Red Sox Rumors

East Notes: Rosario, Red Sox, Chapman

By Connor Byrne | June 10, 2017 at 10:18pm CDT

As Baseball America’s fifth-ranked prospect, the Mets’ Amed Rosario could conceivably help a scuffling team that has gotten little production from the left side of its infield this year. Despite the Mets’ struggles, though, and the strong likelihood that the Super Two deadline has passed, a promotion isn’t imminent, according to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Instead, the Mets want the 21-year-old to continue developing with Triple-A Las Vegas, where he has slashed .339/.379/.500 with six home runs and 11 stolen bases in 269 plate appearances. While Rosario’s in a rather hitter-friendly environment, his output has still been 30 percent better than the Pacific Coast League average. “I think so far this season is so far going pretty excellent, I would say,” Rosario told Davidoff through an interpreter. “I think we’re really seeing the fruits of the labor that’s been put in.”

More from New York and another East Coast city:

Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval was out of the lineup Saturday, and he’ll likely sit through at least Monday as they work with him on his defensive issues, reports Ian Browne of MLB.com. Sandoval has made four errors in only 48 chances, notes Browne, and has already posted minus-6 Defensive Runs Saved in just 186 1/3 innings at the hot corner. Now in the third season of a five-year, $95MM contract, Sandoval has also acquitted himself poorly on the offensive side, having batted just .205/.253/.364 in 95 plate appearances.
The Yankees expect closer Aroldis Chapman to come off the disabled list next weekend, manager Joe Girardi said Saturday (via Mark Fischer of NJ.com). The flamethrowing southpaw landed on the DL on May 13 with an inflamed left rotator cuff, which came after back-to-back rough outings that saw Chapman combine to allow four earned runs on six hits and two walks (three strikeouts) over 1 1/3 innings. Prior to those performances, Chapman gave up only one earned run, six hits and four walks, with 18 punchouts, in 11 1/3 frames.
Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez’s recovery from a partial dislocation of his right kneecap is on an encouraging path, writes Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. Rodriguez played catch from 130 to 140 feet Saturday, after which manager John Farrell stated: “He’s made, I think, very good progress in the days since being examined by Dr. (James) Andrews. We’re taking this in five-day work increments. He’s coming up on this first five days. We’ll map out increases in physical activity, agility work, all that, after tomorrow. We would hope in the coming days, he’s back on the mound here soon.” The 24-year-old was in the midst of arguably his best season before the injury, with a 3.54 ERA, 9.59 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 61 innings.

Quick Hits: Baker, Reed, Bruce, Price, July 2

By Mark Polishuk | June 9, 2017 at 11:23pm CDT

It was on this day in 1908 that one of baseball’s great slang terms was coined. In a story by the New York Globe’s Peter Morris about an 8-2 Giants win over the Pirates, Morris wrote “It isn’t often that [umpire] Hank O’Day is caught napping‚ but a young player just getting his cup of coffee in the league put one over on Hank and [umpire Bill Klem] yesterday.” This was reportedly the first time that “cup of coffee” was used to describe a short stint in the big leagues, and it has been part of the game’s vernacular ever since.

Some news as we head into the weekend…

Dusty Baker’s desire for a contract extension is “not going [to] be an issue” for the Nationals, GM Mike Rizzo told the Washington Post’s Jorge Castillo and other reporters. “We’re not going to let it be an issue. Dusty’s a true professional. He’s been through this, the rigors of the regular season, a million times. I’ve been through it a million times. It’s suffice to say there’s great communication, great respect between the front office and the manager’s office.” Baker has been open about wanting to remain with the Nats beyond the end of his current contract, which expires at season’s end, and Rizzo has himself recommended to ownership that Baker be extended, though there hasn’t appeared to be any movement towards a new deal.
Cody Reed has been pitching well since his demotion to Triple-A, but Reds manager Bryan Price tells the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Zach Buchanan and other reporters that the club has no plans to bring Reed back up to the Show in the near future. Reed, ranked by Baseball America as the #2 prospect in the Reds’ farm system, has a 7.15 ERA over 61 2/3 innings in the big leagues — a 10-start stint in 2016 and seven outings (six relief appearances, one start) to begin this year. “I don’t want to take another step back with this kid. He’s doing too well in Triple-A to feel like we’ve rushed him back and if he has a setback up here we feel like we’re back to square one,” Price said.
Jay Bruce has gone from offseason trade chip to a hugely valuable piece for the Mets, Mike Puma of the New York Post writes. There was some question as to whether the Mets would exercise their $13MM club option on Bruce last winter given his struggles after joining the team in a deadline trade, and the Mets also shopped Bruce after they re-signed Yoenis Cespedes. Bruce has rebounded to hit .250/.322/.514 with 15 homers in 242 PA, helping stabilize an outfield that lost Cespedes to the DL and Curtis Granderson to an ugly early-season slump.
David Price’s issues with the Boston media have added a new wrinkle to his contract’s opt-out clause after the 2018 season, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes. Price may be tired of pitching in Boston, yet he realistically isn’t going to opt out of the four years and $127MM remaining on his deal unless he feels he can find as much or more money in free agency at age 33. So Price now has perhaps even more incentive to pitch well for the Red Sox, though in this situation’s odd catch-22, better performance would likely alleviate the media pressure. With over a season and a half to go before Price has to face his opt-out decision, it’s probably too early to speculate about his current thought process, especially when so many other factors (Price’s health, the team’s performance, etc.) are also in the mix.
Baseball America’s Ben Badler (subscription required) looks ahead to the next international signing period that opens on July 2, profiling five highly-touted young players from the Dominican Republic who are already rumored to be signing with the Mets, Pirates, Rockies, Twins, and Yankees.

Injury Notes: Cespedes, Turner, O’Day, Beltre, Pedroia, Travis

By Mark Polishuk | June 9, 2017 at 5:34pm CDT

Here’s the latest flurry of notable players leaving, joining, and (temporarily?) avoiding the disabled list…

Yoenis Cespedes is expected to be activated by the Mets tomorrow, manager Terry Collins tells the New York Times’ James Wagner and other reporters. The slugger will be the 26th man on the Mets’ roster for their double-header against the Braves. Cespedes has been sidelined since April 27 due to a hamstring strain, with the Mets saying they were being particularly careful with their star outfielder due to nagging lower-leg injuries that have bothered Cespedes dating back to last season. Cespedes was off to a red-hot start when he was able to play, posting a .992 OPS in 75 plate appearances.
Justin Turner will be activated from the 10-day DL tonight, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (link to their tweet). The third baseman has been recovering from a hamstring strain since May 19. Turner was hitting .379/.453/.493 over 162 prior to his injury.
The Tigers activated catcher James McCann, who has been out of action since May 25 due to a laceration on his left hand. McCann will be returning to a “platoon-oriented” timeshare but not exclusively so, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus told reporters (including Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press). The left-handed Alex Avila has a whopping 1.074 OPS over 139 PA this year, so it seems likely that he’ll get the lion’s share of playing time over the right-handed hitting McCann.
The Orioles have placed right-hander Darren O’Day on the 10-day DL due to a right shoulder strain, the team announced. The move is retroactive to June 7, and righty Stefan Crichton has been called up in a corresponding transactions. O’Day is having another solid year out of Baltimore’s pen, with a 3.86 ERA, 2.42 K/BB rate and a career-high 11.2 K/9 over his 23 1/3 IP. O’Day’s absence will further tax an Orioles bullpen that is still missing ace closer Zach Britton.
As expected, the Rangers officially called Jurickson Profar up from Triple-A but lefty Dario Alvarez was demoted in the corresponding move, as the club is still waiting to see on Adrian Beltre’s bad ankle. Beltre told Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Tribune (Twitter link) that he could sit out through the weekend but be available off the bench as a pinch-hitter. Beltre only just returned to action after spending much of the season on the DL with a calf injury, playing in seven games before suffering his ankle problem on Tuesday.
The Red Sox activated Dustin Pedroia off the 10-day DL, one of multiple roster moves that included first baseman Sam Travis and right-hander Brandon Workman being optioned to Triple-A and lefty Brian Johnson being called up to start tonight’s game. Pedroia was originally thought to be in for a lengthy absence after suffering a sprained left wrist, though he’ll instead return after missing just the minimum 10 days. Travis’ demotion is noteworthy, as he excelled (8-for-17 with a 1.115 OPS in 19 PA) in his first taste of big league action, though Boston doesn’t really have a place for him on the roster. Both Josh Rutledge and Deven Marrero are needed for infield depth and to spell the struggling Pablo Sandoval at third, while Hanley Ramirez is currently locked into DH-only duties.

Quick Hits: Otani, Ortiz, Bour, Yanks, A’s

By Connor Byrne | June 5, 2017 at 10:33pm CDT

A left hamstring injury has limited Nippon Ham Fighters right-handed ace/left-handed slugger Shohei Otani to just eight games this year in what could be his final season in Japan. Otani’s going to stay on the shelf for a while longer, it seems, as Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times tweets that he won’t take the field again until at least July. All of the 22-year-old’s appearances this season have come at designated hitter. (In case you missed it, MLBTR contributor Chuck Wasserstrom recently put together a must-read piece on Otani.)

Eduardo Rodriguez Could Rest Knee For 3-4 Weeks

By Jeff Todd | June 5, 2017 at 4:28pm CDT

JUNE 5: Dr. James Andrews has advised Rodriguez to rest his knee for three to four weeks, reports Drellich. Rodriguez will avoid surgery for the time being, then, but Drellich notes that it’s not completely off the table. If he does end up having to go under the knife, Rodriguez would face a five- to six-month recovery, per Drellich. Fortunately, though, he doesn’t have any ligament damage.

JUNE 2, 3:30pm: Rodriguez suffered a subluxation — which is a partial dislocation of the kneecap that he is uniquely prone to — according to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski (via Drellich; Twitter links). The expectation is that Brian Johnson will take the open rotation slot.

2:34pm: The Red Sox will place lefty Eduardo Rodriguez on the 10-day DL, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Rodriguez experienced right knee discomfort today after slipping while getting ready for yesterday’s outing. Reliever Brandon Workman will take the open roster spot, per Evan Drellich of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).

Rodriguez was ultimately shelled yesterday, a rare dud of a start in what has been an excellent overall performance thus far in 2017. The 24-year-old southpaw owns a 3.54 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 through 61 innings on the year.

News of a knee injury is of greater concern in his case, though, given his history of such ailments. Rodriguez missed action with knee troubles in 2016 and tweaked the joint over the winter.

While it’s far from clear at this point how long Rodriguez will be out, the absence means the Boston rotation will again be without a key member for at least some time. David Price has only just returned to the majors, which momentarily gave the organization the kind of five-man group it had anticipated over the winter. Righty Steven Wright is expected to miss the entire rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his knee, so another fill-in option will ultimately be called upon to take Rodriguez’s next scheduled start.

AL East Notes: Austin, Beliveau, Rays, Sox

By Steve Adams | June 5, 2017 at 3:05pm CDT

The Yankees announced that they’ve reinstated first baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin from the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Austin, who suffered a foot fracture in Spring Training, has been limited to just 13 games on a rehab assignment thus far in 2017. He’s hit quite well in that time and comes with a very solid track record of performance in Triple-A. Given the terrible performance the Yankees have received their first basemen this season — they’re hitting a collective .150/.265/.278 this season — Austin could factor into the Major League mix for playing time if he continues to hit well in Triple-A.

Brewers Acquire Yeison Coca From Red Sox To Complete Tyler Thornburg Trade

By Steve Adams | June 5, 2017 at 10:07am CDT

10:07am: Both teams have now announced the trade. Coca is headed to Milwaukee’s extended Spring Training program for the time being, according to the Brewers.

9:50am: The Brewers will acquire minor league shortstop Yeison Coca from the Red Sox as the player to be named later in the offseason Tyler Thornburg/Travis Shaw trade, according to Evan Drellich of CSN New England (Twitter link).

Coca, 18, signed with the Red Sox back on July 2 in 2015 as a 16-year-old and has just one full season of pro ball under his belt. He spent the 2016 campaign with Boston’s affiliate in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .307/.370/.409 with a homer, five doubles, nine triples and 12 stolen bases (in 17 attempts). Baseball America rated Coca as the Red Sox’ No. 25 prospect this offseason, noting that he shows the instincts and defensive aptitude to eventually be an everyday shortstop with above-average bat-to-ball skills and below-average power. Certainly, any up-the-middle player with the potential to stick at his position is a valuable commodity. But, Coca is a long ways from realizing his potential, and there’s a fairly notable attrition rate among promising teenage shortstops.

Regardless of what happens with Coca, the trade has been overwhelmingly lopsided in Milwaukee’s favor to this point. Shaw has gotten off to an outstanding start with the Brewers, hitting .292/.339/.530 with 10 homers, 16 doubles and a triple through 210 plate appearances. While he’s only seen 57 PAs against lefties, he’s held his own in that limited sample, hitting .250/.316/.442. In a larger sample of 161 PAs while holding the platoon advantage, Shaw has laid waste to right-handers with a .307/.348/.560 triple slash.

The Brewers also added minor league righty Josh Pennington, who has yet to pitch in 2017, and minor league infielder Mauricio Dubon in that trade. The 22-year-old Dubon is hitting .294/.346/.383 with 25 steals (in 32 attempts) through 56 games for Milwaukee’s Double-A affiliate in Biloxi.

Thornburg, on the other hand, has yet to pitch for the Red Sox at all due to a nebulous shoulder issue. The righty has been shut down since Spring Training due to ongoing discomfort in his right shoulder, but there’s been no firm timetable placed on his recovery nor any suggestion of surgery to this point in the season. A healthy Thornburg would help to balance the scales on that trade, so to speak, but the strong play from both Shaw and Dubon is only magnified by a lack of infield depth (specifically at third base) that has plagued Boston throughout the 2017 season.

AL East Notes: Jackson, Devers, Ellsbury, Fowler

By Steve Adams | June 5, 2017 at 9:17am CDT

The Orioles’ decision to outright left-hander Paul Fry over the weekend could be a precursor to adding veteran righty Edwin Jackson to the big league roster, writes Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. Jackson had an opt-out clause in his contract for June 1 but agreed to push that date back to today as the team took a bit more time to make its decision. Jackson’s lack of minor league options is a strike against him, Encina notes, as the O’s have liberally shuffled relievers back and forth from Triple-A Norfolk and Baltimore this season. However, his ability to throw multiple innings in relief and recent effectiveness could make up for that fact. Jackson has tossed 5 2/3 scoreless frames with four strikeouts and no walks across his past three outings and has a 3.10 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 on the year as a whole. If he does trigger his opt-out, the Orioles would have 48 hours to add him to the roster or release him.

Elsewhere in the AL East…

ESPN’s Buster Olney spoke to a talent evaluator from a rival club who recently watched Red Sox prospect Rafael Devers and came away convinced that the 20-year-old’s size and conditioning won’t allow him to stick at third base in the long run. While that’s just one opinion — Baseball America wrote this offseason that Devers’ glovework has improved, for instance — the lack of certainty isn’t great for a Boston club that has a murky third base picture in the long term thanks to Pablo Sandoval’s struggles and Brock Holt’s injuries. As Olney notes, Devers’ defense will also impact how other clubs view him in potential trade discussions as well.
Jacoby Ellsbury will see a neurologist today after a recurrence of his concussion symptoms led to a shutdown from baseball activities over the weekend, writes George A. King III of the New York Post. The Yankees have the outfield depth to withstand a lengthy absence from Ellsbury, who was off to a fine start on the year, but they’re currently utilizing converted infielder Rob Refsnyder in that mix. Mason Williams would offer a better defensive option should the Yanks need a long-term option, King suggests. In a separate piece, he notes that the team doesn’t love the idea of promoting prospect Dustin Fowler if there aren’t everyday at-bats for him at an outfield slot. With Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge all playing well, there doesn’t seem to be a place for Fowler right now, despite his .300/.335/.563 batting line through 225 Triple-A plate appearances.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/4/17

By Connor Byrne | June 4, 2017 at 8:50pm CDT

Sunday’s minor moves from around baseball…

The Phillies optioned first baseman/outfielder Brock Stassi to Double-A, the club announced. The drop of two levels was due to a crowded Triple-A roster, and Phils manager Pete Mackanin told reporters (including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki) that the team wants Stassi to get regular at-bats. Stassi, 27, made his big league debut this season, hitting .197/.290/.361 with one home run over 69 plate appearances and 35 games for Philadelphia.

Earlier today

Tigers outfielder Tyler Collins will head to Triple-A after clearing waivers, per a team announcement. Detroit designated Collins for assignment last Sunday, and while a trade looked like a possibility then, nothing came to fruition. Before the Tigers jettisoned Collins from their 40- and 25-man rosters, the 26-year-old opened 2017 with a .200/.288/.338 batting line over 146 plate appearances.
The Orioles have signed left-handed reliever Lucas Luetge to a minor league deal, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Luetge, whom the Reds released Friday, threw 27 2/3 innings with their Triple-A affiliate this season and, despite a 9.76 K/9 and a 2.93 BB/9, posted a 4.55 ERA. The 30-year-old was in the majors from 2012-15 as a member of the Mariners, with whom he logged a 4.35 ERA, 7.48 K/9, 4.75 BB/9 and a 47.7 percent ground-ball rate in 89 innings. Along the way, Luetge held left-handed hitters to a .201/.286/.281 line.
In other Orioles news, they’ve announced that southpaw Paul Fry has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A. Fry, whom Baltimore acquired from Seattle in mid-April for an international bonus pool slot, has struggled over 23 1/3 innings with the O’s Triple-A affiliate (6.56 ERA, 9.26 K/9, 5.79 BB/9).
The Dodgers have inked outfielder Quincy Latimore to a minor league contract. The 28-year-old Latimore, a fourth-round pick of the Pirates in 2007, has spent time with five big league organizations (including Detroit this year), though he didn’t ascend past Double-A with any of them. At that level, Latimore has hit .247/.318/.421 with 81 home runs in 2,585 PAs.
The Red Sox have added right-hander Elih Villanueva on a minors pact. Villanueva threw three innings with the Marlins back in 2011, but the rest of his work has come at lower levels. The 30-year-old began the season with Lancaster of the independent Atlantic League, notching a 2.72 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 36 1/3 frames. He hasn’t pitched for a major league team’s minor league affiliate since 2015, which he split between Baltimore’s Double-A and Triple-A clubs.

Reliever Notes: Jackson, Benoit, Smith

By Mark Polishuk | June 3, 2017 at 2:41pm CDT

The Orioles and Edwin Jackson have agreed to extend his opt-out date to Monday, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports (Twitter links). The veteran righty’s original opt-out date on his minor league deal was June 1, but Jackson will now have 24 hours after 11:59pm ET on Monday to decide on exercising his out clause. The O’s will then have 48 hours to either add Jackson to their Major League roster or release him. Though Jackson has spent the bulk of his 14-year MLB career as a starting pitcher, he has only started one of his 11 games for Triple-A Norfolk this season. Jackson has a 3.26 ERA in 19 1/3 IP, though with some rather middling peripherals (7.0 K/9, 4.7 BB/9). Pedro Alvarez also arranged a short extension his opt-out date, so it seems like the Orioles are still trying to buy themselves time to decide if or how some of their minor league veteran depth pieces can be retained.

Here’s some more on some bullpen arms…

The Phillies have placed right-hander Joaquin Benoit on the 10-day DL (retroactive to June 1) with a left knee sprain, the team announced. Benoit has a 3.68 ERA over 22 innings for the Phils, though his advanced metrics (such as a .167 BABIP, 7.77 K/9 and 4.91 BB/9) indicate some good fortune. He had a short-lived stint at Philadelphia’s closer after Jeanmar Gomez’s struggles and before Hector Neris ultimately took over the role. The veteran Benoit signed a one-year, $7.5MM deal with the Phillies last winter and projects as a trade candidate this summer, provided he makes a successful return from injury.
Carson Smith is scheduled to throw a bullpen session this weekend and a live batting practice sometime this week in advance of a minor league rehab assignment, CSNNE.com’s Evan Drellich reports. As Smith tells Drellich, June was the target date for Smith’s return from his Tommy John surgery over a year ago, and the right-hander seems to be on track to finally make his Red Sox debut.

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