Tim Dierkes | MLB Trade Rumors

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Red Sox Acquire Brad Ziegler

By Tim Dierkes | July 9, 2016 at 12:47am CDT

The Red Sox acquired reliever Brad Ziegler from the Diamondbacks for minor leaguers Jose Almonte and Luis Alejandro Basabe, according to a team press release. Blake Swihart was transferred to the 60-day DL to clear a 40-man roster spot for Ziegler.

Ziegler, 36, has served as Arizona’s closer in recent years. This season, the sidearmer owns a 2.82 ERA, 6.3 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, and 63% groundball rate, with just one home run allowed in 38 1/3 innings. The veteran groundballer will slot in toward the back end of Boston’s bullpen.

Notably, Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel was unavailable Friday due to knee soreness, leading to a save chance for Koji Uehara. Kimbrel’s injury popped up Friday during pregame warmups, with ESPN’s Scott Lauber reporting that MRI results are expected today. The injury will likely keep Kimbrel out of Tuesday night’s All-Star game in San Diego. Another key reliever, Junichi Tazawa, was unavailable Friday due to shoulder discomfort. Earlier this year, the Red Sox lost key acquisition Carson Smith to Tommy John surgery, so it’s no surprise president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski felt the need to act. The Ziegler deal marks Dombrowski’s third trade of the young month, after his pickups of Aaron Hill and Michael Martinez.

[Updated depth charts: Red Sox and Diamondbacks]

This is Ziegler’s ninth Major League season. He’ll be eligible for free agency at its conclusion, having signed an extension with the D’Backs in 2013. In June of this year, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports spoke to Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart, who said the team was considering extensions for relievers Ziegler and Daniel Hudson. Instead, Ziegler and the remaining $2.5MM+ on his contract were sent to Boston for a pair of prospects.

The Diamondbacks’ front office may be signaling a willingness to sell, given the team’s 38-50 record heading into the All-Star break. In an article Thursday, Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball said the team was “getting the most trade hits” on relievers Ziegler, Hudson, and Tyler Clippard. Like Ziegler, Hudson is eligible for free agency after the season. The 29-year-old Hudson has worked his way into a setup role, having overcome a pair of Tommy John surgeries. Clippard, 31, will join Hudson in trying to handle the ninth inning for Arizona following Ziegler’s departure. He’s signed through 2017.

In Almonte, the D’Backs added a Low A starting pitcher who was signed out of the Dominican Republic four years ago for $610K. Almonte’s pitching coach Walter Miranda gave his thoughts on the young pitcher to MiLB.com’s Chris Tripodi in late May. Arizona also picked up middle infielder Luis Alejandro Basabe, not to be confused with twin brother and teammate Luis Alexander Basabe. Luis Alejandro is generally regarded as the lesser prospect, but he is hitting .311/.414/.471 in 271 plate appearances this year at Low A and will participate in the South Atlantic League All-Star game.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2017 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings

By Tim Dierkes | July 6, 2016 at 11:55pm CDT

Multiple contract-year hitters raked in the month of June. Edwin Encarnacion, Carlos Beltran, Kendrys Morales, Ian Desmond, Wilson Ramos, Michael Saunders, Luis Valbuena, Mark Trumbo, and Justin Turner came up big, and many more have showed well since the most recent installment of our Free Agent Power Rankings back on June 2. The starting pitching side was much lighter, with nice runs from Bud Norris and Doug Fister.

While no extensions were signed, there was still plenty of movement in the Power Rankings based on June events. Below, I’ve ranked the 2016-17 free agents by earning power. You can view the full list of free agents here.

1. Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes remains on pace for his first 40 home run season, which should compel him to opt out of the remaining two years and $47.5MM on his contract with the Mets shortly after his 31st birthday in October. Cespedes will start in the outfield for the NL All-Star team, and he’s currently the only free agent I project to land a six-year deal well in excess of $100MM.

2. Jose Bautista. Bautista, 36 in October, suffered a toe injury in mid-June and won’t return until after the All-Star break. A four-year deal still seems plausible, with precedents such as Victor Martinez and Ben Zobrist. Still, the fourth year is not a lock for Bautista, who is on track for his worst season since becoming a full-time player with the Blue Jays.

3. Edwin Encarnacion. Bautista’s teammate had a much better month. Encarnacion smashed 11 home runs in June and has been named to the AL All-Star team. As he’s shown with mammoth months in years past, EE can go on a hot streak with the best of them. His free agent stock is suppressed for two reasons: he’ll turn 34 in January, and he’s probably limited to the American League as a primary designated hitter. Nonetheless, his contract projection is starting to approach that of Bautista: four years at a total of $80MM or more.

4. Josh Reddick. Reddick returned to Oakland’s lineup on June 28th after missing over a month with a fractured thumb. On June 26th, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the A’s and Reddick “appear to be far apart” on a contract extension, and there are no indications of recent progress. Slusser reported a few days later that the Royals have interest in trading for Reddick, and Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com has also linked the Giants to the right fielder. Five days ago, MLBTR’s Jeff Todd ranked Reddick as the No. 3 trade candidate in the game. So Reddick may be on the move this month, which could remove a qualifying offer from the equation this winter. While I have projected Reddick for a five-year deal previously, a safer call might be four years.

5. Kenley Jansen. Jansen’s excellence continues for the Dodgers, and he’s been awarded with his first career All-Star nod. The 28-year-old closer from Curaçao will look to shatter Jonathan Papelbon’s record contract for a reliever. Papelbon signed a four-year, $50MM deal in November 2011, so we’re definitely due for a new precedent five years later. Jansen’s ceiling could be around five years and $70MM.

6. Ian Desmond. I wasn’t prepared to award Desmond a spot in our top ten last month, and he proceeded to put up monster numbers in June. Desmond is the current wins above replacement leader among projected free agents, at 3.9. He’s in the midst of the best offensive season of his career and has proven to be above average in both left and center field defensively for the Rangers. It’s been an extremely successful makeover for the former Nationals shortstop, who made the All-Star team for the second time in his career. Desmond, who turns 31 in September, seems a good bet for a four-year deal north of $60MM.

7. Aroldis Chapman. Chapman has been dominant in his 22 innings for the Yankees, dropping his walk rate well below his career norm in the small sample. He ranked seventh on Jeff Todd’s trade candidate list last week. The Yankees are below .500 and four games out in the Wild Card standings, and they have the rest of the month to decide whether to sell. Chapman currently sits below Jansen in terms of free-agent earning power because of his domestic violence incident last year.

8. Wilson Ramos. Ramos’ breakout season continued with a huge month of June, and he makes this list for the first time. The 28-year-old Nationals catcher, who is hitting .335/.390/.554, made the All-Star team for the first time in his career. A four-year deal is starting to look possible for Ramos, who will be a young free agent. Even after Francisco Cervelli’s extension with the Pirates, this free agent class offers solid options at catcher with Ramos and fellow All-Star Matt Wieters.

9. Dexter Fowler. Fowler suffered a hamstring injury on June 18th and had been scuffling prior to that. He was voted onto the NL All-Star team, one of seven Cubs to make the roster. Fowler is hopeful he’ll be able to participate in the All-Star game next Tuesday. Looking at his free agent stock, two strong months won’t be enough for Fowler to lock in a four-year deal. A strong, healthy finish will be key, given Fowler’s injury history prior to 2015.

10. Mark Trumbo. We had many candidates for this spot, but Trumbo gets the nod for the second consecutive month. The 30-year-old right fielder/first baseman leads the American League with 24 home runs and has been named to his second career All-Star team. Barring injury, Trumbo should fly past his career high of 34 home runs, set in 2013 with the Angels. While he’s a one-dimensional player, a 40 home run season would be difficult to ignore in free agency.

Four players came close to landing a spot within the top ten: Matt Wieters, Michael Saunders, Carlos Gomez, and Justin Turner. All of them played well in June, and Gomez had his best month in a long time. A difficult month pushed the Mets’ Neil Walker off our list, while Rich Hill lost his spot due to a groin injury.

Download Our Free Trade Rumors App

By Tim Dierkes | July 6, 2016 at 7:50pm CDT

Our free Trade Rumors app for iOS and Android continues to get rave reviews. No other app combines top quality news and rumors for three (soon to be four — the integration of Pro Hockey Rumors is coming) major sports with custom feeds and notifications for any team or player. Check out these recent five-star App Store reviews:

Great app, top writers, great connections in the field. Best in class. – RicoRoq

Rumors as soon as they come out. Great app interface and good news for any sport. If you like changes and trades in sports, this is the app. – Cloud Peak 12

Great app, great content. First thing I read in the morning. – G.ert

I can’t imagine having to follow baseball without this app. – EndlessPrisoner

Stop thinking about it and download it already. It’s as awesome as the site. Can’t think of another app I enjoy more. – Skin E.G.

Trade Rumors is highly-regarded by users, and it’s free and getting better all the time. Download it today!

Check Out ProHockeyRumors.com

By Tim Dierkes | June 27, 2016 at 10:27am CDT

NHL rumors will never be the same! Last week we launched Pro Hockey Rumors, extending our coverage into a fourth sport. Our team has been writing for two weeks, so there is plenty to read. We’ve launched the site just in time for the NHL’s free agency period, and we hope you’ll enjoy our coverage of all the latest news and rumors. Bookmark Pro Hockey Rumors today!

You can also follow us on Twitter:

Follow @hockeyrumorspro