Steve Adams | MLB Trade Rumors

Yankees Move Sonny Gray To Bullpen

By Steve Adams | August 2, 2018 at 3:48pm CDT

The Yankees have informed right-hander Sonny Gray that he’ll be moved from the rotation to the bullpen, tweets Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network. Gray has taken the demotion in stride, it seems. “I’ve struggled and they’ve given me ample opportunity to figure it out,” the righty said (via Marakovits on Twitter). “I continued to grind … I’m going to go to the pen and continue to try to figure it out.”

It’s a disappointing outcome not only for Gray himself but for a Yankees organization that parted with three promising young players to acquire the right-hander from Oakland in July 2017. The Yankees sent outfielder Dustin Fowler, shortstop Jorge Mateo and right-hander James Kaprielian to the A’s in order to acquire the final two and a half seasons of club control over Gray.

[Related: Updated New York Yankees depth chart]

The 28-year-old Gray pitched fairly well for the Yankees last season, logging a 3.72 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 47.3 percent ground-ball rate in 65 1/3 innings for New York during regular season play. He was hit hard in an ALDS start against the Indians but gave the Yankees a strong five-inning outing against the Astros in the ALCS (one earned run on one hit and a pair of walks with four strikeouts).

The 2018 season, though, has been an unmitigated disaster for Gray. Through 21 starts and 103 2/3 innings, he’s limped to a 5.56 ERA. While he’s still averaging 8.6 K/9 and has cut back on the home runs (1.13 HR/9), Gray’s walk rate is elevated substantially (3.1 BB/9 in 2017, 4.0 in 2018). Last year’s 28 percent hard-contact rate is a distant memory for Gray, as that number has jumped to 36.2 percent in 2018.

There was some speculation that the Yankees could look to trade Gray prior to the non-waiver deadline. Because most of the damage against him has come at Yankee Stadium (7.71 ERA, 10 homers allowed at home; 3.62 ERA, three homers allowed on the road), many viewed him as a potential change of scenery candidate. That said, there’s some reason to believe that a move to the ’pen could prove quite beneficial for Gray as well. Opponents have batted .250/.319/.424 when facing him for the first time in a game; those numbers soar to .319/.393/.478 the second time through the order.

While the move to the ’pen could serve as a temporary solution for the Yankees, it’s still fair to wonder about Gray’s long-term future in the organization. He’s earning $6.5MM in 2018 and is controlled through the 2020 season, though even with his ugly results this year, he’d still be in line for a modest raise through the arbitration process. While the Yankees can certainly afford to pay him $7MM+, it’s possible that his struggles in the Bronx could make him a trade candidate or even a non-tender candidate in the offseason if he’s unable to right the ship and put together a strong finish to the season.

For now, Gray will work out of the ’pen while the Yankees rely on Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and new acquisitions Lance Lynn (picked up in a trade with the Twins) and J.A. Happ (once Happ returns from the disabled list due to a bizarre bout of hand, foot and mouth disease).

Drew Hutchison Opts Out Of Dodgers Contract

By Steve Adams | August 1, 2018 at 10:03pm CDT

Right-hander Drew Hutchison has opted out of his minor league contract with the Dodgers, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The veteran right-hander, then, is a free agent and is now eligible to sign with any team.

Hutchison, 27, began the season with the Phillies and pitched to a 4.64 ERA with a 19-to-13 K/BB in 21 1/3 innings of work before being designated for assignment and ultimately landing with the Dodgers. While he never made it to the big leagues in L.A., he pitched brilliantly with Triple-A Oklahoma City, logging a 2.14 ERA with 8.6 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 42 innings at that level. More impressively, Shaikin notes that Hutchison snapped off a 23-inning scoreless streak to end his tenure with the organization.

Understandably, after not being brought to the Majors on the heels of that type of success, Hutchison will re-enter the open market in hopes of finding a new opportunity with a clearer path to the big leagues. The right-hander has struggled to find his footing in the Majors over the past several years, but he looked like an intriguing long-term rotation piece with the Blue Jays back in 2013, when he pitched 184 2/3 innings of 4.48 ERA ball with a strikeout per inning, solid control and a 3.85 FIP.

Mariners Re-Sign Marc Rzepczynski To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | August 1, 2018 at 8:26pm CDT

The Mariners have re-signed left-hander Marc Rzepczynski to a minor league deal, per Triple-A broadcaster Mike Curto (Twitter link). MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo first mentioned the reunion (also via Twitter).

Rzepczynski, 32, is technically being paid by the Mariners anyhow, as he signed a two-year, $11MM deal with Seattle in the 2016-17 offseason. However, after pitching poorly in each of the first season and a half of that pact, the veteran southpaw was designated for assignment and ultimately released. He landed with the Indians after that and notched 2 2/3 shutout innings before being designated for assignment and released for a second time.

Left-handed relief has been a need for the M’s for much of the season, in part due to Rzepczynski’s own struggles, and he’ll rejoin the organization as a depth piece. However, with James Pazos, Roenis Elias and the newly acquired Zach Duke — picked up in a Monday trade with the Twins — all in the big league bullpen, Rzepczynski won’t have much of a path to the Majors in the near future. In the event of an injury at the MLB level, though, or perhaps as a September call-up, he could potentially return to the big-league level with Seattle.

In 268 innings from 2011-16, Rzecpzynski worked to a 3.56 ERA with 8.6 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9. In parts of 10 Major League seasons, he’s held left-handed opponents to a timid .227/.296/.305 slash in 857 plate appearances.

Johnny Cueto To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

By Steve Adams | August 1, 2018 at 7:10pm CDT

The Giants announced to reporters Wednesday evening that right-hander Johnny Cueto will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow (Twitter link via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). The procedure will end his 2018 season and cost him the majority of the 2019 campaign as well.

Cueto spent two months on the disabled list earlier this season due to an elbow strain but was able to return to the mound in early July. However, after working to a sub-1.00 ERA through the season’s first month, he allowed 16 runs in 21 innings before landing back on the disabled list. Manager Bruce Bochy acknowledged recently that Tommy John surgery was a definite possibility for Cueto, and today’s announcement confirms as much.

The loss of Cueto is a massive blow to the Giants’ 2018 hopes. They’re currently five games out of the lead in the NL West and 4.5 games back of the second Wild Card spot in the National League, though the loss of Cueto and ongoing injury issues with Jeff Samardzija will present them with even more of an uphill battle in their efforts to return to the top of the division.

Cueto, 33 in February, is in the third season of a six-year, $132MM contract after forgoing an opt-out clause after the deal’s second season. While he turned in a brilliant first season in San Francisco back in 2016, his 2017 was marred by injuries, and both the 2018 and 2019 seasons will now fall under that same category. He’ll hope for a return late in the 2019 campaign, though it’s possible that Cueto won’t be able to return to the Giants’ rotation until after his 35th birthday. He’s owed just under $75MM through the end of the 2021 season (including a $5MM buyout of a $22MM option for the 2022 season).

It’s not clear whether the worst-case outcome on Cueto’s elbow will motivate the Giants to subtract any veteran pieces over the course of the month. San Francisco’s front office has been candid about its desire to try to remain competitive on a yearly basis. Certainly, they’d have plenty of pieces who could be attractive to contending clubs if they fall any further out of the race. While the Giants aren’t going to be embarking on any type of full-scale tear down, shorter-term veterans like Sam Dyson, Will Smith, Nick Hundley and Derek Holland could draw interest from teams that are more firmly in the playoff hunt. It’s far from clear, though, that the Giants would make any of those players available later this month.

Athletics Designate Carlos Ramirez For Assignment

By Steve Adams | August 1, 2018 at 6:17pm CDT

The A’s announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Carlos Ramirez for assignment. His spot will go to outfielder Boog Powell, who has been activated from the 60-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Oakland also announced that young outfielder Dustin Fowler has been optioned to Nashville as well.

Ramirez, 27, was claimed off waivers out of the Blue Jays organization earlier this year and appeared in three games earlier this summer before being optioned to Nashville in mid-June. Ramirez has logged 25 innings in the Majors between Toronto and Oakland, pitching to a 2.88 ERA — albeit with a lackluster 19-to-12 K/BB ratio. He’s spent parts of two seasons at the Triple-A level as well, where he’s notched a 3.50 ERA with 9.5 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9 in 46 1/3 innings.

The A’s will have a week to find a taker for Ramirez or run him through outright waivers in hopes of keeping him in the organization. He does have two option years remaining beyond the 2018 season, so he could appeal to other organizations in search of some bullpen flexibility.

International Notes: Yankees, Vargas, Mesa, Marlins, Orioles

By Steve Adams | August 1, 2018 at 5:30pm CDT

The Yankees have been one of the most aggressive teams on the international free agent market for the past several seasons, and they’ve already put the considerable amount of international funds they acquired in trades with the Cardinals ($1MM) and the White Sox ($1.5MM); New York announced today that it has signed Cuban righty Osiel Rodriguez and Cuban shortstop Alexander Vargas. Rodriguez’s $600K signing had previously been reported, but MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (via Twitter) that the newly signed Vargas received a whopping $2.5MM bonus. Vargas, 16, ranked eighth on MLB.com’s rankings of this year’s international prospects, drawing praise for his range, arm and instincts both at shortstop and in center field.

A few more notes on the international market…

Sanchez also recently took a lengthy look at the latest on the market for top outfield prospect Victor Victor Mesa. While the Cuban-born star has yet to be declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, there’s a fair bit of intrigue as to where he’ll sign once eligible. Victor Victor and his younger brother, Victor Jr., are both training in the Dominican Republic at present, according to Sanchez, but there’s no indication that either has established residency in another a country — a requisite step before being declared a free agent by MLB. Sanchez runs through the teams that are plausible landing spots for the brothers and takes a look at their potential timelines to signing.
Interestingly, Sanchez further notes that the Orioles and Marlins could be in line to make a significant play for Mesa (Twitter links). Both teams acquired international money prior to the non-waiver deadline and are interested in increasing their spending on the international front. The Orioles have a hefty $8.25MM they can offer, though it’s worth noting that GM Dan Duquette has suggested they could sign some international prospects as soon as this week (link via MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski). With the Mesas yet to reach free agency, that’d suggest that they’re not earmarking their entire pool one or both brothers. The Marlins, meanwhile, have $4.35MM to work with at present — the second-most of any team that is not limited to $300K signings. The Athletic’s Emily Waldon reported recently that the Orioles were working hard on a deal with the elder Mesa brother (Twitter link). MASNsports.com’s Byron Kerr tweeted that the Marlins are indeed planning a run at him as well, though he added that the Orioles could be closer. Of course, no deal can be announced until the league declares the Mesa brothers to be free agents, and there’s no real way of knowing when that process will be complete.

Athletics’ Daniel Gossett Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

By Steve Adams | August 1, 2018 at 4:25pm CDT

Aug. 1: The A’s announced that Gossett’s surgery was performed today

July 31: The Athletics announced that right-hander Daniel Gossett will undergo Tommy John surgery, thus ending his 2018 season and potentially causing him to sit out the entire 2019 campaign as well. Gossett, remarkably, becomes the fourth Athletics hurler to require Tommy John surgery in 2018 alone, joining teammates Jharel Cotton, Kendall Graveman and A.J. Puk in that most unwelcome distinction.

Gossett, 25, entered the season in the mix for a rotation spot with the A’s and made five starts over the course of the season before being pulled from his final outing on June 3 due to elbow discomfort. The right-hander has yet to enjoy much in the way of big league success to date, but he’s torn through Triple-A lineups with a 2.87 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 through 128 2/3 innings in his career. In parts of five minor league seasons, the 2014 second-rounder owns an impressive 3.42 ERA with a 2.99 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 437 1/3 frames.

The A’s have, of course, been thriving without any of their injured pitcher for much of the summer, but the loss of Gossett nonetheless thins out their staff and leaves the team with fewer depth options should any member of the current rotation go down with an injury. At present, that group consists of Sean Manaea and well-traveled veterans Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson and Edwin Jackson — making both Oakland’s contending run and their lack of a rotation addition prior to today’s non-waiver trade deadline both a bit surprising.

Gossett will finish out the year with one-plus years of MLB service time, so he won’t be eligible for arbitration this winter. If Oakland is comfortable dedicating a 40-man roster spot to him all offseason, they can retain him into next year and place him on the 60-day DL as soon as Spring Training opens. The A’s can control Gossett through 2023, so they have plenty of incentive to follow that route if they believe him capable of functioning as either a serviceable rotation piece of bullpen arm down the line.

Dodgers Acquire Brian Dozier

By Steve Adams | July 31, 2018 at 3:52pm CDT

3:52pm: The teams have announced the trade. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that, for now, the sense is that the Twins will hang onto Forsythe. It’s possible, perhaps, that Minnesota will be able to find a taker for a portion of his contract in August if he performs well, though as a free agent at season’s end, Forsythe presumably isn’t viewed as any sort of long-term piece.

2:28pm: The two sides have a deal in place, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). Dozier is headed to Los Angeles. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that Minnesota will take on Logan Forsythe’s contract in the deal and will also receive prospects Luke Raley and Devin Smeltzer in the swap.

2:23pm: The Dodgers and Twins are nearing a trade that’d send Brian Dozier from Minnesota to Los Angeles, according to Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The trade of Dozier brings to an end the tenure of one of the best players in recent Twins history and also at last pairs Dozier with the Dodgers, who invested a significant amount of time in trying to acquire him in the 2016-17 offseason. While Dozier isn’t having nearly the season that he had in his best two years with the Twins, the 31-year-old is at least showing some power, with a .224/.305/.402 slash and 16 homers on the season.

Of course, at his best, Dozier was quite arguably among the top second basemen in the game, hitting .269/.349/.522 with 76 home runs, 65 doubles and nine triples in 1396 plate appearances with Minnesota from 2016-17. That hasn’t been the case in 2018, clearly, but the Dodgers will hope for a return to form. Furthermore, given his status as a rental player, the cost of acquisition paid by the Dodgers wasn’t overly steep.

What remains to be seen is precisely how Dozier will be shoehorned into an already tight L.A. infield mix. The Dodgers currently have Justin Turner on the disabled list, which alleviates the logjam a bit, but they’ll soon have an infield with Turner at third, Manny Machado at shortstop, Max Muncy at second base and Cody Bellinger at first base. Bellinger, of course, can play in the outfield, as can current shortstop Chris Taylor (who’ll slide back into a utility role once Turner is back).

Then again, the Dodgers have never fretted much over regular positions and/or playing time for most players under current management. Rather, harvesting incredible amounts of depth has become a hallmark of this front office, and today’s addition of Dozier only furthers that reputation. Skipper Dave Roberts will be able to mix and match his lineups with quite a bit of creativity — particularly if the Dodgers give Dozier occasional reps at third base or at the position he played upon breaking into the Majors: shortstop.

At the very least, Dozier will give the Dodgers a potent option against left-handed pitching — both down the stretch and in the playoffs. Through 1082 career plate appearances against lefties, Dozier has impressed with a .277/.356/.516 slash and 48 home runs. That’ll prove especially useful against the Rockies (Kyle Freeland, Tyler Anderson), Cubs (Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, Cole Hamels, Mike Montgomery) and Braves (Sean Newcomb, Max Fried) — each of whom is currently in the NL playoff picture.

Dozier is playing out the final season of a four-year, $20MM deal with the Twins and is earning $9MM in 2018. His salary, then, will be canceled out by that of Forsythe, who is also earning $9MM and may or may not ever suit up and play a game for the Twins down the stretch. The 31-year-old Forsythe has had a terrible season at the plate, hitting just .207/.270/.290 through 2011 plate appearances. Los Angeles had previously tried to unload him in other trade talks, and his inclusion in the deal is assuredly a means of keeping the Dodgers beneath the $197MM luxury tax threshold. It’s possible that the Twins will simply cut ties with Forsythe immediately and turn Dozier’s second base spot over to a younger option with more of a future with the team.

The 23-year-old Raley is the primary return for the Twins, ranking 19th among L.A. farmhands, per Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. A seventh-round pick in the 2016 draft, Raley has steadily risen through the Dodgers’ ranks and hit well along the way, topping out in Double-A to this point in his career. Through 435 plate appearances at that level so far in 2018, he’s posted a .275/.345/.477 slash with 17 homers, 17 doubles and five triples.

Callis and Mayo note that with slightly above-average speed and arm strength, Raley can handle either corner outfield spot, though he’s also capable of spending some time in center field or at first base as needed. Raley hasn’t walked all the much at the Double-A level (5.4 percent) and has struck out at a 24 percent clip, but he gives the Twins another corner bat with some decent offensive potential to slide into the middle tier of the farm system.

Smeltzer reached Double-A as a 22-year-old and has struggled against older, more experienced competition, posting a 4.73 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 with a 36.6 percent ground-ball rate at that level this season. He’s been primarily a starter in his pro career after being drafted in the fifth round back in 2016, though he’s worked in relief a bit this season. That’s the role Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs pegged him for back in 2016 when ranking him 25th among Dodgers farmhands. Smeltzer hasn’t appeared on Dodgers rankings since that time, but he’s displayed excellent control as a pro, averaging fewer than two walks per nine innings pitched while also showing an aptitude for missing bats prior to this year’s more average marks in that regard.

Indians Acquire Oscar Mercado From Cardinals

By Steve Adams | July 31, 2018 at 3:42pm CDT

In a rare prospects-only swap, the Indians announced Tuesday that they have acquired minor league outfielder Oscar Mercado from the Cardinals in exchange for another pair of minor league outfielders: Conner Capel and Jhon Torres.

The acquisition of Mercado is an interesting one for the Indians, who spent much of the week leading up to the deadline seeking outfield upgrades but ultimately swung only a minor deal to acquire veteran Leonys Martin from the division-rival Tigers, While Martin can serve as a useful platoon partner for fellow veteran Rajai Davis, the addition of Mercado gives the Indians an advanced prospect capable of playing all three outfield spots who isn’t that far from MLB readiness.

Mercado, 23, has spent the season performing well with the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate in Memphis. Through 427 trips to the plate, he’s batted .285/.351/.408 with eight homers, 21 doubles, a triple and a hefty 31 stolen bases (in 39 attempts). He was the No. 10 prospect in the Cardinals’ system on MLB.com’s midseason update, slotting in behind newly acquired Justin Williams (acquired earlier today in the Cardinals’ Tommy Pham trade with Tampa Bay). MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo note that the converted infielder is a plus runner with a plus arm who profiles as a plus defender and “looks like he was meant to roam the outfield.”

It’s a somewhat puzzling move for the Cardinals, who will receive a pair of lesser-regarded outfielders in return — albeit two that won’t have to be added to the 40-man roster this winter, thus giving the Redbirds a bit of flexibility in that regard. Capel is the higher-profile of the two, at least per prospect rankings (link to MLB.com, Fangraphs), though he’s not as well regarded as Mercado.

The 21-year-old Capel has spent the season in Class-A Advanced, where he’s posted a .261/.355/.388 slash with strong plate discipline despite facing older competition (12.8 percent walk rate vs. 18.8 percent strikeout rate). Reports on him praise his above-average power and speed, with MLB.com suggesting he has the potential to stick in center while Fangraphs pegs him as a corner bat with the ability to hit.

Torres is 18 years of age and has yet to progress beyond the Indians’ Rookie-level affiliate. He’s hitting .273/.351/.424 with four homers in 111 plate appearances thus far in short-season ball but generally hasn’t been regarded among Cleveland’s best prospects.

Robert Murray of The Athletic first reported the deal (on Twitter).

Brewers Acquire Jonathan Schoop For Jonathan Villar, Two Prospects

By Steve Adams and Connor Byrne | July 31, 2018 at 3:39pm CDT

3:39pm: The trade is official.

3:18pm: Feinsand further tweets that Jonathan Villar and minor league shortstop Jean Carmona are headed to the Orioles in the deal.

3:09pm: The Brewers and Orioles agreed to a last-minute deal that will send infielder Jonathan Schoop from Baltimore to Milwaukee just prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (on Twitter). Right-handed pitching prospect Luis Ortiz is among the players going back to Baltimore in the deal, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (Twitter link).

It’s no surprise that the Brewers made a move to upgrade at second base, and it’s one that could benefit the team beyond this season. After all, Schopp – who’s on an $8.5MM salary this season – has another year of arbitration eligibility remaining.

After breaking out in 2017 with a .293/.338/.503 line, 32 home runs and a 3.8 fWAR in 675 plate appearances, Schoop has taken steps backward this season. The 26-year-old has slashed a below-average .244/.273/.447 with .7 fWAR over 375 PAs, though he has gone on a home run-happy tear of late to raise his numbers to more respectable levels. Schoop now has 17 homers after mashing seven long balls since July 20.

While Schoop’s overall production has been pedestrian this year, it still easily outdoes the .231/.288/.351 showing Brewers second basemen have compiled in 736 PAs. That obviously wasn’t going to cut it for Milwaukee, which is currently in wild-card position and trails the NL Central-leading Cubs by a game. Villar was part of the problem over the past year and a half for the Brewers, with whom he had a great season in 2016. Now 27, Villar has scuffled to a .248/.302/.374 line with 17 HRs in 715 PAs dating back to 2017, essentially making him a replacement player, though he has stolen 37 bases in that span (including 14 on 16 tries this year). He’ll provide the rebuilding Orioles an immediate successor to Schoop and could be a multiyear piece for the club, which will owe him the rest of a $2.55MM salary in 2018 and could control him via arbitration through 2020.

For now in Milwaukee, Schoop will add to an already crowded infield picture. The team just reeled in third baseman Mike Moustakas last week, forcing Travis Shaw to second. Unlike Moustakas and Shaw, Schoop is a right-handed hitter, though all three have struggled against southpaw pitchers both this season and throughout their careers.

In addition to Villar, Baltimore picked up a pair of prospects who ranked in the top 15 of Milwaukee’s above-average system at MLB.com. Ortiz (No. 7) is a 22-year-old who has worked to a 3.71 ERA/3.85 FIP with 8.6 K/9, 2.38 BB/9 and a 48 percent groundball rate in 68 Double-A innings this season (16 appearances, 11 starts). Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com posit that Ortiz has the ceiling of a No. 3 starter.

As for Carmona (No. 14), the two prospect gurus write that he “has all the components needed to become an impactful player at the highest level.” Still just 18 years old, Carmona has hit .239/.298/.406 in 172 PAs at the Rookie level this season.

For Baltimore, the removal of Schoop from its roster is the latest significant move with the team in the early stages of a rebuild. The Orioles have also dealt shortstop Manny Machado, relievers Zach Britton, Brad Brach and Darren O’Day, and starter Kevin Gausman this month, thus revamping their roster in a last-place season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Headlines

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect