixth-best prospect in its most recent look at a thin Boston farm. While he’s considered likely to be a back-end rotation piece in the majors, he possesses an interesting four-pitch mix and seems a good fit for the Rays’ counter-culture approach to building a pitching staff.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mets Announce That Yoenis Cespedes Will Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
The Mets have announced that star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes will undergo season-ending surgery. He had already been placed on the disabled list yesterday due to calcification in both heels.
It is expected that Cespedes will require at least eight to ten months of rehabilitation before he’ll be able to return, assistant GM John Ricco said at today’s press conference (via Mike Puma of the New York Post, on Twitter). That period could end up being extended, depending upon how the veteran responds to treatment.
Needless to say, this is not the news the Mets hoped for in the midst of an already disastrous season. The 32-year-old Cespedes is owed $58.5MM over the next two campaigns. There is a silver lining here, in that Ricco says the club will have an opportunity to attempt to recover some of the funds through an insurance policy (also via a Puma tweet).
Given the recovery timeline presented, and building in a period to get up to baseball speed, Cespedes will likely not be able to return until the middle of the 2019 season at the earliest. While it’s possible the Mets will end up receiving a significant contribution from him next year, the organization will likely enter the offseason operating under the assumption that they need to make alternative plans.
While the news is unfortunate, it also presents questions for all involved. Cespedes had been out for two months with a hip injury — his most recent in a string of maladies involving lower-body muscles. It was not until he had worked back to the majors, though, that the heel issue was identified as an underlying cause. (And, even then, it seemed that the team was not fully aware of the new diagnosis.) The timing of all these developments is certainly suboptimal given that the procedure requires such a lengthy rehab stint.
The organization, which has certainly dealt with its share of controversy over heath situations in the recent past, issued the following explanation in its press release:
“The pain, as a result of the calcifications, has caused him to alter his gait in an attempt to manage the discomfort, which has resulted in stress and injury to other parts of his legs. The consensus among the team doctors and specialists is that all conservative treatment options to manage the pain have been exhausted and that surgery is now recommended.”
Sorting out the medical situation remains a long-term priority, though perhaps that will wait until the team makes some decisions on baseball operations leadership over the offseason.
In the near-term, it’s still not entirely clear what direction the Mets will take at the trade deadline. Ricco says the news on Cespedes won’t really change the outlook, but it certainly could weigh in the balance if the organization decides to consider moving some of its top pitching assets next winter.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mets Designate Ty Kelly
The Mets have designated utilityman Ty Kelly for assignment, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported on Twitter that Kelly would be sent out, though it was not yet clear by what method.
That move will allow the team to bring up Phillip Evans, who needed a 40-man and active roster spot. It’s not yet clear what the corresponding move will be for the Mets’ other anticipated move today. The club is reportedly set to bring up infielder Jeff McNeil for the first time.
Kelly, 30, brings plenty of versatility to the table but has not yet provided any offense at the big league level. He’s capable of handling second base, third base and the outfield corners but has compiled just a .203/.288/.323 slash through 188 trips to the plate at the big league level. He’s been more successful in Triple-A, hitting .274/.377/.396 in more than 1900 PAs.
Yankees To Place Gary Sanchez On 10-Day DL
The Yankees will place catcher Gary Sanchez on the 10-day disabled list, per Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). He had only recently returned from a groin strain.
Sanchez was in the news yesterday, of course, after he turned in an uninspiring performance in last night’s game that helped seal a Yankees loss. He seemingly failed to hustle on two plays that had a direct bearing on the outcome, leading to quite a lot of angst.
This morning, though, Jon Heyman of Fancred tweeted that there was some indication Sanchez may have been injured early in the contest. Olney confirms in his tweet that an MRI revealed an injury.
On the one hand, perhaps the news offers at least a partial explanation for Sanchez’s lackluster effort. On the other, it means that the Yanks are again going to lose one of their best hitters for an as-yet-unknown stretch.
Presumably, Kyle Higashioka will end up returning to play alongside Austin Romine while Sanchez is out. That is hardly an optimal situation for a team that now has six games to make up in the AL East.