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Orioles Acquire Left-Hander Alex Katz From White Sox For Two International Pool Slots

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The Orioles have acquired left-hander Alex Katz from the White Sox in exchange for international signing bonus slots #45 and #75, the club announced (Twitter link).  The total value of those slots adds up to $756.3K (from Baseball America, here is the full list of slot values for the 2016-17 signing period, which ends on June 15).

A 27th-rounder for the Sox in the 2015 draft, Katz has a 3.09 ERA, 10.1 K/9 and 2.65 K/BB rate over 102 innings in the minors, appearing as a reliever in all but one of his 62 career games.  Katz has shown a propensity for keeping the ball in the park, as he has surrendered only two homers during his career.  Katz has yet to pitch above the Class-A level, and the Orioles announced that the 22-year-old will be assigned to their Class-A affiliate.

This is the third trade in six weeks that has seen the O’s deal away international signing slots in exchange for players, after April deals that brought right-hander Damien Magnifico to the team from the Brewers and southpaw Paul Fry from the Mariners.  The Orioles have rather notoriously spent little on international free agents in recent years (as Baseball America’s Ben Badler recently noted in a severe critique of the club’s practices), so it makes sense that the team would look at its int’l bonus slots as trade chips.

The deal is also notable from Chicago’s end, as the team just spent between $25MM-$30MM in an agreement with Cuban outfielder Luis Robert.  Since the Sox had to far exceed their bonus pool limit to make the signing, they owe a 100 percent overage on every dollar spent above their pool threshold.  Increasing the size of that pool by $756.3K, therefore, saves the White Sox some money.

Blue Jays Place Aaron Sanchez On 10-Day DL; Designate Mike Ohlman For Assignment

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The Blue Jays have placed right-hander Aaron Sanchez on the 10-day DL with a right middle finger laceration.  This was one of several roster moves announced (Twitter links) by the team, a list that also notably included catcher Russell Martin returning from the DL, Kevin Pillar returning from a two-game suspension, catcher Mike Ohlman being designated for assignment, outfielder Dwight Smith being optioned to Triple-A and righty Cesar Valdez receiving a promotion from Triple-A to the Major League roster.

[Updated Blue Jays depth chart at Roster Resource]

This is already Sanchez’s third DL stint of the season due to his bothersome finger, as Sanchez has also battled a blister and a split nail.  The right-hander made two starts since his most recent return, including a quality start last night against the Orioles (six IP, three ER, 93 pitches).  Sanchez said he felt “a little pain” (as per Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith) after last night’s outing, and a few drips of blood were spotted in his first start back, a five-inning outing against the Mariners on May 14.  Manager John Gibbons told MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm and other reporters that Sanchez’s latest DL stint is due to a recurrence of the blister.

Sanchez has performed well (3.33 ERA in 24 1/3 IP) when he has been able to take the mound, though peripheral metrics hint that he has been a little fortunate.  His ERA indicators (4.92 FIP, 4.73 xFIP, 4.74 SIERA) are well above his actual ERA, and his grounder rate is down to 40%, well below his 56% career average.  Still, it’s hard to really evaluate Sanchez properly given the stop-and-start nature of his season.  Of all the injury woes that have plagued the Jays this season, Sanchez’s could be the most frustrating given the seemingly minor yet potentially long-lasting nature of blister injuries.  Gibbons said the Jays “want to knock it [the blister] out” to keep it from becoming a long-term problem for Sanchez, which would imply that Sanchez won’t be back until he and the club are completely certain that he is healed.

Martin is back after missing slightly more than the minimum 10 days while dealing with a nerve problem in his left shoulder.  The catcher bounced back from a terrible start to go on a hot streak just prior to his DL stint, and Martin has a .197/.365/.342 slash line over 96 plate appearances.

Ohlman was called up in the wake of Martin’s injury to back up Luke Maile, allowing the 26-year-old Ohlman to make his Major League debut after nine pro seasons.  Ohlman appeared in five games with the Jays (collecting his first two MLB hits in the process) after posting a .260/.348/.395 slash line over 2645 career PA in the minors with the Jays, Cardinals and Orioles organizations.

Cafardo’s Latest: Cole, Astros, Gordon, Peralta, Frazier

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The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo shares some hot stove rumblings and more in his latest notes column….

  • The Astros are “very interested” in Pirates righty Gerrit Cole.  Houston has been checking in on top-tier starters for months, so it makes sense that the team would have an eye on Cole’s availability.  Peter Gammons recently suggested that the Astros (and Yankees) may be the only contenders who could actually afford a Cole trade, given Houston’s deep farm system and the giant return that the Pirates will surely demand for their controllable young star if Cole is indeed shopped at the deadline.
  • “The Marlins would surely part with” Dee Gordon if they could find a trade partner at the deadline.  Miami was reportedly ready to deal Gordon for pitching help over the offseason, though no trade or even any significant rumors even materialized.  Gordon has hit just .263/.308/.326 over 522 PA since the start of the 2016 season, a year that saw the second baseman miss 80 games after testing positive for PEDs.  He is also owed $38MM from 2018-20 as per the terms of his five-year, $50MM extension signed in the 2015-16 offseason, further hampering the Marlins’ chances of finding a trade fit.
  • With Jhonny Peralta relegated to backup duty in St. Louis, Cafardo wonders if the Red Sox would considering acquiring Peralta to help their shaky third base situation.  Given Peralta’s recent injury problems and his .251/.299/.387 slash line (in 341 PA) since the start of the 2016 season, of course, there’s no guarantee that Peralta is necessarily an upgrade.  Peralta is also owed around $7.4MM for the remainder of the season, though Cafardo feels the Cardinals would cover “a great portion” of that salary.  Cafardo notes that Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski knows Peralta well, having traded for Peralta in 2010 back when Dombrowski was the Tigers GM.
  • The Red Sox have been scouting a veteran third baseman in Todd Frazier, and like in a hypothetical Peralta scenario, the White Sox would cover some salary in a trade (Frazier is owed a little under $9MM for the rest of 2017).  Also like Peralta, Frazier isn’t in good form, hitting just .191/.280/.357 in 132 PA this season.  Frazier has hit 75 homers over the last two years, however, and is a well-regarded clubhouse leader.

Braves Acquire Enrique Burgos

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The Braves have acquired right-hander Enrique Burgos from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations, as announced via the D’Backs Twitter feed.  Burgos, 26, was designated for assignment by Arizona earlier this week.

[Updated Braves depth chart at Roster Resource]

Burgos has a 5.27 ERA over 68 1/3 career innings in the big leagues, all with the D’Backs in 2015-16.  He has spent his entire career in Arizona’s organization, originally signing an amateur contract with the team in 2007 and then posting a 4.39 ERA, 9.6 K/9 and a 6.2 BB/9 over 428 2/3 minor league innings with the Snakes, pitching exclusively as a reliever since 2012.

At both the MLB and minor league levels, control issues have plagued Burgos, as he simply hasn’t been able to command his explosive (96mph) fastball on a consistent basis.  Burgos has been able to miss bats with his big heater and he posted some good grounder rates over his minor league career, so there is certainly some late-bloomer potential here for the Braves if they can figure out how to cut down on Burgos’ walks.

AL East Notes: Bourn, Hicks, Donaldson

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Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • Monday is Michael Bourn’s opt-out date in his minor league contract with the Orioles, Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun reports.  Bourn suffered a broken finger that sidelined him through most of Spring Training, which led the outfielder and the Orioles to agree to a new minors deal after Bourn opted out of his original pact.  There isn’t an obvious spot for Bourn on the big league roster, with Trey Mancini, Seth Smith, Joey Rickard and Hyun Soo Kim providing the O’s with solid corner outfield depth.  Kim, however, hasn’t hit much or seen a lot of action this season; Bourn could replace Kim as a left-handed hitting option while adding much more speed and defensive ability.
  • Aaron Hicks has been taking grounders at first base, though it may take an “emergency” scenario to see Hicks starting at the position, Yankees infield instructor Joe Espada tells NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty.  Joe Girardi asked for Hicks to get some work at first for depth purposes, though work will be required since Hicks has never played any position besides outfield during his 10 pro seasons.  Deploying an athletic and above-average outfielder at first could be seen as something of a waste defensively, though the Yankees clearly are exploring all possible ways to get Hicks’ bat into the lineup, with Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury also all hitting well in the regular outfield spots.  Greg Bird and Chris Carter, by contrast, have provided the Yankees with little production at first base.
  • A week after examining why the Blue Jays should keep Josh Donaldson at least through the season, Sportsnet’s Jonah Keri presents the counter-argument, opining that the Jays should look to move Donaldson now while his value is still very high.  Donaldson will hit the open market after the 2018 season (his age-32 season), and committing major dollars to any free agent in his mid-30’s could be a questionable move for Toronto, even for a player with Donaldson’s elite bat.  In trading their pending free agents and then Donaldson for a major package of talent, the Jays could reload for a quick return to contention next season.

Shawn Tolleson Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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Rays right-hander Shawn Tolleson underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this week, as per a team announcement.  As per the surgery’s usual 12-15 month recovery timeline, Tolleson will miss the rest of this season and a big portion of the 2018 campaign.  It’s possible Tolleson could be on the high side of that timeframe since this is his second TJ procedure — he originally underwent the surgery a decade ago while pitching at Baylor University.

The news punctuates what has been a nightmarish two-season stretch for Tolleson, who looked to be coming into his own as the Rangers’ closer in 2015.  After posting a 2.88 ERA, 9.1 K/9 and 3.22 K/BB rate over 144 IP for Texas in 2014-15, Tolleson badly struggled last year, posting a 7.68 ERA over 36 1/3 IP and missing time due to back problems.

The Rangers outrighted Tolleson after the season and he elected free agency, going on to sign a one-year, $1MM Major League contract with Tampa Bay.  After hitting the DL with back and elbow issues during Spring Training, however, Tolleson’s time with the Rays could expire without him ever officially pitching for the team.  The Rays do control Tolleson through the 2018 season, however, as the righty has one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining before gaining enough service time to officially qualify for free agency.  Tampa could very well explore re-signing Tolleson to a minor league deal next winter as he continues to rehab, in the hopes that he could return to the mound late in the 2018 campaign.

Astros To Place Dallas Keuchel On 10-Day DL

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The Astros will place ace Dallas Keuchel on the 10-day DL with a pinched nerve in his neck, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart (Twitter link) and others reported.  Left-hander Ashur Tolliver will be recalled in a corresponding move.

The injury doesn’t seem particularly serious, as Keuchel is expected to only miss one start since the DL stint was backdated to Wednesday.  In his last start, on Tuesday, Keuchel threw just 70 pitches over five innings (his shortest outing of the season), though he still held the Marlins to two runs and earned the victory.

After a disappointing 2016 season, Keuchel has shown early signs of returning to his 2015 Cy Young Award-winning form.  Keuchel has a 1.84 ERA, 7.63 K/9 and a league-best 67.1% ground ball rate over his first 63 2/3 IP of the season, and was named the AL Pitcher Of The Month for April.  There are a few red flags for Keuchel — a .215 BABIP, 88.2% strand rate and a career-high 19.4% homer rate — but overall, ERA predictors are still pretty rosy (3.27 FIP, 2.87 xFIP, 2.97 SIERA) about the lefty’s performance.  Despite the lack of missed bats, Keuchel is excelling at generating weak contact, with 31% of his balls in play rated as ’soft’ contact by Fangraphs and only 20.8% rated as hard contact.

NL Central Notes: Peralta, Heyward, Happ, Reds, Cole

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Jhonny Peralta is back with the Cardinals after being activated from the disabled list, though Peralta told reporters (including Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that he’ll have to adjust to being a part-time player for the first time in his career.  “Everybody is doing good and the team — we’re in second place,” Peralta said.  “I understand the situation but it’s kind of hard for me to be on the bench and not play every day, because I know what kind of player I can be….I need to learn to be ready for whatever time or situation it is in the game.”  Peralta was a productive starter for the Cards as recently as the 2015 season, though an injury-plagued 2016 opened the door for Aledmys Diaz and Jedd Gyorko to emerge, and those two have now established themselves as the Cardinals’ regulars at shortstop and third base.  Peralta, who turns 35 later this month, is in the final year of a four-year, $53MM contract and is owed roughly $7.4MM for the remainder of the season.  A trade could be difficult to work given this remaining salary and Peralta’s lack of recent production, though if Peralta is able to get somewhat back into form, he’ll give the Cards some solid veteran infield depth.

Here’s more from around the NL Central…

  • Jason Heyward expects to be activated from the 10-day DL today, which creates an interesting roster decision for the Cubs, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat writes.  Top prospect Ian Happ has looked spectacular since being promoted last week and could stick with the club, through manager Joe Maddon said that the team wants Happ to get regular action wherever he plays, which could be somewhat difficult on Chicago’s crowded big league roster.  “That’s what happens when you’re good is you have tough decisions,” Maddon said.  “The fact that Ian has come up and done so well makes it even more difficult. We’ll try to figure it out and make our best guess.”  Happ brings a lot of versatility as a switch-hitter and a multi-positional player, so the Cubs could get him playing time in a variety of roles and instead demote another bench option such as Tommy La Stella or Albert Almora.  Heyward has missed two weeks due to a sprained right index finger, and was already back in the Cubs’ clubhouse after completing a one-game rehab stint in the minors.
  • The incentive bonuses for Scott Feldman and Drew Storen are broken down by Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer, as Storen has already reached his first incentive threshold (15 appearances) and Feldman will access his bonus money on Monday when he makes his 10th start of the season.  Feldman will earn $100K for that outing, and then another $100K or $200K for each successive start thereafter, up to 25 starts.  The righty also has extra cash available in relief incentives, though Feldman isn’t likely to be moved out of the Reds rotation anytime soon, due to both his own solid performance (a 4.29 ERA in 50 1/3 IP) and Cincy’s lack of healthy alternatives.  Storen has pitched very well out of the Reds bullpen and is in great shape to earn his $750K in available incentives for appearances, though attaining his games-finished bonuses could be difficult with Raisel Iglesias locked in at closer.
  • With the Pirates in last place and facing an uphill battle in the NL Central race, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com argues that the Bucs should deal Gerrit Cole while the right-hander’s trade value is at its highest.  Cole is looking healthy after an injury-shortened 2016 and is pitching well, with a 2.84 ERA, 7.9 K/9, 50.3% grounder rate and 4.17 K/BB rate through 57 innings.  Between this front-of-the-rotation production and Cole being under team control through 2019, the Pirates would stand to obtain a major haul if Cole was dealt.  Gammons speculates that the Astros and Yankees would be the top two suitors, as they have enough minor league depth to afford the big price tag Pittsburgh would demand for Cole’s services.

East Notes: Quintana, Escobar, Pomeranz, Pearce

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On the night when the Yankees officially retired Derek Jeter’s #2, let’s take a look at news from both the AL East and the NL East…

  • The Nationals and Red Sox have had evaluators watching White Sox players, CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine reports.  Both clubs have been scouting Jose Quintana, while the Nationals continue to have interest in closer David Robertson, and Levine figures the Sox could also be looking at Todd Frazier to address their need at third base.  Chicago already completed major trades with both teams this past winter, of course, in deals that sent Adam Eaton to Washington and Chris Sale to Boston, so there is already a great deal of familiarity between these organizations.  Quintana would fill the Nats’ revolving door in the fifth starter’s spot, though obtaining Robertson to help their struggling bullpen seems like the more pressing fit.  The Red Sox could use Quintana and Frazier, though they seem likely to wait to see how David Price and their internal third base options return before deciding if upgrades are necessary.
  • Asdrubal Cabrera tells Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that he is suffering from a torn ligament in his left thumb, and a DL stint could be possible if the thumb isn’t feeling better tomorrow.  The Mets shortstop has been bothered by the injury for the last week, and while an MRI taken last week reportedly showed no ligament damage, Cabrera said he was told there was a tear.  Cabrera continued to play (through mostly in pinch-hitting roles) over the past week, so it is possible his injury could have worsened.  As Ackert notes, the Mets can hardly afford to lose Cabrera with so many other stars already on the disabled list.  If Cabrera did require some DL time, it will renew calls for the Mets to promote top prospect Amed Rosario, though the team reportedly doesn’t want to rush the youngster to the big leagues.
  • Drew Pomeranz left today’s Red Sox loss after three innings due to tightness in his left triceps.  While the southpaw’s health has been a question mark since his trade to the Sox from the Padres last summer, Pomeranz told media (including Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal) that both his triceps and his lowered velocity this season were due to a problem in his mechanics, not due to any physical issues.  Pomeranz will undergo an MRI tomorrow but said he believes he can make his next start.
  • Steve Pearce left today’s Blue Jays victory with right calf tightness after sliding into second base on a double in the second inning.  Manager John Gibbons told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and other reporters that Pearce will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.  The veteran utilityman is off to a very slow start in his first season in Toronto, hitting just .205/.256/.373 through 90 PA, though he has somewhat gotten on track after a horrible April.  Losing Pearce to the DL would be yet another blow to the injury-ravaged Jays, though they did get Aaron Sanchez back on the active roster today.

Injury Notes: Pollock, Peralta, Gomez, Choo, Polanco, Manaea

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We’ve already learned today that Aroldis Chapman and Yunel Escobar could each miss roughly a month of action, and here’s the update on some more notable injury situations brewing around baseball…

  • A.J. Pollock and David Peralta both left today’s Diamondbacks game with injuries, with Pollock suffering a right groin strain while running out a single.  According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link), Pollock “sounded very frustrated” speaking with media after the game, which could hint at a significant absence.  Pollock has battled problems with his left groin in Spring Training and at the end of last season; Pollock didn’t play after September 9 due to the injury, though he could’ve just been shut down since the D’Backs were well out of the race.  Pollock entered today hitting .295/.331/.456 over 157 in his comeback season after appearing in only 12 games in 2016 due to a fractured elbow and the aforementioned late-season groin problem.
  • Peralta was removed from the game with what the team described as tightness in his right glute.  Peralta is also off to a good start for Arizona, carrying a .303/.354/.471 slash line into today’s action.  The Diamondbacks have enough outfield roster depth in the outfield to handle going without both Pollock and Peralta for a game or even two, though obviously the team will be hard-pressed to sustain lengthy absences for both star outfielders.
  • Carlos Gomez suffered a right hamstring strain while scoring a run (and awkwardly trying to avoid a bat while doing so) during today’s Rangers victory, and had to be removed from the game.  The center fielder will undergo an MRI tomorrow, and he feels the injury is “not something I think is too serious,” comparing it to other hamstring problems he’s had in the past.  (Hat tip to Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.)  Gomez enjoyed a three-hit day before leaving the game, bumping his slash line up to .246/.331/.423 over 164 plate appearances.
  • The Rangers had another regular out of action when Shin-Soo Choo was scratched from the lineup due to back spasms.  Choo told Stevenson and other reporters that he wasn’t sure if he’ll be ready for Texas’ next game on Tuesday, though his back was feeling better later in the day than it did early Sunday.  Lower back inflammation was the cause of one of Choo’s four separate trips to the DL in 2016, which limited him to just 48 games last season.
  • Gregory Polanco is day-to-day after leaving today’s game with “left hamstring discomfort” while running out a grounder, as reported by MLB.com’s Adam Berry and others.  The Pirates outfielder managed just a .671 OPS in April but has hit better in May as he tries to build on his breakout 2016 season.  Polanco’s injury doesn’t sound particularly serious, which would be welcome news to a Bucs outfield that has already lost Starling Marte to a PED suspension.
  • In some more positive injury news, Athletics left-hander Sean Manaea is scheduled to return from the DL and start tomorrow night’s game against the Mariners, A’s manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including MLB.com’s Dave Sessions) on Friday.  Manaea hasn’t pitched since April 27 due to a strain in his throwing shoulder.  The promising young hurler has a 5.18 ERA, 10.0 K/9 and a 2.25 K/BB over 24 1/3 IP for Oakland this season.

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