AL Central Notes: Maybin, Buxton, Royals, Tribe
Here’s some news from around the AL Central…
- The Tigers will activate Cameron Maybin from the disabled list tomorrow, with Anthony Gose going to Triple-A in a corresponding move. Maybin suffered a hairline fracture in his left hand during Spring Training and is hitting .194/.313/.367 over 115 minor league plate appearances. Detroit acquired Maybin from the Braves last November, and the outfielder will join Steven Moya and Andrew Romine in the outfield mix alongside regulars Justin Upton and J.D. Martinez. A Maybin/Gose center field platoon seemed to be the initial plan over the winter, though Gose’s struggles earned him a demotion.
- Byron Buxton is hitting well at Triple-A, though as La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes, the Twins aren’t likely to call Buxton back up to the Show until he shows consistent production and solid development as a hitter. The star prospect has just a .195/.239/.316 slash line over 187 PA in the bigs and often looked over-matched at the plate against Major League arms. Buxton only played 13 Triple-A games before his initial promotion in 2015, so he may simply need more seasoning (despite how much he’s crushing pitching at lower level) before he returns to the Twins.
- The Royals may not have the prospect capital to make a splash at the trade deadline, Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star writes. The acquisitions of Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist before last summer’s deadline helped win the Royals a championship but those deals also left the club thin on expendable minor league talent. For better or worse, Mellinger opines, K.C. will have to rely on its current roster to step up if the Royals hope to make another postseason appearance.
- Stephen Strasburg‘s big extension with the Nationals is just the latest case of a star pitcher receiving a huge salary, and Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes that the Indians have positioned themselves well by amassing one of the game’s better rotations at a relative bargain price. With a number of promising young arms in the farm system, the Tribe seem likely to use starting pitching as a trade chip to address other roster issues.
NL East Notes: Boras, Harvey, Phillies, Draft, Braves
Here’s the latest from around the NL East…
- The Mets haven’t approached Matt Harvey about a long-term extension, agent Scott Boras tells The Record’s Matt Ehalt. “I always leave it up to the teams to approach us about those things like Washington did with (Stephen Strasburg). We just keep our doors open and evaluate things as it comes,” Boras said. Offseason chatter indicated that there weren’t any talks between the two sides, though since Strasburg’s extension rather surprisingly came out of nowhere, it wouldn’t be as stunning to see a Harvey contract negotiated privately. Harvey, of course, still has two more arbitration-eligible years before hitting the open market after the 2018 seasons, whereas Strasburg was scheduled for free agency this coming winter. An extension is likely less important to the Mets than simply getting Harvey on track — the righty has a 4.93 ERA through his first eight starts, though his peripherals indicate that he been somewhat unlucky (.373 BABIP, 3.35 FIP, 3.75 xFIP, 3.95 SIERA).
- In the latest Baseball America mock draft, Hudson Belinsky projects the Phillies will take Florida southpaw A.J. Puk with the first overall pick. Pat Gillick and other Phils executives, however, have been seen scouting high school outfielders Mickey Moniak and Blake Rutherford, and sources tell Belinsky that the Phillies could draft a slightly lower-regarded player in order to save slot money on the first overall pick. Philadelphia has a draft bonus pool of just over $13.405MM (the second-highest amount of any club) and it could be the latest team to strategically deploy their draft spending by spending less on a top pick in order to spend more on a harder-to-sign talent in a later round. Ultimately, however, Belinsky feels the Phillies still go with “the safer option” in Puk given “the importance of this pick in the club’s rebuilding effort.”
- While the Braves are disappointed by their poor 2016 record, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that the club has played a tough schedule. Big picture-wise, the Braves are still in good shape, as O’Brien observes that many of the big names Atlanta has dealt (such as Justin Upton, Shelby Miller or Jason Heyward) are currently struggling, while the Braves received several building-block prospects to aid in their rebuild.
AL East Notes: Gurriel, Smoak, Antolin, Red Sox
The tension that has been building between the Blue Jays and Rangers since last October finally manifested itself Sunday in the form of an all-out brawl (MLB.com video link) between the two clubs. Multiple suspensions are sure to be handed out to members of both teams in the coming days. Of greater concern for the Jays was yet another late-game bullpen meltdown, as a 6-3 lead in the seventh turned into a 7-6 deficit (and the eventual final score) thanks to an Ian Desmond three-run homer off Jesse Chavez. Here’s some more from around the AL East…
- Cuban star Yulieski Gurriel “would be super happy” to join the Yankees, Aroldis Chapman told NJ Advance Media’s Brendan Kuty through a translator. Gurriel and Chapman are former teammates on Cuba’s national team, and in a conversation two weeks ago, Gurriel asked the closer some questions about what it was like to play for the Yankees. As Kuty points out, the Bombers may not have room for Gurriel given that Chase Headley is already locked in at third base and Gurriel (who turns 32 in June) may be too old for a Yankees club that has been focused on transitioning to a younger, more flexible roster. Gurriel and his younger brother Lourdes defected from Cuba earlier this year and are still waiting on clearance from MLB to become free agents, with several teams expected to bid on the siblings once they’re officially on the open market (though Lourdes is subject to international signing pools).
- The Blue Jays have found several late-blooming hitters in recent years, and Justin Smoak‘s early success has Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star wondering if the first baseman could be the latest example. Smoak entered today’s action hitting .314/.448/.500 with three homers over 87 plate appearances, and manager John Gibbons believes a steady everyday role (forced by Chris Colabello‘s suspension) could be contributing to Smoak’s hot bat. Smoak was one of the game’s top prospects after being selected 11th overall by Texas in the 2008 draft, though he showed little at the plate over his first six MLB seasons.
- Blue Jays righty Dustin Antolin was almost frustrated enough to walk away from baseball this offseason, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi writes. An 11th-round pick in 2008, Antolin battled injuries (including Tommy John surgery in 2010) during his long stint in the minors and was unsigned with two weeks remaining before Opening Day. His girlfriend encouraged him to give it one last chance, however, and after re-signing with the Jays, Antolin performed well at Triple-A and has now finally reached the Show after being called up to replace the injured Brett Cecil in Toronto’s bullpen.
- It’s no surprise that any team would take some lessons from the Royals following their World Series victory, as even the big-market Red Sox have observed K.C.’s model for success, Dave Dombrowski tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. While Dombrowski noted some distinct differences between the two franchises, he praised the Royals’ mentality, player development and (most specifically) their bullpen construction. Silverman points out that the acquisitions of Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith were perhaps the most direct way in which the Sox have tried to emulate the Royals’ blueprint, though Boston needed a bullpen upgrade in general following a rough 2015 for the relief corps.
- In other AL East news from earlier today, the Orioles placed Jimmy Paredes on waivers, the Red Sox designated Sean O’Sullivan for assignment and we explored several more items out of Boston in an edition of Red Sox Notes.
Minor MLB Transactions: 5/15/16
Here are today’s minor moves from around baseball…
- Cubs outfielder Ryan Kalish has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat reports (Twitter link). Kalish was designated for assignment yesterday. The 28-year-old appeared in seven games for Chicago this season, upping his career total to 153 games with the Cubs and Red Sox since 2010.
- The Pirates will promote infield prospect Alen Hanson to the majors on Monday, according to his agency, LA Sports Management (Twitter link). Hansen, who has appeared on various top-100 prospect lists in recent years, owns a .284/.342/.442 batting line in 2821 career minor league plate appearances. In 126 PAs with Triple-A Indianapolis this season, the 23-year-old has slashed .288/.309/.398 with two home runs and seven steals. He swiped 35 bags with Indy in 2015. Hanson’s first taste of the majors is unlikely to last long, as his call-up will come thanks to outfielder Starling Marte’s forthcoming placement on the paternity list.
- Left-hander David Huff has exercised the May 15 opt-out clause in the minor league contract he signed with the Royals during the offseason and is now a free agent, MLBTR has learned. Huff threw 23 2/3 innings for the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate and posted phenomenal nine-inning strikeout and walk rates of 11.03 and 0.76, respectively, along with a 4.18 ERA. The 31-year-old has put up a 5.08 ERA, 5.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 as a starter and reliever in parts of seven major league seasons.
- Left-hander Brian Duensing has asked to be released from his own minor league deal with the Royals, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports (Twitter link). Duensing’s contract also contained a May 15 opt-out date. This is the second time that Duensing has opted out of a minor league deal with the Royals in the last two months, as the two sides came to terms on a new contract after Duensing opted out of his previous deal near the end of Spring Training. The 33-year-old has a 3.10 ERA, 3.80 K/BB rate and 8.4 K/9 over 20 1/3 relief innings for Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate this season.
- The Yankees selected the contracts of right-handers Chad Green and Conor Mullee prior to Saturday’s game. In corresponding moves, Greg Bird, Mason Williams and Bryan Mitchell were all moved from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL and top catching prospect Gary Sanchez was optioned back to Triple-A after appearing in just one game for New York. Green and Mullee are both getting their first taste of the big leagues. Green has a 3.29 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 3.53 K/BB rate over 336 1/3 minor league innings, starting 59 of his 69 career games. He will start the Yankees’ game on Monday against the Diamondbacks. Mullee, a career reliever, has a 2.13 ERA, 8.9 K/9 and 3.46 K/BB rate over 143 1/3 pro innings since being picked in the 24th round of the 2010 draft.
Jose Reyes Could Face Suspension Of At Least 60 Games
MAY 13: FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reports that an announcement on Reyes could come as soon as today, and he hears the same as Heyman: Reyes is expected to be suspended for at least 60 days. Interestingly, however, Rosenthal suggests that Reyes will not be suspended an additional 60 days on top of his paid administrative leave, but rather will repay the money he earned on leave and be suspended for an additional 26 games (or more, if the suspension proves lengthier than 60 days).
Rosenthal also adds that the delay in determining a punishment for Reyes has not been due to any differences between the commissioner’s office and the MLBPA, but rather due to difficulty in obtaining the necessary information to make a final ruling.
MAY 8: Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes could be facing at least a 60-game suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy, with some sources estimating that Reyes could be sidelined for closer to 80 games, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports.
A suspension has seemed inevitable ever since the alleged incident between Reyes and his wife took place in Hawaii last November. Criminal charges against Reyes were dropped in March since Reyes’ wife wasn’t willing to participate in the case (nor has she been willing to participate in MLB’s investigation of the incident) and the shortstop has been on paid administrative leave while the matter has been examined by the league and the player’s union.
The policy gives Commissioner Rob Manfred the ability to discipline players in such alleged domestic violence situations even if no criminal charges are filed. Aroldis Chapman, for instance, is nearing the end of his own 30-game suspension for an offseason incident, though as Heyman notes, Reyes’ incident has been considered to be a more serious matter due to the severity of the alleged violence.
Reyes was owed $22MM by the Rockies this season, so a suspension in the range of 60 to 80 games would cost him roughly $7.33MM-$9.77MM (as a reminder, players are paid over the 180-day MLB calendar, not strictly the 162-game season). Beyond this season, Reyes is also owed $22MM in 2017 and a $4MM buyout of a $22MM club option for 2018. There has been speculation that once Reyes’ suspension is up, the Rockies will simply release the shortstop and eat the rest of the money owed to him in order to cut ties as quickly as possible.
Angels, ChiSox, D’Backs, Giants Showing Early Interest In Tim Lincecum
The Angels, Diamondbacks, Giants and White Sox are the four teams who have been the quickest to show interest in Tim Lincecum, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports. The Padres are also expected to join the hunt to sign the two-time Cy Young Award winner. Given that the majority of MLB teams had scouts in attendance at Lincecum’s showcase on Friday, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more clubs emerge.
Lincecum has long been considered as a possibility to return to the Giants and there is mutual interest between the two sides, though it’s still unclear whether the club is adamant about using Lincecum only as a reliever or (as he prefers) as a starting pitcher. The Padres and Angels have also been linked to Lincecum, and given how both teams have been plagued by rotation injuries this season, they seem likely to be more open to using Lincecum as a starter.
The White Sox are a logical suitor for Lincecum given the club’s desire for rotation depth in the wake of John Danks‘ release. Erik Johnson, Miguel Gonzalez, Jacob Turner and Chris Beck are all on hand as fifth starter options for Chicago, though Lincecum offers much more upside if he can even partially resemble his old Cy Young form. While Lincecum could be intrigued by the idea of joining the first-place Pale Hose, geography could be an issue if (as the Orioles’ Dan Duquette noted this morning) Lincecum indeed prefers to pitch for a team “west of the Mississippi.”
The D’Backs are a new name in the Lincecum sweepstakes. Arizona starters entered today’s action with a 5.41 ERA, the second-highest rotation ERA of any club in baseball. Zack Greinke sports a 5.15 ERA (though advanced metrics indicate that he has been unlucky), Shelby Miller has pitched very poorly and none of Patrick Corbin, Rubby De La Rosa and Robbie Ray have looked much more than average. Pitching at Chase Field could be something of a hard sell for Lincecum given that he would likely prefer to rebuild his value in a less hitter-friendly ballpark; he has a 4.72 ERA in 76 1/3 career innings at Chase Field against the Diamondbacks.
Cafardo’s Latest: Reddick, Lovullo, Teheran, Swihart, Ellsbury
We’ve already checked in with the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo once today, with his report that the White Sox and Angels could both be looking to acquire one of several notable outfielders before this summer’s trade deadline. Here’s some more from Cafardo’s weekly Sunday notes piece and a separate column…
- Josh Reddick is another addition to the list of left-handed hitting outfielders who could be targeted by the White Sox, or perhaps even the Cubs given Reddick’s past history with Theo Epstein. Reddick will be a free agent this winter and there doesn’t appear to be much progress between he and the Athletics on an extension. The A’s are 14-18 after today’s loss in Baltimore and Reddick stands out as a big trade candidate should Oakland continue to lag behind in the AL West race.
- If the Braves decide to make a change at manager, Cafardo suggests that Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo would be a good fit for the rebuilding club due to Lovullo’s experience in dealing with younger players. Lovullo posted a winning record while serving as Boston’s interim manager last year and received quite a bit of credit for helping end 2015 on a positive note after the disastrous first few months of the Sox season.
- Many scouts and front offices feel Julio Teheran will be made available before the trade deadline. The Braves had some talks with the Giants and Cubs about Teheran last winter, and the 25-year-old righty has likely elevated his value with a good start to his season after he struggled in the first half of 2015.
- One AL general manager thinks the Red Sox would be willing to include Blake Swihart in a trade package for “a No. 2 type pitcher.” Though Swihart has struggled defensively behind the plate and has been demoted to Triple-A, the former top prospect still has a lot of trade value. Swihart’s hitting potential makes him a bigger trade target than fellow Boston catcher Christian Vazquez for most teams, as Vazquez is a much better defender but is a question mark at the plate.
- It has become clear that the Red Sox made the right choice in choosing Jackie Bradley Jr. over Jacoby Ellsbury, Cafardo opines. Bradley is starting to show signs that he can be a consistent big league hitter and he’s always displayed an outstanding glove, while Ellsbury has battled injuries and declining performance since signing a seven-year/$153MM deal with the Yankees in the 2013-14 offseason.
Poll: Should The Angels Consider Trading Mike Trout?
The Angels entered the season with some uncertainty surrounding their roster, and though we’re only a week into May, the 13-18 Halos may be facing an uphill battle to get back into contention. Injuries have ravaged the pitching staff, and the loss of ace Garrett Richards to Tommy John surgery is a particularly crushing blow that will hurt the Angels both this season and next, as Richards likely won’t return until late in the 2017 campaign. With closer Huston Street also on the DL and the lineup producing middling numbers in most offensive categories,
Compounding the problem for Anaheim is that the club is spending a lot of money (an Opening Day payroll of roughly $164.67MM) for this underwhelming performance, and the Angels’ farm system is widely considered to be by far the weakest in baseball. Some payroll relief will come when C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver are off the books this winter as free agents, though the minor league system is in such dire straits that the Angels will realistically need a few years of strong drafts to replenish their stock of prospects.
The rumor mill is already beginning to swirl around the Angels as a possible trade deadline seller, and perhaps inevitably, there has been speculation that the Halos could completely shake things up by dealing Mike Trout. Needless to say, a Trout trade would be a milestone transaction for baseball as a whole, there’s almost no limit to what the Angels could demand in return for a player whose early-career exploits have put him alongside some of baseball’s all-time greats.
Trout would fetch, at minimum, a multi-player package of several blue chip prospects and slightly more developed talents who are close to the big leagues. A deal could also includes one or more established Major Leaguers. Could the Angels even look to move Albert Pujols‘ increasingly-burdensome contract by attaching it to Trout’s services? That last scenario may be perhaps a bit too far-fetched, though it’s hard to really gauge what a Trout market would look like given how rare it is for a superstar player in his prime to be shopped.
Angels owner Arte Moreno and GM Billy Eppler, unsurprisingly, have both flatly denied that the Angels have any inclination of dealing Trout. Even if this season goes completely off the rails for Anaheim, you would think that it would take another rough year in 2017 for the Angels to even begin considering a Trout trade given his importance to the franchise…and even then, the Angels are free of Josh Hamilton‘s contract after 2017 so they’d have even more available funds for a reload rather than a rebuild. Furthermore, Trout’s six-year, $144.5MM deal that runs through the 2020 season contains a full no-trade clause, so the superstar would have the final say on whether or not he left for another team.
Even the vague idea of Trout being swapped has inspired quite a bit of debate amongst pundits. Sports On Earth’s Brian Kenny and ESPN’s Buster Olney argue that the Angels would be foolish to deal such a once-in-a-generation talent, with Olney adding the caveat that the club might reconsider if Trout were to tell the Angels that he wasn’t going to re-sign after his current contract is up. Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron and ESPN’s David Schoenfield, on the other hand, think the idea isn’t completely absurd given how dire Cameron feels the Angels’ long-term situation is and (as Schoenfield illustrates) the incredible potential trade packages Anaheim could command.
While trading Trout is a complex question, let’s boil it down to a simple yes or no question. Is Trout the definition of an untouchable player, or are the Angels’ problems severe enough that they need a drastic move like a Trout deal to reinvigorate the franchise? (MLBTR app users can weigh in here)
Should The Angels Consider Trading Mike Trout?
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Yes 54% (9,838)
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No 46% (8,425)
Total votes: 18,263
AL East Notes: Price, E-Rod, Rays, Posey, Blue Jays
Here’s the latest from around the AL East…
- David Price insists that his seven-year, $217MM contract with the Red Sox isn’t playing any part in his struggles this season, the star lefty told reporters (including the Boston Herald’s Evan Drellich). “Every 14 or 15 days when we get paid, I don’t know what my paycheck looks like,” Price said. “I’m not going to ask my agent. I’m not going to sit down and do the math. I don’t spend money. I don’t live a lavish lifestyle….I’m the same guy. I’m not going to let my struggles affect me. The amount of money that I make, I’m not going to change.” Price’s Red Sox career is off to a rough beginning, though he feels he may have discovered a mechanical reason for his problems thanks to a tip from Dustin Pedroia.
- Boston manager John Farrell said it’s possible Eduardo Rodriguez‘s next outing could be with the Red Sox, Stephen Hewitt of the Boston Herald writes. Rodriguez is still working his way back from a knee injury that sidelined him for around a month during Spring Training and greatly set back his offseason training. The southpaw tossed his third rehab start in the minors today, and Farrell said the club will speak to Rodriguez tomorrow to gauge whether he’s ready to escape the DL.
- Catcher has been an area of need for the Rays throughout virtually their entire franchise history, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes in a look at how the Rays have tried many methods of acquiring or developing a solid everyday catcher with little success. While Tampa is far from the only team who has struggled to find consistent help behind the plate, the Rays’ decision to take Tim Beckham ahead of Buster Posey in the 2008 draft looms as perhaps the franchise’s biggest what-if scenario. “To me, there’s no draft miss like the Posey miss in the last decade….Anyway, no one with the Rays ever has admitted it, but it feels like the organization has been trying to make up for it ever since,” Baseball America editor-in-chief John Manuel tells Topkin.
- The Blue Jays suffered another late-game breakdown today, and bullpen help could soon become a need for the club unless the relief corps improves, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith writes. Drew Storen and Brett Cecil, expected to be Toronto’s chief setup men, have instead struggled badly — Storen has an even 9.00 ERA over 11 innings after allowing two runs today, while Cecil has a 5.59 ERA over 9 2/3 frames.
Tim Lincecum’s Showcase Set For Friday
MAY 2: The Athletics will also be in attendance, tweets John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group. Meanwhile, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (Twitter link) and Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter link) report that the Rockies and Mets, respectively, will not be in attendance. Puma notes that the Mets are already comfortable with their pitching depth, and as Saunders notes, it’s highly unlikely that the Rockies would be able to convince Lincecum to attempt to revitalize his career at Coors Field.
MAY 1: Tim Lincecum will hold a long-awaited throwing showcase for scouts on Friday in Scottsdale, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter links). As many as 20 teams are expected to attend, including representatives from the Orioles, Padres and the Giants, Lincecum’s former team.
As of February, a return to the Giants was still Lincecum’s preference, as the right-hander told at least one person while visiting his old teammates during Spring Training, CSNBayArea.com’s Alex Pavlovic reports. The Giants have long said that they would be interested in a reunion with Lincecum if “the Freak” was willing to take on a bullpen role, and Pavlovic reports that this relief-only stance hasn’t necessarily changed even though the club’s rotation has had some early struggles.
Lincecum, for his part, wants to return as a starter and has been working out all winter in order to rebuild his durability and velocity following hip surgery that shortened his 2015 season. He reportedly wanted to be in top form before officially throwing for scouts, which is why the showcase (rumored to be imminent for four months) is only taking place this week. There is no small amount of mystery surrounding Lincecum’s condition as scouts have been kept away from his workouts, though recent reports have him throwing 70 pitches on an every-five-days basis and throwing in the 90 mph range off of flat ground.
If Lincecum looks good in his showcase, he would likely be able to find a starting job with one of the many interested teams, though it might be on a minor league contract given his health history. San Diego and Baltimore have both been connected to Lincecum all offseason, with both clubs perhaps in more need of starting pitching depth now due to injuries and ineffectiveness within their current rotations. The Orioles just added some veteran depth earlier this week by signing Wandy Rodriguez to a minors deal.