Steve Adams | MLB Trade Rumors

Sabathia Interested In Front Office Role With Yankees Following Retirement

By Steve Adams | July 9, 2019 at 4:36pm CDT

CC Sabathia has already made clear that the 2019 campaign will be his final season as a Major Leaguer, but the likely Hall of Famer isn’t ready to step away from baseball entirely. In chatting with reporters today (Twitter links via Newsday’s Erik Boland and NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty), Sabathia revealed that he hopes to land a front office position with the Yankees after his playing days are complete.

“I definitely want to be around the Yankees for years to come,” said Sabathia. Kuty notes that Sabathia has been in general manager Brian Cashman’s ear about a potential special assistant role.

Sabathia would hardly be the only retired big leaguer to take such a position in a team’s front office. Within the past year and a half, the Yankees themselves have hired Carlos Beltran (link) and Andy Pettitte (link) as special advisors to the baseball operations department, for instance. Such roles are often fairly nebulous — at least so far as in duties that are specified to the public — and they typically aren’t full-time commitments. But it’s common for former players in such roles to serve as an instructor for the team and its minor leaguers during Spring Training, visit minor league affiliates throughout the season and in some instances weigh in on roster and/or player development matters.

The 38-year-old Sabathia’s final season has been a solid effort — one that has seen the big lefty cross some notable milestones along the way. In addition to tossing 76 2/3 innings of 4.03 ERA ball with 8.4 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9, Sabathia has collected his 250th Major League victory, recorded his 3,000th career strikeout and surpassed the 3500-inning mark at the MLB level.

AL Central Notes: Indians, Abreu, Allen

By Steve Adams | July 9, 2019 at 3:31pm CDT

The Indians never so much as made a contract offer to Michael Brantley before he inked a two-year, $32MM deal in Houston this offseason, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports within a broader look at the club’s struggles to retain top stars. Nightengale interviews both Brantley and CC Sabathia about their emotional departures from Cleveland as part of a piece that wonders whether Francisco Lindor’s eventual exit is anything less than a foregone conclusion. For his part, Lindor calls Cleveland “home” and adds that he hopes to stay before more vaguely stating: “When that time comes, we’ll decide.” Lindor’s long-term future has been particularly in question since Indians owner Paul Dolan ominously told fans to “enjoy him” while the team has him under control.

Indians fans will want to give the column a read not only for talk of Lindor’s future but also some heartfelt reminiscing from both Sabathia — “I cried like a baby when I was traded” — and Brantley. Both players offer nothing but fond memories of the city, the organization and the fanbase.

Yankees, Twins Have Each Asked About Package Deal For Stroman, Giles

By Steve Adams | July 8, 2019 at 2:21pm CDT

The Blue Jays have one of the best starters (Marcus Stroman) and one of the best relievers (Ken Giles) available on this summer’s trade market, and TSN’s Scott Mitchell tweets that teams have been expressing interest in acquiring both in the same package. Both the Twins and the Yankees have reached out to Toronto to express interest in a single trade to net both pitchers, per Mitchell, who cautions that the organization’s preference may be to maximize the return by orchestrating separate trades.

Minnesota’s interest in Giles (and relief help in general) has already been reported. But for all the help the Twins could use in the ’pen, the rotation is also a potential area of focus. The wheels have come off the Martin Perez project of late, as the lefty has been hammered for a 5.37 ERA with 7.7 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 0.85 HR/9 and a 54.6 percent grounder rate across his past 10 starts. And while Michael Pineda has improved in recent weeks as he distances himself from 2017 Tommy John surgery, he also figures to have his workload more carefully managed late in the season.

The Yankees are a similarly logical landing spot for Stroman. Luis Severino has yet to pitch this season due to multiple injuries, while each of James Paxton, Domingo German and CC Sabathia has spent time on the injured list. Left-hander J.A. Happ has struggled as well (5.02 ERA, 5.35 FIP in 89 12/3 innings) — unable to replicate a quartet of strong seasons from 2015-18.

Stroman recently had a bit of a health scare, exiting his last outing against the Royals due to a pectoral cramp. His final start prior to the All-Star break was skipped, but Stroman isn’t expected to miss time beyond that. If the issue is as minor as it appears to be, Stroman’s value wouldn’t be likely to take a hit. It seems quite likely that Stroman will be wearing a new uniform come Aug. 1, although Atkins danced around the matter without addressing the likelihood of a deal in a recent meeting with the Toronto media (link via Shi Davidi of Sportsnet):

I would say this: Marcus has put himself in an incredible position throughout his career, not just over the last four months. He has been durable. He has performed at an exceptionally high rate. He’s been one of the better pitchers in baseball over the last three years and because of that he is in a great position for his future with the Toronto Blue Jays and there are 29 other teams that are thinking the same way, that they would love to have someone that has been durable and has been productive. We’ll see. With another year of control for us, that’s attractive to us, that’s extremely attractive to other teams, as well. He’s put himself in a remarkable spot and earned all of that respect.

As for Giles, he may appear to be somewhat of a luxury for a deep Yankees relief corps, but it’s also true that the ’pen hasn’t been as dominant as many might have expected. Aroldis Chapman and Tommy Kahnle have thrived, and Chad Green looks reborn since a brief demotion to Triple-A in late April. Adam Ottavino has a sub-2.00 ERA but 6.1 BB/9 mark. Zack Britton’s bat-missing ability still hasn’t returned, as his 6.3 K/9 mark isn’t much higher than his 4.9 BB/9. Jonathan Holder had to be optioned to the minors after struggling to keep his ERA under 7.00. Dellin Betances, like Severino, hasn’t pitched in 2019.

Either Stroman or Giles on his own would have a fairly notable asking price, so adding both at once may very well teeter on exorbitant. The Jays seem likely to move both, though, and they’re also expected to gauge interest in Justin Smoak, Freddy Galvis, Aaron Sanchez, Eric Sogard, Daniel Hudson and other veterans as their rebuilding efforts continue.

White Sox Claim AJ Reed

By Steve Adams | July 8, 2019 at 1:50pm CDT

The White Sox announced that they’ve claimed first baseman/designated hitter AJ Reed off waivers from the Astros. Injured pitcher Ryan Burr was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Reed, who was designated for assignment by Houston last week, has been assigned to Triple-A Charlotte.

Baseball America once rated the now-26-year-old Reed as the game’s No. 11 overall prospect, but the slugger never lived up to that billing. He’s hit just .153/.253/.244 and punched out 50 times in 150 Major League plate appearances, though it’s also worth emphasizing that Reed has never had much of a shot at regular playing time in the big leagues.

Reed’s .224/.329/.469 line in Triple-A this season has been underwhelming, but he has a lifetime .260/.351/.517 with 89 home runs in 1617 plate appearances at that level. Reed’s strikeout rate has jumped 23.7 percent in 2018 to 29.8 percent in 2019, but he’s still walking at the same strong 12 percent clip he’s managed in each of his three prior seasons in Triple-A.

The White Sox have Jose Abreu entrenched at first base, but he’s a free agent at season’s end. The South Siders also recently released Yonder Alonso, freeing up significant time at both first base and designated hitter. Reed is in his final option season, so he’ll need to make next year’s Opening Day roster or else be exposed to waivers once again. There’s little reason for the Sox not to give Reed a look, however. given his recent prospect pedigree and the potential long-term opening at first/DH. Even if the organization ultimately extends or re-signs Abreu, Reed could be given an opportunity to establish himself in an arrangement similar to the previous timeshare between Abreu and Alonso.

Rays Rumors: Trade Deadline, Jimenez

By Steve Adams | July 8, 2019 at 11:58am CDT

After dropping a pair of games against the Yankees to open their four-game series this past weekend, the Rays rallied to win a pair of one-run games and avoid falling further back in the division than the 6.5 games they trailed as of last Thursday. That pair of wins could prove to be pivotal, as Tampa Bay general manager Erik Neander recently acknowledged that his team’s level of aggression at the trade deadline will directly correlate with their proximity to the division lead.

“I think we’re likely to be the most aggressive the more that the division is in play,” Neander told Juan Toribio of MLB.com. “…Our standing within the division will probably dictate how aggressive we’ll look to be.”

The Rays come out of the break with four games against the Orioles in a three-day span. Over that same stretch, the Yankees will play three games in Toronto. Following that opening series for both teams, an even more critical four-game series between the Rays and Yankees will take place in the Bronx. At the conclusion of that series, fewer than two weeks will remain until the July 31 trad deadline.

As for the Rays’ current direction, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wrote this weekend that he anticipates a measured approach rather than aggressive pursuits of high-end assets like Giants closer Will Smith or Padres closer Kirby Yates. The Rays, for instance, are currently more interested in Tigers setup man Joe Jimenez than they are closer Shane Greene, per Topkin. One could argue that Jimenez is the more appealing of the two given that he’s controlled through the 2023 season — Greene is controlled only through 2020 — but Jimenez is still a work in progress. Greene, meanwhile, is a first-time All-Star in the midst of a career season.

There’s ample reason for Tampa Bay to be interested in Jimenez, it should be noted. The 24-year-old was not long ago considered to be the Tigers’ future closer, thanks largely to a heater that averages 95.5 mph and a slider that drew plus grades on scouting reports. Jimenez has a pedestrian 4.48 ERA dating back to Opening Day 2018, but he also sports a 3.52 FIP with 12.1 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and 1.1 HR/9 in 96 1/3 innings. This year’s 4.81 ERA is particularly underwhelming, but Jimenez has held opponents to three runs on six hits and two walks with 14 punchouts in 8 1/3 innings over the past month.

Neander emphasized to Toribio that the Rays never approach the deadline with the mentality that they “have to” make a trade (or multiple trades) but also spoke of a continued “opportunistic” mentality as July 31 looms. The Rays would be “OK” were the deadline to pass without a transaction taking place, per Neander, although recent history should signify such an outcome is unlikely. Tampa Bay has made at least one notable deal in four of the past five July trading seasons; David Price, Chris Archer, Tommy Pham, Kevin Jepsen, Steve Cishek, David DeJesus and Sergio Romo are among the recognizable veterans who’ve been involved in Rays swaps over the past half decade (more of them leaving Tampa Bay than arriving).

The Rays have been previously reported to have interest in adding multiple bullpen arms as well as a right-handed bat.

Red Sox “Pushing” To Add To Rotation

By Steve Adams | July 8, 2019 at 10:49am CDT

The Red Sox are making a push to land a starting pitcher on the trade market and “prefer to act sooner rather than later,” reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Boston is said to be casting the proverbial wide net in seeking an arm to slot into the starting five behind Chris Sale, David Price, Eduardo Rodriguez and the struggling Rick Porcello. The Red Sox re-signed Nathan Eovaldi on a four-year, $68MM contract this past offseason in hopes that he could round out the rotation behind that bunch, but Eovaldi underwent surgery to remove a loose body from his elbow in late April. He’s yet to return from that procedure, and even when he does, the organization plans to use him in the ninth inning to help fortify a beleaguered relief corps that went unaddressed in the offseason.

The market for starting pitching is thin but not barren. Madison Bumgarner is widely expected to be traded between now and July 31, although the Red Sox are known to be on his no-trade last. Division-rival Marcus Stroman is a likely candidate, too, as is Baltimore’s Andrew Cashner. Detroit’s Matthew Boyd is available for a high asking price, and it’s at least anecdotally worth pointing out that Red Sox president of baseball operations acquired Boyd for the Tigers when he previously served as their GM. Like Bumgarner, Zack Wheeler of the Mets is a free agent at season’s end and is a strong candidate to be traded this month. The Royals could potentially move southpaw Danny Duffy as well, and there will be other options beyond the group listed here.

As recently as last week, Red Sox owner John Henry publicly indicated that he didn’t anticipate adding “a lot of payroll” for the 2019 season. Boston is already the lone MLB team in the top luxury tax bracket, and any dollar that’s added to the team’s payroll will come with a 75 percent overage tax as a result. Boston can avoid paying a steep financial price by either acquiring a pre-arbitration arm or convincing a potential trade partner to pay down some of a veteran’s guaranteed salary, but either approach would require a steeper price tag in terms of prospects.

The Red Sox’ farm system isn’t considered to be particularly robust — although the oft-recited “don’t have the prospects to get something done” line is overstated. MLB.com’s most recent rankings of the Boston system credits the team with eight 50-grade prospects, while top organizational prospects Triston Casas and Futures Game participant Jarren Duran have both elevated their stock on Fangraphs’ midseason update.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/8/19

By Steve Adams | July 8, 2019 at 8:23am CDT

Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the league…

The Cubs released outfielder Jacob Hannemann and infielder Cristhian Adames from their Triple-A club, per the Pacific Coast League’s transactions log. Hannemann, 28, got a late start to the season after opening the year in extended Spring Training. He was hitting .248/.333/.453 with five homers and eight steals through 136 plate appearances. The 2013 third-rounder briefly appeared in the big leagues with the 2017 Mariners but totaled only 20 plate appearances. Adames, 28 later this month, has been limited to 73 plate appearances due to injury. He’d been rehabbing with the Cubs’ Rookie-level affiliate prior to his release. Adames hit .256/.375/.462 in 48 PAs at the Triple-A level and has generally posted respectable offensive numbers in parts of five Triple-A seasons. However, in parts of four MLB campaigns with the Rockies, he’s logged an unsightly .206/.283/.278 slash in 343 trips to the plate.
Right-hander John Curtiss has been released by the Phillies, as first indicated on the International League’s transactions page. The right-hander has bounced from the Twins organization to the Angels to the Phils but hasn’t found success in 2019. Curtiss was once considered a solid relief prospect with the Twins but has been shelled in Triple-A this season. While he’s missed bats in bunches (44 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings), the 26-year-old Curtiss has also surrendered 29 runs on 40 hits and 22 walks. Opponents have clubbed nine homers against him so far in 2019.

Twins Have Shown Interest In Ken Giles, Kirby Yates

By Steve Adams | July 8, 2019 at 7:01am CDT

The Twins’ need for bullpen help has been apparent for much of the season, and La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that they’ve “definitely checked on” a pair of the market’s top options: Blue Jays closer Ken Giles and Padres closer Kirby Yates. Both right-handers are controlled through the 2020 season via arbitration. Neal notes that the Blue Jays and Padres both had scouts on hand to watch the Twins’ Triple-A club recently, as did the Diamondbacks and Pirates (presumably, in addition to multiple other organizations).

Minnesota has seen the division-rival Indians creep back into the divisional picture with a six-game winning streak to close out the first half. The Twins took two out of three from the Rangers to finish out the half and were in position for a potential sweep Sunday. However, the offense couldn’t break a tie before the ’pen allowed a trio of runs in the top of the 11th inning.

Left-hander Taylor Rogers has quietly broken through as one of baseball’s best relievers. He boasts a 1.56 ERA with 11.2 K/9, 1.8 BB/9, 0.62 HR/9 and a 46.9 percent grounder rate in 86 2/3 innings dating back to last June, when he began heavily relying on a slider that transformed his arsenal and perhaps his career. Minnesota has also received strong output from 30-year-old rookie right-hander Ryne Harper.

Looking past that pairing, Tyler Duffey has generally been sharp but has stumbled recently, with runs allowed in three of four outings. Trevor May and Matt Magill are both missing bats at high clips but also issuing far too many walks. Offseason signee Blake Parker has has a solid ERA and 10 saves but is averaging a sky-high 2.03 HR/9 with too many walks himself. He’s unlikely to sustain his 3.77 ERA (5.72 FIP, 4.74 xFIP). Journeyman Mike Morin has a 3.18 ERA in 22 2/3 innings but has only fanned 11 hitters in that time.

Those seven names lead Twins relievers in innings pitched, but Minnesota has utilized another 13 arms out of the ’pen so far in 2019. Most have struggled considerably. Twins relievers do rank either 12th or 13th in the Majors in collective ERA, FIP and xFIP, but it’s been a top-heavy unit that, like any contender’s bullpen, would benefit significantly from another experienced late-inning arm.

Giles, 28, is earning $6.3MM and is arguably in the midst of his best season in the Majors. Through 31 innings, he’s pitched to a 1.45 ERA with a career-high 15.4 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 and 0.58 HR/9. Josh Hader is the only qualified pitcher in baseball with a higher swinging-strike rate than Giles’ ridiculous 20.4 percent mark. Giles also ranks in the top 10 in terms of opponents’ chase rate (39.1 percent) and average fastball velocity (97.3 mph). With the Blue Jays in a rebuild and already well out of playoff contention, he’s among the safest bets to be traded in all of MLB.

Yates, 32, has been even better. The second waiver-claim-turned-relief-ace the Padres have unearthed in the past couple of seasons, Yates erupted as one baseball’s premier relievers upon adopting a splitter that ranks as one of the game’s most effective offerings. He’s recorded video-game numbers so far in 2019, with a 1.15 ERA, 13.9 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 0.23 HR/9 and a 48 percent grounder rate. He’s being paid at an even more affordable $3.0625MM rate in 2019, but San Diego, unlike Toronto, is firmly in the postseason picture. The Padres are an insurmountable 14 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West but sit just two games out of a Wild Card spot. Reports have indicated that the Padres would need an “overwhelming offer” or “unforeseen haul” in order to move Yates.

It stands to reason that the Twins have checked in far more relievers than just these two, of course. Twins brass has surely checked in on the majority of relievers publicly known to be available — and quite likely several that don’t stand out as readily apparent trade candidates. It’s perhaps of some note that both players listed are controlled beyond the 2019 campaign, though Minnesota has also been connected to Giants closer Will Smith — a free agent at season’s end. If the Twins do prefer relievers controlled through at least 2020, some other options would include San Francisco’s Sam Dyson (profiled here last Friday), Detroit’s Shane Greene, Baltimore’s Mychal Givens, Seattle’s Roenis Elias and Kansas City’s Ian Kennedy.

Tigers Rumors: Boyd, Castellanos, Jimenez, Greene

By Steve Adams | July 5, 2019 at 12:53pm CDT

The Tigers’ asking price on lefty Matthew Boyd continues to be an impediment for interested teams, Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported this week on the Big Time Baseball podcast. Heyman notes that multiple GMs from other clubs used the phrase “over the top” when describing Detroit’s ask on Boyd, who whiffed 13 hitters in yesterday’s win but also continued his recent struggles with keeping the ball in the park by allowing a pair of homers. Boyd has fanned a ridiculous 32 percent of the hitters he’s faced in 2019 and walked just 4.5 percent of them; that K-BB% of 27.5 trails only Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer and Chris Sale, so he’s in some elite company with regard to his combined ability to miss bats and avoid walks. However, Boyd also allowed only seven homers through his first 12 starts (72 2/3 innings) but has now served up 12 long balls in 34 1/3 innings dating back to June 2.

Boyd is still just 28 with three and a half seasons of control remaining to go along with his elite K/BB skills (and a $2.6MM salary). His penchant for serving up the long ball also has to be a source of trepidation as teams weigh a pursuit of the lefty, though.

More chatter on the rebuilding Tigers…

Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press provides an excellent look at a number of trade chips for the Tigers, listing potential suitors and, in some instances, pulling back the curtain a bit on previous trade talks. For instance, Fenech writes that the Tigers and Astros discussed a trade involving Nicholas Castellanos last summer, with Houston offering outfielder Derek Fisher in return. Castellanos’ stock has dipped since last year and he’s now a rental, but Fisher’s stock hasn’t exactly risen itself since last July. That still seems like a lofty ask for the Tigers to make for only two months of Castellanos, but the prior interest is nevertheless noteworthy now that Castellanos appears a near-surefire bet to be traded.
In addition to closer Shane Greene, who is as obviously available as any player in baseball, right-hander Joe Jimenez is also available in trade talks, per Fenech. Multiple clubs, including the Mets and Rays, have inquired on Jimenez — a 24-year-old once heralded as Detroit’s future close. Jimenez averages better than 95 mph on his heater and has no issue missing bats (12 K/9 since 2017), but his control has long been shaky and he’s averaged 1.93 HR/9 in 2019. He’s also controlled through the 2023 season, so the Tigers have zero urgency to move him. Fenech adds that the Dodgers have inquired on Greene, though if anything it’d be more surprising if the bullpen-needy L.A. club hadn’t done so by now.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/5/19

By Steve Adams | July 5, 2019 at 10:26am CDT

The latest minor moves from around the league…

The Cardinals have released left-hander Tommy Layne from their Triple-A club, per the Pacific Coast League transactions log. Layne, 34, has previously pitched for the Padres, Yankees and Red Sox, last appearing in the big leagues with New York in 2017. He’s recorded a solid 3.61 ERA in 149 2/3 innings as a Major Leaguer and gave the Cardinals 29 innings of sub-2.00 ERA ball in the minors last season. However, Layne has been hammered for a 6.45 ERA in 37 2/3 frames this season while allowing 10.5 hits, 1.9 homers and 4.3 walks per nine innings pitched.
Right-handers Casey Coleman and Louis Coleman (no relation) were both cut loose by the Mets, as first reflected on the International League’s transactions log. Casey Coleman, 32, started hot in Syracuse with a 3.06 ERA and 28-to-12 K/BB ratio through his first 32 innings. Since that time, he’s allowed 31 runs in 32 innings — largely on the strength of eight home runs. He’s pitched parts of four seasons in the Majors between the Cubs and Royals but never found much success. That’s less true of Louis Coleman, 33, who owns a lifetime 3.51 ERA in 177 2/3 MLB innings. Louis was in camp with the Tigers this year but didn’t win a roster spot for what would’ve been a second run in the Detroit ’pen. He signed with the Mets in late May but surrendered nine runs on a dozen hits and eight walks with 12 strikeouts in 13 2/3 frames before being let go. Louis has a 2.49 ERA in parts of 10 Triple-A seasons to go along with his respectable big league track record, so he could certainly find a new opportunity based on that encouraging history.

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