Orioles Activate Zach Britton
The Orioles have activated lefty Zach Britton from the 60-day DL, the club announced. To create space on the active roster, the club placed struggling righty Pedro Araujo on the 10-day DL with a sprained elbow.
Outfielder Colby Rasmus was moved to the 60-day DL to make way on the 40-man. He has already been out for more than two months, so that’s a purely procedural maneuver.
Britton will make his long-awaited season debut as soon as this evening. The southpaw reliever was sidelined to open the year after suffering an Achilles tear in offseason workouts. He’s playing on a $12MM salary in his final season of arbitration eligibility.
With the O’s limping out to the worst record in baseball to this point of the season, the hope will be that Britton can pitch his way into a useful trade chip this summer. Certainly, he has established a ceiling that few others have ever touched out of the pen.
In 2015 and 2016, Britton was among the game’s very best relievers. He worked to a composite 1.22 ERA over 132 2/3 innings, with 10.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. Even more remarkably, Britton maintained those excellent K/BB numbers while generating grounders on over 75% of the balls put in play against him.
Though he managed a strong 2.89 ERA last year, things just weren’t the same. Britton dealt with forearm/elbow concerns that limited him to 37 1/3 innings. He still posted a massive 72.6% groundball rate, but stepped back in K/9 (7.0) and BB/9 (4.3) as his swinging-strike percentage dove from 17.2% to 11.5% year over year.
It’s too soon to know what version of Britton will show up in Baltimore, but he hasn’t had any trouble generating swings and misses or worm burners on his rehab assignment. If there’s a positive from the layoff, perhaps it’s the fact that his arm has now enjoyed a lengthy respite.
Despite the questions that crept in, Britton was nearly dealt last summer. His potential value is much lower now, as a pure rental asset, though he can surely boost his stock quite a bit with over six weeks left to go before the trade deadline. Since he was on the shelf, Britton did not make the initial version of MLBTR’s top trade deadline candidates list, but he’s sure to feature on future iterations. And as the current list shows, Britton won’t have a lofty bar to clear to establish himself as the best late-inning rental lefty available.
Indians Promote Francisco Mejia
The Indians have promoted top prospect Francisco Mejia, per a club announcement. Right-hander Evan Marshall was optioned to create active roster space.
Mejia, who’s known most for his bat, was announced as a catcher/outfielder. It’s still unknown just how the team will deploy him in the mid and long-term, but he’ll fill in for backup catcher Roberto Perez for the meantime. Though the team says Perez is not going on the DL — at least, not yet — he is expected to miss some time after being struck by a pitch in the hand yesterday.
Mejia, who made a brief MLB cameo last year, entered the season as a consensus top-twenty prospect leaguewide, with many assuming he would hit his way into the MLB mix sooner than later. Defensively, though, there are far greater questions. Thus far in 2018, he has split his time about evenly behind the plate and in the grass.
While he has worked to find a defensive home, Mejia hasn’t produced to his typical levels at the plate. In 214 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors, he owns a .214/.271/.33 slash. That said, as the team notes in its release, the switch-hitting Mejia has been on a hot streak of late. And he came into the season with a track record and reputation as a polished hitter from both sides of the plate.
While the Cleveland organization gets a sense for what kind of contribution it can expect from Mejia now and in the future, the 22-year-old will accrue MLB service time. He already had 31 days from 2017, and can earn as many as 112 from this point through the end of the current season, so he could profile as a future Super Two qualifier if he stays up for good.
Mejia made the news earlier this season when he brought a lawsuit seeking to abrogate his contractual relationship with an entity called Big League Advance. The litigation will determine whether Mejia is forced to pay a portion of his ongoing MLB earnings.
Top 50 MLB Trade Candidates
We’re bringing back our annual series in the run-up to the trade deadline, drawing from our power ranking approach to pending free agents. As the summer trade market develops on a fairly tight timeline, you can expect more regular updates when modifications to the list are warranted.
The methodology — if you can call it that — is pretty straightforward. We’re ordering players based upon a combination of trade value and trade likelihood.
In terms of trade value, we’re starting with overall on-field value — with a premium on an ability to make an impact in the current season — and then adjusting for contract and market factors. With contenders’ needs in relatively sharp focus, limitations such as future contract status, age, and niche role (platoon bats, relief-only pitchers) tend to have less of a drag on value — though obviously they still matter quite a bit.
With regard to trade likelihood, the focus is on potential selling teams’ motivation to deal, with contract status, near and long-term roster fit, and overall competitiveness all weighing heavily. Some teams simply aren’t presently in a position where it makes sense to include their top potential trade chips, but that will evolve over the coming weeks.
It’s subjective; it’s debatable; and that’s what makes it fun. Here’s the first list, with some additional names and teams to keep an eye on appended at the end (all statistics current as of June 6):
1. Manny Machado, SS, Orioles: Are you considering the purchase of a mid-prime superstar on the left side of the infield this offseason? Why not try before you buy? Look, there’s not a ton to say here. Machado is raking, with 18 bombs and a 170 wRC+, and though he isn’t drawing primo metrics for his work at short, he’s about as good a rental asset as exists. Plus, several contenders will be considering pursuit of him on the open market, which might help with the sticker shock. Just how much he’ll return will depend on demand, but he could be an absolute game changer and will be priced accordingly.
2. Kelvin Herrera, RP, Royals: All you really need to know here is that Herrera has allowed two earned runs and no walks in his 23 2/3 innings this year. After scuffling last year, Herrera has been unstoppable in 2018. His swinging-strike rate is back to 14.6%, near his 2016 peak. While his fastball is down two ticks from his early-career levels, it’s still a healthy 97.2 mph. Sure, his 96.2% strand rate won’t last, and Statcast suggests there’s regression to come on the batted ball outcomes (.191 wOBA vs. .277 xwOBA), but there’s little doubt that Herrera is in fine form at the moment.
3-4. J.A. Happ, SP, Blue Jays; Cole Hamels, SP, Rangers: Comparing these two mid-30s southpaw starters would have seemed ludicrous a few years back, but age has treated them differently. Both have taken 100 starts since the beginning of the 2015 season. In that span, Hamels carries a solid 3.67 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 over 633 innings. And Happ? He has worked 583 frames of 3.50 ERA ball with 8.4 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. Though Happ carries only a 4.08 ERA thus far in 2018, he has posted a career-high 11.2% swinging-strike and healthy combination of 11.1 K/9 with 2.6 BB/9. Hamels, too, has boosted his whiff and K numbers after a worrying dive last year, and also boasts a much lengthier postseason resume. Ultimately, different teams may prefer one over the other for a variety of reasons, but the biggest point of separation could be their varying contract situations. Happ is owed $13MM in the final year of his contract, a manageable sum that comes without further complications. Hamels, on the other hand, is due $22.5MM this year as well as a $6MM buyout on a $20MM club option (it won’t vest) for 2019. Despite the hefty strike price, that option could be seen as something of an asset for the right team, though it’s an added complication. Plus, Hamels can block trades to 20 teams.
5. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals: He may not have succeeded in free agency, but Moose has done all he can to set the stage for another entry onto the open market. He’s humming along at a strong .272/.328/.494 clip with a dozen long balls in 268 plate appearances while turning in league-average work at third. With a cost-efficient $5.5MM salary, and a $1MM buyout owed for a 2019 mutual option that almost certainly won’t be exercised, there’s plenty of excess value for the Royals to work with in trade talks. Ongoing uncertainty surrounding Josh Donaldson (who’s among the DL-bound players listed below) could boost Moustakas’s potential market value.
6. Wilson Ramos, C, Rays: The Buffalo is swinging the stick nearly as well as he did in a 2016 season that seemed destined to end in a big free-agent payday until he was felled by an ACL tear. With the Rays already showing a willingness to deal, it seems quite likely they’ll see what they can get for a player that could be in quite some demand as a high-quality rental catcher. Ramos is earning a reasonable $10.5MM salary this year, so he’ll fit most budgets rather comfortably.
7. Tyson Ross, SP, Padres: The 31-year-old increasingly seems to be back in business after two lost seasons. His injury woes and miserable 2017 showing won’t be forgotten entirely, of course, but teams facing salary and/or luxury tax constraints will surely like the fact that he is playing on a deal that promises just $1.75MM and includes a $4.25MM incentive package. Ross carries a 3.31 ERA and peripherals that largely match, with 9.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. His 44.8% groundball rate sits a bit over the league average but significantly lags his peak levels. Ross is also bringing about 2 mph less heat with his fastball and not getting as many swings and misses (9.9%), but it’s still a vast improvement over last year.
8-9. Brad Hand, RP, Padres; Raisel Iglesias, RP, Reds: These two closers have dominant track records, are pitching quite well this year, and come with multiple, affordable years of control. With Alex Colome already changing hands, these are the top targets for clubs that need premium bullpen arms but don’t want to give up too much young talent for rental pieces. Neither team will feel compelled to make a deal, but surely both will listen to offers — and ask for loads of prospect value in return.
10. J.T. Realmuto, C, Marlins: Similarly, the Fish are in a clear selling posture but need not make a move on Realmuto. The 27-year-old is affordable ($2.9MM salary) and controllable for two more years. He’s also perhaps the game’s most athletic backstop and has thus far reached new heights offensively (.311/.376/.534 in 179 plate appearances). It’ll take a big haul to get Realmuto, but there are several teams with the necessary ammo, as well as the present and future need behind the dish. We broke down his status in full a month ago, and the Nats are reported to be maintaining interest.
11-12. Brad Brach, RP, Orioles; Joakim Soria, RP, White Sox: These are probably the best non-closer rental relievers at the moment. Brach is averaging nearly five walks per nine but is still getting Ks and carries a 3.33 FIP. Soria has a 3.57 ERA and 2.54 FIP, the latter of which is supported by his excellent K/BB numbers (10.4 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9). Neither pitcher is particularly cheap and both have had their issues in recent years, but they’d also fit nicely in most bullpens around the league.
13. Craig Stammen, RHP, Padres: The two-year, $4.5MM investment the Pads made in Stammen after a solid bounceback 2017 campaign has already paid off nicely. Now, the team will get to decide whether to cash in on the contract. Through 28 2/3 frames, Stammen has allowed just six earned on 22 hits while racking up 30 strikeouts against only five walks. The guess here is that the Friars’ front office will affix a relatively steep sticker price to the veteran reliever, but he certainly could be dealt if a young player of interest can be had in return. Alternatively, this is the type of contract that we’ve also seen packaged with another trade chip in recent years as a means of bolstering the return.
14. Scooter Gennett, 2B, Reds: We did a long look at Gennett’s trade candidacy quite recently, so won’t spend much time on him here. With another season of control and uncertain market demand, it’s still not clear whether the Reds will deal him, but he’ll certainly come up in talks after continuing an outstanding offensive breakout.
15. Jose Abreu, 1B, White Sox: Abreu is mashing again and comes with another season of arb control, though that won’t be cheap. The greater question, however, is whether the Sox will get an offer that really piques their interest given the lack of demand we’ve seen of late in slugging first basemen and a generally questionable market situation. The Chicago organization clearly values Abreu quite a bit for his leadership and clubhouse presence. Given that the Sox are hoping to turn things around sooner than later, they may prefer to hold him and pursue an extension unless a club knocks their socks off.
16-17. Adrian Beltre, 3B, Rangers; Adam Jones, OF, Orioles: There’ll be interest in these high-priced, pending free agents, each of whom has 10-and-5 rights that allows him to veto any trade. Those lofty salary numbers are particularly relevant given Beltre’s health questions and Jones’s good-but-not-great offensive numbers (107 OPS+). Ultimately, these organizations may simply not be all that interested in moving these longstanding, highly identifiable veterans, both of whom could end up returning even if they hit the open market first.
18-20. Justin Smoak, 1B, Blue Jays; Yangervis Solarte, INF & Blue Jays; Nicholas Castellanos, OF, Tigers: These players are all putting up good numbers for middling teams, but come with affordable future control. Smoak has doubled down on his breakout 2017 campaign and Solarte has been a quality asset, but both are controllable by way of cheap options (the latter for two more seasons) and could well be in the team’s plans. As for Castellanos, the Tigers have tried to extend him in the past and could do so again with another arb year still to come. It seems fair to assume they’ll put a high asking price on him given his quality offensive output this year, though it’s hard to see a big offer coming in given his mediocre glovework. Plus, Castellanos hasn’t made strides at drawing walks, so he’s riding an unsustainable .409 batting average on balls in play to prop up his on-base percentage (currently, a strong .371). Still, all three players could be targeted by organizations that would also value this trio’s future contract rights.
Orioles Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Grayson Rodriguez
The Orioles have agreed to a $4.3MM bonus with first-rounder Grayson Rodriguez, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). As expected, per a recent report from Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com, Rodriguez will receive just less than the $4,375,100 bonus pool allocation that comes with the 11th overall pick that the Baltimore used to select him.
Entering the draft, evaluators saw Rodriguez as a clear first-round talent, but graded him just outside the top twenty or so draft-eligible prospects. But the O’s did not feel they were settling for the young right-hander.
Indeed, scouting director Gary Rajsich was effusive in his comments on the team’s top incoming amateur player. “We love him and we were just thrilled he was there for us at pick 11,” said Rajsich, who credited Rodriguez for possessing “a unique combination of power and polish.
Independent prospect rankings just aren’t quite as smitten, clearly, which makes Rodriguez all the more interesting to track as he enters the professional ranks. While the differences are in large part matters of degree and emphasis, there’s a split of opinion.
ESPN.com’s Keith Law, who ranked Rodriguez 22nd on his board, wrote: “[Rodriguez] has more effort in his delivery, and there’s at least a little concern that his trouble repeating it will eventually point him to the bullpen. He also hasn’t shown much of a third pitch to date.” Rajsich, meanwhile, says that his club’s new power arm comes with “advanced command of four pitches” and an “advanced delivery that he can repeat.”
O’s second-rounder Cadyn Grenier is also nearing a deal, Melewski adds. He, too, is expected to come in just under his slot value ($1,923,500).
Rays Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Matthew Liberatore
The Rays have a deal in place with first-round draft pick Matthew Liberatore, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports on Twitter. He’s slated to receive a $3.5MM bonus, per the report.
Liberatore was widely tabbed as a top-five talent, with MLB.com ranking him second on its board. But he lasted until the 16th pick on the day of the draft, leaving many to wonder just how that happened.
While the presumption seemed to be that the Rays had promised Liberatore an over-slot bonus, given that the club has a big war chest due to its compensation selections, that does not appear to have been the case. Liberatore will evidently come in right around the slot value of $3,603,500.
In any event, the Rays are surely thrilled to add a high-end southpaw prospect from their perch in the middle of the first round. Liberatore has at times shown top-shelf fastball velocity, but hasn’t maintained it. Otherwise, he’s a pitching coach’s dream, with an advanced pitch mix that he knows how to use and a big frame that could still support further development.
Dennis Santana Diagnosed With Rotator Cuff Strain
7:53pm: The team is now calling Santana’s injury a right rotator cuff strain, Gurnick tweets.
6:43pm: Dodgers righty Dennis Santana has been diagnosed with a torn lat, manager Dave Roberts told reports including Ken Gurnick of MLB.com (Twitter links). In related moves, relievers Pat Venditte and Adam Liberatore are joining the active roster, while Brock Stewart was optioned.
Roberts also provided updates on a few other hurlers (via Gurnick; all links to Twitter). Righty Kenta Maeda is on track for a potential return next week, while southpaw reliever Tony Cingrani has been diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain that isn’t believed to be serious. As for ace Clayton Kershaw, Roberts says his ailing back is currently symptom-free, which seems a promising note at an early stage of his recocvery.
The most important news here involves Santana, the 22-year-old who was just brought up for his first MLB action. Entering the season, there was no real indication that he’d be called upon this soon to play a role in the majors. But even as he worked to a 2.54 ERA with 11.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in ten outings in the upper minors, the big league staff was beset by injuries.
It’s not known how long Santana will likely be sidelined. Roberts indicated that there’s further medical assessment to be done before that will be clear. But it seems reasonable to anticipate a fairly lengthy absence. Santana will accrue MLB service time while he’s on the disabled list. He’ll also occupy a 40-man spot unless and until he’s moved to the 60-day DL.
Angels Select Contract Of Jose Miguel Fernandez
The Angels have selected the contract of infielder Jose Miguel Fernandez, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Fernandez will take the active roster spot vacated by Shohei Ohtani, who’s heading to the disabled list with a UCL sprain.
The organization also announced another roster tweak. Infielder Nolan Fontana was recalled to join the active roster. He’ll take the place of Kaleb Cowart, who’s headed to the DL with an ankle sprain.
Fernandez, a former Cuban star who’s now thirty years of age, will come up to the majors for the first time in his career. He spent most of last year playing at Double-A with the Dodgers organization and landed with the Halos on a minor-league pact after being released.
Long known for his plate discipline — in his last full season in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, way back in 2013-14, he drew 65 walks and struck out only ten times — Fernandez has been a force at the plate in the upper minors. This year, he’s slashing .345/.412/.562 with ten home runs and a 19:20 K/BB ratio over 226 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.
Fernandez will get the start at first base tonight in his debut. He has split his time evenly between first, second, and third at Salt Lake, so he’ll be another option around the diamond. Fontana is an even more versatile infielder, as he can also play shortstop. He’s carrying a .282/.436/.493 batting line with twenty walks against 18 strikeouts in 95 plate appearances this year at the Halos’ top affiliate.
Marlins Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Connor Scott
FRIDAY: Scott will receive the slot value, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo tweets. The team is introducing him tonight.
TUESDAY: The Marlins have agreed to terms with first-round draft selection Connor Scott, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. The deal will not be finalized until the completion of a physical.
Scott, a high-school outfielder and left-handed pitcher from Florida, was taken 13th overall by the Miami organization just yesterday. That choice comes with a $4,038,200 bonus allocation, but it’s not known what rate Scott has commanded in his first pro contract.
Entering the draft, the clear consensus was that Scott was a first-round talent. Major ranking outfits placed him between #17 (ESPN.com’s Keith Law; sub link) and #23 (Baseball America) among draft-eligible players. He ultimately moved up the board a bit — as did several other position players — on draft day.
Scott stands out most for his speed, but is said to possess quality tools across the board. On the whole, it seems he has the potential to be a quality regular outfielder who contributes in all aspects of the game. Of course, part of the intrigue with Scott is that there’s an alternative path to the majors if his development stalls. BA’s report notes that “some scouts prefer Scott on the mound,” though the Marlins hope he’ll reach the majors as a center fielder.
Jose Torres Suspended For Remainder Of Season Under Domestic Violence Policy
Major League Baseball has announced that Padres pitcher Jose Torres has been suspended for the remainder of the season for violating the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Technically, it’s a 100-game ban that will be considered to have started on June 5th.
Torres has been on the restricted list all season long after he was arrested in February and charged with a host of crimes after a domestic disturbance. He stood accused of pointing a gun at a woman with whom he was in a domestic relationship, with criminal charges for assault with a deadly weapon, criminal damage, and intimidation as well as for possession of marijuana.
At one point, at least, Torres was scheduled to go to trial in July, but may well have reached a plea agreement. The league typically awaits resolution of a criminal case before issuing a suspension, though the joint domestic violence policy does not condition the authority to do so upon any legal action.
This ban appears to be the longest yet handed down by commissioner Rob Manfred. Previously, Hector Olivera‘s 82-game suspension had been the lengthiest under a policy that was instituted in the summer of 2015.
Astros Designate Tim Federowicz
The Astros have designated backstop Tim Federowicz for assignment, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic tweets. That move will allow the team to activate fellow receiver Brian McCann from the DL.
Federowicz did not see much game action during his brief stint in the majors, striding to bat only seven teams. He has seen time in seven MLB seasons, but only once has taken more than 78 plate appearances. Federowicz had been hitting quite well at Triple-A, though, with a .337/.407/.584 slash in his 113 plate appearances.