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Quick Hits: Farquhar, Ichiro, Heredia, Giants, Adolfo

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White Sox right-hander Danny Farquhar will remain in hospital for at least the next three weeks after undergoing surgery last night to relieve swelling around his brain, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports.  Farquhar is in critical but stable condition as he recovers from a ruptured aneurysm, suffered on Friday when he was in the team’s dugout following a pitching appearance.  A team source tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that specific information about the treatment isn’t being released at the request of Farquhar’s family.  Both pieces from Nightengale and Sullivan contain much praise and best wishes for Farquhar from several teammates past and present, a testament to what a popular and respected figure Farquhar has been over his 11 pro seasons.  We here at MLB Trade Rumors join the rest of the baseball world in wishing Farquhar and his family all the best in the recovery process.

Some news from around the league….

  • The Mariners’ demotion of Guillermo Heredia raised some eyebrows, both due to Heredia’s strong start to the season and the fact that Seattle had a seemingly more obvious expendable piece in Ichiro Suzuki.  Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto explained the move in an interview with MLB.com’s Greg Johns, noting that the left-handed hitting Suzuki was a better short-term fit since the M’s are set to face a long stretch of games against right-handed starters.  (Seattle was expected to send down a reliever rather than Heredia to accommodate Erasmo Ramirez’s return from the DL today, though that plan was scuttled by a short outing from James Paxton on Saturday.)  Dipoto insisted that Ichiro’s iconic stature didn’t have any bearing on the decision, though he did note that Ichiro’s leadership presence was a factor.  “I don’t think people realize the impact Ichiro has made in our clubhouse in one-and-a-half months in mentoring young teammates and even the older players who respect him so much,” Dipoto said.  “There has to be a balance in decisions and not solely what you see on the field. And that’s not to take away from the quality of teammate Guillermo is as well. This was not an easy decision, but it’s also not a permanent decision.”  Given that Ichiro’s career could be nearing the end, The Athletic’s Corey Brock wonders when the Mariners will finally part ways with the future Hall-of-Famer, and Brock speculates that the team could be waiting for their next homestand to give Suzuki a final appearance in front of the Seattle fans.
  • With prospects Austin Slater and Steven Duggar hitting well in Triple-A, the Giants could soon find themselves with an outfield logjam, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.  Gregor Blanco and Gorkys Hernandez are both out of options and playing well, though they would be the two most obvious candidates to perhaps be waived if the Giants felt a move was necessary.  Andrew McCutchen and (currently on the DL) Hunter Pence aren’t going anywhere, while Austin Jackson is struggling badly but not readily movable given his two-year contract.
  • White Sox prospect Micker Adolfo will soon receive another MRI to check on his UCL sprain and a flexor tendon strain, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports.  The results could still potentially require a season-ending surgery, even though Aldolfo has been playing (only as a DH) and hitting well despite the injuries, carrying a .328/.392/.552 slash line over his first 74 PA for Chicago’s high-A ball affiliate.  “I don’t feel anything [sore] when I’m hitting or lifting weights. Hopefully that’s a good sign that it’s getting better,” Adolfo said.  The 21-year-old was originally diagnosed with the injury in February and missed much of Spring Training, though the missed time hasn’t kept him from a hot start to the season.

NL West Notes: Belt, Lamb, Rockies, Hoffman, Chatwood

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Giants first baseman Brandon Belt and Angels right-hander Jaime Barria carved out a unique spot for themselves in baseball history on Sunday, as the two set a modern-day record with a 21-pitch plate appearance.  The epic battle finally ended with Belt lining out to right field, though the accumulation certainly took its toll on Barria and the Angels bullpen — Barria, making his second career MLB start, lasted just two-plus innings in the game on 77 pitches.  The historic at-bat was just one noteworthy moment of a big day for Belt, who went 3-for-5 with a home run in the Giants’ 4-2 victory.

Some items from around the NL West…

  • An MRI revealed that Jake Lamb has tendinitis in his right elbow, and Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that the third baseman will be shut down for a few days.  Lamb appeared in just four games before hitting the disabled list due to a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder, and the Snakes were hopeful that he could return to action this week before this new injury cropped up.  Deven Marrero and Daniel Descalso have served as a third base platoon in Lamb’s absence.
  • The Rockies announced that right-hander Jeff Hoffman will not be optioned to Triple-A, and will instead remain on the 10-day DL and pitch at Triple-A on a rehab assignment. (MLB.com’s Thomas Harding was among those to report the news.)  The former top prospect has been sidelined with a shoulder problem, though Hoffman has managed 11 innings in the minors as he works his way back from the injury.
  • The Rockies didn’t make Tyler Chatwood an offer last winter, which didn’t come as much surprise to the right-hander, as he tells The Athletic’s Nick Groke (subscription required).  “Toward the end of the year, the writing was on the wall that I wasn’t coming back.  I think the feeling was mutual,” Chatwood said.  A change of scenery certainly seemed likely for Chatwood given his very rough career numbers at Coors Field; he mentioned to Groke that his two-seam fastball was particularly ineffective in the thin air.  The general belief around the game was that Chatwood could flourish in a less hitter-friendly environment, which made him a hot commodity in free agency and led to a three-year, $38MM deal with the Cubs.  His first three starts for Chicago have been mixed to say the least, as Chatwood has a 4.60 ERA and an ungainly 14 walks (against 18 strikeouts) over 15 2/3 innings.

AL East Links: Blue Jays, Pearce, Swihart, Cubs, Rays, Cards

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The latest form around the AL East…

  • The Blue Jays will be facing a roster crunch when Josh Donaldson returns from the disabled list, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi writes.  The hot-hitting Teoscar Hernandez is the better starting option right now than the slumping Randal Grichuk, though Grichuk is out of options and the Jays don’t want to risk losing him for nothing.  The presence of other veterans on pricey contracts (such as Kendrys Morales or Steve Pearce) further creates a positional glut, and demoting Lourdes Gurriel Jr. would leave Toronto without a backup shortstop option.  This is just my opinion, but one answer could be to demote Devon Travis, who is hitting just .140/.218/.160 through his first 55 plate appearances.  Travis missed most of 2017 due to knee problems and could possibly use some minor league time to get himself back up to speed.
  • A trade could also solve the Jays’ roster issues, and Davidi noted that Pearce received some interest during the offseason.  After an injury-plagued 2017, Pearce is off to a nice rebound year thus far, hitting .304/.360/.565 over 50 PA as the right-handed hitting side of an outfield platoon with Curtis Granderson.  Even with roughly $5.3MM still owed to him this year, Pearce could be attractive to a team looking for a right-handed bat at first base or in the corner outfield.  Pearce is a much more viable trade chip than Morales, who is owed $23MM in 2018-19, can only play DH at this point, and is off to another slow start at the plate.
  • Blake Swihart’s lack of playing time has created “a cruel catch-22” for the utilityman and the Red Sox, The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey writes (subscription required).  Swihart has appeared in 10 of Boston’s first 21 games, with only two of those appearances coming in the starting lineup, and thus he hasn’t done much to enhance his trade value to potential suitors.  On the other hand, there isn’t yet any indication that the Sox are open to trading Swihart, as doing so would suddenly leave the team thin at catcher if Christian Vazquez or Sandy Leon got injured.  (Though it should also be noted that Swihart has yet to appear behind the plate this season.)  Swihart is out of options, and can’t be sent to Triple-A without being exposed to waivers and very likely claimed by another team, so the Sox aren’t going to part ways with the former top prospect without getting anything in return.  While not an ideal situation for Swihart, of course, it’s something of a good problem to have for the Red Sox — the reason Swihart isn’t getting more regular playing time is because the rest of Boston’s lineup is on fire amidst an excellent 17-4 start to the season.
  • Evaluators from the Cubs and Cardinals were recently on hand to watch the Rays last week, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.  The Rays’ limited payroll capability could make them sellers regardless of their record, though the team is also off to a slow 8-13 start overall (though Tampa has won five of its last six games).  It isn’t known what players were being watched, though the Cubs have been heavily linked to Chris Archer in the past while the Cardinals had strong interest in Alex Colome this offseason.

D’Backs Acquire International Bonus Slot From Mariners For Righty Edwin Quezada

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The Diamondbacks have acquired a 2017-18 international bonus slot from the Mariners, as per press releases from both teams.  Seattle will get minor league right-hander Edwin Quezada back on their end of the swap.  The amount of money changing hands isn’t yet known, though international pool money can only be dealt in $250K increments.

The Mariners actively looked to add to their bonus pool during the current international signing period as the team pursued Shohei Ohtani.  The M’s added roughly $2.5MM in additional international funds in trades with the Marlins, Twins, and White Sox over the offseason, though once Ohtani chose to sign with the Angels, the Mariners reversed course and began to unload some of that excess cash.  GM Jerry Dipoto added two arms to the system in the form of southpaw Anthony Misiewicz (while sending $1MM in pool money to the Rays) and right-hander Shawn Armstrong from the Indians for $500K, and now the Mariners have added another pitcher in Quezada.

The 21-year-old was signed out of the Dominican Republic last year and he made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, posting a 1.74 ERA, 2.71 K/BB rate, and 46 strikeouts over 41 1/3 innings of work.  Quezada appeared as a reliever in 12 of 15 games.

Nationals Place Anthony Rendon On 10-Day DL

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The Nationals announced that third baseman Anthony Rendon has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a left toe contusion, retroactive to April 19.  Righty Austin Adams has been recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The DL placement concludes a frustrating week for Rendon, who hasn’t played since fouling a ball off his toe on April 13.  Both Rendon and the Nats were hopeful that Rendon could return without the need for a DL stint, though in effect, this decision led to Washington playing with a 24-man roster for over a week (though the Nats have gone 4-3 over their last seven games).  Rendon told the Washington Post’s Jorge Castillo and other reporters that his toe is still bothering him when he’s running or in the field, so it was clear that a roster decision needed to be made.  DL stints can only be backdated as far back as three days, hence the April 19 timing of the move.

[Updated Nationals depth chart at Roster Resource]

While the injury still doesn’t seem terribly serious, obviously the Nats want their star third baseman back as quickly as possible, especially with Adam Eaton and Daniel Murphy both still missing from the lineup.  Wilmer Difo has been filling in for Rendon at the hot corner, with utilityman Matt Reynolds also providing depth off the Nationals’ bench.

NL East Notes: Rendon, Acuna, Hunter

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The latest from around the NL East…

  • Anthony Rendon left last night’s game after fouling a ball off his left big toe, and he wasn’t in today’s Nationals lineup. X-rays on the toe were negative, and manager Dave Martinez told MLB.com’s Jamal Collier and other reporters that there had yet to be any discussion of a possible DL stint for the star third baseman. Washington is already short Daniel Murphy and Adam Eaton from their first-choice starting lineup, and a Rendon absence would give Bryce Harper even less protection.
  • Ronald Acuna is hitting just .138/.219/.172 over his first 32 Triple-A plate appearances this season, and with Preston Tucker playing well for the Braves in left field, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that we may have to wait a while longer to see Acuna make his big league debut. There had been speculation that Acuna could have been called up as early as today, as he would no longer accumulate a full year of MLB service time if he remained on the roster for the entire season, giving the Braves an extra year of control over the star prospect. Service time considerations aside, it doesn’t seem like Atlanta would try to rush Acuna to the majors when he is on such a cold streak. O’Brien did wonder, however, if the team could promote Acuna on Monday to generate some extra interest for the start of a new homestand.
  • Tommy Hunter will participate in a game at the Phillies’ extended Spring Training camp today, though manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury) that the team would see how Hunter felt afterwards before deciding whether he needed one more rehab outing or not.  Hunter suffered a hamstring strain in late March and has yet to make his debut in a Phillies uniform.  The club signed Hunter to a two-year, $18MM free agent deal in the wake of his very strong 2017 season with the Rays.  Even if Hunter requires one more outing, he is likely to be activated sometime this week, provided there aren’t any health setbacks.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/14/18

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The latest minor league moves from around baseball….

Newest Moves:

  • The Rangers signed infielder Nick Noonan to a minor league deal, according to team executive VP of communication John Blake (Twitter link).  Noonan has been assigned to Triple-A Round Rock.  Noonan was selected 32nd overall in the 2007 draft by the Giants and has appeared in 83 Major League games (with San Francisco and San Diego) as he begins his 12th pro season.  The 28-year-old has a .267/.319/.373 slash line over 4497 minor league PA, plus extensive playing time as a second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop, so he’ll provide some extra depth for a Texas club that has lost Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor to the disabled list.

Earlier Today:

  • The Nationals have officially released Miguel Montero, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.  The veteran catcher was designated for assignment earlier this week. He signed a minor league contract with the Nats over the offseason and ended up appearing in four games with the team, filling in as Washington dealt with some catching injuries.
  • With Montero now gone, the Nationals added some minor league catching depth by inking Tuffy Gosewisch to a minors deal, as per the team’s MLB.com transactions page. Gosewisch was released by the Mariners in early April after re-signing with the organization on a new minor league deal over the offseason. Gosewisch appeared in just 11 big league games with Seattle last season, but received 369 PA as a backup catcher with the D’Backs from 2014-16.

Orioles Place Jonathan Schoop On 10-Day DL, Recall Alex Cobb

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3:42PM: Schoop’s injury is a Grade 1 strain, manager Buck Showalter told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters, which is the least-serious type of oblique strain.

11:07AM: The Orioles announced that second baseman Jonathan Schoop has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a right oblique strain.  In a corresponding move, Alex Cobb was recalled from Double-A to take Schoop’s place on the roster, and Cobb will start this afternoon’s game in Boston.

Schoop suffered the injury last night during a swinging strikeout, and was removed from the game in the seventh inning.  He underwent an MRI this morning, and the results were apparently such that the Orioles felt it necessary for Schoop to take some time off to recover.  The severity of his oblique strain isn’t known, though since similar injuries have generally resulted in players missing at least a couple of weeks of action, the O’s could be without the slugger until the start of May.

Tim Beckham is Baltimore’s starting second baseman today, with Danny Valencia stepping in to take Beckham’s usual spot at third base.  Engelb Vielma was added to the 25-man roster a few days ago for further infield depth, so the O’s could get by with Valencia and Vielma filling in for Schoop on a short-term basis.  Ruben Tejada and Luis Sardinas are veteran infield options both on the farm, while top prospect Ryan Mountcastle is himself on the minor league DL recovering from a fractured right hand.

Over the long term, of course, Schoop’s absence is a big loss for an Orioles lineup that has had a lot of problems generating offense.  Schoop himself has contributed to these struggles, posting just a .230/.266/.344 slash line and one home run over his first 65 plate appearances of this young season, though he is coming off a breakout 2017 campaign that saw him hit 32 homers and finish 12 in AL MVP voting.  The O’s have been hit hard by the injury bug this year, with Schoop joining Mark Trumbo, Zach Britton, and Colby Rasmus on the DL.

Some type of roster move was expected today so the Orioles could create room for Cobb, as the right-hander will make his first start in the black-and-orange.  Cobb didn’t officially sign his four-year, $57MM deal until March 21, so he needed some extra preparation time in the minors to fully get ready for the season.

Pirates Claim Enny Romero From Nationals

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The Pirates have claimed left-hander Enny Romero off waivers from the Nationals, as per a Pittsburgh media release.  Romero will claim an open spot on the Bucs’ 40-man roster, and the release stated that he’ll join the Major League roster once a corresponding move is made.

Washington designated Romero for assignment last week in the wake of a tough start to the season that saw the lefty allow three runs over two innings pitched.  Romero was something of the victim of a roster crunch, as the Nats chose to subtract from their eight-man bullpen to add extra bench depth in the form of utilityman Matt Reynolds.  In 2017, Romero posted a 3.56 ERA, 10.5 K/9, and a 2.83 K/BB rate over 55 2/3 IP for the Nationals.

Romero will join closer Felipe Vazquez as the only other left-handed reliever on the Pirates’ 25-man roster, with Steven Brault (in the rotation) and Josh Smoker (at Triple-A) representing the only other southpaws on Pittsburgh’s 40-man.  Romero isn’t an ideal candidate, however, to provide balance to the Pirates bullpen since he has been a reverse-splits pitcher over his 138 career innings. Left-handed batters have a healthy .317/.398/.467 slash line against him while right-handed batters have hit just .232/.317/.371.

Padres Claim Tyler Webb

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The Padres announced that they have claimed southpaw Tyler Webb off waivers from the Brewers.  Webb will report to Triple-A, while Dinelson Lamet (who is slated for Tommy John surgery) will be shifted to the 60-day DL to create a 40-man roster spot.

Milwaukee designated Webb for assignment last week, and the 27-year-old will now join his third different organization in less than a year.  Webb was selected by the Yankees in the 10th round of the 2013 draft, and he made his MLB debut in the pinstripes last season before being traded to the Brewers last July for Garrett Cooper.  Webb ended up tossing eight innings for New York and Milwaukee in his first taste of Major League action, and he’ll join Buddy Baumann as San Diego’s top minor league choices for a left-handed bullpen arm.  Southpaw relievers Kyle McGrath and Robbie Erlin currently have places on the 25-man roster, as well as closer Brad Hand.

Webb has worked primarily as a reliever throughout his pro career, only making five starts in 156 career minor league appearances.  Over 264 2/3 frames in the minors, Webb has a 3.64 ERA, 11.2 K/9, and a 4.45 K/BB ratio.

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