Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jazz Chisholm, Garrett Cooper Undergoing MRIs

By | at

July 19: Both Chisholm and Cooper are undergoing MRIs today, Wilson tweets. Manager Don Mattingly said simply that it “didn’t look good” for either player. Mish adds that he expects Chisholm to be placed on the injured list. The outlook on Cooper is not yet clear.

July 18: Two of the Marlins’ most prominent players made early exits from today’s 7-4 loss to the Phillies.  Jazz Chisholm Jr. suffered a left shoulder contusion in the first inning and had to leave the game, while Garrett Cooper departed in the eighth inning due to an elbow injury sustained after Travis Jankowski ran into Cooper’s arm during a play at first base.

Marlins skipper Don Mattingly told reporters (including Craig Mish and David Wilson of the Miami Herald) that both players will receive further testing, including an MRI for Cooper tomorrow.  A first set of x-rays on Chisholm’s shoulder didn’t reveal anything, which is a very good sign considering how much pain Chisholm was in after awkwardly landing on the field in his attempt to catch a Bryce Harper bloop single in right field.

Chisholm already spent a few weeks on the injured list this season due to a hamstring injury, and missed a few games but avoided another IL visit while battling through a bad ankle.  After a very hot start to the season, Chisholm has hit only .238/.293/.399 in 209 plate appearances since returning from the injured list on May 16, though he had started to swing the bat a little better over the last couple of weeks.

Overall, Chisholm hasn’t done anything to detract from his status as a building block piece for Miami, but naturally the team would love to see the 23-year-old shake the injury bug and continue to gain more experience (today was only Chisholm’s 91st career MLB game) in what is increasingly looking like a developmental year for the last-place Marlins.  Today’s loss dropped the Fish to a 40-53 record, and with 9.5 games between the Marlins and first place in the NL East, Miami looks like a team that will be in seller mode heading into the July 30 trade deadline.

To that end, Cooper stood out as a potential trade chip, provided he is healthy.  Cooper has quietly been a very productive player for the last three seasons, including a .282/.378/.463 slash line and nine homers in 251 PA in 2021.  Any number of contending teams could be interested in that type of offense from first base or right field, and Cooper is also both controllable (through 2023) and affordable, as he is owed roughly $748K for the remainder of this season.  Even a 10-day stint on the IL, however, could scuttle Cooper’s chances of being moved at the deadline, so the Marlins might have to wait until the offseason to possibly revisit the idea of trading the 30-year-old.

Marlins, Starling Marte End Extension Talks; At Least Three Teams Interested In Trades

By | at

Reports from earlier today indicated that Starling Marte rejected the Marlins’ offer of a three-year, $30MM contract extension, making it all the more likely that the outfielder would be dealt prior to the July 30 trade deadline.  Contract negotiations are now over between the two sides, according to The Miami Herald’s Craig Mish (Twitter links), as Marte didn’t want the talks to become a distraction for him as the second half of the season progresses.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter) adds the detail that the Marlins’ extension offer was greater than three years and $30MM, but regardless, it now seems that the team will focus on dealing Marte.  As one might expect, Marte is already drawing interest from multiple suitors, as Heyman writes that the Astros, Phillies, and Yankees are three of the teams who have been in touch with the Marlins about the former All-Star.

Marte would be an upgrade for just about any team, considering his impressive .288/.387/.443 slash line, seven home runs over 249 plate appearances this season (though Statcast hints at some regression).  In addition to his bat, the 32-year-old Marte also has 20 steals from 23 chances and he has displayed some impressive glovework in center field.

This is all music to the ears of outfield-needy teams like Houston, Philadelphia, and New York.  The Astros have gotten very solid results both offensively and defensively from Myles Straw and Chas McCormick up the middle, but there is no doubt Marte would represent a big upgrade.  For the Phillies and Yankees, center field has been a revolving door thanks to injuries.

In terms of contract, Marte is owed around $5.1MM of his original $12.5MM salary for the 2021 season.  This adds another wrinkle to the trade market, as Marte’s three known suitors are all very close to exceeding the $210MM Competitive Balance Tax threshold.  Marte alone could conceivably be added with a bit of maneuvering under the tax line, but that would eliminate pretty much all available payroll space for further trade needs like pitching.

Throughout the winter and into the season, the Yankees and Astros have in particular made several moves indicating that staying under the tax line (and avoiding an escalating repeater penalty) is a priority, though both Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and Astros GM James Click recently stated that they would go over the CBT line in the right circumstance.  The Phils have never exceeded the luxury tax line, but owner John Middleton has said in the past that he would also be willing to make a tax payment for a difference-making addition.

An argument can certainly be made that Marte is such an addition, though it is also possible that he could be acquired in a trade that wouldn’t require any CBT overage.  The Marlins could be more willing to eat most or all of Marte’s salary if they were offered higher-caliber prospects, though then it becomes a question of just how much prospect value any of the three teams would want to surrender for a rental player.  Marte could also be included as part of a larger trade package that might see multiple players swap clubs, with perhaps a larger contract sent back Miami’s way as some kind of salary offset.

Draft Signings: 7/18/21

By | at

Here’s the roundup of some of the latest prominent signings from this year’s draft class.  For more on the 2021 draft, check out the prospect rankings and scouting reports compiled by Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.  As well, here is MLB Pipeline’s breakdown of the slot values assigned to each pick in the first 10 rounds, as well as the bonus pool money available to all 30 teams.

  • The Diamondbacks signed second-round pick Ryan Bliss for a $1.25MM bonus, Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo reports (Twitter link).  This represents some noteworthy savings for Arizona’s draft pool, as the 42nd overall pick has an assigned slot price of $1,771,100.  A shortstop from Auburn, Bliss might move to second base in the pros, and he displayed a lot of contact skills at the plate while also flashing some added power potential this year.
  • The Yankees signed second-rounder Brendan Beck, with Collazo reporting that a $1.05MM bonus for the Stanford right-hander.  It’s another below-slot deal, as $1.307MM is the assigned price for the 56th overall selection.  Beck does a good job of mixing a four-pitch arsenal and he already has good command, and Baseball America feels Beck “projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter who has a chance to be more.”
  • The Orioles announced the signing of second-rounder Connor Norby on Friday, with The Baltimore Sun’s Jon Meoli reporting (via Twitter) that Norby received a $1.7MM bonus.  The 41st overall selection has a $1,813,500 assigned price, so Norby signed for slightly below slot.  Fangraphs and Keith Law each had the East Carolina second baseman ranked 25th on their boards, as Norby received praise for his well-rounded approach at the plate.

Reds To Place Michael Lorenzen On 10-Day Injured List

By | at

The Reds will place right-hander Michael Lorenzen on the 10-day injured list prior to tomorrow’s game against the Mets, Cincinnati manager David Bell told reporters (including The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans).  Lorenzen suffered a right hamstring strain while running the bases as an automatic runner in last night’s 7-4 extra-innings loss to the Brewers.

The severity of the strain isn’t known, though it’s still a terrible break for Lorenzen to again be sidelined after his very first game of the season.  Lorenzen suffered a shoulder strain during Spring Training that was slow to heal, and he spent the entire first half of the season on the IL.  In his first game back, he flashed his two-way skills by tossing a scoreless inning of relief and then moving to play right field for the next frame (he struck out in his lone plate appearance).

Lorenzen’s injury marks yet another setback for a Reds bullpen that has struggled all season, as Lorenzen’s return was seen as a big upgrade to the relief corps.  Cincinnati’s front office was likely going to pursue relievers at the trade deadline even with Lorenzen back and healthy, and the club’s search will only intensify now that the veteran will miss some more time.

In the bigger picture, Lorenzen’s hopes for a strong platform year in advance of free agency have taken another hit.  Heading into the season, Lorenzen was aiming to win a job in Cincinnati’s rotation to further enhance his future free agent value by re-establishing himself as a starting pitcher.  His bid was put on hold by his shoulder injury, of course, and the Reds planned to use him strictly as a reliever (and part-time outfielder for late-game maneuverability purposes) during the second half.  Should Lorenzen’s hamstring problem linger long enough that 2021 becomes something of a lost season for the right-hander, his hopes at landing even a multi-year deal could be in jeopardy, though he’ll certainly still get attention based on his solid track record prior to 2021.

Mets Place Francisco Lindor On 10-Day Injured List

By | at

4:37PM: Speaking to The Athletic’s Tim Britton and other reporters, Lindor said he has a Grade 2 oblique strain, and indicated that he’ll miss time well beyond the 10-day minimum.  “I would love to say I’m day-to-day but I’m not.  This is more like week-to-week at the beginning and we’ll see how I bounce back,” Lindor said.

3:24PM: Shortstop Francisco Lindor has been placed on the 10-day injured list, the Mets announced.  Lindor has been sidelined due to a right oblique strain, a day after he exited a game because of soreness in his side.  Infielder/outfielder Travis Blankenhorn has been called up from Triple-A to take Lindor’s spot on the active roster.

No announcement has yet been made about the severity of the strain, and given the timing, a more serious oblique issue could threaten the remainder of Lindor’s regular season, and perhaps into the postseason should the Mets reach the playoffs.  This is only the second time Lindor has been placed on the IL during his seven Major League seasons, as the shortstop’s durability has added to his status as one of the game’s better all-around players during that stretch.

Lindor’s first season in New York, however, has come with some difficulties.  After being acquired in a blockbuster trade from the Indians and then signing a whopping ten-year, $341MM contract extension, Lindor has begun his Mets tenure by hitting only .228/.326/.376 in 364 plate appearances.  This modest slash line represents a small step down from Lindor’s average numbers in his final season with the Indians — since the start of the 2020 campaign, Lindor has roughly a full season’s worth of playing time (630 PA, 148 games) and delivered an exactly average 100 wRC+ while hitting .241/.330/.393 with 19 home runs.

With an .821 OPS over his last 130 PA, Lindor was starting to heat up at the plate, which surely makes his injury all the more frustrating.  It also adds another layer of intrigue to the Mets’ trade deadline plans, since shortstop may become a need if Lindor is indeed facing a long absence.  New York was already rumored to be looking at such infielders as Kris Bryant and Asdrubal Cabrera to address a need at third base, and that search could potentially expand to such trade candidates as Trevor Story, Javier Baez, or Andrelton Simmons.  Jonathan Villar and Luis Guillorme are the in-house shortstop option, and Villar has been solid as the Mets’ regular third baseman this year.

Yankees’ Tim Locastro Suffers Torn ACL

By | at

Tim Locastro’s season is over after the Yankees outfielder suffered a torn ACL in tonight’s 3-1 win over the Red Sox.  Yankees manager Aaron Boone informed reporters of Locastro’s injury following the game.  In the first inning, Locastro made a running catch into the left field wall in foul ground to snag an Alex Verdugo fly ball, though he came up limping after the play was done.  Locastro stayed in the game for the inning’s final two outs, but was replaced in left field at the start of the second frame.

It’s an awful turn of events for Locastro, who was playing in just his ninth game with the Yankees (a home state team for the Syracuse native) since being dealt from the Diamondbacks on July 1.  The Yankees acquired Locastro to provide some outfield depth in the wake of injuries to Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier, but with Locastro now also heading to the injured list, the team will be further shorthanded.  New York is already missing several players due to both injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak, so another dip into the farm system will be required in the short term, and some reinforcements are even more necessary as the trade deadline approaches.

In the bigger picture, an ACL tear is particularly damaging for a player who relies on elite speed as his signature weapon.  Locastro hasn’t hit much over 503 career PA (in five Major League seasons with the Dodgers, D’Backs, and Yankees), but he earned a spot in the MLB record books earlier this season by becoming the first player in history to go a perfect 29-for-29 on the first 29 stolen base attempts of his career.  The streak finally ended when Locastro was caught stealing in a game against the Nationals on April 17, and in fact Locastro has been caught stealing in three of eight attempts this season.

Padres/Nationals Game Suspended Due To Shooting Outside Nationals Park

By | at

11:14PM: The police have released an update saying that three people were injured, rather than four.  All three received wounds that aren’t thought to be life-threatening.  (Details from Jesse Dougherty, Andrew Golden, and Clarence Williams of The Washington Post.)

9:50PM: Tonight’s game between the Padres and Nationals was suspended in the bottom of the sixth inning due to a shooting that took place near Nationals Park.  Gunshots from outside the park (near the third base gates) could be heard inside the ballpark, and stadium employees told The Washington Post’s Sam Fortier that the incident was a drive-by shooting.  According to the Washington D.C. Police Department (Twitter links), two people were shot, and “two additional victims associated with this incident walked into area hospitals for treatment of gunshot wounds.”

The sound of the gunshots brought play inside Nationals Park to a halt, and players and fans took shelter inside the dugouts and on the stadium concourses, while other fans rushed to exit the stadium.  Announcements were made over the public address system informing fans of the situation and asking everyone to remain in the park; after several minutes, fans were instructed to make an orderly exit out of the ballpark’s center field and right field gates.

The game will resume tomorrow at 12:05pm CT, with the Padres and Nationals finishing the final three innings before a break.  Sunday’s originally scheduled game (which had been set to start at 12:05PMCT) will then get underway.

Injury Updates: Betts, Castellanos, Kluber

By | at

Mookie Betts left tonight’s game due to right hip irritation, according to the Dodgers.  After hitting a double in the seventh inning, Betts came up limping, and the injury looked to have occurred while he was rounding first base.  The hip problem ruined what had been a banner night for Betts, as that was his third double as part of a 4-for-4 performance.

Betts is now hitting .271/.375/.503 over 373 plate appearances, as he has been red-hot over the last month following something of a slow start (by his standards) to the 2021 season.  Betts’ semi-struggles early could have been due to some minor injuries, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and other reporters that the hip problem has been one of Betts’ “nagging” issues.  Roberts plans to have Betts back in the lineup as early as Monday, when the Dodgers begin a key series with the arch-rival Giants.

More on other injury situations around baseball…

  • Reds slugger Nick Castellanos left Friday night’s game after being hit in the right wrist by an Adrian Houser pitch, and Castellanos also wasn’t in tonight’s lineup.  X-rays were negative on Castellanos’ wrist, though it seems like he might get at least a day or two off for further examination.  Castellanos has been one of baseball’s best hitters this season, batting .330/.384/.583 with 18 home runs over 367 PA, and Cincinnati’s pennant race hopes would be badly stung if Castellanos had to be placed on the IL for any amount of time.
  • Corey Kluber might throw a bullpen session this coming Friday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler).  A rotator cuff strain sidelined Kluber back on May 26, and while he was initially projected for an eight-week recovery period, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said last month that September might be Kluber’s likelier return date.  Given the long absence and the fact that Kluber missed almost all of the 2019-20 seasons due to injury, the veteran right-hander is likely to require multiple bullpen sessions and a minor league rehab assignment before he can get back on a big league mound, which could account for Cashman’s extended timeline.  That said, it is a good sign that Kluber is beginning to ramp up throwing activities now, so an August return might not be out of the question.  Over 53 1/3 innings prior to his rotator cuff strain, Kluber looked good in posting a 3.04 ERA, showing some flashes of his old Cy Young Award-winning form.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/17/2021

By | at

The latest minor league moves from around the sport…

  • The Red Sox outrighted Austin Brice to Triple-A Worcester after the reliever cleared waivers.  Brice was designated for assignment yesterday to create roster room for Jarren Duran’s promotion to the big leagues.  Since this is the second time Brice has been outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster this season, he had the option of opting for free agency, but the right-hander has apparently decided to remain with the Red Sox.  Over two seasons with the Sox, Brice has a 6.21 ERA over 33 1/3 innings.
  • The Red Sox have acquired right-hander Victor Santos from the Phillies, both teams announced.  The move officially completes the January trade that saw infielder C.J. Chatham dealt to Philadelphia way back in January.  Santos will report to Boston’s Double-A affiliate, and will change organizations less than a week after celebrating his 21st birthday.  The righty has looked good over 41 combined innings at high-A and Double-A ball this season, posting a 2.20 ERA and 24.24% strikeout rate while working exclusively as a starter in four Double-A outings.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top