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Giants Acquire Will Smith

By Tim Dierkes | August 1, 2016 at 3:37pm CDT

The Giants acquired left-handed reliever Will Smith from the Brewers, tweets Yahoo’s Jeff Passan.  The Brewers will receive minor league pitcher Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.  The trade is now official, according to the Brewers.

May 21, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Will Smith (13) shown just before being ejected from the game against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Brewers 10-1. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Smith, 27, has a 3.68 ERA, 9.0 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.23 HR/9, and a 33.3% groundball rate in 22 innings for the Brewers this year.  He dealt with a torn LCL in his knee in March, making his season debut on June 2nd after rehabbing the injury. Notably, the southpaw is exhibiting nearly a two-tick decline in his average fastball as against his prior numbers, and that remains a concern. The knee is an obvious question mark in that regard, though certainly it’s possible that Smith will just need to continue building back full body strength after the injury.

Health is always an important factor, but never more than when making an investment in a player that goes into the future. While San Francisco won’t be promising any future salary to Smith, they were buying into his control rights and paid to do so. He is under team control through 2019 as an arbitration eligible player. That contract status also conveys some real upside, especially if Smith can get back to his former trajectory. He was particularly tough in 2015, with a 2.70 ERA and 12.9 K/9.

The first-place Giants have received a middling 3.76 ERA from their relievers, and paid a trade deadline premium to acquire the controllable Smith. Drafted in the seventh round by the Angels in 2008, Smith was dealt to the Royals in the 2010 Alberto Callaspo trade.  Later, after the 2013 campaign, the Brewers acquired him for Nori Aoki.

Now, Milwaukee has cashed in on the southpaw — in addition to moving late-inning righty Jeremy Jeffress in a separate trade. The haul seems to be rather promising, and swaps out the valuable-but-risky seasons remaining on Smith’s control rights for many more years of control on two solid young assets.

Bickford, 21, was drafted 18th overall by the Giants last year and is currently working at High-A.  In their midseason prospect rankings, Baseball America had Bickford 50th overall, while MLB.com ranked him 65th.  BA says Bickford’s fastball is known for its movement, and he throws a plus slider.  The jury is out on whether he’ll wind up a reliever.  Bickford had been drafted tenth overall by the Blue Jays in 2013, but did not sign.

Susac, 26, could take over as the Brewers’ starting catcher if Jonathan Lucroy is traded today.  Since being drafted in the second round in 2011, Susac has been blocked by Buster Posey.  He did get some Major League experience in 2014 and ’15, but has spent all of this year at Triple-A.  He’s hitting .273/.343/.455 in 239 plate appearances at that level.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Milwaukee Brewers Newsstand San Francisco Giants Transactions Andrew Susac Phil Bickford Will Smith

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Cubs Acquire Joe Smith

By Tim Dierkes | August 1, 2016 at 3:15pm CDT

The Cubs acquired reliever Joe Smith from the Angels, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney.  The Halos will receive minor league pitcher Jesus Castillo from the Cubs, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  The Cubs have officially announced the deal.

"JulSmith, a 32-year-old righty, has been OK this year.  The veteran has a 3.82 ERA, 6.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 0.96 HR/9, and 54.8% groundball rate in 37 2/3 innings, missing most of June due to a hamstring strain.  Smith has about $1.8MM remaining on his contract, after which he’ll be eligible for free agency.  He signed a three-year, $15.75MM deal with the Angels in November 2013 after a long, successful run with the Indians.  Unlike years past, the sidearming Smith has not been great against right-handed hitters in 2016.  It’s been a month of bullpen additions for the Cubs, who previously added Aroldis Chapman, Mike Montgomery, and Joe Nathan.

Castillo, 20, has posted a 3.27 ERA in seven starts for the Cubs’ Low-A affiliate this year.  The Cubs previously acquired Castillo from the Diamonbacks in the February 2013 Tony Campana trade.

In another deadline day deal, the Angels traded Hector Santiago and a minor leaguer to the Twins for Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer.

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Chicago Cubs Los Angeles Angels Newsstand Transactions Joe Smith

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Mets Out On Lucroy; Rangers Still In Pursuit

By Tim Dierkes | August 1, 2016 at 2:44pm CDT

Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy scuttled a trade to the Indians yesterday, but he’s still in play in advance of today’s trade deadline.  Milwaukee has their Triple-A catcher Manny Pina up with the big league team in San Diego to prepare for a Lucroy trade, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.  Haudricourt further notes that Lucroy remained in Milwaukee last night, and will fly to San Diego in time for tonight’s game in the event he’s not traded.   The latest:

  • The Rangers are deep in talks on Lucroy, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). Gallo would indeed be the centerpiece, he adds.
  • The Mets are now out on Lucroy, Buster Olney of ESPN.com tweets.
  • With the Rangers adding Carlos Beltran, Gallo is now more available to go in a deal for Lucroy, Haudricourt tweets.

Earlier Updates

  • Meanwhile, the Mets are still working on a Lucroy deal, Marc Carig of Newsday tweets.
  • Even if the trade for Jay Bruce goes through, it wouldn’t take the Mets out of the race for Lucroy, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. Milwaukee is seeking infielder Dilson Herrera in a deal, per Rosenthal (via Twitter). A package would also still include catcher Travis d’Arnaud, as has long been rumored. Perhaps that ask is what leads Jon Heyman of Fan Rag to tweet that New York’s interest is “on life support” at this time, though.
  • It seems that Joey Gallo is on the table for Lucroy, as we’ve heard suggested before, but only if there’s an arm included in the deal as well, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). It’s not clear exactly what pitcher that might be, but certainly there are several relievers that could make sense, as Grant explains. The Brewers could be looking into whether a preferable deal is available involving only the backstop, Haudricourt suggests on Twitter.
  • Texas and Milwaukee haven’t chatted since last night, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. He suggests it is possible that other teams could get involved, with the Astros named as a speculative possibility, though he goes on to note via Twitter that the Tigers aren’t among them. Of course, it’s also possible that the Rangers and Brewers know each others’ positions, with Milwaukee now just circling back to other organizations before making a call.
  • The Rangers “keep plugging away on Lucroy,” tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick.  Crasnick, however, believes the Brewers may need to lower their expectations to get a deal done today. From Milwaukee’s perspective, though, that isn’t going to happen, per a Haudricourt tweet. The team would rather hold Lucroy for offseason trade market than sell him short of his value now, per the report. A lively game of chicken certainly seems to be set up for these teams today.
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Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Milwaukee Brewers New York Mets Texas Rangers Jonathan Lucroy

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Indians Designate Juan Uribe For Assignment

By Tim Dierkes | August 1, 2016 at 2:19pm CDT

The Indians designated third baseman Juan Uribe for assignment, according to an announcement from the team.  The move clears a roster spot for new acquisition Brandon Guyer, acquired in a trade with the Rays today.  Uribe, 37, posted a .206/.259/.332 line in 259 plate appearances for the Indians this year, tallying over 500 innings at the hot corner.  The team had signed the beloved veteran to a $4MM free agent deal in February.

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Cleveland Guardians Newsstand Transactions Juan Uribe

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Latest On Joe Smith

By Tim Dierkes | August 1, 2016 at 12:22pm CDT

The Cubs are discussing a trade with the Angels for reliever Joe Smith, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Cubs are considering other possibilities as well, according to Rosenthal.  As you can see on our Cubs depth chart page, Theo Epstein and company have already augmented their bullpen with the acquisitions of Aroldis Chapman and Mike Montgomery, as well as the activation of veteran Joe Nathan.

In addition to the Cubs, the Angels are talking about Smith with two other teams, according to Rosenthal.  He has previously been linked to the Mets, Indians, Mariners, and Cardinals.  The 32-year-old righty has been OK this year, with a 3.82 ERA, 6.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 0.96 HR/9, and 54.8% groundball rate in 37 2/3 innings.  Smith has about $1.8MM remaining on his contract, after which he’ll be eligible for free agency.

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Chicago Cubs Los Angeles Angels Newsstand Joe Smith

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Diamondbacks GM: “Not Moving” Shelby Miller

By Tim Dierkes | August 1, 2016 at 11:31am CDT

Asked by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports about Shelby Miller, Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart responded, “We’re not moving him.”  The righty was reportedly available as of last week. A few days ago, Stewart told Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com, “We’ve had a ton of (interest).  My story to them is the same: We haven’t given up on the young man.”

Miller, 25, was a key offseason addition for Arizona.  The D’Backs acquired him from the Braves in December for a robust package of Dansby Swanson, Aaron Blair, and Ender Inciarte.  Miller endured a finger strain in April and an accompanying May DL stint, and never got on track this season.  He was optioned to Triple-A in mid-July, after posting a disastrous 7.14 ERA, 6.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9, 1.69 HR/9, and 42.8% groundball rate in 69 1/3 big league innings.  Miller is under team control through at least 2018 as an arbitration eligible player.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Newsstand Shelby Miller

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Trade Rumors: The Best App For The MLB Trade Deadline

By Tim Dierkes | August 1, 2016 at 7:38am CDT

There is only one app MLB players use to find out if they’re being traded: Trade Rumors, available for free for iOS and Android.  With Trade Rumors, you get all of our awesome MLBTR content (plus other sports if you’d like), as well as custom team and player notifications.  Trade Rumors was featured on the iTunes homepage recently and routinely gets five-star reviews.  With the MLB trade deadline just hours away, what are you waiting for?  Download Trade Rumors today!

TradeRumors-Google-FeaturedImg

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MLBTR Reader Survey

By Tim Dierkes | July 27, 2016 at 12:30pm CDT

If you have a few minutes, please fill out this brief survey about MLB Trade Rumors.  We love getting your feedback.  Thanks!

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The Ad Experience On MLBTR

By Tim Dierkes | July 26, 2016 at 7:06am CDT

TODAY, 7:06am: Have you ever used the debugging proxy application Charles?  If you have, and you’re able to reproduce MLBTR’s mobile site redirect problem, please email us at mlbtrhelp@gmail.com.  We’d like to work with you on a paid project to root out the bad ads.

YESTERDAY, 3:46pm: Thousands of MLBTR readers kindly provided feedback recently on how we can improve the site.  Today, I’d like to discuss our advertising.

Based on survey feedback and emails we’ve received, many of you are experiencing ads on our mobile site that automatically redirect your browser.  Sometimes it goes to the app store, sometimes to other sites, but it’s always incredibly annoying.  I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with it.  At MLBTR, we loathe these ads.  We don’t make money from them; they are the result of shady ad networks violating their terms.  You can read more about the issue here; it is something even Google and Apple have been unable to stop.

I don’t say that as an excuse, but just an explanation.  We’ve worked to remove these redirect ads for years, but it’s been a game of Whac-A-Mole.  This month I am putting additional resources toward the problem.  I am also hopeful that eventually, browsers will be able to stop redirects, as was Apple’s intention for Safari in iOS 8.

In the meantime, there are a couple of options you might consider.  The first is to download our free app, Trade Rumors, and use that instead of the mobile website.  The app has fewer ads than our mobile site does, and has never had any redirect issues.  It’s also a well-reviewed app that offers custom notifications and a sleek reading experience on mobile devices.

Another option is to sign up for Google Contributor.  This paid service covers any website that shows Google ads (including all of the Trade Rumors sites) and reduces the number of ads you’ll see.  Google Contributor automatically uses your monthly fee to attempt to outbid a website’s advertisers.  When your bid wins, you don’t see an ad.  You’ll instead see an empty space where the ad was, or pictures of cats if you prefer.  While Contributor can be used across millions of websites that you can potentially visit, I personally use it exclusively to reduce the number of ads shown on my five favorite baseball websites.  It removes thousands of ads per month for me on those sites, and any portion of my fee that I don’t use each month is refunded by Google.  I consider Google Contributor a win-win, as I give a few bucks per month to my favorite websites and see fewer ads.

Finally, if you have experience with the web debugging proxy application Charles, you could try catching a redirect in the wild.  It’s way more fun than catching Pokémon.  If anyone is able to record a Charles session of a mobile redirect happening on MLBTR, please send it to me at mlbtrhelp@gmail.com and I’ll make sure that offending ad is eliminated.

We’ll continue to do everything we can to root out the bad ad networks.  Thanks for your patience and understanding in this matter.

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Check Out BaseballIC.com

By Tim Dierkes | July 15, 2016 at 11:00am CDT

This is a sponsored post from Corey Dawkins of Baseball Injury Consultants.

“Clayton Kershaw had a 4.3% chance of getting injured last night when he pitched, but only a 0.7% chance of being hurt if he took the mound today instead.”

This fictitious example highlights one goal of my company, Baseball Injury Consultants, in the medical management of professional baseball players. We are trying to take the seasonal risk assessment to a daily, and then a pitch by pitch, basis among other things. We have seen pre-season risk assessments for years, but how useful is that information other than at the start of the season? Once the season begins, it doesn’t factor in any new information that comes in during that year. What if the Red Sox had a hard number to assess the risk of keeping Blake Swihart in left field on the day the wind was coming in from right field, pushing the ball closer to the cement wall on which he sprained his ankle?

We have moonshot goals because, despite great strides in the treatment of baseball injuries, the number of professional baseball injuries is only getting worse. It is not for a lack of trying or lack of talent. It just has not been put together yet. However, it is not impossible. Something has to be done because reducing injuries will, of course, make a difference in their athletic careers, but also improve the quality of life 20 years later.

DL since 1998

We start by collecting daily injury and performance data on all professional baseball players, giving the capability to provide customized reports and for any sector, industry, company, team, individual researcher or fan. This can include baseball operations, daily fantasy baseball players, season-long fantasy baseball players, medical researchers, biomedical device manufacturers, or insurance entities to name a few.

We track as much information as we can find, from injury details to weather information to performance data, knowing that any piece of information might be the one that solves the puzzle.
Since someone checks the information before importing into the databases every morning, we fill the information void left over from automated scripts scraping news or transaction sites that don’t categorize injuries according to accepted medical terminology and/or don’t update the original listing.  For example, here’s a graph of MLB Tommy John surgeries by year.

TJS on MLB Transaction page

So once we get validated information into the database and onto our website, you can find the information in ways you will not find anywhere else.  If you are a casual fan or want a snapshot of MLB, you can check out our “Quick Look” page for summary information and the records I have updated within the last seven days. In the three bar/column graphs, you can hover over individual sections to find greater detail about that particular item.

Quick look #1 - 3 graphs in one

You can search and find summary team data on the “Teams” page.

Team page

You can also find search for players by name, browse by last name or find players by position on the “Players” main page.

Player search

Then once we find the player we want, we can go to the individual page for details at a level you will not find anywhere else. Similar to the “Quick Look” page, you can hover over the columns to find the exact categories and measured levels.

Quick look #1 - 3 graphs in one

On the “Custom Search” page, you can find information in countless combinations.

Custom Search

We’re not stopping with just putting the information on the website. We have plans to create and put a model on the website that estimates how productive a player will be for daily fantasy leagues, based on an injury two or three days ago, such as a bruised hand. The website will also have an educational section for evidence-based injury analysis.

However, our biggest moonshot goal is to create individualized risk assessment models, drilling down information to the pitch by pitch level. This would give on-field managers and baseball operations something they never had before. What if they knew that a bruised bottom hand for a hitter affects his power by a certain percentage? What if the risk of throwing a slider on pitch number 103 more than quadrupled the risk not just immediately, but three weeks down the line as well?

These are the goals we are shooting for and hope to raise enough capital to do so soon. We look forward to you creating an account on Baseball Injury Consultants and checking out what we have to offer as well as improving the site.

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