Red Sox To Designate Luis Ysla
The Red Sox will designate lefty Luis Ysla for assignment, Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com tweets. His 40-man spot will go to just-acquired infielder Eduardo Nunez.
Boston will also make two other adjoining moves. Righty Ben Taylor is headed to the disabled list, while fellow reliever Blaine Boyer will return from his own time on the DL.
Ysla had been added to the 40-man roster last fall, in advance of the Rule 5 draft. But the 25-year-old has yet to advance to the majors. Instead, Ysla has stalled out this year at Double-A, working to a 5.05 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9 over 46 1/3 innings.
Red Sox Acquire Eduardo Nunez
The Red Sox made their first addition of the summer on Tuesday night, acquiring infielder Eduardo Nunez from the Giants in exchange for minor league right-handers Shaun Anderson and Gregory Santos. Both teams have announced the deal. Word of the swap first leaked out after Nunez was shown leaving the Giants’ dugout to a series of hugs from his teammates on tonight’s broadcast (video link via Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area).
Third base has been a clear area of need for the Red Sox this season, as Pablo Sandoval was finally released midway through the third season of his five-year contract and Brock Holt has been plagued by injuries throughout the year. Boston dealt Travis Shaw to the Brewers this offseason and has been relying on a platoon of light-hitting Deven Marrero and Tzu-Wei Lin at the hot corner in recent weeks, and Boston third basemen entered play tonight hitting a collective .226/.278/.317.
Of course, the third base outlook in Boston changed radically just this week when the team decided to call upon top prospect Rafael Devers to get his first taste of the Majors. Devers ranks as one of the game’s five or six best prospects and has torn through minor league pitching at a .311/.377/.578 pace thus far in 2017. However, Devers is also just 20 years old and has scarcely played in Triple-A, so the Sox may yet feel that he needs more development in the minors before he can be relied upon to man the hot corner in a pennant race.
If Devers does ultimately prove to be capable of handling the spot, Nunez’s defensive versatility will still carry plenty of value for the Red Sox down the stretch. Nunez can provide depth both at shortstop and second base, and he has a bit of experience in the corner outfield as well. That flexibility would help to keep a number of Boston regulars fresh in the season’s final months, though the team’s exact plans with respect to Nunez and Devers aren’t yet clear. Anything from a platoon arrangement to a return trip to Triple-A Pawtucket could reasonably be on the table, though it’s certainly worth noting that the Red Sox’ press release announcing the move labeled Nunez as a “utility player” rather than strictly referencing him as a third baseman.
The 30-year-old Nunez hasn’t shown the power he displayed when he smacked a career-high 16 home runs last season — the extra time in the pitcher-friendly AT&T Park certainly can’t help his cause in that regard — but he’s been a generally solid offensive player. He’s hitting .307/.331/.413 through 315 plate appearances with San Francisco and has knocked four homers and 20 doubles to go along with a 17-for-22 mark in stolen base attempts. He’s also an extremely tough strikeout (9.1 percent) and, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal points out (via Twitter), Nunez’s acquisition gives the Red Sox the three players with Major League Baseball’s lowest strikeout rates (Mookie Betts, Nunez and Dustin Pedroia).
Nunez is earning $4.2MM this year (with about $1.56MM of that sum remaining) and will hit the open market as a free agent for the first time this winter. He’s a pure rental for the Sox, but with Devers already in the Majors and widely believed to be the team’s third baseman of the future, Boston never seemed likely to pay the higher price for any third base options that are controllable beyond the current season.
The 22-year-old Anderson was Boston’s third-round selection in last year’s draft and currently ranks 18th among Red Sox prospects, per MLB.com’s newly updated top 30 list. The 22-year-old worked as a reliever at the University of Florida, though MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo note in their report that they feel he has enough pitches to make it as a starter. The Red Sox have been trying him in that role, as he’s worked to a 3.99 ERA with 7.4 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 with a 42.4 percent ground-ball rate in Class-A Advanced this season.
Santos is just 17 years of age and is currently in his second season with Boston’s affiliate in the Dominican Summer League. Through 30 innings this season he has a 0.90 ERA with a 24-to-15 K/BB ratio and a comically high 82.1 percent ground-ball rate. He posted a 60.6 percent grounder rate in 44 1/3 innings at the same level last season.
FOX’s Ken Rosenthal first reported that Nunez was going to Boston (on Twitter). USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted that Nunez would net the Giants a pair of minor league pitchers. The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported that Anderson and Santos were the two prospects in the deal (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Deadline Chatter: Darvish, Gray, Neshek, Cabrera, Marlins
As things stand right now, the Rangers are leaning against dealing star righty Yu Darvish, according to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan. That could still change with an “overwhelming” offer or a total collapse in the standings, he notes. There’s still no clarity in the American League Wild Card picture, and the Rangers remain as plausible a contender as any, so perhaps the smoke surrounding Darvish really has come from an extinguished flame. That storyline promises to be among the most notable of the coming week, not least of which because of interest from the suddenly Clayton Kershaw-less Dodgers. Los Angeles seems to be taking something of a Darvish-or-bust stance with regard to starters, Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests in a tweet.
More deadline chatter:
- The Brewers are “fading” in the race to acquire Athletics righty Sonny Gray, according to Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (via Twitter). It’s not clear whether that’s owing to a change in Milwaukee’s position or the rise of an alternative suitor, but it’s obviously notable. The Brewers seem well-positioned to add a pitcher such as Gray, though perhaps other organizations have greater motivation to boost their near-term product. One such team is the Yankees, who believe they are better than their record, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. That view has helped spur the team’s deadline activity, including its effort to get a starter — with Gray perhaps representing the best fit.
- We continue to hear of widespread interest in Phillies reliever Pat Neshek, though it remains unclear just how much he’ll draw in return. A few teams still looking hard at him are the Nationals, Dodgers, and Red Sox, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Those three clubs are among several that seem to be looking over a variety of relief pitchers, of course.
- The Mets believe internally that they will end up trading infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, Mike Puma of the New York Post writes in an update on the team’s deadline situation. That seemingly reflects not only the fairly robust demand, but also the team’s assessment of its interest (or lack thereof) in bringing Cabrera back for 2018 through a club option. Aside from Cabrera and top trade piece Addison Reed, the Mets are said to be receiving middling interest in their pending free agents — despite the fact that all are playing rather well. Puma notes that lofty salaries would make all of the team’s other major trade candidates (Lucas Duda, Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, and Neil Walker) plausible August trade pieces.
- In Marlins injury news, the club announced that first baseman Justin Bour left today’s game with an oblique strain, as Tim Healey of the Sun Sentinel reports. While nothing is official as of yet, skipper Don Mattingly said it’s expected that Bour will require a DL stint. Meanwhile, righty Edinson Volquez did not have an encouraging throwing session today, Tim Healey of the Sun Sentinel tweets. As the veteran heads for a second opinion on his ailing knee, it seems that he’ll remain out a while longer. These two players, then, seem quite unlikely to factor into deadline talks — though that was unlikely in any event.
- The likeliest scenario at this point is that the Tigers will try to move second baseman Ian Kinsler over the offseason –after exercising his option for 2018 — Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Likewise, the Yankees will probably look to see if there’s a taker for outfielder Jacoby Ellsburgy this winter, Feinsand tweets. That’s not terribly surprising in either case, though surely there’d seem to be greater odds that Kinsler could end up on the move — and indeed he may yet.
Long List Of Teams Interested In AJ Ramos
MONDAY: In addition to the Rockies and Cubs, the Nationals are said to be “expressing strong interest” in Ramos, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Ramos has previously been tied to the Nats, though those talks reportedly took place before the team’s recent addition of a pair of late-inning relievers. Of course, Washington is still said to be looking at yet more relief targets.
SATURDAY: The Diamondbacks, Rockies, Rays, Red Sox, Cubs, Brewers and others all have interest in Marlins closer AJ Ramos, FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick and others tweeted earlier this week that the Marlins were taking calls on Ramos.
The Marlins, of course, recently traded reliever David Phelps to Seattle for a package including outfield prospect Brayan Hernandez, and Ramos could potentially be an even more desirable trade target. The 30-year-old has a 4.08 ERA and 4.8 BB/9 this season, but with a strong 11.5 K/9. He also has 89 career saves and a long history of success in the ninth inning, making him a strong late-inning option for a contender. (Of course, many clubs on Heyman’s list of interested teams, including the Rockies, Red Sox, Cubs and Brewers, appear set at closer, but that wouldn’t preclude them from having interest in another good late-inning arm.) Ramos can be controlled through 2018 via the arbitration process.
With Phelps gone, the Marlins are expected to lean harder on Junichi Tazawa, as MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro recently explained. Tazawa has pitched nine scoreless innings this month. The team also has Kyle Barraclough, Nick Wittgren and Dustin McGowan to pitch in the late innings. It’s not yet clear, however, who would take over the closer role should Ramos depart.
Twins Return Rule 5 Pick Justin Haley To Red Sox
In need of a 40-man spot after today’s trade, the Twins have returned Rule 5 pick Justin Haley to the Red Sox, per MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (via Twitter). Haley evidently cleared waivers; Boston has accepted him back and assigned him to Triple-A, per Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
Haley, 26, had been nearing a return from a DL stint owing to shoulder problems. The righty did appear in ten MLB contests earlier this season, however, allowing a dozen earned runs on 22 hits over 18 innings while striking out 14 and issuing six walks.
The results have been somewhat more promising of late in the upper minors. Over his 102 2/3 Triple-A frames over the past two years, Haley owns a 3.59 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9.
Red Sox Promote Rafael Devers
July 24: The Red Sox formally announced that they’ve selected the contract of Devers, with Robbie Ross Jr. heading to the 60-day disabled list to create a roster spot. Righty Kyle Martin was optioned to Triple-A to clear a spot on the active roster.
July 23: The Red Sox will promote third base prospect Rafael Devers, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced to the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato (Twitter link) and other reporters. Devers will join the team in Seattle tomorrow and make his Major League debut on Tuesday when the Red Sox face the Mariners (hat tip to MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffrey).
[Updated Red Sox depth chart at Roster Resource]
Rumors have swirled for weeks about Devers’ eventual call to the big leagues, especially since Boston’s struggles at third base made it more obvious that it was a matter of “when” and not “if” the 20-year-old would get his first taste of the Show this season. Devers has helped his cause by posting big numbers in the minors this season, though somewhat curiously, he has only spent little over a week at the Triple-A level after spending much of the year at Double-A.
It could be that the Sox simply wanted to get Devers one final bit of seasoning before adding him to their 25-man roster, as Devers posted a .992 OPS in his 34-plate appearance stint for Triple-A Pawtucket. Overall this season, Devers has a .305/.373/.575 slash line and 20 homers over 354 PA at the two minor league levels.
[MLBTR’s Red Sox News & Rumors page on Facebook]
Devers has been staple of top-100 prospects lists for the last three seasons, including high finishes in Baseball Prospectus’ midseason top-50 ranking (fifth overall) and Baseball America’s top-100 list (sixth overall). MLB.com listed Devers as the best prospect in Boston’s system and the best overall third baseman prospect in the sport, praising “his prodigious power to all fields” while also noting his improvement as a well-rounded hitter.
There is some question as to whether Devers can handle third base over the long term, though for now, the Red Sox will happily take whatever possibly upgrade they can find at the position. Red Sox third basemen have combined for a garish .224/.284/.307 slash line and -0.7 fWAR this season, making the hot corner a notable weak link in an otherwise solid Boston lineup. Pablo Sandoval again failed to live up to expectations for the Sox, and alternatives like Brock Holt, Marco Hernandez and Josh Rutledge were plagued by injury or underperformance.
The left-handed hitting Devers will be the starter against right-handed pitching for now, so he’ll get a little under a week to show the Sox what he can do prior to the trade deadline. The Red Sox have been linked to a wide range of third base options in trade rumors, so if Devers hits well even in a small sample size, it may convince Dombrowski and company that the team only needs to acquire a part-time infielder, or even stick with their in-house backups. If Devers looks overmatched at the big league level, however, the Sox will likely continue looking for a third baseman that can play every day.
Photo courtesy of Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports Images
AL East Notes: Devers, Cozart, Blue Jays, Ellsbury
It isn’t unusual for the Red Sox to bring a 20-year-old prospect into the heat of a pennant race, as club promoted Xander Bogaerts in 2013 and Yoan Moncada just last season. As WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford points out, however, he difference between those callups and today’s news about Boston’s promotion of Rafael Devers is that Bogaerts and Moncada were being counted on just as supporting pieces to an already-strong roster. In Devers’ case, he is coming into a Red Sox lineup that has struggled with consistency all season and has been thoroughly lacking at third base. It’s quite a bit of pressure for such a young player, and Bradford feels that the multiple slumping regulars in the Sox lineup need pick things up, regardless of how Devers performs.
Here’s more from around the AL East…
- The Red Sox have been scouting Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, CSNNE.com’s Evan Drellich reports (via Twitter), though with the caveat that teams around the league are doing their due diligence on many options at this time of year. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd cited Cozart as a possible creative choice for Boston’s third base problem last month, and obviously the Sox will continue to explore possibilities until they get a sense of what Devers can do in the bigs. Cozart has been on fire at the plate this year, though as Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes, the shortstop is still being careful about re-aggravating the right quad injury that led to a brief DL stint in June.
- The Blue Jays front office “is split on whether the team should be broken up and traded away,” Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. Team president Mark Shapiro suggested earlier this month that the Jays could explore both buying and selling at the deadline, and more recent reports had the team open to trading pending free agents while preferring to keep players that could help Toronto compete in 2018. Given how several Jays key veterans are either experiencing off-years or could be in decline, it isn’t surprising that there are questions as to whether the Jays can reasonably count on these players to rebound. A big sell-off at the deadline would help replenish the farm system, though with some good controllable talent and one more year of Josh Donaldson under contract, one can also make a case that the Jays should make another push next year.
- With Jacoby Ellsbury looking like an expendable part on the Yankees roster, ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required) looks at some of the potential large contracts New York could take on as a way of facilitating a trade for the outfielder, who is owed roughly $75MM between now and the end of the 2020 season. Olney’s names (all speculative) range from other unfavorable contracts like Jordan Zimmermann to more valuable assets like Giancarlo Stanton, though obviously much more than just Ellsbury would need to be included in a Stanton trade. Ellsbury has full control over his future via a no-trade clause, though Olney wonders if the outfielder would accept a deal to a team that could offer more playing time if Ellsbury becomes the odd man out in the Yankee outfield.
East News & Rumors: Stanton, Yanks, Red Sox, Mets
Representatives from both the Yankees and Marlins told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM that New York has not inquired about Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton, which conflicts with a previous report. Bowden received a text message from a Marlins executive who declared that “all the buzz is false” on a potential Stanton-Yankees union (Twitter links). Regardless of whether the Yankees have checked in on Stanton, it’s an extreme long shot that he’d end up with them.
More from these two cities and another East Coast spot:
- The Wayne Rothbaum-Jeb Bush-Tom Glavine group bidding for the Marlins lost Tagg Romney this week, and now Dave Stewart and Al Leiter have left the faction, reports Robert Murray of FanRag. Thanks to their accomplished careers as major league pitchers, Stewart and Leiter brought name value to the table for a potential ownership team (as Glavine does), but neither would have had a large role in terms of putting up money to acquire the Marlins. So, even with Stewart and Leiter gone, Rothbaum & Co. remain in the mix to purchase the franchise, per Murray.
- The Red Sox are continuing to explore the third base market as the trade deadline nears, leading Scott Lauber of ESPN.com, Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe and Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald to break down their possible options. Both Lauber and Cafardo bring up Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista as an outside-the-box possibility, and while he does have 389 games of experience at third, he hasn’t played there extensively since 2011. Unsurprisingly, then, the Red Sox haven’t discussed acquiring the 36-year-old, a source told Lauber. Meanwhile, Brown urges the Red Sox to reunite with Adrian Beltre, who thrived in Boston in 2010 before signing with the Rangers in the ensuing offseason. There are roadblocks in the way, though, including whether the Rangers would even consider moving the should-be Hall of Famer and franchise icon, who’s on an $18MM salary through next season, and whether he’d waive his no-trade clause.
- With the deadline just over a week away, Joel Sherman of the New York Post proposes several Mets trades, including one that would see them send first baseman Lucas Duda to the Yankees for a four-player package of major league-ready talent. A New York-New York swap would be a win-win in this case, Sherman argues, as the Mets would get something for an impending free agent and the Yankees would solve their first base woes for the stretch run. Further, dealing a few players would help the Yankees with the 40-man roster crunch they could face during the offseason.
AL East News & Rumors: Darvish, Yanks, Rays, Red Sox
The Yankees had scout Brandon Duckworth in attendance to watch Texas’ game in Tampa Bay on Friday, leading to speculation that the Bombers are interested in Rangers ace Yu Darvish, writes George A. King III of the New York Post. New York is one of many potential suitors for Darvish, who struck out 12 Rays in eight innings Friday. For the Yankees, Darvish would more than make up for the loss of Michael Pineda to Tommy John surgery and give the playoff hopefuls another front-line starter to join Luis Severino. However, it’s unclear whether they’d be willing to pay what figures to be a heavy price for a rental.
More on New York and a couple of its AL East rivals:
- In unfortunate news for the Yankees, second baseman Starlin Castro is headed back to the disabled list with hamstring issues, tweets King. The Yankees will recall rookie Tyler Wade to take over for Castro, who first hit the DL in late June because of a Grade 1 hamstring strain. Castro came back July 15 and appeared in six of eight games before his latest DL placement. Injuries notwithstanding, the 27-year-old is in the midst of a fine season, having hit .307/.344/.472 with 12 home runs in 337 plate appearances.
- The Rays are interested in acquiring reliever Pat Neshek from the Phillies, so Philadelphia is heavily scouting Tampa Bay’s farm system, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (Twitter link). Neshek is among a host of relievers the bullpen-needy Rays have been eyeing with the deadline approaching.
- While the Rays are currently looking for outside help, they have an in-house reinforcement on the way in center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, who suffered a hip fracture June 8. Kiermaier is eligible to return from the DL on Aug. 9, and he expects to do just that if all goes well on a rehab assignment, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Even though Kiermaier is one of the Rays’ cornerstones, their outfield has fared nicely in his absence, with Mallex Smith and Peter Bourjos filling in well in center.
- The Red Sox aren’t cutting ties with struggling righty Doug Fister, but they have demoted him from the rotation to the bullpen, per Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com. The 33-year-old Fister became the odd man out after the return of Eduardo Rodriguez, who was on the shelf with a knee injury from the beginning of June until earlier this week. Fister, whom Boston claimed off waivers from the Angels in late June, has recorded a 7.89 ERA, 7.48 K/9, 6.23 BB/9 and a 36.8 percent ground-ball rate over 21 2/3 innings and five appearances (four starts) with the Red Sox. His walk rate is significantly higher than his career mark (2.03 per nine), but the Red Sox expect positive regression in that department. “We had a chance to sit and talk a little bit earlier today and you look at the start he made in Texas where a lot of his misses were up above the strike zone,” said manager John Farrell. “He made a tangible adjustment where (Thursday), granted there were misses, but they’re below the strike zone where he has got to miss. That’s where he needs to live.”
Trade Chatter: Darvish, Alonso, Red Sox, Ramos, Stanton, Cahill, Nunez
Yu Darvish is pitching tonight for the Rangers, so clearly there’s nothing imminent. Indeed, Texas seems likely to take its decision on the ace to the latest possible moment, even as it begins to solicit interest. As that process begins to take place, it’s important to note that Darvish possesses partial no-trade rights. While it’s not at all clear whether he’d get in the way of a deal, particularly given that he’ll be a free agent in a few months regardless, that adds another potential hurdle. Per Jim Bowden of Sirius XM, via Twitter, Darvish currently can block trades to the Cubs, Indians, Pirates, Red Sox, and Rockies (along with five other teams that are in no position to consider a rental starter).
Here’s the latest trade deadline chatter:
- While the Athletics continue to weigh their options with first baseman Yonder Alonso, the club has not actually engaged in any extension talks with his reps, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). While a new deal seems unlikely to come to fruition (yet more than it did already), the A’s are struggling to drum up interest in the breakout performer. Indeed, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com suggests on Twitter that the Yankees are the only team firmly pursuing Alonso at this time. Trouble is, it seems, Oakland isn’t enamored of the Yanks’ offers to date.
- Meanwhile, the division-rival Red Sox could conceivably look into some outside-the-box possibilities to improve their offense, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes. He bases that assessment on the difficulty of finding a significant offensive threat capable of playing third as well as the ongoing struggles of Mitch Moreland since he suffered a toe injury. Boston might consider a first baseman, Speier says, or perhaps even an outfielder that could lineup at DH — if Hanley Ramirez is capable of spending more time at first. While it doesn’t seem there’s any indication of internal interest at this point, Speier cites Alonso, Lucas Duda, and Jay Bruce as rental players that could hold some appeal.
- Marlins closer A.J. Ramos is drawing interest from as many as eight to ten teams, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets. With momentum perhaps building toward a deal, Ramos tells MLB.com’s Jeremy Vernon that he hears the rumors, but is trying to stay focused on his current job. “It’s good, but also it’s a little bit bittersweet,” he said of the fact other teams are looking to deal for him.
- A handful of clubs have reached out to the Marlins about high-priced slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports, but the expectation remains that he will not be seriously marketed this summer. Still, the club is keeping Stanton “apprised of every contact” it receives, which evidently was a commitment made to the star. With full no-trade protection, he can control his destiny.
- Interest in Padres righty Trevor Cahill is increasing as the deadline draws near, a team source tells MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell (via Twitter). While the possible introduction of Darvish to the market would knock Cahill down a peg among rental arms, it likely wouldn’t reduce the demand. After all, he’s still exceptionally cheap and has been one of the game’s most productive starters when healthy in 2017. For teams that want to take a shot at a continuation of that surprising success, Cahill should hold quite a lot of appeal.
- Interestingly, in his recent run-down of the market for Athletics righty Sonny Gray, Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network noted that even the Padres have asked about the hotly pursued starter. That may be chalked up mostly to due diligence; though the Pads no doubt would love to install such an arm into their rotation for the next two years, it’s hard to see sufficient motivation to beat the offers of other organizations that will highly value the ability to utilize Gray for the next several months.
- Among Giants players, infielder Eduardo Nunez is drawing the most interest, Olney tweets. That’s hardly surprising, as he’s a pending free agent who can play all over the infield. It still seems a bit difficult to imagine that the Giants won’t find a worthwhile arrangement involving Nunez, who could fit with quite a few different contenders.