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AL West Notes: Springer, Iwakuma, Meyer

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Some injury updates from around the AL West…

  • George Springer will be in the Astros’ starting lineup tomorrow, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle).  The outfielder made his return to the field today with a pinch-hit appearance, marking Springer’s first action after missing Houston’s previous six games due to an injury to his left quad.  Between the quad problem and a DL stint due to a left thumb sprain, Springer has only appeared in four games since August 5, one of several injury absences that has contributed to the Astros’ narrowed lead over Oakland in the AL West race.  Even before the injuries, however, Springer was stuck in a protracted slump; he has only a .201/.304/.346 slash line over his last 272 plate appearances.
  • Hisashi Iwakuma pitched his first inning of the 2018 season, allowing one run on two hits during the frame as he began an A-ball rehab assignment (hat tip to MLB.com’s Jake Rill).  It was Iwakuma’s first action of any kind since a minor league start in June 2017, as shoulder problems limited him to six Major League starts in 2017 and have continued to keep him sidelined all of this year, despite his undergoing arthroscopic surgery last September.  If Iwakuma can stay healthy, Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto has suggested that the veteran righty could see some action in Seattle’s bullpen before the season is out.
  • Angels right-hander Alex Meyer recently received a cortisone shot in his bothersome throwing shoulder, GM Billy Eppler told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register and other reporters.  Despite this setback in Meyer’s lengthy recovery from shoulder surgery, he is expected to resume throwing in a few days’ time.  Meyer underwent the procedure to fix his torn shoulder labrum last September, and wasn’t expected to return until the 2019 season, so this setback doesn’t necessarily hint at larger problems for the 28-year-old as he tries to resume his career.

Nationals Notes: Herrera, Harper, Trades

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Kelvin Herrera had to be removed from the field on a cart after suffering a potentially serious left foot injury in the ninth inning of the Nationals’ 15-0 win over the Mets today.  Herrera took a bad step while fielding a ground ball, and fell down on the ground after completing the out at first base.  Manager Davey Martinez told MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman and other reporters that Herrera’s foot was the issue, not the right-hander’s Achilles.  Results aren’t yet known from x-rays taken on Herrera after the game, though he was seen in the clubhouse on crutches and wearing a protective boot.  Herrera ranked sixth on MLBTR’s recent list of the top 20 August trade candidates, though today’s unfortunate news may make it unlikely that Herrera returns to the field at all this season.  [UPDATE: X-rays were negative, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reports.  Herrera will undergo further tests tomorrow to check for any ligament damage.)

Here’s more D.C. baseball chatter…

  • Reports indicated that the Dodgers’ claim of Bryce Harper was meant to block other NL contenders from obtaining the star outfielder, though ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that the Dodgers “also placed some expensive veterans on the waiver wire” when they put in their claim for Harper.  Clearly, L.A. had to prepare itself for the possibility, however remote, that the Nationals might’ve simply let Harper go on waivers without a trade, which would’ve left the Dodgers over the luxury tax threshold.  Since the Nats seemingly had no intention of parting ways with Harper, though, it ended up being a moot point.  While it isn’t unusual for teams to put most, or even all, of their players on waivers as a matter of procedure in August, it is interesting to speculate who the Dodgers could’ve tried to deal or simply let walk on a waiver claim if they had been forced to make room for Harper — Yasiel Puig or the slumping Matt Kemp come to mind, given that Harper would’ve stepped into an everyday outfield role.
  • Also from Olney’s column, he takes a broader look at the Nationals’ disappointing season, and speculates about the club’s unusual transaction strategy over the last month.  If the Nats weren’t going to sell at the trade deadline, it would’ve made more sense for Washington to buy, particularly to address a bullpen that has been a season-long issue.  When the team did decide to sell (i.e. the trades of Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams), rival executives were reportedly curious about the timing, since there’s still time before August 31 and the Nationals aren’t totally out of the race.  Beyond the past month, however, Olney also believes the Nats have a bigger-picture issue to solve, as “it would be helpful if they work to figure out why so many players have left the organization speaking of an unusual and sometimes counterproductive clubhouse culture.”

Diamondbacks Notes: Buchholz, Perez, Defense

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Here’s the latest from the Diamondbacks, who are clinging to a half-game lead over the Rockies in the NL West…

  • Clay Buchholz didn’t want to sign a minor league contract last offseason, though the righty tells Fangraphs’ David Laurila that the experience ended up being “a restart” for him, leading to his eventual revival with the D’Backs.  “I swallowed my pride and did that [pitch in the minors] for a little bit. It was for the best, because it helped me get to where I’m at now,” Buchholz said.  “It feels good to be able to go out there and throw without anything going on, mentally or physically.”  Buchholz initially signed a minors deal with the Royals but was released before pitching for the big league team, only to sign another minor league contract with Arizona and emerge as a big piece of the Diamondbacks’ rotation.  In 73 innings for the D’Backs this season, Buchholz has a 2.47 ERA, 3.81 K/BB rate, and a 7.5 K/9.
  • Rookie catcher Michael Perez has made a strong first impression with the Rays after being traded from Arizona to Tampa as part of the Matt Andriese deal, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  The seeds of the trade were planted in the offseason when Rays scouts became impressed by Perez while examining the Diamondbacks’ system in preparation for the three-team deal that sent Steven Souza Jr. to Arizona and Brandon Drury to the Yankees.  “We were fortunate he was in a position where he was blocked by three catchers there in the big leagues….In a lot of organizations he may have had more of an opportunity than he had at the time in Arizona,” Rays pro scouting director Kevin Ibach said.
  • Excellent glovework has been an underrated part of Arizona’s success this year, as Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan notes that the Diamondbacks have the best overall defense of any team in baseball.  D’Backs pitchers and catchers rank first in the league in combined UZR and Defensive Runs Saved, while their infielders and catchers are also near the top of the list.

White Sox To Promote Michael Kopech

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The White Sox will promote top pitching prospect Michael Kopech on Tuesday, the team announced on its official Twitter feed.  The 22-year-old right-hander will make his Major League debut in a start against the Twins.

Picked 33rd overall by the Red Sox in the 2014 draft, Kopech was already considered one of the game’s top young arms when Boston dealt him as part of the blockbuster prospect package sent to Chicago in exchange for ace southpaw Chris Sale in December 2016.  Kopech made his Double-A and Triple-A debuts in the White Sox farm system, and he has posted a 3.63 ERA, 11.9 K/9, and 2.88 K/BB rate over 141 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level.

Those numbers also include some control issues, such as a 4.3 BB/9 this season, and Kopech’s 2018 season has been marred by a few rough outings.  Kopech recently discussed his year with The Athletic’s James Fegan, which has seen him deal with some off-the-field tragedy while also working on such mechanical issues as a new grip for his changeup, and a slower delivery.  His delivery was cited as a concern in scouting reports from both MLB.com and Baseball America, with BA noting that Kopech’s delivery is a reason for “his below-average command and control.”

Still, despite these issues, both MLB.com and Baseball America ranked Kopech as the 13th-best prospect in baseball due to his massive potential.  (Fangraphs also had him 16th on their updated top-100 prospect rankings, with ESPN’s Keith Law ranking Kopech 11th and Baseball Prospectus ranking him 17th in their preseason top-100 lists.)  If Kopech is able to refine his changeup, it would be his third pitch to go along with a slider that MLB.com calls a “plus-plus offering as its best,” as well as Kopech’s signature pitch, a blazing fastball.  Kopech has cracked triple digits with his heater and regularly throws it in the 96-99mph range.

Kopech has long been considered one of the jewels of the White Sox rebuild, and the decision to promote him at this point means that he’ll get an audition towards becoming a regular rotation member in 2019.  With Kopech now reaching the big leagues, it only creates more anticipation towards the potential debut of Chicago’s top prospect, slugger Eloy Jimenez.

NL Central Links: Hamels, Schoop, Aguilar, Reds

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Some items from the NL Central…

  • Cole Hamels has been nothing short of excellent since joining the Cubs, posting a microscopic 0.72 ERA over his first 25 innings with the team.  With Hamels pitching like an ace again, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News wonders if this could bode well for the Rangers, as Texas wouldn’t be on the hook for the $6MM buyout of Hamels’ $20MM option for 2019 if Chicago decided to exercise that option.  There are some complications, Grant notes, as the Cubs may not want to spend that much on a pitcher who turns 35 in December, no matter how well Hamels performs down the stretch.  The Cubs already have quite a bit of money tied up in their rotation, and keeping Hamels would put them in danger of surpassing the luxury tax threshold (MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes has written in the past about the Cubs’ strange reluctance incur a tax penalty, despite the relatively meager financial cost they’d face as “a first-time payor.”)
  • “There are rumblings that the Brewers will try to flip” Jonathan Schoop after the season, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes.  If a trade partner can’t be found, Milwaukee might just non-tender Schoop.  The middle infielder earned $8.5MM this season and, despite his struggles, will be due a raise in 2019 in his third and final year of arbitration eligibility.  Schoop has posted just a .384 OPS over 50 PA this joining the Brewers, and he has only started two of Milwaukee’s last five games.  Barring a turn-around, it’s hard to see Schoop generating much interest on the trade front.
  • After being designated for assignment by the Indians in the 2016-17 offseason, Jesus Aguilar told Tyler Kepner of the New York Times that he considered leaving MLB due to overseas interest.  “I even was thinking about Korea and Japan,” Aguilar said. “When they put me on waivers, my agent was talking to me: ’They got people there. They want me there, too.’ ” This career crossroads ended when Aguilar was claimed by the Brewers, and the first baseman blossomed after receiving more playing time, hitting .280/.366/.579 with 29 homers and a league-best 89 RBI over 413 plate appearances this season.
  • The Reds’ recent front office shuffle was likely due to the team’s lack of recent success at developing pitchers and finding international prospects, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes.  While the Reds signed Aroldis Chapman and Raisel Iglesias out of Cuba, they haven’t had a real find in the Dominican or Venezuelan player markets since Johnny Cueto back in 2004, which Fay argues could stem from parting ways with scout Johnny Almaraz in 2007.  (Almarez has since gone on to become the Phillies’ director of amateur scouting.)

Blue Jays Place Marcus Stroman On 10-Day DL

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The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Marcus Stroman has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a blister on his right middle finger.  Right-hander Justin Shafer had his contract selected from Triple-A while Aaron Sanchez was shifted to the 60-day DL (retroactive to June 22) to create a 40-man spot for Shafer.  Left-hander Thomas Pannone was also recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, with righty Luis Santos going down to Buffalo in a corresponding move.

Though this is the first time the problem has forced Stroman to the DL, he has been bothered by blister issues dating back to last season, and Stroman had been particularly hampered by the blister over his last few starts.  His outing against the Yankees yesterday was cut short after just four innings, and finally necessitated a DL stint to fully rest and treat the bothersome finger.

The blister is the latest setback in what has become a lost season for Stroman (and the Jays as a whole).  The righty looked to have emerged as a frontline starter after an outstanding 2017 campaign, but Stroman battled shoulder problems in Spring Training and got off to a rough start in 2018 before eventually landing on the disabled list to address his shoulder issues.  He has been decent, if inconsistent, since returning from the DL, posting a 3.84 ERA over 63 1/3 innings.

All told, Stroman has delivered just a 5.27 ERA, 6.8 K/9, and 2.11 K/BB rate over 100 2/3 frames this season.  ERA predictors (3.92 FIP, 3.80 xFIP, 4.02 SIERA) paint a more favorable view of his performance, and it’s worth noting that the Jays’ poor infield defense is a particular impediment to a groundball-inducing pitcher like Stroman, who has a 62.4% grounder rate this season.  Stroman’s contact rates are up, however, from his 2017 totals, and his .324 wOBA is actually outperforming his .332 xwOBA, so it’s more than just bad luck that has led to his struggles.

Pannone will take Stroman’s spot in the rotation and will start for Toronto on Wednesday against Baltimore.  The 24-year-old made his big league debut earlier this season out of the Blue Jays’ bullpen, tossing three innings over three games.  Shafer will also be getting his first taste of MLB action, after tossing 358 2/3 innings in the minors since being taken by the Jays in the eighth round of the 2014 draft.  Shafer has pitched exclusively as a reliever over the last two seasons, and he has posted a 1.55 ERA, 1.94 K/BB rate, 7.3 K/9 and zero home runs allowed over 40 2/3 IP at the Triple-A level.

Logan Forsythe Clears Revocable Trade Waivers

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Twins second baseman Logan Forsythe has cleared revocable trade waivers and can now be freely dealt to any team, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports.  This means that all 29 other teams passed on claiming Forsythe during the August waiver period.

It isn’t much of a surprise that Forsythe went unclaimed, as Minnesota might have simply let the claiming team take the infielder off their roster entirely.  Forsythe’s inclusion in the deadline day trade of Brian Dozier to the Dodgers was largely just to help offset salaries, so the Twins could have just taken the opportunity to save themselves the roughly $2.1MM still owed to Forsythe for the remainder of the season.

Since coming to Minnesota, however, Forsythe has gained some trade value (as well as helped his offseason free agent stock) thanks to a major hot streak.  The 31-year-old is batting .379/.429/.448 with four doubles over 63 PA in a Twins uniform, and while it’s obviously too early to draw a conclusion from such a small sample size, it certainly looks as if Forsythe is benefiting from a change of scenery.  He was, after all, a solidly above-average hitter in 2015 and 2016 when playing for the Rays, and only ran into struggles after being traded to Los Angeles.

Forsythe has mostly played as a second baseman during his career, though he has also seen significant time at third base and started a handful of games at first base, shortstop and both corner outfield spots.  This versatility and a possibly-revived bat make him an interesting potential addition for several contenders down the stretch.  Olney suggests the Indians as a team that could have interest, as Cleveland could deploy Forsythe at second and then use Jason Kipnis to address its lack of outfield depth.

Twins Place Ervin Santana On 10-Day DL

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10:54AM: Twins manager Paul Molitor told Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press (Twitter links) and other reporters that a new recovery plan for Santana will emerge after he visits a hand specialist on Tuesday.  “I don’t know when the next time he’s going to pitch will be,” Molitor said, in regards to the possibility of Santana being shut down for the season.

10:11AM: The Twins placed right-hander Ervin Santana on the 10-day disabled list due to “reoccurring symptoms related to his original injury to his third finger MCP joint on his right hand.”  Santana’s roster spot will be taken by outfielder Robbie Grossman, who was activated from the DL after missing time due to a hamstring strain.  The team also announced that outfielder Johnny Field was optioned to Triple-A, while righty Alan Busenitz was called up.

Santana underwent surgery on his finger in February and, after a much lengthier-than-expected rehab period, only made his season debut on July 25.  Some good performances might have made Santana into a trade candidate during the August waiver period, though the veteran righty didn’t look sharp in any of his outings, posting an 8.03 ERA and 5.8 K/9 over 24 2/3 innings, while allowing a whopping nine home runs in that brief stretch.  Given today’s news, it’s fair to assume that Santana’s struggles were due in part to continued issues with his finger.

With only six weeks remaining on the schedule, the Twins could potentially just shut Santana down for the remainder of the season.  That also creates the possibility that Santana has pitched his last game for the franchise, as it seems unlikely that Minnesota would exercise its $14MM club option on Santana for 2019 given his disastrous 2018 campaign.  The Twins could decline the option and then look to re-sign Santana at a lower salary, though several teams could be interested in such a buy-low arrangement with a pitcher who is less than a year removed from a seventh-place finish in AL Cy Young voting.

Heyman’s Latest: Mets, Alderson, Didi, Gallo

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While Mets owner Fred Wilpon would reportedly prefer to hire a general manager from a more traditional scouting background, Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman hears that team COO Jeff Wilpon could prefer a GM in the younger, analytics-based mold.  Essentially, the Mets’ search is still in its very early stages, so it isn’t clear what type of executive the club will ultimately pursue.  For instance, Heyman reports that the Mets have interest in Astros assistant GM Mike Elias and former Brewers and Rangers general manager Doug Melvin, who each respectively represent the new-school and old-school approaches.  It’s also possible the team could end up hiring from within after all, giving the job to longtime assistant GM John Ricco or special assistant (and former general manager) Omar Minaya.

Here’s more from Heyman, via his weekly roundup of baseball notes…

  • The Mets’ extension with Sandy Alderson is up after this season, as Heyman corrected a report of his from June stating that Alderson’s deal ran through the 2019 campaign.  It was widely believed that Alderson’s deal was a two-year pact, though it is perhaps notable in hindsight that the contract’s length wasn’t mentioned when the club announced the deal last December.  Alderson is currently on a leave of absence to deal with a recurrence of cancer, and it is expected that the Mets will indeed hire a new GM once the season is over.
  • “It seems like there’s interest” from the Yankees in a Didi Gregorius extension.  Gregorius has emerged as a strong everyday player over the last two seasons thanks to an uptick in his offensive production, and it certainly makes sense that New York would see him as a cornerstone at shortstop even with a wealth of young prospects (i.e. Gleyber Torres) on hand to potentially step into the position.  Gregorius is earning $8.25MM this season and has one final year of arbitration eligibility remaining as a Super Two player before hitting free agency after the 2019 season.  There hadn’t been any talks between the two sides as of last April, when Gregorius expressed his desire to remain with the Yankees over the long term, though Heyman notes that any extension wouldn’t be signed until the calendar flips to 2019, when the team will have more payroll flexibility after escaping the maximum luxury tax penalty rate.
  • Joey Gallo drew some interest at the trade deadline, though the Rangers weren’t close to a deal since they’d be “selling low,” as one source tells Heyman.  Gallo is controlled through the 2022 season and still boasts great potential as a hitter, despite his penchant for strikeouts and low batting averages.  It’s worth noting that Gallo had only a .187/.303/.454 slash line on July 31, though he has since been on fire, hitting .333/.394/.750 over 66 plate appearances in August.  Trading Gallo would’ve signaled a larger rebuild for the Rangers, who thought to be looking at 2019 as a year of “retrenchment” before returning to contention in 2020 when their new ballpark opens.

Marlins Acquire Chris Bostick

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The Marlins have acquired utilityman Chris Bostick from the Pirates, Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Pittsburgh will receive cash considerations in the deal.  Bostick had been designated for assignment by the Bucs earlier this week.

Bostick’s Major League career consists of 20 games for Pittsburgh in 2017 and two games this season, with a .276/.382/.345 slash line over 34 total plate appearances.  Originally a 44th-round pick for the Athletics in the 2011 draft, Bostick will be joining the fifth different organization of his pro career.

The 25-year-old Rochester native has hit .271/.337/.416 with 60 homers and 122 steals (out of 176 chances) over 3491 PA in the minor leagues, though his greatest calling card might be versatility.  Bostick has spent much of his career as a second baseman, but has logged substantial time at third base, shortstop, and all three outfield positions.

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