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West Notes: Dipoto, Richards, Cashner, Bush, Morse, Bradley

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Mark Feinsand of MLB.com provides an interesting interview with Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto that’s well worth a full read. The topics range from the impact of Statcast to Dipoto’s seemingly insatiable appetite for trades.

Here’s more from the game’s western divisions:

  • We checked in earlier tonight on Angels righty Garrett Richards, and there’s more news on that front. GM Billy Eppler says that the current concern is an ongoing lack of strength in Richards’s biceps, as Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links). Though cervical disc issues apparently aren’t at the root — an MRI came back clean — it seems that’ll need to be resolved before Richards can return to the hill.
  • The Rangers will finally get a chance to see what they have in righty Andrew Cashner. He’s slated to make his first start for the team tomorrow, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Cashner, who signed a one-year make-good deal over the winter, was set back by biceps tendinitis in camp.
  • There was other good news on the injury front for the Rangers. As Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes, key reliever Matt Bush could return to action as soon as this weekend. He has seemingly responded well to a cortisone shot in his shoulder, though the club is waiting a bit longer to make sure he’s pain free before putting him back on the rubber.
  • Giants outfielder Michael Morse is nearly ready to take the field at Triple-A after rehabbing his hamstring, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports on Twitter. Indeed, Morse may be prepared for MLB action in just ten days, per the report. It’s unclear as yet what San Francisco’s plans are for the veteran, but he’d clearly represent an alternative to Chris Marrero if the club decides to make a change. Though Marrero has had a productive game tonight, including his first big league homer, he has struggled out of the gates.
  • The Diamondbacks are still weighing just how to use Archie Bradley, who has shown resurgent form this year, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. Bradley’s outstanding early work from the bullpen — no runs, ten strikeouts, and just two walks over 6 2/3 frames — has manager Torey Lovullo wondering how best to maximize the former top starting prospect. For now, it seems, Bradley is likely to continue working as a longman, but the skipper suggested that the young righty could begin to enter in higher-leverage spots. It’s worth noting that Bradley is now averaging 95.7 mph with his fastball after sitting just over 92 in his prior two MLB campaigns, though of course that’s probably aided in part by his move to a relief role.

Would Carlos Correa Consider An Early-Career Extension?

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TODAY: Correa tells Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle that he wasn’t aware of his agent’s comments and provided a somewhat different outlook, noting that he’d be “more than glad to listen” if approached with an offer. While Correa said that he has an open mind, and emphasized that he isn’t focused on a long-term deal, he did suggest that there’s something of a time limit on his willingness to consider signing away free-agent years.

“I’m not shutting the door,” he said. “The price has got be right, you know what I mean? And it’s got to be early. Once I get to arbitration there’s no turning back.”

YESTERDAY: Carlos Correa “is never going to do an [early] multiyear contract,” agent Greg Genske tells Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. The 22-year-old, who has already established himself as a star, is instead content to go year to year for the time being. Indeed, a “friend” tells Heyman that Correa’s “mentality has always been that he’s going to play it out.”

The organization’s decision to renew Correa at the league minimum in each of the last two years probably doesn’t help things, but that doesn’t seem to be the main driver here. (Per Heyman, Houston was offering around $565K this year and might have gone a bit higher, but Correa was willing to take the hit rather than agreeing to a price tag with which he didn’t agree.) Instead, as Heyman notes, the fact that he has already lined up significant sponsorship deals helps ensure that there’ll be plenty of earnings even if he suffers an injury or surprising performance downturn.

It’s worth noting, too, that Correa took home a $4.8MM bonus when he was taken first overall in the 2012 draft, which means he had already locked up life-changing money before reaching the majors. And though he probably won’t reach arbitration eligibility until 2019 — with 1.119 years of service entering the year, he’s unlikely to qualify as a Super Two player next winter — his early performance levels all but assure he’ll be richly compensated from that point forward.

Perhaps it’s still possible that the sides could end up exploring an extension at some point in the future, when Correa reaches arbitration and begins nearing free agency. Whether or not the minor salary squabbles impact that remain to be seen, but in all likelihood future arb discussions will be of greater import. Most important of all, of course, will be the willingness of Correa to forego a chance to test the open market when he’ll be entering only his age-27 season in 2022.

For the time being, Correa and the ’Stros will continue to enjoy what has thus far been a highly productive relationship. Correa carried a .276/.354/.475 batting line with 42 home runs in just over one thousand plate appearances entering the current season, making him one of the best-hitting shortstops in all of baseball. While there’s currently a bumper crop of shortstops sprouting around the game, some of whom rate as more talented defenders, Correa is undeniably a top-quality all-around talent who rates as one of the best young players in baseball.

Injury Notes: Richards, Turner, Drew, Zych, Cishek, Price, Hill, Baez

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Angels righty Garrett Richards may be due for a longer DL stint than had first been expected, as Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports. Richards has yet to pick up a ball since going down with a biceps strain. Given the time he has already missed, and the lack of progress thus far, it seems increasingly likely that some kind of rehab stint could be required. There’ll no doubt be some added caution taken given that Richards is only just returning from a lengthy rehab of a UCL injury. The Halos are going with J.C. Ramirez in his stead; he’ll take the ball to start a game in the big leagues for the first time tonight, as J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register writes.

  • The Nationals are still waiting to determine a timeline for shortstop Trea Turner to return, as Byron Kerr of MASNsports.com writes. Manager Dusty Baker suggested that the club is willing to allow Turner plenty of rest to ensure that there isn’t a larger setback. The hope, though, is that it isn’t a significant injury. Of course, fellow infielder Stephen Drew — Turner’s would-be replacement — also went down with a hammy strain. He’s more or less in the same boat, it seems. “There’s no timetable,” said Drew. “But I’ll do the best I can to get back as soon as possible.” While it’s hardly the Nats’ preference, they’ll at least get a good look at youngster Wilmer Difo in the meantime.
  • Righty Tony Zych is back in action for the Mariners, with the club announcing he has been activated from the 10-day DL. Southpaw Dillon Overton is heading out on optional assignment to open a roster spot. Shoulder issues hampered Zych last year and forced him into surgery, but he’ll look to regain the excellent form he showed in 2015 — which would be quite welcome for a Seattle club that is off to a dreadful start. Meanwhile, Steve Cishek is nearing a rehab assignment and could be back in the majors, too, after he makes three or four appearances, MLB.com’s Greg Johns tweets.
  • The Red Sox are beginning to chart a course for lefty David Price, as Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com reports. It’s possible that Price could be ready to face live hitters in a few days, with a rehab assignment representing the next likely step. McCaffrey suggests that he’ll require at least four outings in the minors, meaning it could still be another month until Price is back in Boston.
  • Southpaw Rich Hill of the Dodgers is slated for a return on Sunday, as Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (via Twitter), the hope was that Hill’s blister wouldn’t prove too problematic during a pen session yesterday. It seems that he has come through unscathed, so he’ll step back into the rotation for L.A.
  • Meanwhile, the Dodgers have activated setup man Pedro Baez, who missed most of camp after being struck on the thumb by a batted ball. The 29-year-old righty continued to show swing-and-miss stuff last year, and somewhat quietly has compiled a 3.08 ERA over 149 MLB frames, with 9.7 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9, over his three years in the majors. Despite four strong appearances thus far (no runs on one hit and one walk with six strikeouts), Josh Fields is headed to Triple-A to make way for Baez.

Jon Gray Diagnosed With Stress Fracture

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7:22pm: Gray has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his foot, per manager Bud Black (via Groke, on Twitter). The right-hander is expected to miss at least a month of action.

6:09pm: The Rockies have placed top righty Jon Gray on the 10-day DL, as Nick Groke of the Denver Post reports on Twitter. Colorado also needed a replacement for outfielder Gerardo Parra, who’s on paternity leave, so both Raimel Tapia and Shane Carle have been recalled.

Gray has been dealing with an injury to his left big toe for some time. While there was some concern that he wouldn’t be ready to open the year, Gray nevertheless took the hill for Opening Day and made two more starts. But he left early in his most recent outing with an apparent recurrence of the injury.

[RELATED: Updated Rockies Depth Chart]

It’s still unclear just what is causing Gray to experience discomfort, Groke notes in another tweet. A prior MRI did not set off any alarm bells, but presumably he’ll now be reevaluated. With Chad Bettis likely out for the year, Colorado can ill afford much missed time from their best pitcher. But the club is also surely hoping that rest and a closer look will help the young righty get past the malady once and for all.

The 23-year-old Tapia, who is considered one of the organization’s top prospects, already received his first taste of the majors last year. He struggled in brief action, but hit well in his first attempt at the upper minors last year while also curbing what had been a growing strikeout problem. Tapia is off to a hot start in 2017, slashing .406/.472/.594 through seven games at Triple-A. Whether or not he’s slated for more than a fill-in appearance this time around remains to be seen.

Carle, 25, will get his first shot at the game’s highest level. He has typically pitched as a starter in the minors, but moved to a relief role in the Arizona Fall League and has been working from the pen at Albuquerque. His first two appearances haven’t gone very well, but Carle could help provide some innings as a long man or perhaps even a spot starter. For the time being, though, Chris Rusin will step into the rotation.

Blue Jays Select Chris Coghlan, Place Josh Donaldson On 10-Day DL, Designate Juan Graterol

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5:51pm: Catcher Juan Graterol has been designated to clear 40-man space, the club announced. Graterol was claimed just before camp and seemed slated to function as the third catcher. But the Jays recently added Luke Maile through a waiver claim, and he evidently stepped into the top spot on the minor-league depth chart.

3:00pm: The Blue Jays have selected the contract of veteran outfielder/infielder Chris Coghlan, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca first reported on Twitter. Coghlan would have been eligible to opt out of his deal at the end of the month, Davidi notes.

Unfortunately, the move was necessitated by the calf injury that felled star third baseman Josh Donaldson. He’s heading to the 10-day DL, though it seems the organization hopes that he won’t require an extended stint. Toronto will also need to clear a 40-man spot.

The Jays will hope that Coghlan can provide a boost against right-handed pitching, as he has done for much of his career. He became available when the Phillies cut him loose late in camp, after Coghlan reportedly declined to sign an advance consent waiver that would’ve allowed the Phils to avoid a full-season guarantee by trimming him from the roster within 45 days of the start of the season.

Instead, Coghlan headed to the open market and landed in Toronto on a new minors deal. The 31-year-old will look to pick up where he left off last year with the Cubs. He slashed .252/.491/.388 in 128 plate appearances with Chicago after struggling earlier in the season for the A’s.

Coghlan is best utilized as a platoon player, as his lifetime OPS splits (.766 vs. righties, .618 vs. lefties) would suggest. He does offer some defensive versatility, though, having lined up at second and third as well as his natural corner outfield in recent years.

Orioles Acquire Paul Fry For Int’l Pool Slot, Designate Parker Bridwell

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5:42pm: The teams have announced the deal, which sends an international signing bonus allocation — slot #105 of the 2016-17 period, which is worth $198K in spending capacity — to Seattle. Baltimore has designated righty Parker Bridwell to clear roster space.

5:25pm: The Orioles have acquired lefty Paul Fry from the Mariners, as Rich Dubroff of PressBoxOnline.com tweets. Fry, 24, was designated recently by Seattle.

Baltimore has continued to tweak its pitching mix of late, and now the organization has another optionable arm on hand. Fry spun 55 Triple-A frames of 2.78 ERA ball last year. Though he retired 10.6 batters per nine vi strikeout, he also permitted 5.1 free passes per nine on the year. Fry has yet to appear at the major league level.

James Kaprielian To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Prized Yankees prospect James Kaprielian is slated to undergo Tommy John surgery next week, per a club announcement. While the news is obviously a disappointment, it was perhaps the anticipated outcome at this stage.

Kaprielian, who was taken 16th overall in the 2015 draft, had already missed time with elbow issues early in his career. The former UCLA righty was limited to just 56 frames (including a fall league placement) in his first two seasons as a pro. When he experienced elbow discomfort again this spring, it was determined that the surgery was required.

There had been at least some hope that Kaprielian could contribute to the Yanks as soon as this year. Despite his limited action over the past two seasons, he impressed when he was on the hill, compiling an overall 2.89 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 since joining the organization.

Instead, Kaprielian will require a layoff that will likely extend into the beginning of the 2018 season. Though the organization will hope that he’ll progress as a pitcher even as he recovers, that extended delay is hardly a positive development. And while Kaprielian won’t be earning MLB service time during his layoff, his future now faces added uncertainty — though it still retains plenty of promise.

Entering the 2017 season, Kaprielian drew strong ratings from most major prospect analysts. Baseball America ranked him fifth in the Yankees organization, while MLB.com placed him just one spot lower on its list. Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs, who rated Kaprielian fourth among the club’s prospects, wrote that the youngster has an arsenal “approaching [that of] a top-of-the-rotation arm,” while noting that his ability to maintain his velocity and stay healthy remained major points in question.

Quick Hits: Gardenhire, Afterman, Loria, Arenado

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Diamondbacks bench coach Ron Gardenhire is slated to undergo surgery for prostate cancer next Tuesday, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes in an update on the former Twins skipper. As Nightengale writes, the bad news came at a particularly disappointing time for Gardenhire, given that he was returning from a layoff after leaving Minnesota. But he’s tackling the condition with typical form, as Nightengale writes. “Cancer is a big word, you know, but it’s been pretty special having so many people reach out,” says Gardenhire, who adds that he “can’t wait to sit in that dugout again.”

Here’s more from around the game:

  • ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand penned an interesting profile of Yankees assistant GM Jean Afterman, who is currently the only woman holding that position leaguewide. Afterman has a fascinating and varied background; she ultimately became a lawyer and later helped pioneer the movement of players from Japan to the majors. While Yankees GM credits her as a “pit bull” who could easily hold a position as his peer, she says she prefers to remain with the organization as an adviser. It’s a fun look at an interesting person that also tackles the ongoing question of whether the game can do more to grow the involvement of women in upper management.
  • In another profile, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com takes a look at controversial Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria as he reportedly prepares to sell his franchise. Crasnick examines some of the differing angles on Loria, focusing on his relationship with the tragically departed Jose Fernandez. Loria also defends his place in the game and discusses the possibility of taking an ambassadorship to France in a sit-down with Crasnick, which you’ll want to read for yourself.
  • Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado chatted with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who calls the star performer “one of the game’s most inquisitive superstars — if not the most inquisitive.” As he looks to build upon his standing as one of the game’s better all-around players, Arenado is described as constantly seeking to improve by interview subjects such as agent Joel Wolfe, former skipper Walt Weiss, and a variety of veteran players. Soon to turn 26, Arenado has compiled back-to-back forty-plus home run seasons, and also significantly boosted his walk rate last year while continuing to provide high-quality defensive work at third. Of course, his park-adjusted batting production suggests he has been more a very good than a great hitter to this point in his career, though he has improved at the plate in every season in the majors and could perhaps continue to do so if he can expand upon that growth in the plate-discipline department.

NL Central Notes: Schwarber, Thames, Cards’ Pen, Adams

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Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago tells the interesting tale of how Kyle Schwarber put himself on the Cubs’ radar — with a big assist from longtime scout Stan Zielinski, who unfortunately passed away recently. Zielinski drew quite a picture of Schwarber upon seeing him in person, invoking none other than Babe Ruth and calling Schwarber “the best college bat I’ve seen in a long time” — adding, “and remember I’m so old I’ve seen a lot of them.” It’s an interesting read that’s well worth your time.

Here’s more from the NL Central:

  • This profile of new Brewers slugger Eric Thames, from Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca, also merits a look this morning. Interestingly, as Nicholson-Smith writes and Thames explains, the 30-year-old has flattened his swing out since he last appeared in the majors. While there’s an increasing trend toward doing just the opposite to drive power enhancements, Thames engineered his return to the bigs by posting massive home run tallies in Korea.
  • The Cardinals aren’t denying that there’s a bit of worry with the early performance of their relief corps, as ESPN.com’s Mark Saxon reports. While the unit got the job done last night, Trevor Rosenthal — who was handed the ball in the eighth — was touched for three hits and a run while recording just one out. Closer Seung-hwan Oh and major free-agent signee Brett Cecil have each struggled through the season’s first nine games, among others. Short sample alarms are by now obviously blaring, and there’s not a whole that that could be done at this stage anyway. But that doesn’t mean the front office isn’t keeping an eye on the situation. “I’m concerned, but I also realize it is still too early to panic,” said GM John Mozeliak.
  • That’s not to say that the Cardinals aren’t open to trying things in hopes of jolting the club out of its uninspiring start. After all, lumbering first baseman Matt Adams has now seen 27 1/3 innings of action in left field — a decision that boosts the lineup but also comes with some tradeoffs. Matheny acknowledges as much, as Saxon further reports. “We’re going to get what we get out of a guy who hasn’t played a lot there,” Matheny said in discussing Adams’s transition to the grass. “We’ve seen opportunities to make an impact offensively and, right now, we need both.”

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