Latest On A-Rod’s Plans For The Future
Just-released slugger Alex Rodriguez has already announced that he won’t play with a team other than the Yankees in 2016, but it is still unclear whether he’ll look to suit up again in the future. While there’s nothing official, and plenty of time remains for him to change his mind, A-Rod has told friends that he’s done playing, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag.
The 41-year-old, who is among the most productive players in major league history, hasn’t yet had much time to digest his time away from the game. New York cut him loose five days ago after a mini-farewell tour of sorts.
Despite a remarkable bounceback season in 2015, coming on the heels of a highly publicized PED suspension, Rodriguez hadn’t managed to stay productive in his age-40 campaign. Over his 243 plate appearances, he carried a weak .200/.247/.351 batting line while exclusively appearing in the DH spot (up until the final inning of his tenure in New York).
Part of the severance included a deal that will make Rodriguez a special instructor and adviser next year. That doesn’t mean, though, that the organization would get in the way of him joining another team in a playing capacity. Owner Hal Steinbrenner says that it’s “a very flexible situation.”
Whether or not another team would have serious interest also remains to be seen, but it can’t be forgotten that Rodriguez posted a .250/.356/.486 slash just last year. He also contributed 33 home runs in the 2015 season, so he’s not far removed from showing serious pop.
One club that has been mentioned with some interest is the Marlins, and Heyman says the team did at least have some internal dialogue on the possibility of bringing in the hometown star. But Marlins president David Samson tamped down the concept in comments to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Samson downplayed the reports as the product of Rodriguez’s geographic ties to the Miami area. Of course, given his defensive limitations at this stage of his career, the former shortstop and third baseman would seem best suited to play in the American League if he ends up deciding to make a return endeavor.
Mid-Season Prospect Call-Ups Impacting The Post-Season Race
We may never again see anything quite like last year’s incredible series of prospect promotions, which dramatically changed the post-season picture. Players including Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Kyle Schwarber, Miguel Sano, Steven Matz, Michael Conforto, Luis Severino, Stephen Piscotty and Joe Ross all made major contributions to contending teams — though all of their clubs didn’t ultimately qualify for the postseason.
While a repeat would be asking too much, there are many freshly-promoted youngsters who are increasingly critical to their teams’ hopes of advancing. In some cases, there was at least some pre-season expectation of such a development. In others, it has been more of a pleasant surprise. But these teams are benefiting by relatively late promotions from within, which also means that these players likely won’t end up qualifying for an extra year of arbitration via Super Two status.
Here are the prospects called up in mid-summer who have already begun shaping the still-developing post-season picture in 2016. (To draw some somewhat arbitrary cut-offs, we’ll only look at players who were promoted in June or later, and only include teams that are currently above .500.)
Trea Turner, IF/OF, Nationals — We always knew that Turner was likely to crack the majors this year, but we didn’t know he’d do so while playing just two innings (to date) at shortstop. Turner has seen action in center and, especially, second base — where he has been excellent — and now seems ensconced atop the Nats’ lineup with an excellent .314/.341/.525 batting line, three home runs, and a dozen steals. He’s not alone in receiving important mid-season calls from the Nats, who have also asked for contributions from highly-regarded young players like Wilmer Difo, Brian Goodwin, Reynaldo Lopez, and Lucas Giolito.
Willson Contreras, C, Cubs — As if the Cubbies needed the boost, Contreras has been a force since coming up, running up a double-digit walk rate while slashing .266/.354/.444 with seven home runs over 192 plate appearances. Not only that, he’s contributing in the corner outfield while also playing well behind the plate when he’s tasked with handling the staff. Given last year’s star youngster, it’s tempting to view Contreras as something like Kyle Schwarber 2.0, with less bat but more defensive capabilities.
Jameson Taillon, SP, Pirates — Taillon is showing the polish of a veteran craftsman, not a major league rookie who hadn’t pitched competitively since 2013 heading into the season. Over his 66 frames through 11 starts, he carries a sturdy 3.00 ERA with 7.1 K/9 against 1.2 BB/9 to go with a 53.8% groundball rate. That’s exactly what the Bucs’ rotation needed.
Click below for the remainder of the players.
Latest On Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-jin Ryu
The Dodgers received mixed news on two key starting pitching injury situations today, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times was among those to report (links to Twitter). While Clayton Kershaw is making some positive progress, per manager Dave Roberts, fellow southpaw Hyun-jin Ryu is likely done for the year.
Kershaw, who led the N.L. in ERA in four of the last five years and is doing so again this season, is ready for a bullpen session on Saturday. That’s certainly a good sign, as the southpaw had been working only off of flat ground. Kershaw has been out since late June with a back injury, with his initial attempt at a return pushed back when the problem flared up.
To call Kershaw’s injury situation a difference-making factor in the NL West race (and, thereafter, the post-season) would surely be an understatement. He had already racked up 121 innings of 1.79 ERA pitching over 16 starts, with 10.8 K/9 against 0.7 BB/9, somehow improving over his already best-in-class track record. Anything close to Kershaw’s typical production would provide a huge boon to L.A. down the stretch.
Things are somewhat more concerning with regard to Ryu, with Roberts suggesting he doesn’t foresee a return in 2016. The 29-year-old did make it back to the majors for the first time since 2014 earlier this summer, but was bombed in his only appearance and promptly slotted back onto the injured list.
Shoulder and (more recently) elbow issues are eating up some of the prime years of Ryu’s career. Los Angeles has probably already received fair value on its six-year, $36MM commitment to Ryu, given his outstanding first two campaigns. But for the deal to turn back into the screaming value it once was, the Korean hurler will need to return to health.
The remaining contract — which guarantees Ryu $14MM over two years — may or may not prove to be beneficial to L.A. But that would be a paltry sum if he can return to being even a merely solid MLB starter, and it’s obviously far too soon to lose hope. Ryu did finally return to the big league mound, with his average fastball in his lone outing clocking just one mile per hour lower than his career average. And it is worth noting that he managed 23 strikeouts against just a single walk over his eight rehab starts, so he it would appear that he has not lost his impeccable command.
MLBTR Live Chat: 8/18/16
Click here to read a transcript of today’s live MLBTR chat with host Jeff Todd.
Latest On Jonathan Papelbon
Former Nationals reliever Jonathan Papelbon remains unsigned, though he hasn’t been on the open market for long and is still assessing his options. While a near-term signing may still be anticipated, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com notes on Twitter that the veteran’s timetable for joining a new organization appears to have shifted back somewhat.
One team that will not be considering the former star closer is the Rangers. According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, via Twitter, Texas has no interest whatsoever.
The Red Sox, though, continue to be linked to a pitcher who made his name in Boston. As Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports, GM Mike Hazen told WEEI’s Lou Merloni and Mike Mutnansky that the club is “just kind of in a wait-and-see” situation after having expressed interest.
Hazen did note that the Sox are looking at ways to bolster their pen, with the idea being to build as much depth as possible. It has seemingly been tough going on the fickle August trade market, making the freely-available Papelbon a more appealing target.
Though questions have understandably been raised not only as to Papelbon’s effectiveness but also whether he’d be a good clubhouse presence, his former employers and teammates haven’t shied away. After a previous statements of support from Cubs lefty Jon Lester, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz says that his former teammate would be a welcome addition, as ESPN.com’s Scott Lauber writes.
MLBTR Mailbag: Mariners, Padres, Braves, White Sox
Thanks to everyone who wrote in with questions. We aren’t able to get to them all, but remember that you can also join one of our three weekly chats — Jason Martinez kicked off his first session this evening, while Steve runs Tuesdays and I have Thursdays (all at 2pm CST) — to try again.
On to this week’s questions:
The Mariners are making a big push, but I feel they could still use outfield help, a shortstop, and another starting pitcher. What might they do in the next two weeks? — Nick G.
That’s quite a wish list! Most every contending team could still stand to improve, but it takes greater creativity in the month of August. While Seattle made a good effort to upgrade at short by adding Zack Cozart, that’s a tough player to get (reasonable salary, future control) this time of year. The situation is somewhat different now, as the M’s are in good position with their recent play, but it’s unlikely they’ll be able to address all three areas you cite.
GM Jerry Dipoto should be willing to consider opportunities anywhere in those three spots, and I’d also suggest that first base is at least as worthwhile an area to target. That may sound like a cop-out, but the fact is there isn’t a totally clear problem with a ready solution. Jamex Paxton shouldn’t be out for long and Taijuan Walker remains a high-upside option in the staff, and it’s probably not realistic to think a higher-octane arm can be found. Short is still ripe for short-term improvement (at least by supplementing Ketel Marte), but where will it come from? Cozart will be hard logistically, Erick Aybar was already dealt, Jed Lowrie is out for the year, and Yunel Escobar hasn’t played there in years. The outfield mix isn’t perfect, but it’s functional and flexible. Then, there’s the Adam Lind/Dae-ho Lee platoon, which has been a below-replacement-level unit but perhaps is better than the results.
Given that there probably isn’t a need or an opportunity to go get a single player who takes over full-time at a single position, perhaps the M’s can instead seek a more flexible piece. Someone like Danny Valencia of the division-rival A’s might be a sensible target, as he’d add another weapon with the bat while offering the ability to play the corner infield or outfield (albeit not very well).
[Related: Mariners Depth Chart]
How come after the Padres made all those trades to make room for Austin Hedges, Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot they are still in the minors? — Anonymous
In a way, San Diego’s activity has been about clearing the deck for players like those you mentioned, though the greater motivation was to move salary and pick up some new talent. To the extent that the Pads were opening opportunity, though, it didn’t need to go to those specific pieces right off of the bat.
In a way, perhaps, San Diego has less cause to see what it has in those guys than it does the slightly older ones who are playing in the majors right now. GM A.J. Preller added many of them himself in recent years, and seems interested in giving them a full look at the game’s highest level before deciding how the roster will change this winter. Christian Bethancourt, Alex Dickerson, Ryan Schimpf, Jabari Blash, and Travis Jankowski won’t ultimately block the development of Hedges, Renfroe, and Margot, but San Diego won’t know if they’re worth keeping if they don’t see extended action.
Some or all of your trio ought to make it up in the coming weeks, but there’s no real rush. None have yet completed a full season at Triple-A, and all have elements of their game still to be ironed out. Holding them down now also limits their accumulation of service time, which increases the team’s opportunities to add an extra year of control down the line.
[Related: Padres Depth Chart]
While it took longer than expected, Braves did the unthinkable and traded off Erick Aybar. Given the injuries to outfielders across baseball right now, do you see an opportunity for another August trade? — Mike G.
Both Jeff Francoeur and Nick Markakis are among the more likely trade candidates in the game this month — both landed on MLBTR’s recent top twenty list. Both players are eminently tradeable, both because of their waiver situation (Francoeur cleared, while Markakis surely has or will) and Atlanta’s general situation. With Matt Kemp joining Ender Inciarte and Mallex Smith as future options, and with a coming free agent market offering a variety of new possibilities, there’s no reason to think that the Braves need to keep either of those veterans.
That being said, there’s no guarantee that either or both will move. Francoeur is carrying a .251/.293/.389 slash with typically heavy platoon splits, so he’d represent something like a fifth outfield option for a contender that could use a right-handed bat. Markakis is in the same general situation but hits from the left side and is a better hitter — though he’s really a league-average bat as an everyday player. In his case, though, working out the salary (another $21MM over the next two years) makes things tricky.
Demand will play a role, as you rightly suggest, but that all depends upon how contending teams’ front offices feel about these particular players, neither of whom looks to be more than a bench piece for a team with designs on the post-season.
[Related: Braves Depth Chart]
What should the White Sox be doing this offseason? I feel a lot of changes coming with the coaching staff and as much as it pains me to say, I think it’s time to hop on the rebuild train. — Ryan
Chicago didn’t elect to pull the trigger on any significant deadline deals, but you’re right that the team could still do so this winter. The team certainly has something to offer in quite a few areas.
Chris Sale and Jose Quintanta, especially, would surely draw immense interest given a coming market that’s largely devoid of high-end starting pitching. Todd Frazier, Brett Lawrie, and Melky Cabrera represent quality (albeit expensive) one-year rental position players, while David Robertson could make sense as a two-year piece for the right club. Then there’s Adam Eaton and Jose Abreu, each of whom could be pursued — especially the former.
That’s quite a few pieces to move — and quite a few quality assets for a big-market team that probably doesn’t wish to embark upon a full rebuild. It’s a tough spot, though, because there isn’t a ton of payroll flexibility. The South Siders already have $74MM and change committed for 2017 and will approach $100MM with arbitration raises. And going for it next year would probably mean adding at least one outfielder, another bat, and a catcher while also bolstering the pitching staff. With a payroll that typically resides in the $115MM to $120MM range, that could mean taking some chances on non-premium veterans — which is precisely the strategy that has failed to pan out in recent years.
All things considered, it’s hard to say what the Sox “should” do. Certainly, it makes sense to explore whether a targeted trade or two might add multiple talented players who are at or near MLB readiness without crippling the ability to contend in the near-term. But that would require at least a partial break-up of the current core and may be a half-measure. Otherwise, both of the more committing options in the buy/rebuild poles carry serious downside. One suspects that this is precisely the internal debate currently being had in the Chicago front office.
[Related: White Sox Depth Chart]
Tigers Sign Pedro Ciriaco
The Tigers have signed infielder Pedro Ciriaco to a minor league deal, as Evan Woodberry of MLive.com tweeted earlier today. The 30-year-old was released recently by the Marlins.
Ciriaco represents another infield option for the injury-addled Tigers, who also just acquired Erick Aybar from the Braves. He could well play a niche role for Detroit down the stretch once rosters expand at the start of September, as both his glove and his baserunning have typically drawn good reviews.
The Tigers won’t be expecting much out of Ciriaco at the plate, though. He owns a .256/.282/.302 batting line over 273 plate appearances on the year at Triple-A with the Rangers and Marlins organizations. And he has slashed only .268/.294/.368 over his 649 trips to the dish at the major league level over parts of six seasons.
Sammy Solis, Joe Smith, Lucas Harrell Placed On 15-Day DL
We have already covered several notable injury situations this evening, though none have clear implications for the August trade market. But several other recently-arising health issues could well tie into the transactional world over the next two weeks. August 31st represents the deadline for teams to add players to their organization in order for them to be eligible for post-season play, and several teams could now potentially have added motivation to look into the always-complicated revocable waiver market.
- The Nationals announced today that southpaw Sammy Solis is headed to the 15-day DL with shoulder inflammation, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports. Soreness and a velocity decline led the team to take a closer look at Solis, who previously missed time with a knee injury. The Nats’ pen is pressed at the moment, though rookie Koda Glover was recalled to provide a fresh arm. Still, he doesn’t throw from the left side, leaving only the scuffling Oliver Perez as a southpaw option at present. With Felipe Rivero traded away in the Mark Melancon deal, Washington’s depth in that area isn’t quite what it was, and it is possible to imagine the club hunting for an option via trade.
[Related: Updated Nationals Depth Chart]
- The Cubs have placed righty reliever Joe Smith on the 15-day DL with a hamstring strain, as Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts and MLBTR tweeted earlier. That’s doubly concerning because Smith missed time earlier this year with the same injury. He had been acquired at the deadline in hopes that he’d bolster Chicago’s setup ranks, but the 32-year-old has surrendered three earned runs just one strikeout against four walks in his six appearances with his new club. Fellow righty Trevor Cahill will stay on the roster after coming back from the DL as the 26th man for yesterday’s doubleheader, but he may be needed in the rotation if John Lackey requires his own time away for injury. With Pedro Strop also sidelined at present, there’s an argument to be made that Chicago ought to look around for another righty.
[Related: Updated Cubs Depth Chart]
- Rangers righty Lucas Harrell will head out for his own DL stint after suffering a strained groin. The club has called up fellow right-hander Nick Martinez to fill the void, and Derek Holland still seems to be nearing a return, but the loss of Harrell takes away another depth option from a Texas rotation that is thinner than the team would probably prefer. After all, the Rangers pursued all manner of starting pitching upgrades before the deadline, but ultimately backed away after adding only the innings-eating Harrell. Whether or not the club rejoins that effort remains to be seen, but there was already reason to believe that the Rangers would look at adding arms during August.
[Related: Updated Rangers Depth Chart]
Astros Release Prospect Danry Vasquez After Domestic Violence Suspension
The Astros have released prospect Danry Vasquez this evening, with the team’s announcement coming right on the heels of a league announcement that he has been suspended indefinitely. Vasquez was arrested after allegedly striking his girlfriend at the stadium of the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks.
Vasquez, 22, signed with the Tigers as an international free agent, and ended up being dealt to Houston in the 2013 Jose Veras trade. The outfielder had been seen as a legitimate prospect, though he was left unprotected and went unclaimed in last December’s Rule 5 draft and was struggling in his first action in the upper minors this year.
The league was able to move much more quickly with regard to Vasquez than it has several major league players. Because he was not on the 40-man roster, Vasquez is not represented by the MLB Player’s Association and lacks many of the protections available to the other players suspended recently — all of whom agreed to accept punishment after at least some negotiation with the commissioner’s office.
Zack Wheeler Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
5:47pm: Wheeler has a mild flexor strain, Mike Puma of the New York Post was among those to tweet. He won’t throw for two more weeks, which would make a return this season appear to be rather unlikely since he’ll still require a full ramp-up from that point. Of course, if the Mets make it into the post-season then Wheeler could theoretically be in play, but it remains to be seen how the organization will approach things given his somewhat uneven TJ recovery and future importance to the team.
3:41pm: Mets righty Zack Wheeler visited Dr. James Andrews recently after experiencing discomfort in his right elbow, which carries a newly-installed ulnar collateral ligament. Fortunately, the examination revealed “nothing devastating” about the 26-year-old’s arm health, per ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin (Twitter link).
While it seems that we’ll need to await further details on just what Andrews advised, the preliminary news suggests that the scariest possibilities aren’t on the table at this point. Perhaps the worst outcome would be the need for another new UCL, but while that always remains a threat to any pitcher, it appears that Wheeler doesn’t have cause to fear a re-started recovery process.
At the same time, there still doesn’t appear to be much hope that Wheeler will make it back to the big league mound this year. Given the starts and stops he has experienced already, the more likely scenario might involve some fall or winter appearances in hopes that he can ramp back up next spring.
Wheeler owns a 3.50 ERA in 285 1/3 career innings, making him one of the more promising young starters in baseball. But he hasn’t thrown a big league frame since 2014, despite once seeming on track to return in the middle of the current campaign.