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Cafardo’s Latest: RPs, Bautista, Teheran, Shields, Ausmus

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This summer’s trade market will favor relief pitchers, not starters, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. While the pool of starters who are expected to be available looks shallow and largely unappealing, the opposite is true in regards to bullpen options. Cafardo points to Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Arodys Vizcaino, Jeremy Jeffress, Jeanmar Gomez, Sean Doolittle and Will Smith, among many others, as relievers who could be on the move in the next couple months.

Here’s more from Cafardo:

  • The 30-27 Blue Jays are in the thick of the playoff race, but if they fall out of it, right fielder Jose Bautista and first baseman/designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (both pending free agents) are prime trade candidates. The Cardinals, Cubs and Hunter Pence-less Giants would all have interest in Bautista, according to Cafardo.
  • The Red Sox and Braves would match up well in a potential trade involving right-hander Julio Teheran, per Cafardo, who notes that Boston’s package would have to be headlined by outfield prospect Andrew Benintendi, infield prospect Yoan Moncada, third baseman Travis Shaw or catcher/left fielder Blake Swihart. Of that group, the Red Sox would prefer to give up Swihart, though Cafardo doubts he alone would be enough of a return for Teheran.
  • Before the Padres traded righty James Shields to the White Sox on Saturday, the Red Sox, Orioles, Tigers and Dodgers expressed interest in acquiring the 34-year-old. Shields’ final start with the Padres – in which he allowed 10 earned runs, eight hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings on Tuesday – served as a deterrent to some clubs, though, reports Cafardo.
  • The 27-28 Tigers aren’t considering replacing third-year manager Brad Ausmus as of now, relays Cafardo. However, given that he’s in a contract year, Ausmus could be managing for his job.

Red Sox Make Handful Of Roster Moves

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The Red Sox have placed catcher Ryan Hanigan and catcher/left fielder Blake Swihart on the 15-day disabled list, brought up outfielder Rusney Castillo, right-hander Heath Hembree and backstop Sandy Leon from Triple-A Pawtucket, and optioned righty Noe Ramirez, the team announced.

Both Hanigan and Swihart left Boston’s win over Toronto on Saturday with injuries. Hanigan departed in the sixth inning with a neck strain, while Swihart exited in the seventh after crashing into the wall down the left field line on a catch and hurting his left ankle.

Hanigan hasn’t offered much at the plate this year, having hit an ugly .186/.250/.229 in 70 plate appearances, though he has thrown out six of 19 would-be base stealers (good for an above-average 32 percent rate). Swihart has provided a decent .258/.365/.355 line in 74 PAs while adjusting to an outfield role. The losses of him and Hanigan will obviously have a negative effect on the Red Sox’s catcher depth behind Christian Vazquez, which is why the club promoted Leon. In 129 PAs with Pawtucket this season, Leon has batted .237/.310/.333 with two home runs. He owns a .187/.258/.225 line in 235 major league trips to the plate.

With Swihart down, Castillo could now have a chance to reenter the picture for the Red Sox, though he’ll sit Sunday in favor of Chris Young. Since signing a $72MM deal with Boston in 2014, the Cuba native has garnered just 333 big league PAs, hitting an underwhelming .265/.304/.383. He has spent nearly all of this year in the minors, where he has continued to post less-than-stellar statistics (.241/.302/.317 with one homer in 159 PAs).

Hembree, on the other hand, has been successful for the Red Sox this season. The 27-year-old has compiled a 2.14 ERA, 7.71 K/9 and 2.14 BB/9 in 21 big league innings. Those numbers are relatively similar to his career totals (2.81, 7.17 and 2.95, respectively) over 64 frames. Hembree has also pitched to a solid 3.07 ERA, complemented by a superb 11.0 K/9, in 246 1/3 minor league innings.

Since debuting in the majors last season, Ramirez has racked up 24 innings of 5.25 ERA ball to accompany a 9.00 K/9 and 5.25 BB/9. Ramirez’s minor league career has been a different story, though, as he has a 2.86 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 283 innings at lower levels.

Heyman’s Latest: Harper/Machado, Braves, Shields, Odor

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Bryce Harper of the Nationals and Manny Machado of the Orioles are young, controlled superstars who look like highly appealing extension targets. Of course, that also makes them incredibly expensive potential candidates for their respective teams, as Jon Heyman explains at todaysknuckleball.com. According to Heyman, there’s some suggestion that it could take more than $500MM over an unprecedented term to keep Harper from heading to the open market after the 2018 season. “We have not to this point had any substantive negotiations about a long-term deal,” Nats GM Mike Rizzo said with regard to Harper. Rizzo did suggest that the team has serious interest in doing so, however. “They know what our intentions are,” he said. “My intention is always to get him on a long-term deal that will make him a National for life. At a very young age he performed admirably, not only admirably, but the year he had was historic. It’s going to be a unique deal. We have a very unique player.” 

As for Machado, he might not be far behind in value if the O’s hope to reach a deal. Intriguingly, the report suggests that Baltimore very nearly agreed to a seven-year contract with its best player at some point in recent years. That would have certainly proved a bargain given Machado’s increasingly outstanding performance, though the terms of the prospective pact are not known. (Neither is it clear what caused negotiations to fall apart.)

Here’s more from Heyman:

  • “A few teams” have checked in with the Braves on Nick Markakis, Heyman writes, but his recent skid at the plate hasn’t helped out his trade value much. Kelly Johnson, too, could become available, though Heyman adds that GM John Coppolella said of Julio Teheran that he expects the right-hander “to be on the team a long time.” From my vantage point, Markakis doesn’t have much value at $11MM per season and with apparently evaporated power. Even if the Braves were to pay down half of his remaining salary through the 2018 season, he hasn’t been productive enough to bring in a meaningful prospect return.
  • The Orioles talked to the Padres about James Shields in Spring Training but weren’t willing to cover even half of the salary owed to Shields at the time. Shields has two years and $44MM remaining on his contract following the 2016 season (if he doesn’t opt out), and he’s earning $21MM this season as well. Shields has grabbed headlines recently, having been prominently featured in trade rumors over the weekend and then suffering a 10-run meltdown earlier this week, which the team’s executive chairman publicly referred to as “an embarrassment.”
  • The Red Sox, too, have considered Shields but are waiting to see how Eduardo Rodriguez performs upon returning from the disabled list (so far, so good). The White Sox, meanwhile, would want the Padres to pay down a significant portion of the $57MM that remains on Shields’ contract (again, barring an opt out). Heyman writes that a source indicated that shortstop prospect Tim Anderson wouldn’t be involved in talks, though that doesn’t strike me as a surprising revelation; even with half of his contract paid down, that would seem like an overpay on Chicago’s behalf. On a somewhat similar vein, Heyman adds that the Padres approached the Tigers about Shields, but Detroit had no interest in parting with any of Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris or Matt Boyd in a potential deal.
  • Shortly after the Rockies acquired Jose Reyes, the Yankees were willing to part with shortstop prospect Jorge Mateo and pay half of the $22MM that is owed to Reyes annually through the 2017 season, Heyman hears.
  • The jobs of Tigers manager Brad Ausmus and Twins manager Paul Molitor are safe, Heyman writes, though he adds that Detroit GM Al Avila has privately told Ausmus to stop discussing his job security (or lack thereof) with the media, as the situation doesn’t need any extra fuel.
  • Greg Holland could take the mound in August, per Heyman, and he may wait until that point before deciding on a team. Both the Royals and Braves have shown interest to this point, he adds.
  • The Athletics “may be a favorite” for Cuban second baseman Jose Miguel Fernandez, writes Heyman, who also notes that incumbent second baseman Jed Lowrie could help a number of clubs on the trade market. The Padres, too, are said to be considering Fernandez, he adds.
  • Rougned Odor’s agent and Rangers GM Jon Daniels recently rekindled extension talks, and Heyman notes that the team heaped praise onto Odor during his appeal hearing during which his suspension for punching Jose Bautista was dropped from eight games to seven games. His suspension has also given Jurickson Profar a chance to play, and Heyman writes that the former top prospect could be a trade candidate now that he’s healthy. Sticking with the Rangers, Heyman adds that the Phillies lobbied hard for Texas to include Nomar Mazara in last year’s Cole Hamels blockbuster, but Daniels refused to give him up.
  • The Nationals talked with the D-backs in the offseason about Gio Gonzalez, but Arizona wouldn’t part with Ender Inciarte or David Peralta in the prospective trade. Heyman writes that the Nats spoke to a few teams about Gonzalez, including the Marlins. However, Miami wasn’t keen on surrendering Christian Yelich.

Quick Hits: Pence, Kelly, Profar, Gray

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Giants right fielder Hunter Pence left tonight’s game after re-aggravating a hamstring injury that plagued him for much of the past two weeks, and he’s headed for an MRI in the morning, writes Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. The extent of the injury won’t be known until tomorrow morning, but Pence was unable to even finish running to first base on a grounder to third base in the fourth inning. Pence is hitting .298/.375/.486 with seven homers in 208 trips to the plate this season, and any prolonged absence for him would be a tough pill for San Francisco to swallow. Were he to require a stint on the disabled list, he’d end up alongside fellow outfielder Angel Pagan, who is on the DL with the same injury. Jarrett Parker is already on the roster due to Pagan’s injury, and Mac Williamson is an obvious candidate to come up and fill Pence’s 25-man roster spot if necessary.

A few more notes from around the game…

  • The Red Sox optioned right-hander Joe Kelly to Triple-A following a brutal start against the Orioles on Wednesday. Kelly last just 2 2/3 innings and was tagged for seven earned runs on seven hits and three walks with just one strikeout. That difficult outing and an 8.46 ERA notwithstanding, Kelly was caught off-guard by the move, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal. “Obviously I didn’t see it coming,” the right-hander said. “I’m just going to go down there and try to continue to get better at commanding the baseball…. I’ve got to try to get my mechanics right and get that fastball command where it was a couple starts ago and to where it needs to be.” Manager John Farrell said that Kelly is “blessed with a golden arm and tremendous stuff” but lacks execution on his pitches. As Britton points out, Clay Buchholz struggled in relief on Wednesday, while Henry Owens, Sean O’Sullivan and Roenis Elias all have their own red flags about them. For the time being, Noe Ramirez is taking Kelly’s roster spot. Boston can skip the fifth spot in its rotation entirely the next time it comes up due to an off day on the schedule.
  • Jurickson Profar has been impressive while filling in for the suspended Rougned Odor, but Rangers manager Jeff Banister cast some doubt on whether he’ll remain with the club following Odor’s activation on June 4, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. “In Jurickson’s case, I think the concern and need with him is the everyday process,” said Banister. “When you haven’t played every day for two years, getting the body back up to speed to play every day and continue to play every day, we need to make sure we monitor that.” Banister said that four games a week would be enough to keep Profar on the big league roster, but as Wilson writes, Texas isn’t keen on putting him in the outfield or at third base, and getting him four starts per week between the two middle infield positions and at DH could be tough. Profar went 2-for-5 with a double tonight and is hitting .357 since his recall from Triple-A.
  • Sonny Gray’s target date for a return to the Athletics’ rotation is June 10, writes Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com. Gray is slated for a bullpen session Thursday and a rehab start on Saturday at Class-A Stockton, and assuming all goes well, his stay on the disabled list will be a fairly abbreviated one. Gray hit the DL back on May 22 with a strained trapezius muscle, and the A’s are undoubtedly hoping that some time off will help him return to form; Gray has logged a dismal 6.19 ERA this season while displaying the worst control of his career, averaging 4.5 walks per nine innings and unloading a league-high nine wild pitches through his first 48 innings of work.

Injury Notes: ERod, d’Arnaud, Carrasco, Sano, Pennington

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The Red Sox received a highly promising start from southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez last night, as Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports. While Rodriguez wasn’t quite up to the top velocity he showed last year, he was working comfortably at 93 mph and said he expects to see gains in that department as he continues to build up. The youngster made his 2016 debut just one day before the calendar flipped to June after a prolonged absence due to a knee injury. Boston will surely hope that Rodriguez can provide a boost to a rotation that has had its share of concerns over the season’s first two months.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the game:

  • Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud could head out on a rehab assignment this weekend, Rubin reports. His return could provide a big boost to a New York club that has suffered some notable health issues of late. Fellow young receiver Kevin Plawecki has struggled at the plate in d’Arnaud’s stead and could end up being demoted, per Rubin, who says that the team is pleased with what it’s getting from veteran Rene Rivera behind the dish even if he, too, isn’t hitting much.
  • There was good news also for the Indians, who expect to start righty Carlos Carrasco on Thursday, as Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets. It seems that Carrasco will be limited to around eighty pitches in his first outing back, but will obviously be expected to ramp up from there. The 29-year-old allowed just six earned runs in his first 22 frames on the year before suffering a hamstring injury.
  • The Twins will place third baseman Miguel Sano on the 15-day DL after he suffered a left hamstring strain. As MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger reports on Twitter, Sano is hopeful that he won’t be out any longer than the minimum, though we’ve certainly seen hamstring issues linger and the organization will want to ensure it doesn’t turn into a bigger issue. Prospect Max Kepler will return to the majors to take his roster spot.
  • The Angels appear to have lost infielder Cliff Pennington to an aggravation of his own left hamstring injury, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports, with a DL stint seemingly likely. That could means that Kaleb Cowart or Brendan Ryan will be headed back to the big league club, though the former was just sent down and the latter requires a 40-man spot.

AL Notes: Buxton, Travis, Severino, Gomez

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The Twins have recalled Byron Buxton to take the roster spot of fellow outfielder Danny Santana, who’s headed to the 15-day DL with a strained left hamstring. Long considered one of the game’s truly elite prospects, Buxton scuffled badly in the early going this year, racking up 24 strikeouts in just 49 plate appearances. He’s been laying waste to Triple-A pitching since his demotion, however, posting a .333/.402/.605 slash with six home runs and four steals over 127 plate appearances. Buxton entered the year with 113 days of service to his credit, and has added another twenty thus far in 2016, so he’d stand to pass one year of service time if he can stick for a reasonable stretch.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • Red Sox prospect Sam Travis has suffered a torn left ACL, Boston announced. The first baseman will be out for the rest of the season, though the team says the expectation is he’ll be ready for 2017. Travis looked like a useful depth piece in the near-term, and some had suggested that the young first baseman could factor into the team’s plans next year. While that may still prove to be the case, he’ll miss a big stretch of development and a chance to show that he’s ready. That makes it difficult to imagine Boston altering its spending plans based on the promise that the 22-year-old will be ready for a major role. A second-round pick in 2014, Travis had posted a solid (but hardly dominant) .272/.332/.434 slash in 190 plate appearances at Triple-A.
  • The Yankees are playing the long game in optioning prized righty Luis Severino, as Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees Blog reports. After an excellent debut in 2015, the 22-year-old had allowed 29 earned runs and eight long balls in his 35 innings of work to start the year. While the triceps strain that landed Severino on the DL appears to be a blip, the organization has broader concerns and obviously decided that he was due for some further polishing. Skipper Joe Girardi explained: “This is a kid with a lot of talent, and we want, the next time he comes up, to be a finished product. He came up last year — some of it was based on need — and did very well. Sometimes when you enter your second season and people have seen you, you have to make adjustments probably more than you’ve ever had to make, it’s not always so easy. So that’s why I think that he’ll get through this and it’s going to make him a better pitcher.”
  • Outfielder Carlos Gomez will be activated tomorrow by the Astros, the team announced. Houston is hoping that the 30-year-old former star can turn things around after a dreadful start. He’ll take the roster spot of third baseman Colin Moran, who’ll be optioned back to Triple-A. Moran, 23, managed only two base hits while striking out six times in his twenty plate appearances, though that represented a limited opportunity in his first taste of the majors.

AL Central Links: Hughes, Tribe, Tigers, Dombrowski, Miller

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The White Sox have lost 14 of their last 18 games, including a nightmarish weekend sweep to the Royals that saw Chicago blow late-inning leads in all three games.  Saturday’s result was the most crushing of all, as the White Sox held a 7-1 lead with one out in the ninth before allowing seven runs to lose 8-7.  The sweep also pushed the Royals into first place in the AL Central.  Here’s more from around the division…

  • Phil Hughes is being moved to the Twins bullpen, manager Paul Molitor told reporters (including MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger).  Kyle Gibson will replace Hughes in Minnesota’s rotation.  Hughes allowed a league-high 29 homers in 2015 and has struggled to a 4.74 ERA over 208 2/3 innings since the start of last season.  Unless he can regain his form while relieving and eventually get back to the rotation, the Twins will face further scrutiny over signing Hughes to an extension following his excellent 2014 season, the first year of a three-year/$24MM contract.  The Twins overwrote the final two years of that deal for a new extension that guaranteed Hughes $58MM from 2015-19.
  • While the Indians could well be deadline buyers as they make a push for the division title, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer figures top prospects Clint Frazier, Bradley Zimmer and Bobby Bradley are untouchable in trade talks.
  • Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes that since the start of the 2013 season, Justin Upton and Marlon Byrd have posted more similar counting stats than one might think.  Upton is the better player overall (as seen through an fWAR comparison) and is a decade younger, though Pluto’s point is that the Indians are getting a bargain after signing Byrd to a minor league deal worth a $1MM guarantee plus incentives.  The veteran is outperforming Upton, who has been a sub-replacement player in his first two months with the Tigers.
  • Shane Greene could return to the Tigers as either a starter or reliever when he comes off the DL, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press writes.  Michael Fulmer seems to have locked up a rotation spot, so Greene could find himself back in the pen barring further notice (such as if Jordan Zimmermann’s groin injury worsens).  Greene has been sidelined with a finger blister.
  • Dave Dombrowski is happy to have “a championship type of guy” like Eduardo Rodriguez on the Red Sox roster, but the southpaw was a trade roadblock back when Dombrowski was the Tigers’ general manager.  As Dombrowski tells Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald, Detroit was eager to acquire Andrew Miller from the Red Sox at the 2014 trade deadline and Dombrowski felt a deal was imminent after the Tigers agreed to give then-Sox GM Ben Cherington the two players he was seeking.  Cherington had to make one more call, however, which led to Miller being dealt to the Orioles for Rodriguez.  “They didn’t say we had a deal but you thought you had a deal,” Dombrowski said.  “There is a difference between the two….It’s ironic how it worked out because I’m the benefactor of it.  Really when they got Eduardo Rodriguez, he was better than the guys we were offering.  So I understood it.”

AL Notes: Astros, BoSox, ChiSox, Yanks, Angels

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Astros center fielder Carlos Gomez “very likely could join” the team during its next series, which begins Monday in Arizona, manager A.J. Hinch said (via Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle). That would mark a quick return for Gomez, who landed on the disabled list May 17 with a bruised left rib cage and is currently on a Double-A rehab assignment. Gomez was unexpectedly among the worst players in baseball this year before his placement on the DL, hitting a toothless .182/.238/.248 without a home run in 132 plate appearances. “I think he’s feeling a lot better, which is the number one priority. Getting production out of him is the second phase of this,” stated Hinch.

In other American League news…

  • The Red Sox are considering removing Brock Holt from the everyday left field job when he returns from a concussion and shifting him back to a super-utility role, writes Ian Browne of MLB.com. Whether that happens will depend on how catcher/outfielder Blake Swihart fares in Holt’s place, said manager John Farrell – who’s encouraged by Swihart’s defensive work. “If [Blake] swings the bat, we could find Brock in more of a utility role and move him around. When Brock has been getting fairly regular at-bats, he’s been a very productive offensive player. That’s going to determine it,” commented Farrell. Swihart has collected just nine hits in 50 plate appearances this season, though he did have a two-triple performance Wednesday. Holt, who spent time at eight different positions in 2015 and made the All-Star team, got off to a slow start this season prior to his injury and hasn’t played since May 17.
  • The White Sox were confident right-hander Miguel Gonzalez would help them when they signed him as a free agent shortly before the season, and the move has so far paid off, writes Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com. Gonzalez overcame a below-average strikeout rate to record a 3.49 ERA with the Orioles from 2012-14, but that number rose to an ugly 4.91 last season and the O’s then released him after his velocity dropped in spring training. Gonzalez’s velo is back to its previous level, though, and he gave up a respectable nine earned runs in 22 2/3 May innings. “Every time he pitches, it seems like we have a chance to win that game,” manager Robin Ventura said of Gonzalez. With the Sox in talks to acquire James Shields from the Padres, either Gonzalez or Mat Latos could soon be the odd man out of Chicago’s rotation. Gonzalez and Latos are trending in opposite directions at the moment, so it seems the latter would get a demotion as of now.
  • Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild didn’t rule out temporarily removing Michael Pineda from the team’s rotation when asked Saturday, but manager Joe Girardi said today that it hasn’t been considered (via Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media). Although the right-hander allowed six earned runs in a loss to the Rays on Saturday to increase his ERA to a league-worst 6.92, he’ll start Thursday against Detroit.
  • As was reported earlier today, Angels southpaw C.J. Wilson had a setback in his recovery from a shoulder injury. The 35-year-old has since opened up about it, telling reporters – including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (Twitter link) – that he felt “awful” during his Saturday bullpen session. Wilson will next undergo an MRI, per Fletcher.

AL Notes: Red Sox, Orioles, Angels

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With 23 extra-base hits, including nine home runs, 5-foot-9, 180-pound Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts is showing rare power for such a diminutive player, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe details. Even scout Danny Watkins, who was instrumental in Boston’s fifth-round selection of Betts in the 2011 draft, is surprised. “I did not see home runs like this,” Watkins told Speier. “Honestly, I thought he could have some impact with power, but I really thought it would come in the form of doubles more than home runs. Knowing what I saw, it would still be very difficult for me to go back and project this type of performance by this age.” Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is also taken aback by the 23-year-old’s power-hitting ways. “I don’t remember a thinner, smaller guy in that regard who generates the type of power he does. He’s just got exceptional talent.” Betts is currently on pace to reach the 30-homer plateau; if he does, he’ll join exclusive company – Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Mel Ott – as the only players 5-10 or under to accomplish the feat by the age of 23, notes Speier.

More from Boston and two other American League cities:

  • Catcher Matt Wieters’ offseason decision to accept the Orioles’ $15.8MM qualifying offer is paying dividends for the team, writes Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. In addition to hitting .291/.331/.453 with four homers in 124 plate appearances, Wieters has thrown out 4 of 8 attempted base stealers, and Connolly argues that the lack of steal attempts is a sign of respect from opposing offenses for the backstop’s arm.
  • One of Wieters’ teammates, right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, should accept a demotion to the minors to get back on track, opines Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. After yielding six runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks in just 1 2/3 innings Saturday, Jimenez’s ERA spiked to 6.36. In his six May starts, the 32-year-old allowed 43 hits, nearly an earned run per frame (27 in 29 1/3 innings) and struck out as many hitters as he walked (19). Worsening matters is a contract that pays the ex-Rockies star $13MM this year and another $13.5MM in 2017. The Orioles would perhaps be willing to cut bait on Jimenez and eat the remaining $22.7MM on his deal if they had more starting options, which they don’t, per Schmuck.
  • It appeared Angels southpaw C.J. Wilson was making progress in his recovery from a shoulder injury, but he suffered a setback Saturday and had to be shut down, reports Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The Angels diagnosed Wilson with biceps tendinitis and will send him for further tests before determining what comes next. Wilson, who’s making $20MM this season in a contract year, hasn’t taken the hill for the Halos since last July because of elbow and shoulder issues.
  • Red Sox right-hander Brandon Workman – on the mend from June 2015 Tommy John surgery – could serve as a bullpen reinforcement for the club later in the season, relays Ian Browne of MLB.com. Workman last pitched in 2014 and owns a less-than-stellar 5.11 ERA – including a 6.07 mark as a reliever – in 128 2/3 major league innings, but manager John Farrell likes that the 27-year-old racked up experience with a World Series winner in 2013. “Extremely valuable,” he said of Workman’s time with that Red Sox team. Going forward, Farrell added, “How he throws and how the arm strength returns will indicate how we factor him in and what he’s going to be capable of.”

Cafardo’s Latest: Braun, Moore, CarGo, Bruce, Santiago

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Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun is “the hot name out there” on the trade market, a National League scout told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The scout listed the Astros, Cardinals, Giants, Mets, Phillies, Red Sox and White Sox as potential buyers for the 32-year-old Braun, who has resembled his past NL MVP-winning self offensively this season in slashing .351/.424/.583 with nine home runs in 170 trips to the plate. Braun is in the first season of a five-year extension that could be worth either $94MM or $105MM, depending on what happens with the contract’s mutual option for 2021.

Here’s more from Cafardo’s weekly column:

  • With prospect Blake Snell knocking on the door and Alex Cobb nearing a return from 2015 Tommy John surgery, the Rays could soon have a glut of starting pitching. Thus, they’d be willing to deal southpaw Matt Moore for both a major leaguer and a quality minor league piece. The soon-to-be 27-year-old Moore is controllable through 2019 on a cheap contract, but the former top prospect already has a Tommy John surgery under his belt and has run up a bloated 5.37 ERA in 120 2/3 frames since last season.
  • If the Rockies decide to trade right fielder Carlos Gonzalez, one talent evaluator told Cafardo that the Red Sox could be an ideal fit. “Their offense is cranking right now, but there’s an outfield position there that could possibly be enhanced if the Red Sox don’t think Brock Holt or Blake Swihart or Chris Young are the answer. They might be. But Cargo fits them as a top all-around player with power.” After slugging 40 home runs last season, Gonzalez has hit .294/.333/.471 with a somewhat modest seven homers this year. Gonzalez would presumably play left for the Red Sox, whose left fielders have hit .241/.321/.377 with four long balls. Their struggles haven’t exactly crippled baseball’s highest-scoring offense, however. Gonzalez, who will turn 30 in October, is making $17MM this year and will rake in another $20MM next season.
  • While Reds right fielder Jay Bruce is available, he won’t come cheap if the team has its way. The Reds nearly sent Bruce to Toronto during the winter, but the deal fell through after Cincinnati got cold feet over the health of one of the prospects whom it was supposed to acquire. The lefty-swinging Bruce was coming off two uncharacteristically subpar offensive seasons at the time, but he has perhaps rebuilt some of his value with an above-average .261/.313/.497 line to pair with eight homers in 176 PAs this year. Bruce, 29, is currently on a $12.5MM salary and has a $13MM club option ($1MM buyout) for 2017.
  • Angels left-hander Hector Santiago is a name to watch around the trade deadline if the Halos drop out of the race, though he’ll likely need to start faring better if the team wants to move him. Santiago, who’s collecting $5MM and has a year of arbitration eligibility remaining, has thrown 55 innings of 4.58 ERA ball this year to accompany a 7.04 K/9 and 3.44 BB/9.
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