Braves Designate Enrique Burgos
The Braves have designated right-hander Enrique Burgos for assignment, per a club announcement (h/t David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on Twitter). His roster spot will go to catcher David Freitas, whose contract was purchased.
Atlanta found itself in need of another backstop due to an injury to Tyler Flowers. He is headed to the 10-day DL with a wrist contusion, according to the club.
Burgos, 26, was acquired from the Diamondbacks in May. But he has failed to rein in his walk problems and hasn’t cracked the bigs with his new organization. Over 35 1/3 Triple-A innings between the two clubs, Burgos carries a 5.60 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 6.6 BB/9.
Despite his inability to limit the free passes, Burgos has an intriguing arm. He averaged over 96 mph with his fastball during his time in the majors with Arizona, striking out 10.8 batters per nine over 68 1/3 total MLB innings.
Injury Notes: Wright, Cueto, Kershaw, Wood, Ethier, Sano, Ramirez, Bailey
Though he is now dealing with yet another setback and has not appeared in the majors since May of last year, Mets third baseman David Wright is not considering retiring, a source tells Mike Puma of the New York Post. A lingering shoulder injury is the most immediate problem limiting Wright, though he has also dealt with significant neck and back issues that he’ll continue to battle in the future. With three years and $47MM left on his contract, Wright will evidently keep trying to make it back to the majors, though at present it is unclear what course he’ll take in trying to overcome his maladies.
Here’s more on some other injury situations from around the game:
- Giants righty Johnny Cueto said he feels ready to return to the majors, as Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area writes. He has taken two rehab starts in his bid to return from a flexor strain that has kept him out of action since mid-July. That injury seemingly makes it quite likely that Cueto will elect not to opt out of the remaining four years and $84MM of his contract this fall. Cueto seemingly acknowledged that, saying that his “whole mentality has been for me to stay here,” though he also noted that’ll be a decision that’s made in consultation with his agent at season’s end.
- The Dodgers are set to welcome back a pair of key southpaws later this week, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links). Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to pitch Friday, with Alex Wood taking the ball on Sunday. Kershaw has been out since late July, making for the second-straight year in which he has missed significant time due to back issues. Wood’s DL stint has been of a shorter duration, with the belief being that his SC joint inflammation is something that can be managed rather than a symptom of a more significant problem. Needless to say, both are critical to the team’s ever-rising postseason expectations. The Dodgers are also awaiting a return from yet another starter, righty Brandon McCarthy, who has been out with a finger blister. As Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets, the right-hander’s scheduled rehab start this week has been bumped, so his status is unclear at the moment.
- Also nearing his return to the Dodgers is veteran outfielder Andre Ethier, as Plunkett further reports on Twitter. The club will make a move after rosters expand at the start of September. The 35-year-old faces an uncertain playing-time situation, to be sure. Los Angeles just added a left-handed-hitting veteran outfielder in Curtis Granderson and now features Adrian Gonzalez as a southpaw-swinging bench bat. Ethier has missed the entire season to date with a herniated disc in his back. He’ll almost certainly hit the open market after this year, receiving a $2.5MM buyout if (likely, when) the team declines a $17.5MM club option. Despite his many recent medical problems, there ought to be some market if Ethier can show he’s healthy in September; after all, as recently as 2015 he was a productive hitter (.294/.366/.486 over 445 plate appearances).
- While the Twins are currently pacing the pack for the second American League Wild Card spot, the team has gone without key slugger Miguel Sano. While he does seem to be improving from what has been called a “stress reaction” to his left shin, writes MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, Sano still hasn’t begun running or fielding. Manager Paul Molitor says things are “moving rather slowly” for the third baseman. Sano, 24, has turned in 475 plate appearances of .267/.356/.514 hitting with 28 home runs on the year, meaning the team is going without a middle-of-the-order bat that isn’t really replaceable. Given the nature of his injury, though, there’s likely not much that can be done but hope that he responds to treatment.
- The Angels are awaiting news from a re-examination of right-hander J.C. Ramirez after he underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Ramirez, 29, had settled into a starting role for the club, providing 147 1/3 innings of 4.15 ERA ball to a rotation that badly needed it. That sets him up fairly well as a possible Super Two candidate; it remains to be seen whether Ramirez will qualify for arbitration after entering the year with 1.139 years of service. Given that he only just underwent that injection, though, it seems optimistic to expect that he’ll make it back to the mound in 2017.
- Meanwhile, fellow Angels righty Andrew Bailey is giving up any attempts to return in the present season, Moura further reports on Twitter. He will, however, attempt to get his shoulder back to health in order to return in 2018. Bailey had shown well for the Halos in a late-season stint last year and re-signed with the club for $1MM over the winter, but has managed only four major-league frames on the year. He’s set to return to the open market at the end of the season.
7 Best Waiver Claims Of The Past Year
Inspired by a question in a recent chat, I decided to search for the most worthwhile waiver claims placed over the past year. While there are relatively few monumental wins, several players have turned in productive runs with their new organizations since being allowed to depart for nothing but the waiver fee. And many look to carry future value, as well.
Here’s the list of the claims since last August that have provided the most value to their current teams:
- Blake Parker, RH Reliever, Angels (link): Halos GM Billy Eppler might have made out like a bandit when he poached two righties last October from the Yankees, but the club later lost both pitchers on waiver claims by other organizations. One (see below) ended up succeeding in his new digs, but Eppler got a second chance when he re-claimed Parker. Over 57 2/3 innings on the year, Parker has posted a sterling 2.18 ERA with 11.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 along with a 50.4% groundball rate. He sports a robust 14.1% swinging-strike rate and a personal-high 94.0 mph average heater. Parker will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this fall.
- Kirby Yates, RH Reliever, Padres (link): Yates is the one that got away from the Angels, as he was claimed by the Pads earlier this season after just one ugly appearance for Los Angeles. The 30-year-old has scuffled a bit of late, and has been prone to the long ball, but still carries a palatable 4.09 ERA over 44 frames. More importantly, he has racked up 14.1 K/9, on an outstanding 17.7% whiff rate, against 3.2 BB/9 on the year. Yates looks like a keeper and shouldn’t be terribly expensive when he hits arbitration over the offseason.
- Scooter Gennett, 2B, Reds (link): The 27-year-old has put on a power outburst since coming over from the Brewers. While he has continued to struggle against left-handed pitching, and doesn’t draw plaudits for his glovework, it’s hard to ignore a .286/.339/.529 batting line and 22 home runs over 389 plate appearances. Gennett has provided quite some value to Cincinnati for his $2.5MM salary, though that’ll head northward in his second season of arb eligibility.
- Dominic Leone, RH Reliever, Blue Jays (link): Though Leone had enjoyed prior MLB success when he went to Toronto from the D-Backs over the wire, the 25-year-old had largely struggled since his impressive 2014 debut. He has gone on to spin sixty frames of 2.55 ERA ball for the Jays, logging 10.2 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 while carrying a 14.5% swinging-strike rate. Better still, Leone likely won’t qualify for Super Two status next year, leaving the Blue Jays with another season of bargain pitching and three more years of arbitration control.
- Stephen Vogt, C, Brewers (link): Though an injury has limited the 32-year-old to just 18 games since his mid-season claim, Vogt has absolutely raked in that span. He’s slashing .279/.319/.674 with five home runs as a Brewer, making him an important part of the team’s roster down the stretch. Vogt won’t likely command a big increase on his $2.965MM salary in arbitration this fall — his second-to-last year of eligibility — and so could also represent a useful future asset for Milwaukee.
- Doug Fister, SP/RP, Red Sox (link): Though he has hardly dominated, Fister has given Boston much-needed innings since being claimed after a brief run in the Angels organization. Over 59 2/3 total frames this year, through nine starts and three relief appearances, he carries a 4.53 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9. Nothing jumps off the page there, but league-average results from an affordable swingman are always welcome.
- George Kontos, RH Reliever, Pirates (link): It would be silly to make too much of the five strong innings Kontos has thrown since arriving recently in Pittsburgh, though he has allowed just one earned run on two hits and a walk while recording seven strikeouts. More importantly, the 32-year-old seems to represent an affordable and useful pen piece for the future. Kontos, who owns a lifetime 3.03 ERA through 320 2/3 frames in the majors, will command a relatively modest bump on his $1.75MM salary next season and can be controlled via arbitration in 2019 as well.
Outrighted: Selsky, House, Scheppers
The following players have been outrighted, according to announcements from their respective teams:
- Outfielder Steve Selsky will remain with the Red Sox organization after he cleared waivers. Unlike the other two players listed here, Selsky did not have the right to decline an assignment. He was designated recently to clear the way for the team’s acquisition of Rajai Davis. The 28-year-old was called up briefly to the majors but has mostly played at Triple-A Pawtucket this year, batting .215/.270/.360 with 11 home runs in 322 trips to the plate.
- The Blue Jays will retain southpaw T.J. House after he accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A. He’ll instead be eligible to take free agency at season’s end. House, who’ll turn 28 in a month, appeared in two contests for Toronto but has spent most of the season at the highest level of the minors. In 130 2/3 frames at Buffalo, he owns a 4.27 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9.
- Thirty-year-old righty Tanner Scheppers will also remain with the Rangers organization for the time being. He has seen only minimal MLB time this year, but has thrown 183 total frames at the game’s highest level over the past six years. Far and away his most effective season came back in 2013, when he put up 76 2/3 innings of 1.88 ERA ball. Over 46 1/3 frames at Triple-A in 2017, Scheppers carries a 5.05 ERA with 6.8 strikeouts, 2.7 walks, and 1.7 home runs per nine innings.
Pirates Place Juan Nicasio, Wade LeBlanc On Irrevocable Waivers
6:34pm: Southpaw Wade LeBlanc is also on irrevocable waivers, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets. LeBlanc is earning just $750K this year and can be controlled next year via arbitration or a $1.25MM club option (with a $50K buyout).
The 33-year-old lefty has thrown 61 1/3 innings on the season, working to a 4.99 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9. He has surrendered ten long balls in that span. As has been the case for most of his career, LeBlanc has posted reverse platoon splits, with lefty batters hammering him and righties managing only a .234/.288/.418 slash.
6:14pm: The Pirates have placed right-handed reliever Juan Nicasio on outright waivers, according to a report from Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Unlike revocable trade waivers, outright waivers cannot be rescinded — meaning that any team can simply claim Nicasio at this point.
That’s a surprising decision, at first glance. Nicasio, who’ll soon turn 31, has been nothing shy of outstanding this year. Over sixty frames, he owns a 2.85 ERA with sixty strikeouts against 18 walks. He’s also throwing harder than ever before, averaging 95.8 mph with his fastball while working in high-leverage spots.
On the other hand, the Bucs have now slipped so far in the standings — eight games out of a postseason spot entering action today — that there’s just no realistic hope for the team to contend. Nicasio is still set to earn somewhere in the neighborhood of $600K, as Brink notes, after avoiding arbitration for $3.65MM last fall.
Surely, the club would prefer to get something for Nicasio via trade; MLBTR’s Steve Adams ranked him second among remaining August trade candidates a few days ago. But it could well be that Nicasio was claimed and then pulled back from revocable waivers earlier this month. In that event, it makes good sense for the club to simply hope to find a taker for the salary, though it’s somewhat curious that the team did not utilize irrevocable trade waivers (rather than outright waivers) in case he does clear.
It seems reasonable to expect multiple teams to place claims on Nicasio. Because Nicasio is on outright waivers, rather than irrevocable trade waivers, teams can claim him in order of record (worst to first) regardless of which league they are in. (Otherwise, he’d have been available first to N.L. clubs.)
Latest On Justin Verlander
With the August trade period soon coming to a close, there has been a surge of interest in Tigers righty Justin Verlander, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter). Verlander is one of many veteran players to have cleared revocable waivers, though he also enjoys full no-trade protection.
Speculation has long focused on the Astros as a viable landing spot. While there have been indications that the sides have engaged in talks, though, none seem to have occurred of late — so far as is publicly known.
Interestingly, though, Morosi says another organization “has emerged as [a] possible suitor.” The new team with interest isn’t yet known, but surely it must be an organization with reasonable present expectations of pushing for a postseason berth.
That is an intriguing development, to be sure, but doesn’t necessarily suggest Verlander is likely to be on the move. Jon Heyman of Fan Rag suggested yesterday that the Tigers haven’t recently engaged in earnest with other organizations. Plus, there’s the matter of Verlander’s full no-trade protection. Though he has indicated he would at least strongly consider a move to a non-contender, he could also seek some compensation.
Most importantly, perhaps, Detroit has long been said to desire a fairly significant prospect return that arguably outstrips the value of the star righty’s contract. Verlander is owed $56MM for the following two seasons, which is a fairly hefty rate for a 34-year-old pitcher. He got off to a slow start this year, too, though he has posted a strong 3.34 ERA with 109 strikeouts and 37 walks over his last 105 innings (17 starts).
Nick Ahmed Suffers Broken Wrist
Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed has been diagnosed with a broken right wrist, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. He was hit with a pitch during a rehab appearance.
That’s brutal luck for Ahmed, who was nearing a return from a long layoff owing to another HBP that resulted in a broken right hand. Another key middle infielder, Chris Owings, is also on the DL, though Piecoro notes that the hope is that he’ll be able to return at the tail end of the regular season.
In Ahmed’s case, he is expected to require six to eight weeks to recover. In theory, then, he could be ready to return during the postseason, should the Diamondbacks qualify and advance. But it’s likely that this injury will spell the end of Ahmed’s season.
The 27-year-old has only taken 178 plate appearances on the year to date, slashing .251/.298/.419 in advance of his first season of arbitration eligibility. He’s a gifted defender, though that won’t really boost his earning power through the arb process.
Arizona has relied upon youngster Ketel Marte to cover for the injuries. He carries a solid-enough .256/.342/.419 batting line and has taken strides in his plate discipline (11.4% walk rate). Marte figures to continue occupying a significant role the rest of the way.
There are still a few days left to try to swing a trade, of course. Reds shortstop Zack Cozart standing out as a hypothetical target, though his waiver status is unclear. GM Mike Hazen tells Piecoro that he’ll continue to look into the possibility of a swap for a middle infielder, but he also downplayed the likelihood of finding a match.
Jeff Samardzija Clears Revocable Trade Waivers
Giants righty Jeff Samardzija has cleared revocable trade waivers, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. That means that the hurler can be freely dealt over the next few days — though he does also possess no-trade rights against all but eight MLB teams.
Just because Samardzija can now theoretically be traded doesn’t mean that a deal is likely, of course. His contract pays him $18MM annually for three more seasons, which helps explain why no other organizations placed a claim. And he not only has veto powers over deals to any teams except for the Angels, Athletics, Cubs, Dodgers, Mets, Nationals, Red Sox, and Yankees, but has suggested he may be inclined to exercise those rights.
Beyond his contract, Samardzija’s trade appeal is also a matter of some debate. The 32-year-old has averaged an impressive 9.1 K/9 against 1.4 BB/9 over his 167 2/3 innings on the season, is throwing about as hard as ever, and he could top 200 frames for the fifth consecutive year. But he has also worked to a subpar 4.67 ERA.
Samardzija joins a long list of players that have reportedly cleared waivers, setting the stage for final negotiations with the deadline to add players with postseason eligibility looming at the end of the month. You can find them all at this link.
Mets Injury Updates: Cespedes, Wright, Conforto, Harvey
The Mets have announced injury updates on a variety of notable players, as covered by James Wagner of the New York Times (Twitter links).
Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who recently hit the DL with a hamstring strain, is expected to require a six-week layoff and will therefore not make it back to the field this season. That’s not terribly surprising, as the veteran was said to have suffered a reasonably significant injury. He’ll surely focus on returning to health and finding a way to avoid further leg muscle problems in the 2018 season.
Meanwhile, the rehab assignment of third baseman David Wright has been halted after he again experienced shoulder pain. He’s set to be examined further tomorrow. The apparent setback makes it hard to imagine that Wright will be able to return to the majors this year. More broadly, it only continues to build upon the uncertainty about his future. New York owes the veteran $47MM over the next three seasons, though it can attempt to recoup 75% of his salary for any time during which he’s unable to play. But the Mets will also need to consider pursuing a replacement option at the hot corner for 2018 and beyond.
Perhaps the team’s most concerning open medical situation is that of young outfielder Michael Conforto, who had looked like a star before dislocating his shoulder and suffering a capsule tear in the joint. He has reportedly been weighing whether or not to undergo surgery, and is set for a second opinion on that decision. It’s not yet known what kind of outlook he faces, but the injury is plainly a serious one that will require plenty of care and a lengthy rehab process regardless of how it’s treated.
Finally, on the positive side, the Mets are set to welcome righty Matt Harvey back to the rotation on Friday. He has been out since the middle of June with shoulder problems that seemingly trace back to the thoracic outlet procedure he underwent last year. Beyond the health concerns, Harvey has struggled on the mound this year, with a 5.25 ERA over 70 1/3 innings. The Mets will surely hope that he can regain some positive momentum over the final month of the season.
Mets Place Yoenis Cespedes On 10-Day DL With Hamstring Strain
TODAY: Cespedes has been officially placed on the DL, the Mets announced. In corresponding moves, the Mets have also activated Jose Reyes from the disabled list, optioned righty Kevin McGowan to Triple-A, and selected the contract of outfielder Travis Taijeron from Triple-A.
FRIDAY, 9:27pm: Cespedes will head to the DL, Mets GM Sandy Alderson said after the game, as Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. Per Alderson, the injury is about as serious as the one that sent Cespedes to the DL earlier this year. He missed about six weeks, though that period was also impacted by the later-arising quad problem. Regardless, it seems possible that Cespedes may not make it back by the end of the year.
8:00pm: Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was pulled in the middle of tonight’s contest with what the team is calling a right hamstring strain, as was first announced on the SNY broadcast.
It is not immediately clear whether he’ll require a DL placement, but that seems reasonably likely — especially since the Mets have no need to force the issue with the postseason long out of reach. Betsy Helfand of the Las Vegas Review Journal notes on Twitter that outfielder Travis Taijeron was scratched from the lineup from the top Mets’ affiliate, quite likely to provide an option if needed to replace Cespedes.
The injury is the latest leg muscle problem for Cespedes, who missed time earlier this year with a strain in his left hammy that was followed by a right quad problem. And the track record stretches back before that, though Cespedes has never missed any truly lengthy stretches in his career.
Since re-joining the Mets on a four-year, $110MM contract over the winter, Cespedes has appeared in eighty games and produced a .292/.350/.540 batting line. That’s just what New York was hoping for on a rate basis, though the club will surely enter the offseason looking hard at ways to keep Cespedes — and a whole lot of other players — on the field more frequently for 2018 and beyond.