Rockies’ Tyler Chatwood To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Rockies hurler Tyler Chatwood will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, reports Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Given the timing of the procedure, and the fact that Chatwood has already had a UCL replacement, it seems likely that he will miss all of next season.
Chatwood, still only 24, had a promising 2013 season, posting a 3.15 ERA in 20 starts with 5.3 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9. He had been expected to play a major role in the Colorado rotation this year. But, like several other members of the staff, Chatwood has instead missed most of the year due to injury.
The injury certainly has ramifications beyond the season for the Rockies. Chatwood is set to qualify for arbitration eligibility for the first time next year, and the club will have to decide whether to commit to him while he rehabs. Of course, returning from a second TJ procedure is generally a longer and riskier undertaking. While Chatwood has been out since April 29, Saunders explains that he had been working to rehab what was diagnosed as a right flexor strain and elbow inflammation.
Blue Jays Designate Deck McGuire For Assignment
The Blue Jays have designated righty Deck McGuire for assignment, the club announced via press release. The move creates roster space for the claim of Brad Mills.
McGuire, a 2010 first-round draft pick, had struggled in his first exposure to Triple-A at age 25, posting a 5.56 ERA in 55 innings with 6.2 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9. The promotion to the highest level of the minors came after McGuire posted a 2.98 ERA over 60 1/3 innings in his fourth go at Double-A.
Meanwhile, the Mills claim appears to be part of a larger shakeup for the Jays’ staff. Top prospect Aaron Sanchez has been shifted to the bullpen at Triple-A in apparent preparation for filling a pen slot at the major league level, tweets Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News (h/t to John Lott of the National Post).
Brewers Claim Irving Falu, Designate Kevin Shackelford
The Brewers have claimed infielder Irving Falu off waivers from the Padres, the club announced. Milwaukee designated righty Kevin Shackelford for assignment to create roster space.
Falu spent about three weeks in the San Diego organization after he was claimed from the Brewers in late June. Now, he’ll head back to Milwaukee, where he signed over the offseason after 11 seasons with the Royals. On the year, Falu has just three hits in 35 MLB plate appearances but owns a .306/.364/.361 triple-slash (with seven stolen bases against six unsuccessful attempts) over 170 trips to the plate at Triple-A. He’ll be headed back down, as the club announced that he has been optioned.
Shackleford, 25, made it onto the club’s 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. But after dominating High-A hitters earlier this year, he has struggled to a 6.35 ERA through 28 1/3 Double-A frames with just 3.2 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. (In 29 1/3 innings at the level last year, he managed a 0.92 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.)
Blue Jays Claim Brad Mills From Athletics
The Blue Jays have claimed lefty Brad Mills off waivers from the Athletics, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Mills was designated for assignment on July 7 to make room for trade acquisition Jason Hammel.
In his first MLB action since 2012, Mills allowed eight earned runs in 16 1/3 frames while striking out 14 batters and issuing seven free passes. Before his acquisition by Oakland, Mills had impressed at Triple-A for the Brewers, compiling 75 innings of 1.56 ERA ball with 9.2 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9.
Toronto does not have rotation space for the out-of-options Mills unless it sends one of its younger arms (Drew Hutchison or Marcus Stroman) to the pen or the minors or pushes out J.A. Happ (another lefty). The Jays could presumably utilize Mills in a relief role, though the club has enjoyed reasonably effective performances from fellow southpaws Aaron Loup (3.20 ERA) and Brett Cecil (3.68 ERA), the latter of whom is also out of options.
Trade Market For First Basemen
Last year’s first base market was a quiet one, with Justin Morneau the only true full-time option to change hands. Of course, he was not dealt until the end of August. Several other players that have logged some innings at first also were swapped, including Michael Morse, Alberto Callaspo, and Michael Young, but none spent significant time at the position for their new clubs in 2013.
Will this year see more sluggers join contenders? Classifying the potentially available first baggers poses something of a challenge, but let’s see who might be available:
Current Starters
Justin Morneau (Rockies), Allen Craig and Matt Adams (Cardinals), James Loney Rays), Garrett Jones (Marlins), Ryan Howard (Phillies), Carlos Pena (Rangers), Ike Davis and Gaby Sanchez (Pirates), Justin Smoak and Logan Morrison (Mariners), Yonder Alonso (Padres)
- Morneau could well become the most impactful first bagger to be dealt for a second consecutive year — if, that is, the Rockies are willing to move him. Owner Dick Monfort has expressed a general unwillingness to part with the club’s veterans, though the recently-signed Morneau has not been singled out as being off limits. The veteran owns an .846 OPS, by far his best mark since a concussion derailed his run as one of the game’s premier hitters back in 2010. He is only owed the remainder of a $5MM salary this year, and comes with a $6.75MM guarantee for 2015 along with a $9MM mutual buyout ($750K buyout) for 2016.
- Speculation has it that the Cardinals might consider moving one of the team’s two cost-controlled first base bats, owing in part to something of a roster logjam. Trouble is, Craig has stopped hitting (.648 OPS on the year) and the $26.5MM he is owed from 2015-18 (including a buyout of a $13MM option in the last season) no longer looks terribly appealing. The opposite is true of Adams, who owns an .876 OPS and will not even be arb-eligible until 2016, but surely St. Louis would hesitate to deal him for anything less than an impactful return in the midst of a pennant chase.
- Loney, who owns a .275/.333/.372 line midway through the first season of a three-year, $21MM pact, seems fairly unlikely to be dealt by the Rays. That is especially true given that the club is said to be disinclined to conduct a sell-off that might prevent it from contending next year (if not this season as well). On the other hand, if things go south over the next two weeks and the demand is there — or, perhaps, if the Rays add a younger, MLB-ready replacement through some other moves — a Loney deal is not out of the question.
- Even if the Marlins’ contention hopes appear to be fading somewhat, the club seems inclined to keep a competitive product on the field. That could make Jones unavailable, and he would generate limited interest regardless. Jones has been useful at the plate this year against righties (.806 OPS), though he hovers at replacement level as a full-time first baseman. He is owed $5MM next year, as well.
- Howard, meanwhile, has continued to fall off and now owns a .220/.300/.381 triple-slash that is by far the worst mark of his career. Though he could have some appeal as a platoon partner and bench bat, he is actually performing worse against righties than lefties at this point (.671 OPS vs. .711 OPS). More importantly, the $60MM guarantee left on his contract after this season serves as something of a deterrent, to say the least. Odds remain low that he will be dealt, for that reason, but surely Philadelphia would listen if any other club showed any interest in taking any part of that deal.
- Pena has been poor in his first 16 games with Texas (.136/.190/.237) after inking a mid-season minor league deal to fill in for the injured Prince Fielder and Mitch Moreland. But surely the Rangers would be willing to move him as a bench piece if he can elicit interest with a turnaround.
- Thus begins the slippery slope in identifying possible first base trade targets. (“Well, if we include him, then surely … .”) Not one of the remaining names listed carries an OPS of above .700, and none appear particularly likely to be dealt as things stand. But all have shown promise at times in the past, and depending upon how their teams proceed and view these players’ future prospects, it is not inconceivable that they could be moved.
DH/Nominal First Basemen
Adam Dunn (White Sox), Kendrys Morales (Twins), Billy Butler (Royals), Chris Carter (Astros)
While each of these players could conceivably take the field at first, any club acquiring them would hope to keep them in batting gloves. The first three all appear somewhat over-paid for their current production levels, though Dunn (.798 OPS, $15MM annual salary) has at least been hitting, Morales (.582, $12MM) could be expected to improve after his late start to the year, and Butler (.679, $8MM plus $1MM buyout for 2015) is the cheapest of the trio and might offer a hint of upside through his deal’s $12.5MM club option if he has a big second half. (Of course, it remains to be seen whether Kansas City will be interested in dealing a one-time core player, but otherwise the price should be low to acquire one of these established bats.) Then, there is Carter, set to qualify for Super Two in his age-28 season, whose immense power (.465 slugging, 18 home runs) is as tantalizing as his whiff rate is discouraging (.281 OBP, 32.7% K%).
Buy-Low Candidates/Reserves/Bench Bats
Jesus Montero (Mariners), Mike Carp (Red Sox), Chris Colabello (Twins), Chris Parmelee (Twins), John Mayberry Jr. (Phillies), Tyler Moore (Nationals)
As with several players bunched at the end of the “current starters” category, many of these players fall in a grey area between intriguing former prospect and decent bench bat. Those currently playing on winning clubs might conceivably be included in a minor deal for a contender looking to add a reliever or more versatile bench piece, or as part of a larger swap. The others could present some appeal for teams hoping to add pop off the bench or take a chance on a future turnaround. (All the players listed here have multiple seasons of control remaining, though Carp, Parmelee, and Mayberry are already out of options.)
NL Notes: Papelbon, Mets, Cubs
Here’s the latest out of the National League:
- The Dodgers could potentially look to acquire Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, according to a tweet from Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. A source tells Saxon that he expects Los Angeles to pursue the 33-year-old righty, who is carrying a 1.21 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9 in his third year in Philly. Long considered one of the worst contracts in baseball, Papelbon’s deal is actually looking less onerous as he continues to produce results and its timeline shortens. On top of his $13MM salary this season, Papelbon is owed $13MM next year and comes with a vesting option at that same rate for 2016. The option would become guaranteed if he finishes 55 games next year or 100 total between 2014-15. He has topped 50 games finished in each of the last seven years and is on pace to do so once again.
- Did the Mets waste star third baseman David Wright‘s best years? That is the question posed by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who notes that the 31-year-old has battled injuries and is hitting well off of his career pace even after a hot streak. Though the club’s young talent has real promise of delivering a rebound for the franchise, Sherman wonders if everything will congeal while Wright is still a top-end contributor.
- For that reason and many others, Mets GM Sandy Alderson finds himself in something of a delicate position heading out of the All-Star break, as David Lennon of Newsday writes. While the club has pulled itself into shouting distance of the post-season picture, neither does it look like a prime time to buy. Selling players like Daniel Murphy and Bartolo Colon would not only run some public relations and attendance risks, but could lessen the club’s chances in 2015. On the other hand, standing pat might mean foregoing an opportunity to bolster the team’s talent base and opening payroll space for the coming offseason.
- While the Cubs appear to have a surplus of top position prospects, along with a few talented younger bats at the MLB level, that does not mean that there is any rush to move pieces around, writes Dave Cameron of Fangraphs. Not all prospects transition to the big leagues, of course, and in any event most of the team’s better pre-major league pieces appear to offer sufficient positional flexibility that Chicago will have plenty of options in the unlikely event that they all pan out.
Minor Moves: Mitch Lively, Hector Gimenez, Ryan Verdugo
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- Righty Mitch Lively has opted out of his contract with the Giants and inked a minor league deal with the Nationals, reports Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (Twitter links). He can opt out of his new contract on September 1, Cotillo adds. The 28-year-old had spent virtually all of his career in San Francisco, though he has yet to make a big league appearance. He began working as a starter last year after six years throwing exclusively from the pen. At Triple-A this season, Lively owns a 5.08 ERA through 90 1/3 frames (including 15 starts and seven relief appearances), with 8.0 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9.
- The Brewers have signed catcher Hector Gimenez after his recent release by the Blue Jays, tweets Cotillo. The 31-year-old switch-hitter has seen only limited MLB action, but has been fairly productive in the upper minors in recent years. That has not held in 2014, however: in 127 plate appearances with Jays and White Sox affiliates, he owns a .177/.260/.292 triple-slash.
- The Red Sox have acquired lefty Ryan Verdugo from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations, Kansas City announced on Twitter. The 27-year-old has only one MLB start under his belt — it did not go well — and has spent most of the last four seasons in the upper minors. Through 46 2/3 frames over 9 starts this year, he owns a 4.24 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9.
Bowden On Price, Hamels, Byrd, Angels, A’s, Reds, More
ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden (Insider subscription required and recommended) offers a bounty of information on the trade market as we draw to within two weeks of the deadline. While you’ll want to give the piece a full read, here are some of the many highlights:
- The Rays are in no hurry to deal ace David Price, and some possible trade partners increasingly believe that he will not change hands before the deadline. The club still wants to see if a post-season run remains possible; though the club sits 9.5 games back at the break, the division does still look somewhat vulnerable. If Tampa does look to move Price, arguably the best potential trade chip in baseball, it will demand more in return than the Cubs received for Jeff Samardzija — who, you may recall, was the key piece in a package that brought back one of the game’s elite prospects in Addison Russell. Needless to say, Price is a rare commodity, especially given his additional season of control, and his potential absence from the market (combined with the A’s early strike for two other top starters) could have interesting repercussions.
- One player whose trade attention would potentially rise if Price stays put is Cole Hamels of the Phillies, who of course has plenty of value regardless. Bowden says that GMs around the league get the sense that Philadelphia will be very hesitant to move their star lefty, however. (Fellow top southpaw Cliff Lee, meanwhile, looks more and more a potential August trade piece.)
- Ultimately, while the Phillies will not conduct a true fire sale, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has indicated through conversations with his peers that the club is prepared to sell. Outfielder Marlon Byrd is the most likely to go, says Bowden, though his contract presents some complications. While the Mariners are interested in him, Bowden says that the recent free agent signee will ask that the club guarantee his $8MM option for 2016, which Seattle is not currently willing to do. The Royals could also make sense as a partner, but also appear on Byrd’s four-team no-trade list and do not want to take on that level of mid-term commitment. It would appear that Byrd’s representatives at ACES advised their client well in selecting the relatively paltry number of teams to which he could refuse a trade.
- Angels owner Arte Moreno has enabled GM Jerry Dipoto to be aggressive in trade talks, says Bowden. In addition to Huston Street and Ian Kennedy (read more on them here), the Halos have asked the Padres about righty Tyson Ross, though the Super Two hurler is unlikely to be moved. Indeed, now in the midst of his second consecutive season of high-end production, the 27-year-old starter (and his three remaining years of control) would require a significant return.
- The Athletics remain aggressive on the second base market, with GM Billy Beane also said to be exploring more creative means of improving his club. Oakland is not inclined to deal away shortstop prospect Daniel Robertson after moving their top prospect, says Bowden, with the club’s internal evaluators believing that he could have as much future value as the more-hyped Russell.
- The Reds are still looking to add a hitter, with Ben Zobrist of the Rays making a perfect match on paper given his positional flexibility and the club’s current injury situation. (Of course, the same could be said of several other clubs.) With Josh Willingham of the Twins set to hit free agency, he has also been looked at by Cincinnati.
- Bowden provides several other interesting notes. Among them: the Braves have canvassed the market for a southpaw reliever and could be interested in James Russell of the Cubs and Oliver Perez of the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers will likely add a starter. The Cardinals are planning to scout Twins‘ catcher Kurt Suzuki as they assess things behind the plate. And the Giants remain interested in a second base addition in the event that Marco Scutaro cannot stay healthy and productive.
Red Sox Release A.J. Pierzynski
JULY 16: The Red Sox announced that they have released Pierzyski.
JULY 9: The Red Sox are set to designate catcher A.J. Pierzynski for assignment, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The 37-year-old veteran signed a one-year, $8.25MM deal to join Boston over the past offseason.
Needless to say, things did not work out as hoped for the club or the player. Pierzynski owns a .254/.286/.348 line through 274 plate appearances with just four home runs. He had produced at a .275/.311/.462 clip with 44 total long balls over the 2012-13 campaigns.
The veteran could still hold appeal to clubs looking for options behind the dish. As MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently explored, the trade market includes relatively few available, attractive veteran backstops. Unless the Sox can find a taker for some of his remaining salary, they will eat the approximately $3.6MM left on Pierzynski’s contract.
Parting with Pierzynski could well be the first step towards at least a partial break-up of a Red Sox team that has fallen well off its World Series from of a year ago. Sitting 10 and a half games out of the division lead, the Red Sox will give a chance to youngster Christian Vazquez, who will learn on the job with help from veteran backup David Ross.
In an appearance on WEEI radio (Twitter links via WEEI.com’s Alex Speier), manager John Farrell confirmed that the club is aiming for something of a youth movement. “We’re turning the page in terms of investing in young players,” he said. Indeed, Vazquez will be one of five rookies in the lineup card for the club tonight, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal tweets.
NL Notes: Mets, Colon, Murphy, Greinke, Fedde
The National League representative in the World Series will cede the right to home-field advantage as a result of tonight’s All-Star game, which the American League took 5-3. Here’s the latest out of the NL:
- The Mets still do not know whether they attempt to acquire a bat at the trade deadline, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). Of course, that would presumably also require a decision that the team will pursue contention; New York is seven games back in the NL East at the break.
- If, instead, the Mets turn into sellers, one name that has drawn some attention is hurler Bartolo Colon, but Puma reports that the club has not yet received interest in the veteran righty. The 41-year-old owns a 3.99 ERA with 6.6 K/9 against just 1.3 BB/9 through 121 2/3 innings. He is playing on a $9MM salary this year and is guaranteed $11MM for 2015.
- Another popular name in trade circles is Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy, who also has been rumored as an extension candidate as he enters his final season of arbitration eligibility. Murphy says that the team has not yet engaged him in extension talks, reports Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (via Twitter). At age 29, Murphy owns a .294/.342/.413 batting line with seven long balls and 11 stolen bases.
- Dodgers starter Zack Greinke says that he will be paying close attention to the coming free agent market as he assesses whether to exercise his opt-out clause after the 2015 season, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. “What happens with [Jon] Lester and [Max] Scherzer will say a lot,” said Greinke. Though the righty notes that salaries seem to still be on the rise, he also says that he is aware of the fact that teams tend to be “paying more for future performance” than past results. As Shaikin notes, Greinke will have the right to choose between another bout of free agency and the $71MM over three years that he’ll have left on his deal otherwise.
- One notable recent draftee that has yet to sign is Nationals first-rounder Erick Fedde, who fell to the 18th slot (with its $2,145,600 bonus allocation) after undergoing Tommy John surgery. As Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports, there is a growing belief that a deal might not get done. Like several other recent Nats choices whose signings have come down to the wire, Fedde is a client of agent Scott Boras. The high-upside righty wants $3MM, says Kilgore, which he was apparently told he could get by teams picking after Washington. The collegiate junior is said to believe he could still land that level of bonus next year; as Kilgore notes, he will not throw a pitch in the meantime regardless.
- Per the MLB.com draft signing tracker, Washington has saved a total of $358.2K on its remaining selections from the first ten rounds, with second-rounder Andrew Suarez ($987.8K slot) and ninth-rounder Austin Byler ($145.9K slot) still unsigned, and the latter reportedly unlikely to do so. By my math, assuming the Nats sign Suarez at slot value but cannot ink Byler, they could chip in an additional $278,990 (5% above total slot for signed players, which comes with a 75% overage tax) before hitting penalties that would require the sacrifice of a first-round pick next year. Added to the other savings and Fedde’s own slot allocation, that would mean D.C. could pay Fedde as much as $2,782,790.