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White Sox Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Jake Burger

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The White Sox have agreed to terms with first-round draft pick Jake Burger, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). Burger, the 11th overall selection, will reportedly take home a $3.7MM bonus. With a slot value of $4,199,200  available at that pick, Chicago will save a bit of cash to put towards other players.

Burger played his college ball at Missouri State, excelling there as a power-hitting third baseman. Scouts note that he succeeds despite lacking smooth baseball actions. Indeed, one who spoke with the MLB.com prospect team “compared him to Hunter Pence for his ability to get the job done in less than pretty fashion.”

MLB.com ranked Burger 16th overall among draft prospects, while Baseball America slotted him at 20th and ESPN.com’s Keith Law had him at 21st and Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen placed him 24th on his board. All agree that Burger has significant power potential and a solid overall profile at the plate, though those that are less bullish see a lower likelihood that he’ll be able to handle the hot corner at the major league level.

Athletics Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Austin Beck

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9:41am: Oakland has also agreed with supplemental first-round selection Kevin Merrell, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter link). He’ll receive $1.8MM, leaving the club some savings on the $2,033,500 slot value at the 33rd overall selection.

8:15am: The Athletics have a deal in place with first-round pick Austin Beck, according to Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com. He is expected to be introduced to fans at today’s game.

Beck, a high-school outfielder from North Carolina, was selected with the sixth overall pick of the draft. The slot value for that selection is $5,303,000, and that’s just what Beck will receive, per Baseball America’s Hudson Belinsky (via Twitter).

Prospect rankings expressed broad agreement on Beck’s placement in the pecking order. Each of Baseball America, MLB.com, and Fangraphs rated him the ninth-best draft-eligible prospect. ESPN.com’s Keith Law placed Beck at 16th on his board, though he didn’t disagree that Beck has significant tools and upside.

Credited with huge bat speed, projectable power, good wheels, and a big arm in the outfield, Beck has the profile of a star. It doesn’t hurt that he has a chance to stick in centerfield. But all of the evaluators cited the relative uncertainty he brings to the table. Beck missed significant time with an ACL tear, robbing scouts of a chance to see him put his tools to the test against the best prep arms with wood bat.

Oakland obviously believes that the youngster can make good on his talent; as Stiglich notes, the club had focused on him after an impressive recent workout out the Coliseum. As for Beck, he’ll forgo his commitment to the University of North Carolina in order to begin his professional career.

Health Notes: Pollock, Smith, E-Rod, Villar, Hughes, Zobrist, AGon, Semien, Werth, Flaherty

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Diamondbacks outfielder A.J. Pollock has suffered a new injury while on a rehab assignment, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. Pollock, who is working back from a groin strain, is now said to be day-to-day with tightness in his right quad. The severity isn’t yet known, though the presence of another lower-body muscle issue will surely cause the organization to proceed with caution. With the Snakes locked in a surprising and increasingly fascinating battle in the NL West, they will be anxious to get Pollock back, though clearly the long view is required for such an important player with such a checkered injury history.

Let’s check in on a few more injury situations from around the game:

  • The Blue Jays placed righty Joe Smith on the 10-day DL before today’s game, per a club announcement. He is dealing with shoulder inflammation. That’s a big loss for a Toronto club that has made huge strides after a woeful start to the year. Smith has been quite effective while maintaining a heavy workload; through 34 appearances, he carries a 3.41 ERA. More impressively, Smith has nearly doubled last year’s strikeout rate (13.4 K/9) while maintaining a 13.0% swinging-strike rate that dwarfs any of his prior single-season marks.
  • While the Red Sox wait to learn more about the status of second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who took a pitch to the ribcage on Sunday, the club has continued to receive good news on lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. As Rob Bradford of WEEI.com tweets, skipper John Farrell says that Rodriguez will face live hitters this week and possibly head out for a rehab assignment thereafter.
  • Things are clearing up for Brewers infielder Jonathan Villar as well, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy tweets. Villar, who has struggled in the wake of a breakout 2016 season, says that his lower back is feeling so much better that he might be ready for a rehab stint soon. Milwaukee may well need a healthy and more effective Villar if it hopes to continue to outpace the rest of the NL Central.
  • In other forthcoming rehab stints, Twins righty Phil Hughes is scheduled for a start at Triple-A on Wednesday, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. It seems that he has avoided the worst-case scenario after experiencing some symptoms akin to those that led to thoracic outlet surgery. Minnesota is also giving a rehab start to lefty Hector Santiago, who seems likely to avoid a lengthy DL stint for his shoulder issue.
  • Veteran Cubs infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist got some good news, as Jeff Arnold of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. An MRI came back clean, leaving the club hopeful that the veteran will be able to return as soon as Friday. That said, Zobrist acknowledged that he still needs to test out the wrist at full speed, noting that “we’re not going to push it.”
  • Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts provided an update on first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times was among those to tweet. The veteran has received an epidural to treat his lower back issues, says Roberts, with the organization hopeful that Gonzalez will be able to return sometime around the All-Star break next month.
  • The Athletics will send shortstop Marcus Semien out on a rehab assignment later this week, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. He has been participating in baseball activities to test his surgically repaired wrist, and it seems the progress is sufficient to allow him to take the next step.
  • Meanwhile, the going is somewhat slow for Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth. As Dan Kolko of MASNsport.com tweets, manager Dusty Baker says that the veteran is still not ready for baseball activities. Instead, he’s still focused on taking care of his bruised left foot.
  • The Orioles don’t appear likely to welcome back infielder Ryan Flaherty any time soon, as Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. His balky shoulder didn’t respond well to an attempt to ramp up a throwing program, so the team will slow things down. Were it not for the injury, Flaherty would likely have represented part of the plan for dealing with the more recent DL placement of J.J. Hardy.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/19/17

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • Veteran righty Tom Wilhelmsen is on the open market after clearing waivers, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports on Twitter. The 33-year-old carried a 4.44 ERA over his 26 1/3 innings with the D-Backs, posting 17 strikeouts against a dozen walks to go with a 49.4% groundball rate. While Wilhelmsen was still working off of a mid-nineties heater, his swinging-strike rate has fallen to just 6.2% — well below his 10.6% career average.
  • The Rangers have selected the contract of righty Tanner Scheppers, per a club announcement. To clear a 40-man spot, the club shifted A.J. Griffin to the 60-day DL. Scheppers, 30, is back in the bigs for the first time this year. He wasn’t especially good in his 16 Triple-A appearances, posting a 4.64 ERA with 5.9 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9. Through 179 career MLB innings, Scheppers owns a 4.17 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.
  • The Reds recently released reliever Louis Coleman, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports on Twitter. The 31-year-old righty was putting up strong numbers at Triple-A, where he carried a 2.21 ERA through 36 2/3 frames. (In fact, it’s worth wondering whether Coleman exercised an opt-out, though that’s just speculation at this time.) Coleman landed with the Reds organization on a minors deal after giving the Dodgers 48 innings of 4.69 ERA pitching last year after missing much of the prior campaign.

Taking Inventory: Atlanta Braves

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This is the eighth entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory series. Click for entries on the White Sox, Royals, Phillies, Pirates, Giants, Padres, and Reds.

Entering today’s action, the Braves sat in a tie for the second spot in the National League East. Had they been asked before the season, the organization would’ve been thrilled to learn that fate. But the sheen is decidedly lessened by the context: Atlanta still sits six games under .500 and is more than ten games out of a postseason spot of any kind.

Despite the placement in the standings, then, the Braves are highly likely to be in a position to sell at the trade deadline. That doesn’t mean, though, that the club will be terribly willing to consider dealing its more controllable players. It doesn’t even necessarily mean that certain veterans will be sold off for a reasonable return. And it’s still possible that Atlanta will at least look into dealing away some prospects to acquire an established starter with long-term control. With the organization determined to embark upon real contention in 2018, and to leave a good impression on fans even as the excitement of a new ballpark begins to wear off, a major tear-down isn’t likely.

Let’s take a look at some of the possible trade assets on the MLB roster:

Rentals

Jaime Garcia, SP | Salary: $12MM

Garcia looks to be the class of the Atlanta rental crop. He’s through 82 2/3 innings with a 3.59 ERA, so he has been both healthy and effective. While the southpaw is producing less strikeouts (6.5 per nine) and more walks (3.4 per nine), he’s running a 56.5% groundball mate that’s an exact match for his career mark. It’s unlikely Garcia will be viewed as a mid-3.00 pitcher at the deadline, and he’s likely due for a bit of regression before that point, but he ought to hold real appeal.

Bartolo Colon, SP | Salary: $12.5MM

Colon’s pinpoint command just hasn’t been there in his age-44 season. He’s working at nearly double the average walk rate he carried over the prior five seasons and has been in the zone just 43.5% of the time (against a 52.4% career average). That is perhaps showing up in other ways, too, as Colon hasn’t allowed this frequency of long balls since he was pitching for the Angels. There’s likely also some poor fortune baked in the hefty .353 BABIP opposing hitters are carrying against Colon, as well as his meager 48.5% strand rate, but at this point he has minimal trade value after 59 innings of 7.78 ERA ball.

Brandon Phillips, 2B | Salary: $1MM (remainder of $14MM salary paid by Reds)

Phillips carries an attractive .306/.351/.431 batting line, but that’ll drift back as his .342 BABIP faded. Since he’s no longer an elite defender, Phillips just doesn’t profile as a first-division regular. That said, he’s cheap and comes with plenty of experience, so it’s easy to imagine interest — though it’s anybody’s guess whether he’d be happy playing in a bench role.

Kurt Suzuki, C | Salary: $1.5MM

The veteran receiver has been dealt twice at the deadline before (and probably should have been a third time). He’s swinging a pretty good stick for a catcher — .227/.342/.402 through 118 plate appearances — and could fill a gap for an organization that ends up thin at the position.

Jason Motte, RP | Salary: $535K (remainder of $5MM salary paid by Rockies)

As his 35th birthday approaches, Motte owns a seemingly resurgent 1.86 ERA. But even a quick glance behind the results shows that it’s likely a mirage. He is averaging less than six strikeouts per nine with 3.7 BB/9 while benefiting from a very low BABIP (.192) and 100% strand rate. It’s still imaginable another club will like how he’s throwing the ball, but the offers may not be significant enough to make it worth it for the Braves to make a move.

Controlled Through 2018

Jim Johnson, RP | Salary: $5MM in 2017; $5MM in 2018

Atlanta could have a somewhat difficult decision to make on Johnson, who is pitching quite well but might also help solidify the back of the bullpen next year. He’s generating a 9.7% swinging-strike rate — best of his career — to complement his typically excellent groundball induction efforts (56.0% groundball rate, currently). Johnson profiles as a setup man on a contending team, which could have a fair bit of value.

Nick Markakis, OF | Salary: $11MM in 2017; $11MM in 2018

The veteran keeps on posting roughly league average offensive seasons, so you generally know what you’re going to get. Currently, he’s getting on base at a nice clip (.371) but showing a total lack of power (.092 isolated slugging). Unless the Braves are willing to pay down quite a bit of money, it’s hard to see rival organizations getting too excited at that profile from an older corner outfielder.

R.A. Dickey, SP | Salary: $8MM in 2017; $8MM club option ($500K buyout) in 2018

Dickey is outperforming Colon, but that’s about where the plaudits end. He owns a 5.35 ERA through 77 1/3 innings, with his strikeout and walk rates each heading in the wrong direction. Dickey’s 7.6% swinging-strike rate is the lowest he has carried since his Cy Young campaign. All said, it’s hard to see where the interest would come from, and the Braves might hold in case a second-half turnaround makes the option appealing.

Tyler Flowers, C | Salary: $3MM in 2017; $4MM club option ($300K buyout) in 2018

After a strong offensive season in 2016, Flowers has opened the current year with a blistering .333/.435/.473 slash. There are lots of reasons to think that won’t last, but the 31-year-old doesn’t need to hit at that pace to be a significant offensive threat for a catcher. He’ll likely draw some interest, but Atlanta needs a catcher for 2018 and seems likely to hold.

Matt Adams, 1B | Salary: $2.8MM; arb-eligible in 2018

The 28-year-old has thrived since finding a second chance in Atlanta, though his overall profile as a hitter hasn’t changed much. It’s not clear there’ll be a ton of demand, though it’s also not clear what the Braves will do with Adams once Freddie Freeman returns.

Longer-Term Assets

Julio Teheran, Matt Kemp, Arodys Vizcaino

Plenty of sub-.500 teams have interesting calls to make on controllable veterans, but it’s not clear that holds true for Atlanta. Freeman is hurt and wouldn’t be dealt anyway. (Neither will Ender Inciarte and Dansby Swanson.) Teheran is back on the downturn after a strong 2016 and is needed for the future anyway with multiple rotation spots unaccounted for past this season. Though Kemp is mashing, he has had some injury troubles and still looks like a defensive liability; plus, the Braves don’t have replacements lined up and surely like the idea of carrying him as a middle-of-the-order star heading into 2018.

And then there’s Vizcaino, who may be the most likely of this group to be traded at the deadline. He’s throwing well again, with a 1.93 ERA and 10.6 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 through 28 frames, and the Braves control him for only two more years. There’s surely no need for Atlanta to push the flamethrower out the door, but it may be worth cashing in on a somewhat volatile asset if there’s a good enough offer on the table.

Top 50 Trade Deadline Candidates For 2017

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It’s time for the second iteration of our list of the top trade deadline candidates. Click here for the first one, including an explanation of the approach. Basically, bear in mind that we’re looking at both trade likelihood and trade value (in all its facets).

There’s some movement in the rankings, as you’ll see, with team performance impacting things as much as that of the individual players in many cases. And we’ve bumped the list out from 30 to 50.

On to the rankings:

1. David Robertson, RP, White Sox (LR: 1): Though he had one rough outing since we first gave him the top nod, Robertson has mostly continued to put up zeroes. On the year, Robertson has racked up 35 strikeouts while permitting only 23 baserunners in 24 1/3 innings. Given the Sox’ posture, it’s somewhat hard to see how he won’t be dealt so long as he remains healthy and effective as of the deadline.

2. Zack Cozart, SS, Reds (LR: 3): Though his theoretical value continues to rise with his performance — Cozart has already racked up about three wins above replacement, though he has been on a cold streak of late — the demand picture remains unclear.

3. Yonder Alonso, 1B, Athletics (LR: 4): It’s more of the same for Alonso, too. Since returning from a minor injury in mid-May, he owns a .396/.467/.736 slash over sixty plate appearances.

4 (tie). Jose Quintana, SP, White Sox (LR: 5): The middling results have continued for Quintana, whose 5.30 ERA and rising walk rate are increasingly concerning. If his value doesn’t rebound fully by the deadline, the White Sox could hold onto him and focus on moving other assets. Still, with several contenders seemingly in position to add controllable starters, it seems likely that one or more such arms will end up changing hands.

4 (tie). Sonny Gray, SP, Athletics (LR: 25): The roller coaster ride continues for Gray and the A’s, but it has been more good than bad. His fastball velocity and swinging-strike rate both sit at career-high levels, and ERA estimators feel he has been unlucky to allow 4.44 earned per nine thus far. With the A’s seemingly preparing for a sell-off, and pitchers like Quintana and Gerrit Cole struggling, things are trending toward a possible deal.

6. Pat Neshek, RP, Phillies (LR: 8): It’s hard to imagine Neshek not being traded. He’s pitching as well as he was in his breakout 2014 season and would represent a nice change of pace option in basically any bullpen in baseball.

7. Brad Hand, RP, Padres (LR: 9): San Diego suggested it was willing to move Hand at any time, perhaps believing that an early sale could maximize his value. Unfortunately, a deal has yet to come together and the southpaw has coughed up seven earned runs in his last 10 2/3 innings. That said, he has still managed to record 15 strikeouts against just three walks in that span, so his market should remain strong.

8 (tie). Jed Lowrie, INF, Athletics (LR: 18): Lowrie’s offensive output has only improved since we last checked in. Just as importantly, he’s still healthy. If those things continue, the versatile switch-hitter could be a very nice rental piece for the A’s, who have a replacement lined up in Franklin Barreto and are already beginning a youth movement.

8 (tie). Eduardo Nunez, INF, Giants (LR: NR): The versatile rental player is probably the most likely player to leave San Francisco this summer. He’s not maintaining last year’s power numbers, but is running wild (17 steals) and providing solid all-around production. He could fit with a lot of organizations.

8 (tie). Howie Kendrick, 2B/OF, Phillies (LR: INJ): Despite an approaching 34th birthday, and mid-season DL stint, Kendrick has turned in a resurgent .330/.393/.485 slash this year. His .411 BABIP will surely come back down to earth, though Kendrick has long sustained elevated batting averages on balls in play. His salary isn’t all that cheap, but the Phils will undoubtedly be willing to cover as much of it as is necessary to boost their return. And it doesn’t hurt that Kendrick can be trusted both in left and at second.

11. Todd Frazier (3B) & Melky Cabrera (OF), White Sox (LR: 19 (tie)): The South Siders have now slipped into last place in the AL Central, and these spendy veterans — both of whom will hit the open market at season’s end — are starting to hit. That’s a clear recipe for a trade, though cost savings are more likely than major prospect returns.

13. Marcell Ozuna, OF, Marlins (LR: 14): He’s still raking, and the Marlins are still buried. So why isn’t Ozuna streaking up the chart? With two years of control remaining, and the Marlins working on a franchise sale, it’s not clear how available he’ll be.

14. J.D. Martinez, OF, Tigers (LR: NR): It is perhaps even less clear that Martinez will be available — your guess on how the AL Central will look on July 31st is as good as mine — but he’d arguably be the top available rental piece if he is. Martinez has mashed since returning from the DL and as a bonus has improved his defensive metrics after an ugly 2016.

15. David Phelps, SP/RP, Marlins (LR: NR): Though the 30-year-old doesn’t have the same sparkly ERA he did last year, he’s still humming along with 9.8 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 through 32 innings and is averaging nearly 95 mph with his four-seamer. With just a $4.6MM salary and another year of control remaining, Phelps should deliver a good bit of value.

16. Ryan Madson, RP, Athletics (LR: 13): The aging veteran keeps performing at a quality rate as the A’s bring up the rear in the AL West, making it seem rather likely that the rest of his contract will be shipped out at the deadline.

17. Jaime Garcia, SP, Braves (LR: NR): The 30-year-old southpaw just missed the first iteration of this list and has turned in some impressive results since. He does have an impressive track record, and his excellent groundball rates help to offset his marginal strikeout rate, but it’d be a surprise if he can maintain his current 3.16 ERA.

18. A.J. Ramos, RP, Marlins (LR: 11): Six straight clean appearances have Ramos looking better, but his 13 walks and 3.92 ERA through 20 2/3 innings on the year have hardly boosted his trade stock.

19. Tony Watson & Juan Nicasio, RP, Pirates (LR: 7, NR): Watson tumbled out of the closer role and down this list. The 32-year-old still looks like a potential target for teams interested in late-inning lefties, given his longer record of success, though his skyrocketing susceptibility to the long ball since the start of 2016 is cause for concern. Before his own hiccups tonight, Nicasio had been off to an outstanding start. It’s anyone’s guess how the Bucs will handle the deadline, but if they were willing to deal Mark Melancon last year, they’ll likely be willing to deal these two pitchers in 2017.

21. Lorenzo Cain (OF), Mike Moustakas (3B) & Eric Hosmer (1B), Royals (LR: 2; 15, 15): Cain is on a sudden hot streak in the power department while Moose and Hoz have turned it on since our first listing. But the group is falling. This is still quite a nice group of chips, but I’m sliding all the KC players down the list for the same reason: the Royals are on the move of late and the AL Central remains tightly packed, making a “hold” scenario seem increasingly plausible.

24. Lucas Duda (1B) & Jay Bruce (OF), Mets: The Mets are in a really funny spot. Unlike some underperforming central-division teams, New York is looking up at a huge divisional gap. And there’s just as much space in the NL wild card hunt. At the same time, the injury picture could begin to look much better and the club may have a hard time explaining even a limited sell-off to fans.

26. Drew Storen, RP, Reds (LR: 30): He’s less than thirty years old, doesn’t cost much, and has been mostly effective despite diminished velocity. Storen isn’t a late-inning option anymore for a first-division team, but could deepen a lot of pens.

27. Sean Doolittle, RP, Athletics; Addison Reed, RP, Mets; Justin Wilson, RP, Tigers; Kelvin Herrera, RP, Royals (LR: INJ, NR, NR, 6): Availability is the overriding question for these high-octane relievers. Doolittle is cheap and controllable, plus his trade value is questionable given his frequent health issues. The others will only be available if their teams fail to make it back into the postseason picture, though there’s a real possibility of that occurring in all cases.

31. Jason Vargas, SP, Royals (LR: 10): As predicted, his earned run average has risen since the first time we did this list … skyrocketing from 2.03 to 2.10. Well then. As with the other KC pieces, the ranking reflects the changing dynamics in the standings.

32. Edinson Volquez, SP, Marlins (LR: NR): The 33-year-old has mostly been solid despite an unsightly walk rate (4.8 per nine) and, yes, he did just throw a no-hitter. His best qualities — durability and velocity — could hold appeal to a contender that desires rotation depth and can envision some creative postseason usage (perhaps piggybacking Volquez with another suboptimal starter). He’s earning a total of $22MM this year and next.

33. Clayton Richard, SP, Padres (LR: NR): The veteran costs nothing and is pitching like a solid back-end starter, so there’s some real function here for the right organization. It’s tough to imagine a huge return for the 33-year-old, but the fact that he’s a lefty with multi-inning ability does also make him a rather useful postseason roster piece.

34. Jeff Samardzija, SP, Giants (LR: NR): Look behind the 4.31 ERA — before tonight’s shellacking at Coors Field — and there are some eye-popping numbers. Entering today’s action Shark was carrying 10.5 K/9 against just 1.3 BB/9. Scouts have always loved him, and he’s showing why in 2017 even if the results still haven’t always been there. The 32-year-old is owed $18MM annually through 2020, which is hardly an all-time bargain but does seem like less than he’d likely command if he re-entered the market after the year. It’s worth bearing in mind that Samardzija can block deals to all but eight (currently unknown) teams, though, and it’s not entirely clear the Giants will be looking to move him with the club looking forward to several possible rotation openings next year.

35. Johnny Cueto, SP, Giants (LR: NR): Somewhat like his rotation-mate, the 31-year-old is lagging in the ERA department(4.57) but is in normal levels in most areas. That said, his velo is down a smidge and he’s suffering from a rising home-run rate (1.66 per nine with 18.4% HR/FB) and diving groundball rate (39.6%). If those normalize, he’ll look much like the top-line hurler he usually is. Still, his trade situation — and value — is greatly complicated by the opt-out clause in his contract. If he pitches well and stays healthy through the end of the year, Cueto will almost surely leave via free agency. If not, he could hang a $87MM obligation on another organization.

36. Joakim Soria, RP, Royals (LR: 12): Though he has yet to give up a home run this year,and has 35 strikeouts in his first 27 innings, the veteran righty owns a 3.67 ERA after a few rough outings.

37. Andrew McCutchen (OF) & Gerrit Cole (SP), Pirates (LR: 24, NR): Since his OPS cratered at .630 in mid-May, Cutch has driven his season’s batting line all the way back up to .255/.331/.456. That’s still more consistent with his down 2016 season than his outstanding prior results, but it’s a clear uptick. As for the staff ace, it’s hard to see Cole being dealt for anything other than a haul, though it’s equally difficult to imagine a contender paying top dollar if he isn’t pitching his best — which, so far, he has not. Generally, though, while the Pirates have clawed back toward competitiveness in an underwhelming NL Central, that doesn’t mean the Bucs won’t consider a deal.

39. Yangervis Solarte, INF, Padres (LR: NR): He’s playing better of late after an ugly start. The affordable contract and some versatility increase the appeal here. Then again, given that the Padres only just extended him, perhaps the club will prefer to keep him around unless there’s a really worthwhile offer.

40. Bud Norris, RP, Angels (LR: NR): Relievers are the easiest and most obvious pieces to move at the deadline. Norris has never been better since moving into the closer’s role, creating a circumstance where the Halos might be able to add something to a still-shallow farm system without drastically altering their MLB roster — particularly given the presence of some viable alternative closers in the organization.

41. Jarrod Dyson, OF, Mariners (LR: NR):  Dyson is a speed demon whose value is greatest in a late-season/postseason scenario, when teams don’t need utility infielders and middle relievers so much as they do players who can impact the game in the field and on the bases in high-leverage situations. As with Norris, then, he’s among the more likely players to be dealt from the rosters of the three teams currently hovering around .500 in the AL West. None of those clubs is likely to catch the Astros, but all could compete for the wild card; for now, at least, only Norris and Dyson are likely and valuable enough trade pieces  to make it into the top fifty.

42. Matt Kemp & Nick Markakis, OF, Braves (LR: 27 (tie)): Neither figures to have immense appeal — Kemp is dinged up and remains a defensive question mark, while Markakis is just a league-average hitter — and the Braves may just hold pat.

44. Daniel Nava, OF, Phillies (LR: NR): Nava carries an intriguing .310/.422/.464 batting line with lots of walks (14.6% BB rate) and few strikeouts (17.6% K rate) through 102 plate appearances. While the upside is limited, he could hold some interest as a bench bat and it’s pretty easy to imagine him changing hands.

45. Brandon Phillips, 2B, Braves (LR: NR): If you assume that his .342 BABIP will come back to earth, Phillips looks like much the same player — slightly below-average hitter but otherwise a solid veteran — he has been in recent years. The soon-to-be-36-year-old could hold appeal as a platoon or bench piece with the right team. With Jace Peterson and Ozzie Albies waiting at Triple-A, the Braves may end up preferring to move on from Phillips, whose salary is being paid almost entirely by the Reds.

46. Kurt Suzuki, C, Braves (LR: NR): While Tyler Flowers is the one with the eye-opening stat line, that seems to make it more likely that Atlanta will hold onto him and pick up his 2018 option. The respected but limited Suzuki could be an easy option if a contender needs to fill a gap behind the dish.

47. Derek Holland, SP, White Sox (LR: 29): Holland has allowed just one earned run in three of his last five starts. In the other two, though, he was tagged for a total of 14.

48. Alex Cobb, SP, Rays (LR: 22): Tampa Bay is still firmly in contention, and the team has now lost a key rotation piece in Matt Andriese. Even if those facts remain the same in late July, there’s a chance Cobb will be marketed.

49. Raisel Iglesias, RP, Reds (LR: NR): There’s no particular reason for the Reds to push to trade Iglesias, but surely they have at least thought about what they’d need to part with a high-quality player who is also a reliever with added injury risk.

50. Hunter Strickland, RP, Giants (LR: NR): The high-powered, hot-tempered righty hasn’t exactly been at his best, with nearly double last year’s walk rate even as his ERA sits at an excellent 2.08, but his power arsenal would surely hold appeal. And if he has worn out his welcome a bit through the Bryce Harper beaning incident, then perhaps the Giants will see fit to move him.

Falling Out

Anthony Swarzak, RP, White Sox (LR: 17): Since his fantastic first month and a half, Swarzak has come back to earth in terms of peripherals and results.

Ian Kennedy, SP, Royals (LR: 21): Beyond the general Royals assessment noted above, a few rough outings reduce the likelihood that Kennedy will opt out of his deal — or hold sufficient appeal to contenders to move the remainder of that contract. (At the exact moment this post is going up, though, he’s through five perfect innings in his current start.)

Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Phillies (LR: 23): Those iffy peripherals we warned about last time? They are still problematic. And now it’s showing in the results. In his last five starts, Hellickson carries a 7.57 ERA with 14 strikeouts and 14 walks.

David Freese, 3B, Pirates (LR: 26): The overall results remain solid for the reliable veteran. But the Bucs may be inclined to hold him even if they do end up selling. The market includes several other options and Pittsburgh will value the ability to retain Freese at a palatable rate for 2018.

Injured

Nate Jones (White Sox), Trevor Cahill (Padres), Bartolo Colon (Braves), Neil Walker (Mets), Cesar Hernandez (Phillies), Darren O’Day & Zach Britton (Orioles)

Also Considered

Angels: Yunel Escobar, Cameron Maybin, J.C. Ramirez, Jesse Chavez, Ricky Nolasco, Yusmeiro Petit, David Hernandez

Athletics: Stephen Vogt, Rajai Davis, Matt Joyce, Santiago Casilla, John Axford

Blue Jays: Jose Bautista, Justin Smoak, Josh Donaldson, Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ, Francisco Liriano, Roberto Osuna, Aaron Loup, Joe Smith

Braves: Kurt Suzuki, Jim Johnson, Arodys Vizcaino, R.A. Dickey, Bartolo Colon, Julio Teheran, Matt Adams

Cardinals: Lance Lynn, Michael Wacha, Seung-hwan Oh, Trevor Rosenthal

Giants: Aaron Hill, Nick Hundley, Hunter Pence, Matt Cain, Mark Melancon, Denard Span, George Kontos

Mariners: Nelson Cruz, Carlos Ruiz, Marc Rzepczynski, Steve Cishek

Marlins: Dan Straily, Kyle Barraclough, Tom Koehler, Adam Conley, Brad Ziegler, Christian Yelich, Giancarlo Stanton

Mets: Curtis Granderson, Jerry Blevins, Fernando Salas, Josh Edgin

Orioles: Welington Castillo, J.J. Hardy, Manny Machado, Seth Smith, Hyun Soo Kim, Wade Miley, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens

Padres: Jhoulys Chacin, Ryan Buchter, Brandon Maurer, Craig Stammen

Phillies: Freddy Galvis, Michael Saunders, Joaquin Benoit, Hector Neris

Pirates: Josh Harrison, Ivan Nova, Wade LeBlanc

Rangers: Yu Darvish, Jonathan Lucroy, Mike Napoli, Carlos Gomez, Adrian Beltre, Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, Jeremy Jeffress

Rays: Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Corey Dickerson, Logan Morrison, Alex Colome, Erasmo Ramirez, Danny Farquhar

Reds: Scott Feldman, Raisel Iglesias, Billy Hamilton

Royals: Alcides Escobar, Brandon Moss, Jason Hammel, Mike Minor

White Sox: Miguel Gonzalez, Tommy Kahnle, Jose Abreu

Mets Release Desmond Jennings

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The Mets have released outfielder Desmond Jennings, per an announcement from the team’s Triple-A affiliate. He had been playing there on a minors deal since early April.

Jennings spent the spring with the Reds, but headed back to the open market after it was decided he wouldn’t crack the Opening Day roster. He caught on with New York despite the team’s crowded outfield depth chart.

The 30-year-old Jennings — a productive regular before knee injuries intervened — slashed .237/.301/.415 over his 229 plate appearances at Las Vegas prior to his release. He did drive eight long balls, but the once-prolific base thief was just 3-for-6 in his stolen-base attempts.

In the aggregate, Jennings didn’t do enough to convince the Mets to clear a 40-man spot to add him when a need arose at the MLB level — as just occurred when Juan Lagares hit the DL. Instead, New York promoted youngster Brandon Nimmo and sent the veteran Jennings back into free agency.

Rangers Sign Top Three Draft Picks

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The Rangers have reached agreements with each of their top three picks from the recent Rule 4 draft, executive VP of communications John Blake announced on Twitter.

First selection Bubba Thompson was taken with the 26th overall pick, which comes with a roughly $2.45MM bonus allocation. He’ll get $2.1MM, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). The Alabama high-schooler ranked as high as 21st on the boards of draft analysts, earning that mark from Eric Longerhagen of Fangraphs, and drew a strong consensus as a top-thirty prospect. Thompson is noted for his excellent speed, center-field-capable glove, and burgeoning power.

The views were decidedly more divergent on shortstop Chris Seise, who went just three picks later with a comp selection. He’ll get a $2MM bonus, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter), meaning that Texas will save $238,900 to allocate elsewhere. The Florida high schooler rated as low as 76th overall (ESPN.com’s Keith Law) due to a questionable bat, though the MLB.com analyst team placed him within the top 40 available players while expressing the view that his bat has “start[ed] to catch up to his other tools” as he has added strength.

Finally, with their second-round pick (#66, $926,500 allocation), the Rangers took righty Hans Crouse. The prep hurler, who had been committed to USC, out-ranked Seise on all the major pre-draft boards and drew consensus top-forty billing. While there’s still a need for some refinement, Crouse is said to possess a top-end power arm. He’ll take down an above-slot, $1.45MM bonus, per Grant (on Twitter) — essentially absorbing the savings from the prior two picks.

Twins Outright Chris Heston

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The Twins have outrighted right-hander Chris Heston, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press tweets. His roster spot will go to southpaw Adam Wilk, who is scheduled to take the hill tomorrow.

Heston, 29, only ended up making one appearance for Minnesota after being claimed off waivers from the Dodgers and opening the year with the Mariners. He has thrown just 11 total MLB frames since the start of 2016.

Before that, though, Heston turned in an interesting 2015 campaign with the Giants. Over 31 starts and 177 2/3 innings, he carried a 3.95 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9. (You may also recall that he recorded one of baseball’s more surprising no-hitters that year.)

Rangers Designate Dillon Gee, Activate Tyson Ross, Option Jurickson Profar

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The Rangers announced that righty Dillon Gee was designated for assignment. The move was made to open a roster spot for Tyson Ross, who has been activated off of the 60-day DL to make his debut for the club.

Texas has announced a withering array of other moves as well. Former top prospect Jurickson Profar was optioned to Triple-A along with fellow utility option Ryan Rua, while righty Tony Barnette hit the DL with a sprained right ring finger. Those moves cleared space for the activation of Carlos Gomez and Mike Napoli, as well as the recall of southpaw Dario Alvarez.

Gee, 31, has helped Texas bridge the gap to Ross, who was signed after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery. The Rangers got 13 frames of 4.15 ERA pitching from Gee, though he didn’t inspire much confidence while on the hill. Gee allowed 17 hits and six walks while recording ten strikeouts during his stint.

Hopes are high for Ross, who was once a top-quality starter for the Padres. He’ll take the MLB mound for the first time since Opening Day of 2016, looking to make good on the $6MM commitment he received over the winter from the Rangers while also trying to set himself up for another foray into free agency.

Ross’s rehab had been slowed by lower-back tightness, which extended his DL stint past what had originally been anticipated. He also wasn’t very successful in four outings at Triple-A Round Rock, coughing up 16 earned runs on 23 hits with as many walks (11) as strikeouts through 18 2/3 innings.

Otherwise, the day’s maneuvering is most notable for the 24-year-old Profar. The former top prospect has struggled mightily this year, slashing an anemic .137/.279/.137 in 62 plate appearances. While his defensive versatility remains appealing, the ongoing failures at the plate have significantly clouded Profar’s future in Texas.

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