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Rays Release Erik Kratz

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The Rays have released veteran catcher Erik Kratz following last week’s DFA, per the league transaction log over at MLB.com.

Kratz, 38, has appeared in a combined 21 games between the Giants and Rays in 2019 but managed just a .102/.170/.204 batting line through 53 trips to the plate. He logged a more respectable .236/.280/.355 output through 219 plate appearances in Milwaukee a year ago.

Kratz will have the opportunity to sign with any club he chooses now. He’s never been a strong hitter in the Majors but does have some pop in his bat. He’s also a strong option behind the dish in terms of controlling the running game (career 32 percent caught-stealing rate) and pitch framing, in addition to carrying a reputation as an outstanding clubhouse presence. The Rays themselves could be on the hunt for catching depth, as fellow backstop Nick Ciuffo was lost for upwards of 10 weeks (thumb surgery) just days after Kratz was designated for assignment. Others throughout the league figure to check in on the well-respected Kratz, too, as he searches for his next opportunity.

Jharel Cotton Undergoes Hamstring Surgery

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11:49pm: Not only do the Athletics believe Cotton will pitch again this season, but they’re confident he will return “at a fairly rapid pace,” team trainer Nick Paparesta said (via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Cotton will begin throwing again in a week to 10 days, per Paparesta.

5:06pm: The Athletics announced Thursday that right-hander Jharel Cotton underwent right hamstring debridement surgery earlier today. He’ll remain in Dallas, where the operation was performed, until a followup appointment next week before returning to Oakland to continue his rehab.

Cotton hasn’t pitched in 2019, as he’s been on the mend from Tommy John surgery he underwent last spring. He’d gone out on a rehab assignment and was expected to return to the club as a reliever, but today’s surgery obviously clouds his potential return. It’s not fully clear now when he’ll be activated — or even if he can be expected back in 2019 at all. Presumably, the Athletics will provide a further timetable once they have more information.

The 27-year-old Cotton came to the A’s alongside Frankie Montas and Grant Holmes in the 2016 trade that sent Rich Hill and Josh Reddick to the Dodgers. To this point, the righty has yet to find much consistency in the big leagues, although he’s certainly shown glimpses of his potential. He’s a former top 100 prospect with 158 1/3 innings of 4.95 ERA ball under his belt, averaging 7.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 along the way.

Braves Reportedly Emerge As Favorites For Dallas Keuchel

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7:05pm: The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Braves and Keuchel are in “serious talks.” There’s “some thought” that the Braves are willing to offer multiple years to Keuchel, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Earlier this morning, the New York Post’s George A. King III reported that Keuchel did indeed have teams willing to push their offer to the multi-year deal range, whereas the Yankees were still set on limiting any offer to one year.

2:18pm: The Braves have emerged as the “frontrunners” to sign free-agent lefty Dallas Keuchel, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (via Twitter). The Yankees have been prominently connected to the southpaw since the draft-pick compensation tied to him expired on Monday, but Atlanta has long been mentioned as a potential landing spot as well. Feinsand notes that the Yankees are still in the mix, but Atlanta has recently stepped up its efforts.

Earlier today, SNY’s Andy Martino reported that the Yankees were also facing some degree of competition from the Cardinals. He, too, listed the Braves as a potential factor in the Keuchel market, along with the Twins, though Minnesota’s interest has yet to be characterized as particularly serious.

For the Braves, Keuchel would help to stabilize a rotation that is enjoying strong performances from high-upside young pitchers who are likely to eventually face some type of workload restrictions (e.g. Mike Soroka, Max Fried). Beyond that excellent pairing, the starting pitching hasn’t panned out as hoped in Atlanta so far this season. Mike Foltynewicz missed the first month of the season and hasn’t performed well since returning (today’s quality outing notwithstanding). Lefty Sean Newcomb was demoted to Triple-A early in the season due to significant control issues, and he’s come back as a reliever. Righty Kevin Gausman has an ERA north of 6.00 through a dozen starts. Of the Braves’ starters, Julio Teheran has been the most effective holdover, but there’s certainly room to add another veteran to the mix to help smooth things over.

Unlike fellow free agent Craig Kimbrel, Keuchel has been reported to be more amenable to the concept of a one-year contract. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman wrote earlier this week that agent Scott Boras has discussed some multi-year scenarios that would contain an opt-out after the current season, but a straight one-year pact would be less complicated and more palatable for a signing team. Braves leadership has previously spoken about payroll flexibility, though the exact level of financial resources Liberty Media is willing to provide to general manager Alex Anthopoulos is, of course, anyone’s guess.

Any one-year deal signed by Keuchel would come with a prorated salary; inking him for the same rate as the $17.9MM qualifying offer he rejected back in November, then, would cost a team just north of $11MM from today through season’s end. Atlanta has a payroll of about $121MM at present, and their previous franchise-record Opening Day payroll total was $122MM. Signing Keuchel would push the Braves into uncharted territory, financially speaking — particularly when considering the fact that they’ll likely still make some additions on the trade market in an effort to bolster the bullpen.

That said, the National League East is among the game’s more tightly contested divisions. The Braves are currently 1.5 games behind the division-leading Phillies, 3.5 games ahead of the Mets and five games ahead of the suddenly surging Nationals. Given the competitive nature of the division, it’s understandable that they’re perhaps willing to push beyond previous comfort zones as they vie for a second consecutive playoff berth. Atlanta is currently in possession of the second National League Wild Card spot, but the difference between a guaranteed ticket to the NLDS and a winner-take-all, one-game coinflip is significant for any club.

John Curtiss Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander John Curtiss has elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment from the Angels, as first reflected on the Pacific Coast League’s transactions log. Curtiss had been designated for assignment earlier in the week.

Curtiss, 26, will now be able to seek a new opportunity with any club seeking bullpen help. He once ranked among the more promising arms in the Twins’ system, but Minnesota cut him loose this offseason and flipped him to the Angels in exchange for minor league infielder Daniel Ozoria. He’s only tallied 17 1/3 innings in the big leagues and has yet to find much success (6.75 ERA), but Curtiss has a strong track record at the Triple-A level.

In 101 frames at the top minor league level, Curtiss has a 3.21 ERA and has averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, though he’s also averaged 4.8 walks per nine frames. He’s struggled there this season, logging a 5.91 ERA and 29-to-13 K/BB ratio in 21 1/3 innings, but his ability to miss bats should hold appeal to another club in need of some bullpen help.

Rangers Notes: Minor, Leclerc, DeShields

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Entering the season, it looked like a foregone conclusion that the Rangers would make Mike Minor available on the summer trade market, but their 31-28 record and current presence in the thick of the AL Wild Card picture has muddied things, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. At the very least, despite the fact that Minor is 31 years old and signed through 2020, the Rangers will have to at least explore the possibility of extending him, Grant surmises. At present, the team is in a strong position regardless; it’s easy to point to their record and proximity to a Wild Card spot in telling other clubs that they’d need to be blown away to consider a move. And if they’re able to sustain this play through late July, of course, then Minor will become a vital piece to a more legitimate push toward an unexpected playoff berth.

Minor, through 81 1/3 innings this year, has a 2.55 ERA with 9.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and 0.89 HR/9. As Grant notes, his dominance actually extends back into 2018, when he closed out the year with a terrific 17-start stretch. About two thirds of respondents in last week’s MLBTR poll on Minor’s future felt the organization should trade him; they’ve gone 4-2 in the six games since.

Here’s more out of Arlington…

  • Minor himself addressed the situation when talking with Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, acknowledging that he keeps up with trade rumors throughout the year. Minor feels that it’d be a mistake to make such a move with the Rangers playing well and voiced confidence that the team can continue to keep pace in its push for a postseason bid. “I know something could happen, but my honest opinion is if they do trade me, they’re going to go out there and buy a bunch of free agents this off-season,” said Minor. “Unless they’re getting young, controllable guys back.”
  • Jose Leclerc is “getting close” to reclaiming the ninth-inning role, manager Chris Woodward said again this week (link via Wilson). Leclerc had an absolutely awful start to the season due to shaky control, but over the past month he’s notched a 1.76 ERA with a ridiculous 28-to-6 K/BB ratio in 15 1/3 innings of work (16.4 K/9). “I just love the kid so much,” said Woodward of Leclerc. “He wants to win so bad. He’s willing to do whatever we ask. He’s been pitching lights out. Just the command with his fastball and getting the weird swings with his changeup. Yeah, it’s getting close.”
  • Delino DeShields connected with a walk-off single to cap a four-hit showing last night, and Wilson’s piece also looks at his chances of sticking on the roster. Woodward feels that DeShields’ swing “looks so much better and more efficient” after a brief reset in the minors. DeShields is getting another look at the moment due to injuries sustained by Joey Gallo and Willie Calhoun, but Texas will eventually have that trio, the resurgent Hunter Pence, Shin-Soo Choo and Nomar Mazara all in the mix for outfield and DH at-bats, creating a bit of a logjam. DeShields still needs to demonstrate that he can have some prolonged success, of course, but he’s off to a nice start in trying to force his way back into the mix. Notably, Wilson adds that Calhoun could begin a minor league rehab assignment next week.

Tigers’ GM Avila On Cabrera, Prospect Timelines

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The Tigers and Miguel Cabrera received some tough news recently when four different medical opinions agreed that the future Hall of Famer is dealing with “chronic changes” in his knee that will impact the remainder of his career. The immediate ramifications of that diagnosis brought about a position change for Cabrera, who is now relegated to DH duty on a full-time basis and won’t be seeing any action at first base for the foreseeable future. As detailed at the time, Cabrera is owed more than $150MM through the end of the 2023 campaign on a contract that looks to be more onerous than ever before.

General manager Al Avila met with reporters Thursday to discuss the situation (all links to Twitter via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com). “The bad news is that it’s going to get worse as it goes along,” said Avila of Cabrera’s knee condition. “It’s incumbent on him to stay in good shape and it’s incumbent on us to make sure we get him the proper treatment and proper rest.” If both sides are able to hold up their end of the bargain, Avila added, the organization is confident it can “keep [Cabrera] productive on the field through the remainder of his contract.”

That’d be a tall order even for a fully healthy Cabrera (or any player signed into his age-40 season). This version of Cabrera, though, is not only dealing with the recently revealed knee issue but also multiple herniated disks in his back and the perhaps lingering effects of last season’s surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon. The 36-year-old surely enjoyed proving some doubters wrong for a night when he ripped a grand slam just hours after the extent of his knee troubles became public knowledge Tuesday. His overall line of .287/.357/.376, however, illustrates the manner in which his power has yet to materialize in 2019.

Given that substantial commitment to Cabrera for another four years beyond the current campaign, it’ll be all the more imperative for the Tigers organization to produce cost-efficient young talent. To that end, Avila discussed a number of intriguing young prospects Thursday, touching on the timelines of infield prospect Willi Castro and several of the club’s top-ranked pitching prospects.

Castro, a shortstop, is hitting .335/.413/.505 through 232 plate appearances in Triple-A while the Tigers’ entire infield flounders at the plate in the Majors. However, Castro has also committed 10 errors in just 44 starts at short (398 1/3 innings) after making only 15 errors in all of 2018. Scouting reports agree that he’ll eventually be a solid defender at the position, but it seems that consistency has eluded him. For a player who just turned 22, that’s not necessarily a shock. It’s worth wondering whether he’ll get a look later this month, as we’re right around the period of time at which teams can begin promoting players without worrying about Super Two status.

As for the pitchers, Avila suggested that although right-handers Beau Burrows and Kyle Funkhouser have struggled, if they can return to “doing what they’re capable of doing,” they’ll likely get a look in the Majors later in the 2019 season. Tigers fans, though, are surely more interested in getting a look at last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, Casey Mize. The former Auburn standout is among the game’s top 10 pitching prospects and has decimated minor league lineups in 2019, pitching to a comical 0.83 ERA with a 65-to-10 K/BB in 70 2/3 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A.

However, Avila wasn’t shy about the fact that promoting Mize in the near future isn’t all that likely. While the GM didn’t expressly rule out a promotion at some point in 2019, he plainly stated that there’s “no purpose” in promoting Mize to the Majors right now, citing a wariness of undoing some of the progress he’s made thus far. Perhaps if the Tigers were postseason contenders with a pressing rotation need, there’d be more urgency, but Avila was candid in his assessment of his big league roster as well. “Quite frankly it’s not going to make us into playoff contenders this year,” he said of a near-term promotion for Mize.

Braves Reportedly Not Among “Finalists” To Sign Kimbrel

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Though Atlanta fans have been vocal about their desire to see Craig Kimbrel suit up for the Braves once again, that appears decreasingly likely. The Braves have been loosely connected to Kimbrel throughout the year, but now that he’s free of draft compensation and expected to sign in the near future, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reports (via Twitter) that the Braves aren’t among the “finalists” to sign the seven-time All-Star.

That comes on the heels of a morning report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal which indicates that the Cubs are “pushing hard” to sign the right-hander. Kimbrel has also been recently connected to the Twins and Phillies.

The Braves’ bullpen need is rather acute, so it would appear that the team has simply decided that even without draft-pick forfeiture, Kimbrel’s asking price is too steep. He’s reportedly been seeking a three-year contract, and while the salary in the first year of such an arrangement would be prorated now that we’re a third of the way through the season, Kimbrel is surely seeking a hefty annual rate of pay all the same.

If Kimbrel ultimately lands in Chicago or elsewhere, the Cubs will quite likely look to the trade market to bolster what has been an injury-plagued and generally disappointing relief unit. Luke Jackson, thrice outrighted off the Braves’ 40-man roster last season, has been the club’s most consistent reliever for most of the season. Touki Toussaint is among the game’s most highly regarded starting pitching prospects but has thrived since moving into a relief role (albeit with a somewhat elevated walk rate). Sean Newcomb also looks sharp in a relief capacity, while Anthony Swarzak has been solid since his acquisition. Josh Tomlin, signed to a minor league deal in Spring Training, has been a durable source of multi-inning stints.

But while the Atlanta bullpen’s 4.31 ERA is 15th in the big leagues, the Braves’ 4.93 FIP ranks 26th and their 4.69 xFIP ranks 20th. Braves relievers have walked 11.7 percent of the hitters they’ve faced — the third-highest mark in the Majors. They’re also averaging 1.55 home runs per nine innings pitched, which ties them with the Nationals for the fourth-highest rate in the Majors. The Braves have been fortunate than more than half of the home runs allowed by their bullpen have come with the bases empty, but the combination of one of MLB’s highest walk rates and highest home-run rates isn’t a recipe for long-term success. With several clubs likely to sell off pieces this summer — the Giants, Blue Jays, Orioles, Royals and Tigers will have arms available — there’ll be plenty of options for Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos to explore.

Padres Designate Alex Dickerson For Assignment

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The Padres announced that they’ve designated outfielder Alex Dickerson for assignment on Wednesday. His spot on the roster will go to righty Miguel Diaz, whose reinstatement from the 60-day injured list had already been announced by the team.

Dickerson, 29, has collected three singles in 19 trips to the plate this season in his first action since the 2016 season. Back injuries wiped out Dickerson’s 2017 campaign, and he underwent Tommy John surgery last spring, which cost him the 2018 season as well. Prior to those significant injury troubles, Dickerson looked like an intriguing late bloomer; through 285 plate appearances in 2016, he hit .257/.333/.455 with 10 homers, 16 doubles, a pair of triples and five stolen bases.

There’s a known outfield crunch in San Diego, however, with Wil Myers, Manuel Margot, Franchy Cordero, Franmil Reyes, Hunter Renfroe and the recently promoted Josh Naylor all vying for at-bats on the big league roster (although Cordero is injured at the moment). That glut of outfielders ultimately left Dickerson as the odd man out, though his prior success and strong .372/.469/.606 slash through 113 Triple-A plate appearances this season could very well lead to interest from another club. The Padres will have a week to either trade Dickerson or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.

Padres Place Matt Strahm On Injured List

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The Padres announced Wednesday that they’ve placed left-hander Matt Strahm on the 10-day injured list due to a rib strain.  They’ve also optioned lefty reliever Brad Wieck to Triple-A, recalled right-hander Cal Quantrill and reinstated righty Miguel Diaz from the 60-day injured list. San Diego has not yet announced a corresponding 40-man roster move for Diaz, but its 40-man was previously full, so another move will need to be announced in the near future.

Strahm, 27, has had a solid season with the Padres after moving from the bullpen in 2018 to a full-time rotation gig in 2019. Through 11 starts, he’s totaled 60 1/3 innings of 4.04 ERA ball. Along the way, the former Royals southpaw has averaged 8.4 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9, though his elevated 1.49 HR/9 and a below-average 36 percent ground-ball rate are less encouraging. Strahm is already just one inning shy of his 2018 total, so his workload moving forward will be worth monitoring. While the Friars are surely comfortable with a hefty step up in terms of innings count, it’s also unlikely that Strahm is ticketed for a full slate of 30-plus starts and 180-plus innings, even if today’s IL placement proves short-term.

With Strahm sidelined at least temporarily, the Padres will lean on Joey Lucchesi, Chris Paddack, Eric Lauer, Nick Margevicius and, presumably, Quantrill in the rotation. It’s an inexperienced group but one that has been mostly effective. Margevicius is the lone member of the group who has struggled substantially, but even in his case, most of the damage done against him has been confined to his three most recent outings.

In Diaz, the Padres will welcome back a hard-throwing 24-year-old righty who has been on the shelf all season so far due to a torn meniscus. Diaz hasn’t found big league success yet, but he averages better than 95 mph on his heater and picks up roughly a strikeout per inning. He has minor league options remaining, so if the control issues he’s experienced at the MLB level (5.5 BB/9 in 60 1/3 frames) persist, he can be sent down without risk of being exposed to waivers.

Cubs Making Push For Craig Kimbrel

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The Cubs are “pushing hard” to sign free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). He’d obviously be a much-needed upgrade for a Cubs ’pen that has been without closer Brandon Morrow all season and has endured numerous other injuries so far in 2019.

If a deal does indeed come to fruition, it’d represent a change of course for the Cubs, who spent the offseason making a series of small-scale additions due to ownership’s claim that the team simply didn’t have the resources to add to the team’s payroll. Kimbrel has been reported to be seeking a three-year pact, so it’s possible that the Cubs could backload a multi-year offer to ease up on the financial burden for the current season, but they’d still pay a 32 percent luxury tax on the average annual value of Kimbrel’s contract. The Cubs’ payroll already tops $213MM, and their luxury-tax payroll (calculated by the combined average annual values of all the contracts on the roster) checks in north of $227MM, per Roster Resources’ Jason Martinez.

Chicago recently welcomed Pedro Strop back from the injured list, and adding Kimbrel would be a second boon to the relief corps in a short period of time. Kimbrel won’t be ready to step directly into a game setting, of course, but he’s assuredly been throwing in preparation to join a team as soon as possible. In all likelihood, he’d build up over a relatively brief minor league stint and join his new team within a matter of weeks.

As soon as the calendar flipped from Sunday to Monday this week, Kimbrel and fellow free agent holdout Dallas Keuchel were freed from the burden of draft-pick compensation, so signing him would only cost the Cubs money at this point. He’s also been somewhat prominently connected to the Twins, although it’s quite arguable that the Cubs’ need is greater. Minnesota is enjoying a 10.5-game lead in the American League Central, whereas all four teams in the NL Central are within 5.5 games of the Cubs; the Brewers, in particular, are only a half game back of the Cubs in the standings.

The most common other suitors listed for Kimbrel have been in the NL East: the division-leading Phillies and Kimbrel’s original organization, the Braves. Philadelphia has reportedly only been interested in Kimbrel on a short-term deal, however (presumably, a one-year pact). As for the Braves, their interest in Kimbrel has clearly never aligned with the fanbase’s at times ravenous desire to see Kimbrel once again take the mound in Braves gear. The Atlanta faithful have gone so far as to audibly chant, “We want Kimbrel” during Braves games at SunTrust Park, but the front office has maintained a more measured approach to whatever interest it holds in bringing Kimbrel back to Georgia.

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