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NL East Notes: Baker, Nats, Cespedes, Therrien

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Dusty Baker wants to continue managing the Nationals beyond the 2017 season, but ownership has yet to make him an extension offer, reports Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. According to Janes, GM Mike Rizzo made a strong recommendation to ownership that the team extend its relationship with Baker, but nothing has materialized. Janes spoke to Rizzo, Ryan Zimmerman and Max Scherzer about Baker, with each offering praise and voicing a hope that he’ll remain beyond the current season. Scherzer, in particular, spoke on behalf of keeping Baker at the team’s helm. “We love him,” said the two-time Cy Young winner. “We want him here. They [ownership] want to be patient, but I hope they don’t mess with this clubhouse.” Janes notes that the Nats have a history of underpaying managers, which may have cost them a chance at Bud Black two offseasons ago. Baker acknowledged that he knew what he was getting into, financially speaking, when joining the Nationals but also suggested that he feels his current two-year, $4MM contract is a bit light. “…I think I’ve earned more than I’m being paid,” he said.

More from the NL East…

  • The Post’s Thomas Boswell further weighs in on Baker’s contract situation, expressing perplexity over ownership’s lack of urgency in extending Baker even through the 2018 season. Boswell adds further praise for Baker from Nationals righty Tanner Roark, who lauds Baker’s ability to connect with virtually anyone. Perhaps most interesting from Boswell’s piece, though, is a quote from an unnamed “key member” of the Nationals organization suggesting that ownership serves as a hindrance not only in managerial decisions but in roster construction. “When you’re this close to winning, you have to make the one move that your team really needs,” Boswell’s source said. “Right now, the Lerners are the problem. They won’t spend, even though it’s not much, compared to how close we are. [General Manager] Mike Rizzo and Dusty aren’t the problem [with the bullpen]. The owners just don’t get it.”
  • Yoenis Cespedes somewhat quietly began a minor league rehab assignment on Thursday night, writes Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. The Mets didn’t announce the rehab assignment for Cespedes this time around, after his last rehab effort was shut down. Information from the team has been “pointedly vague” to this point, Ackert contends, noting that the team is becoming increasingly cautious with medical information after the myriad health controversies they’ve faced in 2017. Cespedes played left field with the Mets’ Florida State League (Class-A Advanced) affiliate Thursday.
  • Relief prospect Jesen Therrien has put himself on the map for a 2017 call-up with the Phillies, manager Pete Mackanin told reporters (via CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury). Philadelphia brought Therrien over to big league camp a couple of times in Spring Training, and his slider caught Mackanin’s eye right away. His first two months of the season have done nothing to dissuade Mackanin’s interest; Therrien tore through Double-A opponents with a 1.26 ERA and a preposterous 39-to-3 K/BB ratio across 28 2/3 innings before being promoted to Triple-A. He’s tossed four more scoreless innings there with four punchouts and no walks. “For me, he’s on the map,” said Mackanin. “Especially out of the bullpen, if you have a good breaking ball and can command it, that’s half the battle.” The Montreal native was the Phillies’ 17th-round pick back in 2011.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/8/17

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Here are the day’s minor moves from around baseball…

  • Free agent outfielder/first baseman Andrew Lambo signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League earlier this week, the team announced. Now 28 years of age, Lambo was once a well-regarded prospect with the Dodgers and appeared in parts of four big league seasons with the Pirates and A’s. A battle with testicular cancer limited Lambo to just one plate appearance during his time with Oakland, and the A’s cut him loose earlier this year while he was working his way back from a wrist injury. Lambo has just a .189/.230/.295 triple slash through 100 Major League plate appearances, but he’s logged a considerably more productive .258/.324/.453 line in just over 1000 Triple-A plate appearances. During his best seasons, the left-handed-hitting Lambo has absolutely clobbered right-handed pitchers, so a healthy run in the Atlantic League could certainly get him another look in affiliated ball.

Cubs Place Kyle Hendricks On DL, Select Contract Of Seth Frankoff

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6:22pm: Left-hander Brett Anderson has been moved to the 60-day disabled list to clear a spot on the roster for Frankoff. There’s been no setback for Anderson, ESPN’s Chicago’s Jesse Rogers notes (Twitter link). However, Anderson’s already been on the shelf for roughly a month and wouldn’t be ready to return within 60 days of his initial DL placement.

4:23pm: The Cubs have place right-hander Kyle Hendricks on the 10-day disabled list due to tendinitis in his right hand and selected the contract of fellow right-hander Seth Frankoff from Triple-A, the team announced to reporters (Twitter links via Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune).

Left-hander Mike Montgomery will start tomorrow in place of Hendricks, whose DL stint is expected to be rather minimal, per Gonzales. The team will announce a corresponding 40-man roster move before tonight’s game but did not provide one at this time.

Hendricks, 27, was one of the front-runners for the NL Cy Young Award last season and finished third on the ballot, but he’s been unable to replicate last season’s magical performance to date. Through 61 2/3 innings this year, he’s pitched to a 4.09 ERA while both his K/9 rate (7.4) and BB/9 rate (3.1) have trended in the opposite direction relative to last year’s excellent marks (8.1 and 2.1, respectively). Hendricks has seen his fastball velocity plummet from 87.6 mph all the way to 85.6 mph in 2017, and he’s seen significant declines in his swinging-strike rate as well as his rate of throwing first-pitch strikes. It’s not clear if the current hand issue how significantly, if at all, the current hand issue has impacted him this year.

As for the 28-year-old Frankoff, he’ll make his MLB debut the first time he steps onto the mound. The longtime A’s farmhand spent the 2016 season with the Dodgers and is in the midst of his first season with the Cubs organization. A former 27th-round pick (2010), Frankoff had a nice year in the Dodgers’ minor league ranks in 2016 and is enjoying the best season of his pro career with Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate so far. In 11 games (nine starts, two relief appearances), he’s totaled 55 1/3 innings of 2.77 ERA ball with 9.6 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 53.7 percent ground-ball rate. Though he’s worked primarily as a starter in Iowa, he’ll head for the Cubs’ bullpen for the time being.

AL West Notes: Fister, Segura, Brugman, Doolittle

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Doug Fister’s first start with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate went quite well, as the veteran right-hander tossed five innings of one-run ball and allowed just four hits and no walks to go along with seven strikeouts. Of the 11 balls put into play against him, seven were hit on the ground (63.6 percent rate). Fister reportedly has a June 21 opt-out in his contract with the Angels, so the Halos can get another couple of looks at him before making a decision on whether to promote him to the Majors, though his first outing was certainly encouraging.

More from the AL West…

  • Mariners ownership gave GM Jerry Dipoto a “unanimous go for it” when he approached them about pursuing an extension with shortstop Jean Segura, Dipoto said at yesterday’s press conference announcing the deal (via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). “I can speak for [CEO John Stanton] and [president Kevin Mather] as well. When I brought it to them the first time, I know it was shared with the ownership group to give them the ok to roll ahead with negotiations, everybody was absolutely in back of the negotiations or the proposal each step of the way. They were all for it.” Dipoto acknowledged that a full no-trade clause isn’t something he considers “typical” in extension talks, but Segura’s agent, CAA’s Nez Balelo, explained that due to the three previous trades in his Segura’s still-young career, it was an important element to secure.
  • The Athletics are promoting outfield prospect Jaycob Brugman to make his Major League debut this weekend, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. It’s not yet clear what the corresponding roster move will be, though Brugman was added to the 40-man roster, so Oakland needn’t necessarily designate someone for assignment in order to bring him up. Ranked as the organization’s No. 21 prospect by MLB.com and No. 24 by Baseball America, Brugman is off to a fine start in Triple-A Nashville, slashing .288/.373/.364 through 150 plate appearances. He’s capable of playing all three outfield positions and possesses roughly average pop and speed, per the previously linked scouting reports. The 25-year-old Brugman is pegged as more of a fourth outfielder than a starter by both reports but will inject some youth into what is currently a fairly old mix of outfielders.
  • Slusser also notes that Sean Doolittle is expected to be activated from the disabled list as the 26th man for one of the two games of Saturday’s doubleheader. The A’s will need to drop back down to 25 players, so Brugman could be optioned out quickly after his first look in the Majors. However, Slusser also notes that relievers Frankie Montas and Josh Smith are both candidate to be sent down as well. Speculatively speaking, if both are optioned, Oakland could once again have a four-man bench, though it’d be shifting back to a 12-man pitching staff in that case. (Related: Oakland Athletics depth chart)

Mariners Extend Jean Segura

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3:50pm: The breakdown of Segura’s extension is provided by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).  Segura receives a $3MM signing bonus, $9MM in 2018, and then salaries of $14.25MM in each season from 2019-2022.  The 2023 club option is worth $17MM, with a $1MM buyout.

12:37pm: The Mariners announced on Wednesday that they’ve locked up shortstop Jean Segura on a five-year contract extension that includes a club option for the 2023 season. The deal will reportedly guarantee the CAA Sports client a total of $70MM over the next five seasons and include full no-trade protection.

Jean Segura

“Over the past two seasons, Jean has been one of the premier offensive players in baseball,” said GM Jerry Dipoto in a statement announcing the extension. “His combination of average, power and speed is extremely difficult to find, especially as a top-of-the-lineup hitter at a key defensive position like shortstop. We are all quite excited about having him here with the Mariners and believe he is a key ingredient in our ongoing effort to build a championship level roster.”

The 27-year-old Segura, currently on the disabled list with a minor ankle injury, entered play Wednesday pacing the American League with a .341 average. In addition to that excellent mark, he’s posted a .391 on-base percentage and slugged .462 through 198 plate appearances in his first year as a Mariner. Seattle acquired Segura from the Diamondbacks alongside Mitch Haniger and minor league lefty Zac Curtis in exchange for right-hander Taijuan Walker and infielder Ketel Marte this offseason.

Segura is already earning $6.2MM this season and, of course, would stand to earn a significant raise upon that salary via arbitration in 2018 before hitting the open market in advance of his age-29 season. With a rough assumption of a would-be $9-10MM salary via that arbitration process this winter, the Mariners secured Segura’s first four free agent seasons for a rough annual value of about $15MM.

Extensions for a player in his service class are relatively rare — especially at this point of the year — though recent examples include Salvador Perez’s five-year, $52MM deal and Brandon Crawford’s six-year, $75MM contract (as shown in MLBTR’s Extension Tracker). Segura doesn’t have the consistent track record that a number of his peers that have secured long-term deals in this service class have had.

Back in 2013, Segura had a terrific sophomore season with the Brewers, hitting .294/.329/.423 with 12 homers and 44 stolen bases through 623 plate appearances. However, that was followed up with a pair of down seasons, during which he suffered the tragic loss of his infant son. A change of scenery that sent Segura to the D-backs in exchange for Chase Anderson and prospect Isan Diaz led to a resurgence for the one-time top prospect. Segura was sensational in his lone year with the Diamondbacks, slashing .319/.368/.499 with 20 homers and 33 steals.

From a long-term perspective, the Mariners are reasonably well-equipped to handle a significant extension. Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez and Kyle Seager are the only players under club control beyond the 2018 campaign. Segura now joins that core, and the presumptive increase in his salary that will begin with his free-agent years will coincide with the departure of Nelson Cruz, Marc Rzepczynski and Drew Smyly in free agency. The Mariners will also see Steve Cishek, Carlos Ruiz, Danny Valencia and Jarrod Dyson depart via free agency after the 2017 season. Not including the yet-unreported terms of Segura’s extension, the Mariners have committed just under $72MM to their 2019 payroll and just $43.5MM committed to the 2020 payroll.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network and FOX Sports first reported the two sides were close to a deal (Twitter link). Hector Gomez of Z 101 in Santo Domingo tweeted the agreement and the terms of the deal. FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported that Segura would receive a full no-trade clause (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/7/17

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Here are the latest minor moves from around the league…

  • The Orioles have outrighted infielder Paul Janish to Triple-A Norfolk after Janish cleared waivers, according to an announcement from the team.  Janish was designated for assignment yesterday to clear room for Ruben Tejada joining the O’s.  Janish has spent much of his three years in Baltimore’s organization at the Triple-A level, appearing in 205 games for Norfolk and just 31 with the Orioles.
  • The Cardinals have purchased the contract of first baseman/outfielder Chad Huffman, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reports (via Twitter).  Righty John Gant was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.  Huffman’s MLB career consists of nine games with the Yankees in 2010 and he hasn’t been back to the Show since, bouncing between the Cardinals, Tigers and Indians farm systems, as well as spending parts of two seasons in Japan.  Originally a second-round pick of the Padres in the 2006 draft, Huffman has an impressive .281/.376/.463 over 4094 career plate appearances in the minors.
  • The Marlins have signed right-hander William Cuevas to a minor league deal, as announced by the A1 Performance Group (Twitter link), Cuevas’ agency.  The righty elected free agency earlier this week after rejecting an outright assignment from the Tigers.  Cuevas, 26, has a limited Major League resume that consists of one-third of an inning for Detroit this season and five innings for Boston in 2016.  The 26-year-old has a 3.67 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 2.67 K/BB rate over 772 2/3 career innings in the minors, with 103 of his 171 appearances coming as a starting pitcher.
  • The Tigers and right-handed reliever A.J. Achter “mutually agreed” upon his release yesterday, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. The former Twins/Angels reliever will now hit free agency in search of a new club. Achter, 28, has appeared in 45 games between Minnesota and Anaheim in the past three seasons, pitching to a combined 3.92 ERA with 4.8 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 38.4 percent ground-ball rate in 62 innings of Major League action. He’s had a rough year with Detroit’s Double-A affiliate, however, limping to a 5.34 earned run average with a 24-to-14 K/BB ratio through 28 2/3 innings.
  • Infielder Jose Pirela had his contract selected by the Padres prior to last night’s game, the team announced. The former Yankees farmhand was off to a .331/.387/.635 start with 13 homers and eight stolen bases through 201 plate appearances in the admittedly hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. The 27-year-old Pirela has yet to perform offensively in a brief sample of MLB work (148 plate appearances dating back to his debut in 2014), but he does have a nice track record in Triple-A. To clear a spot on the roster, San Diego put Jarred Cosart (foot contusion) on the 10-day disabled list and moved Travis Jankowski from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL.

Orioles Select Contract Of Edwin Jackson

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2:35pm: The Orioles have announced the move. Left-hander Donnie Hart has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, leaving Richard Bleier as the lone southpaw in manager Buck Showalter’s bullpen.

8:33am: The Orioles will select the contract of veteran right-hander Edwin Jackson, reports Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. The team has an open 40-man spot after outrighting left-hander Paul Fry last week, so the team need only make a corresponding 25-man roster move.

Jackson’s minor league deal with Baltimore contained a June 1 opt-out date that he agreed to push back to this past Monday, as Encina originally reported. By triggering that clause, Jackson gave the O’s 48 hours to add him to the Major League roster or grant him his release, and the team has opted for the former option.

Through 20 1/3 innings with the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk, the 33-year-old Jackson has turned in a very solid 3.10 ERA with 7.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 32.1 percent ground-ball rate. He’s been particularly effective lately, with three straight scoreless appearances — a total of 5 2/3 innings. Jackson has worked primarily in a multi-inning relief role with the Tides and is likely to occupy that same role initially with the Orioles, per Encina. Baltimore does have some instability in its rotation, however, so it’s at least feasible that Jackson could return to a starting gig down the line if he performs well out of the ’pen.

Notably, the Orioles will be the 12th Major League team for which Jackson will appear in his career. That puts him just one club shy of the Major League record, which is currently held by Octavio Dotel, who played for 13 teams. Jackson has previously suited up for the Dodgers, Rays, Tigers, D-backs, White Sox, Cardinals, Nationals, Cubs, Braves, Marlins and Padres. In 1724 1/3 innings at the Major League level, he has a career 4.65 ERA with 6.9 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 44 percent ground-ball rate.

MLB Investigating Abuse Allegations Against Derek Norris

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12:20pm: Norris has issued a statement, via his agent, to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times:

“First, I want to be absolutely clear that abuse of any form, is completely unacceptable. Allegations regarding this issue are a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly under any circumstances. That being said, in this circumstance, the comments made by my ex-fiancee could not be further from the truth. I have NEVER been physically or emotionally abusive towards her, or anyone else in my life. I plan to go above and beyond to assist MLB with their investigation into this matter.”

The Rays have also commented on the matter, though their statement was considerably more brief: “The Rays wholly support MLB’s Domestic Violence policy. We take these allegations very seriously and will fully cooperate with the Commissioner’s Office on this matter.”

8:00am: Major League Baseball is investigating allegations of  “physical and emotional abuse” that have been brought forth against Rays catcher Derek Norris, MLB spokesperson Pat Courtney confirmed to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. Norris’ ex-fiancee, Kristin Eck, made the claims against him in a recent post on Instagram. It’s not clear at this time if there is any ongoing criminal investigation, though Crasnick’s report makes no such mention.

Eck’s comments do not specifically mention Norris by name, but she’d previously appeared on MLB Network in a video interview promoting some charity work, in which she was identified as Norris’ fiancee. Her comments also imply that Norris is the man in question: “…I also was physically and emotionally abused by this beautiful man. He gave me a lifestyle most people only dreamed of, but it came at a price. … When I left I had $300 to my name, I had no access to money, I had no access to cars and was only given the courtesy to remove my items from our home.”

Commissioner Rob Manfred and his staff will look into the matter under Major League Baseball’s relatively new domestic abuse policy, which has already led to suspensions of varying length for Aroldis Chapman, Jose Reyes, Hector Olivera and Jeurys Familia. Each of those cases was dealing with allegations of singular incidents, and MLB’s investigation into each of those incidents was also performed simultaneously with criminal investigations. The allegations against Norris, at present, are more generalized in nature, which will likely require a different type of investigation from the Commissioner’s Office.

That is not to say, of course, that the claims levied against Norris should be considered lesser; certainly, it’s a serious matter that could well result in a punishment for the six-year big league veteran. However, Norris’ case does come under different circumstances than the previous cases that yielded suspensions, so it remains to be seen precisely how the league will handle this scenario. Olivera is the only one of those previously punished under the policy whose investigation occurred during the season, and he was initially placed on paid administrative leave during that investigation. It’s not yet clear if Norris will also be placed on leave.

Cardinals Sign Cuban RHP Hector Mendoza

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11:58am: MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (via Twitter) that it’s a minor league deal for Mendoza, who will receive a $500K signing bonus. As previously noted, that doesn’t come with a luxury tax since Mendoza is exempt from bonus pools, making his addition is a relatively low-cost pick up for St. Louis.

9:37am: The Cardinals announced that they’ve agreed to terms with 23-year-old right-hander Hector Mendoza. The Cuban native, who is being represented by Wasserman, was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball back in January and is reportedly exempt from international bonus pools. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, though his exemption means that the Cards were free to sign him to a Major League contract.

Though Mendoza falls shy of the requisite five years of pro experience in Cuba that MLB requires for bonus pool exemption, El Nuevo Herald’s Jorge Ebro reported in January that the league determined that Mendoza can be considered a professional rather than an amateur due to brief stints in Japan across parts of two separate seasons (combined with his four years in Cuba).

Baseball America’s Ben Badler connected the Cardinals to Mendoza over the weekend (subscription required and strongly recommended), noting that while he once was one of the more promising young arms on Cuba, he’s struggled Japan and had durability issues in Cuba. Per Badler, Mendoza has a three-pitch starter’s repertoire, including a 94 mph fastball, when he’s at his best. However, scouts who’ve seen him recently offer mixed reports and peg him as a potential reliever. Badler suggests that he’s currently ready to pitch at Class-A Advanced or Double-A. That could conceivably make him an option for the Redbirds later this season, depending on how quickly he’s able to join a minor league affiliate and how he fares once he returns to competitive ball.

In parts of six professional seasons between the Cuban National Series and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, Mendoza has a 2.95 ERA with 6.6 K/9 against 5.3 BB/9. Control issues seem to have always been a problem for the righty, based on his yearly walk rates, but he’s also consistently managed to post solid ERAs and did have a successful run as the closer for Cuba’s Isla de la Juventud in the 2013-14 campaign.

Rays Will Not Designate Michael Martinez; Brad Miller Placed On DL

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JUNE 7: The Rays will actually not designate Martinez for assignment, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. While that was the plan, the Rays have altered course due to the fact that the team learned that Miller would need to go back on the disabled list with a right groin strain.

The Rays had planned to designate Martinez, but the move technically would not have gone through until today due to the fact that Martinez was eligible for last night’s game. As such, they’re able to back off that plan for the time being in order to keep Martinez’s versatility on the roster while Miller once again recovers.

JUNE 6: The Rays designated utilityman Michael Martinez for assignment following tonight’s game, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times. The move could be a means of clearing a path for right-hander Jacob Faria on the 25-man roster, as the well-regarded prospect is set to make his big league debut tomorrow for the Rays.

Martinez, 34, appeared in eight games for the Rays and collected just one hit and a pair of walks with nine strikeouts through 21 plate appearances. The veteran infielder/outfielder was acquired from the Indians in exchange for cash last month after Brad Miller hit the disabled list.  Between Cleveland and Tampa Bay this year, he’s batted just .167/.265/.200 through 35 plate appearances.

Martinez’s versatility has long helped him land on big league rosters for brief stretches, as he’s appeared in each of the past seven big league campaigns. However, he’s mustered a meek .195/.243/.262 triple slash over the life of 613 plate appearances in that time.

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