Neil Walker Diagnosed With Herniated Disk
3:24pm: Surgery is an option for Walker, despite Alderson’s optimism, Collins told reporters (Twitter links via DiComo). Collins added that the Mets don’t want to put Walker in the lineup until receiving a second opinion on his back (via ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin). And, even if Walker does continue to play for the remainder of the season, Collins stated that Walker would “probably not” be able to play on an everyday basis.
12:21pm: The specific injury that has limited Mets second baseman Neil Walker is a herniated disk in his back, Mets GM Sandy Alderson told reporters including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). Alderson reiterated that Walker can play through the injury, which he painted as being somewhat less serious than it had seemed yesterday after comments from manager Terry Collins.
Walker seems to be experiencing problems most directly to his lower body, with the disk issue causing some weakness in his foot per ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin. That’s something that the veteran has dealt with previously, but he will nonetheless be pursuing a second opinion.
At this point, then, it’s not entirely clear how the problem will impact Walker down the stretch and in his upcoming free agency case. New York’s acquisition of Walker looks even better in retrospect than it did at the time, and he has set himself up for a nice payday with a high-powered season at the plate. But teams weighing lengthy commitments will surely be watching closely to see whether the herniated disk hampers him over the next several weeks.
Jonathan Papelbon Will Not Sign Before Postseason Deadline
Veteran reliever Jonathan Papelbon will not reach a deal today with the Red Sox or any other organization, according to WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. As a result, he will not be eligible to appear on a postseason roster.
That decision makes it seem all but certain that Papelbon will not look to pitch again this season. The long-time closer is known as a fiery competitor, and it is hard to imagine he’d go through the process of trying to ramp back up without the potential for suiting up in the playoffs.
Whether or not Papelbon will seek to make a comeback in the future remains to be seen. We haven’t heard any suggestion that he is mulling retirement, of course, but there is now at least an open question. After all, Boston and other organizations did express real interest in picking up the 35-year-old after he was cut loose by the Nationals earlier this month.
Reactions To The Tim Tebow Workout
Tim Tebow’s baseball workout drew plenty of attention yesterday, and it wasn’t solely from the media. It is fair to note that 28 teams were represented by scouts, with several sending rather high-level personnel to have a look. Only the Cubs and Athletics ultimately did not put eyes on the college football great, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Even if a lack of alternative scouting opportunities and sheer intrigue had a role in that tally, it seems clear there was some genuine interest in seeing how the former quarterback looked in a baseball uniform — even at 29 years of age.
Here are a few sources of information if you’re curious how things went:
- From an athletic perspective, Tebow looked to be in fantastic shape and put up a strong time in the 60-yard dash. But one scout’s overall impression was that Tebow seemed more like “an actor trying to portray a baseball player” than a budding talent, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). As Josh Peter of USA Today further reports, the Heisman winner flashed a slightly below-average arm, though some viewed him as an approximately average potential defender in the outfield after watching his full fielding workout.
- The raw power that Tebow displayed seemingly raised the most eyebrows. One scout actually gave it a top-of-class 80 grade, per Taylor Blake Ward of Scout (Twitter links). Another classed it more modestly at a 65, which is still quite impressive, though that second source noted that the pop might only play at a 55 level.
- Pure power is certainly an intriguing commodity, standing alone, particularly in an otherwise athletic player. But the biggest question will be whether it can translate one day to major league pitching, especially given Tebow’s long layoff from hitting and his extremely advanced age for a potential prospect. As Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post reports, the overall view of scouts ranged from relatively positive — “he’s definitely intriguing,” said one — to downright laughable — one said flatly that “he sucked.” But those who took a close look seemingly witnessed both the potential and the areas of concern, including whether his “grooved swing” and overly-muscular frame would allow the power stroke to come through in game action.
- Tebow’s representatives at CAA said that five or six clubs engaged with Tebow directly after the workout, as Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. While that suggests some genuine interest, there was also reason to be skeptical. The long balls that the hulking slugger drove during BP didn’t quite continue when he faced live pitching, scouts noted to Davidoff — who says the scene actually became a bit awkward as it unfolded. Tebow’s agents hope that he’ll sign in time to participate in fall instructional league, with an Arizona Fall League or perhaps a winter ball appearance to follow. But it remains to be seen whether Tebow would be deemed ready for that level of competition.
Kurt Suzuki Unlikely To Be Traded
The interest around the league in Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki is “muted at best,” Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports (Twitter links). It seems rather unlikely, then, that he’ll end up joining a new organization today, before the deadline for teams to add postseason-eligible players.
While Suzuki has produced a roughly league-average batting line (.275/.318/.417), which is quite good for a catcher, we’ve heard mention on several occasions about increasing concerns with his work behind the dish. That may help explain the lack of interest in the veteran, who has helped teams fill needs down the stretch in years past.
Suzuki has cleared waivers, so he can be traded freely. But that has been the case for some time. A few contenders have gone on to add different backstops while others are, perhaps, satisfied with what they have on hand. “It would take an injury to create any kind of market,” a source tells Berardino.
Suzuki is owed $1.05MM from the start of September to year’s end, by Berardino’s calculations, which is a fairly modest but not inconsequential sum. His vesting option is no longer a consideration, so that isn’t a hindrance. Even if Minnesota finds a surprise, late-breaking taker, the report suggests that the team would anticipate only a minimal return — perhaps largely consisting of some salary relief.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/31/16
Let’s catch up on some minor moves from yesterday:
- The Orioles have outrighted both outfielder Julio Borbon and righty Logan Ondrusek to Double-A, per a team announcement. The 30-year-old Borbon has not seen extensive major league time since playing a big role on the 2010 Rangers, but he offers a left-handed-hitting center field option that could come in handy given the injury concerns surrounding Adam Jones. Ondrusek, 31, came over from Japan in a surprising recent move, but has struggled through 6 1/3 innings with Baltimore. Still, he’ll provide some depth down the stretch should a need arise.
- Outfielder Alex Presley has accepted a Triple-A assignment with the Tigers after clearing waivers, John Wagner of the Toledo Blade reports on Twitter. Presley was designated for assignment recently, but the opportunity remains for him to play a role at the major league level late this year, especially with Cameron Maybin now dealing with another thumb problem.
- The Tigers also announced that the club purchased the contract of infielder/outfielder JaCoby Jones. Acquired in the deal that sent Joakim Soria to the Pirates last summer, Jones has struggled for most of the year at Triple-A. Over his 324 plate appearances in his first trip to the highest level of the minors, Jones owns a .243/.309/.356 slash with 11 steals. He’ll provide some versatility in Detroit, though, as the 24-year-old has spent time at both third base and center field this year.
- The Mariners have outrighted righty Jarrett Grube off of the 40-man roster, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported on Twitter. He had already been pitching at Triple-A, and the team did not announce a corresponding move, but the transaction will open a fresh major league spot. That may ultimately be filled by fellow righty Evan Scribner, who is expected to be activated soon from the 60-day DL, per Bob Dutton of the Seattle times (via Twitter). As for Grube — who is in something of an unusual position as a 34-year-old who has just one MLB appearance under his belt — he’ll return to pitching at the highest level of the minors, where he owns a 4.13 ERA over 113 1/3 innings on the year.
Yasiel Puig Claimed On Revocable Waivers; Likelihood Of Deal Unknown
9:40pm: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (via Twitter) that the White Sox attempted to claim Puig, but he did not make it to them on waivers. That would indicate that either a National League team or one of the few American League teams with a worse record than the ChiSox won the claim. Factoring in previous reports that the Marlins and Braves didn’t make the claim, the team that claimed Puig is one of the Angels, Athletics, Rays, Twins, Cubs, Nationals, Dodgers, Giants, Cardinals, Pirates, Mets, Rockies, Phillies, Brewers, Reds, Padres or D-backs. While that’s clearly an enormous slate of teams, Nightengale’s report does at least eliminate roughly a third of the teams in baseball as a possibility.
4:47pm: Neither the Braves nor the Marlins made the claim, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter) and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
4:05pm: Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig has been claimed on revocable waivers, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports on Twitter. It is not yet clear what organization placed the winning waiver claim — National League clubs would have priority, by inverse order of record — or whether there is any serious possibility of a transaction being worked out.
Los Angeles can, of course, simply allow the claiming team to assume Puig’s contract. Despite his struggles of late, however, it’s hard to imagine that taking place — particularly since the remaining amounts he is guaranteed ($6.5MM in 2017 and $7.5MM in 2018) represent a relative drop in the bucket for the Dodgers.
If anything, L.A. has proven more willing to spend top dollar on risky talent than have other organizations. Though the team’s up-and-down ride with Puig may have impacted its stance on the enigmatic Cuban star, he has done things at the major league level that most players can only dream of.
Puig was one of the best players in baseball in 2013 and 2014, and entered his age-24 campaign like one of the most valuable assets in the game. But he wasn’t quite up to his usual standard in 2015 and fell off even further this year. Since the start of 2016, he has accumulated 303 plate appearances of .260/.320/.386 hitting, thus earning a demotion to Triple-A.
Still, the talented 25-year-old retains plenty of appeal and looks like an intriguing upside play, especially since he is raking and drawing good marks for his clubhouse presence at the highest level of the minors. That he was claimed proves that other organizations aren’t afraid to roll the dice, but the Dodgers won’t likely give those rights away freely. We’ve heard suggestions that the team may yet call him back in September, or otherwise delay trade talks until the offseason, and there’s no indication as yet that a late-breaking August trade is particularly likely.
Rays Release Desmond Jennings
AUG. 30: Jennings has now cleared release waivers and is officially a free agent, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
AUG. 27: Tampa Bay has officially released Jennings, according to Bill Chastain of MLB.com.
AUG. 26: The Rays will release veteran outfielder Desmond Jennings tomorrow, the club has announced. He had been on the 15-day DL with a knee injury.
This isn’t the first time that Jennings has succumbed to leg problems. The 29-year-old was shelved earlier this year with a hamstring strain and underwent surgery last year on his left knee.
Injuries have coincided with a rather notable decline in performance of late, and Jennings no longer profiles as the quality everyday player he once was. Between 2011 and 2014, he contributed nearly 2,000 plate appearances of .249/.327/.402 hitting while swatting 47 home runs and stealing 86 bases. In the two seasons since, Jennings owns a .222/.295/.347 batting line with eight long balls and seven swiped bags in only 333 turns at the plate.
Jennings was earning $3.3MM in his second season of arbitration eligibility. Even if he catches on with another organization and makes it back to the majors this year, Tampa Bay will remain on the hook for the remainder of that less a pro-rated portion of the league minimum salary. Jennings profiled as a likely non-tender candidate at year end, but will instead hit the open market a bit early.
While there’s obviously plenty of reason for pessimism with regards to Jennings’s future in the game, there are still some positives. Defensive Runs Saved rates him as a quality defender, though that assessment wasn’t shared by UZR. And Jennings is still relatively youthful, as he won’t turn 30 until October. Clubs looking for a bounceback candidate or fourth outfielder will surely consider him this winter, at least assuming he is able to show that he’s back to full health.
Pirates, Yankees Complete Ivan Nova Trade
The Pirates and Yankes have completed the mid-summer swap that sent Ivan Nova to Pittsburgh, per an announcement. Outfielder Tito Polo and lefty Stephen Tarpley are headed to New York in the swap as the players to be named later.
As MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth recently examined, Nova has been every bit the buy-low, bounceback candidate that the Bucs hoped he would be. Over five starts since coming to Pittsburgh, the 29-year-old has posted a 2.87 ERA over 31 1/3 frames with 22 strikeouts against one solitary walk. Pittsburgh will only get to enjoy the fruits of the turnaround for the next month, as Nova is set to hit the open market after the season, but he has helped keep the club in contention.
In return for Nova, the Bucs will end up parting with a reasonably interesting pair of young players, both of whom cracked MLB.com’s most recent top thirty organizational prospect list. Polo, who just turned 22, cruised through the Class A level but has seen his power dissipate over 247 plate appearances at High-A (.276/.351/.346). The 23-year-old Tarpley — a 2013 third-rounder who came to the Pirates in the deal that sent Travis Snider to the Orioles — has spent the entire year at the High-A level, posting a 4.32 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 over 100 innings.
Latest On Neil Walker, Steven Matz Injuries
The Mets revealed a double dose of negative injury news today, with manager Terry Collins updating the health of second baseman Neil Walker and lefty Steven Matz.
Walker, it seems, has a fairly significant back issue that will need to be carefully managed for the rest of the season, Collins told reporters including Marc Carig of Newsday (via Twitter). The skipper declined to specify the precise issue, but suggested both that Walker will need regular time off and that it’s a matter of at least some long-term concern (via Mike Puma of the New York Post, on Twitter).
That’s pretty awful news both for the club and for Walker, who is a free agent after the season. The 30-year-old has been excellent in New York, slashing .282/.347/.476 over 458 plate appearances, and seemed primed to receive and decline a qualifying offer en route to a nice free agent payday. Instead, there’s now serious (albeit still largely-unknown) concern about his condition.
It’s a similar story with regard to Matz, who has suffered a setback in his effort to work back from shoulder issues. The problem isn’t believed to be a structural issue or major long-term issue, but Collins acknowledges that he’s concerned the young southpaw won’t be able to return in 2016, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets.
The 25-year-old Matz has been excellent when healthy, pitching to a 3.16 ERA over 168 frames since reaching the majors last year. But he has battled through lat, elbow, and shoulder issues already in his brief MLB career.
MLBTR Live Chat: 8/30/16
Click here to read a transcript of today’s MLBTR live chat with host Jeff Todd.