Red Sox Outright Mike Miller
The Red Sox have outrighted infielder Mike Miller to Triple-A Pawtucket, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal tweets. The move removes Miller from the team’s 40-man roster.
The Red Sox had added him to their active roster last Monday, and he collected just one plate appearance in the big leagues before being optioned back to Pawtucket yesterday. The light-hitting 26-year-old has batted .251/.317/.301 in 180 plate appearances split between Pawtucket and Double-A Portland in 2016. He has played second, third and short this season, although he’s also appeared in the outfield in the past.
Latest On Yulieski Gurriel
Yulieski Gurriel remains a fascinating piece of the transactional picture as the deadline approaches, and Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com writes that his market is heating up. The Marlins held a workout with the Cuban star, per the report, with the Giants also showing “strong interest” — though they’ve yet to host him for an up-close look.
We’ve already heard of San Francisco’s possible involvement, which GM Bobby Evans downplayed in recent comments. Other reports have connected the infielder to the Dodgers, Astros, Mets and Yankees, all of whom have held workouts. Heyman notes also that the Red Sox have taken a look, though he adds that Boston isn’t seen as being a likely destination.
The 32-year-old Gurriel is a legend in his home nation, where he has been one of the best players since reaching Serie Nacional as a teenager. And he also showed well in a brief stint in Japan’s NPB two years back. With an advanced bat and polished glove that’s capable of slotting in at third, second, and perhaps the corner outfield, it’s not hard to imagine a fit with many organizations.
Gauging his value is another matter. While there’s some possibility that he’ll be viewed as a deadline addition of sorts, the expectation is that Gurriel will need a decent bit of time to get up to speed in the minors after a long layoff from competitive action. That uncertainty leaves some room for variability.
Rival executives tell Heyman that Gurriel is looking for a deal that would cover this season and four more thereafter. His camp seems to be seeking something in the range of $10MM to $12MM per year, with one source telling Heyman that it wouldn’t be surprising if the veteran could achieve between $40MM and $50MM in total guarantee over a three or four-year term.
MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently examined the possible market for Gurriel’s services, though that piece was written before the recent connections were reported. He and Steve Adams suggested that the contract given to Hector Olivera by the Dodgers (about $10MM annually) as a comparable. In this case, though, a shorter length (given his age) and perhaps a greater AAV (given his better pedigree and the market situation) are certainly possible.
MLB Imposes International Signing Ban On Red Sox, Voids Five Contracts
The Red Sox have been banned from signing international amateurs that are subject to MLB’s bonus pools for the 2016-17 signing period, reports Yahoo’s Jeff Passan. Furthermore, five prospects that the Sox signed during the 2015-16 signing period have been declared free agents that are free to sign with new teams beginning tomorrow, though each player will retain the initial bonus money he received from Boston. Per Passan’s report, right-hander Cesar Gonzalez, outfielders Albert Guiamaro and Simon Muzziotti, and infielders Antonio Pinero and Eduardo Torrealba. The first $300K of their bonuses will not count toward their new teams’ international bonus pools in the upcoming period, he adds.
The punishment handed down stems from Boston’s usage of “package deals” to circumvent restrictions that were placed upon them for the 2015-16 international signing period. Boston’s signing of Yoan Moncada near the end of the 2014-15 signing period meant that the team was easily into the top penalty bracket for international signings and was supposed to bar the team from signing international amateurs (players under the age of 23 and/or with fewer than five years of pro experience) for the next two signing periods. However, Boston circumvented that limitation by “packaging” more premium prospects with lesser prospects; that is, paying $300K for multiple prospects that employ the same trainers/agents and then allowing the players’ representatives to divide the lion’s share of the collective sums to the top prospect of the bunch, with the lesser prospects receiving a smaller portion of the money.
While some will note that “package” signings have been around for quite some time, this is the first instance in which a club that was restricted by the league under the new penalties has directly utilized this tactic to sign high-caliber talent by rather devious means. As Baseball America’s Ben Badler recently laid out, previous “package deals” haven’t expressly been utilized to avoid penalization from the league. Rather, examples of package deals have been to convince a trainer/agent to allow his player to sign with a team by agreeing to take on a lesser prospect or to convince a player to sign with a team by also signing the player’s friend or sibling. Badler does note that there have been instances of a team signing a player in one international signing period as a means of enticing his trainer into an agreement for a different player in the following signing period, but those haven’t been brokered by teams that are already under the maximum penalty bracket.
Stepping back and looking at this from the perspective of players on the upcoming international market, the punishment from MLB likely voids a fair number of agreements that were already in place between Boston and prospects out of Latin America. Badler recently reported that Venezuelan Roimer Bolivar, whom he had ranked as the No. 31 prospect on this year’s market, was expected to sign with Boston. Beyond that, the Sox were expected to sign shortstops Erik Pena and Raymond Mora as well as catchers Christian Longa and Wilfredo Astudillo. Now, that quintet of players (and presumably several more unreported teenagers) will be on the lookout for new clubs with which to sign. While they’ll undoubtedly find teams interested in paying them, their market may be more limited, as many clubs that aren’t planning to exceed their pool have likely already come close to maxing out their allotted spending limit with advance agreements.
As for the Red Sox, they’ll still be able to sign pool-exempt international players (e.g. Yulieski Gurriel, Jose Miguel Fernandez, Yadiel Hernandez), but such players will be the only types of free agents able to be signed to contracts until next July 2, when the 2017-18 international signing period kicks off.
Jay Bruce Willing To Waive No-Trade Clause In Deal To Contender
Reds outfielder Jay Bruce has a limited no-trade clause, but doesn’t intend to use that to hold up a deal to a contending club this summer, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reports. Bruce sits at the top overall spot on MLBTR’s most recent top trade candidates list.
The NTC would let Bruce reject deals to the Yankees, Red Sox, Athletics, Rays, Marlins, Twins, Indians and Diamondbacks. Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com repored earlier today that Bruce would quite likely be willing to go to Cleveland, and it appears that he’d also be amenable to other hypothetical landing spots. Rumblings have connected Bruce to a variety of clubs, including the Dodgers, Giants, White Sox, and Royals since the start of the season.
Bruce, 29, tells Sheldon that he’s willing to “consider waiving the no-trade clause for all types of reasons,” with “no blanket reason I wouldn’t.” The veteran said he’d need to take each situation as it comes, with agent Matt Sosnick saying that such a choice has yet to be brought to their attention.
Bruce continued on to emphasize that he’d be quite interested in an opportunity to join an organization that has designs on contending. “If I am moved, which has seemed likely for the last year and a half, I’d like to go where the team is mostly likely to win,” he said. “Teams that want me are likely seeking somebody to help them win.”
Notably, Sosnick suggested that Bruce won’t necessarily be looking to utilize the clause for leverage with regard to his contract. “We’re not setting in stone any financial qualifiers,” he said. “If the deal is good for Jay and good for the Reds, he would consider anything — including waiving the no-trade. … There is no team that he would unequivocally not go to.”
Bruce has increasingly cemented his status as a premium trade piece, as he is once again hitting like the All-Star-caliber player he was from 2011 through 2013. The two intervening seasons are easier and easier to forget, as he carries a .279/.325/.568 slash with 17 home runs and a league-leading six triples into July. Bruce’s early-career extension is another asset: he’s earning $12.5MM this year and can be controlled for $13MM in 2017, which is particularly appealing with a dearth of young sluggers on the upcoming free agent market.
Red Sox Could Face Significant International Signing Penalties
The results of MLB’s investigation into the Red Sox’ 2015 international signing class appears to be nearing a conclusion, according to a report from Baseball America’s Ben Badler. While nothing appears to be finalized, Badler says that Boston could face some eye-opening penalties.
MLB is said to be considering punitive measures that could impose restrictions on the team’s ability to spend in the July 2 period set to begin in a few days. Even more remarkably, says Badler, certain prospects inked by the club in 2015 could be declared free agents.
As explained in the above-linked post, the league was looking into Boston’s tactics in landing a class of international signees while the team was prohibited from spending over $300K on any single player. Some kind of “package” signing concerns appear to be the issue.
The possible punishment doesn’t implicate any of the team’s current top prospects, it’s important to emphasize. The league is looking at the signings of raw, still-very young talent here. (Of course, they were signed in hopes they’d one day turn into promising minor leaguers and perhaps one day crack the bigs.)
While it remains to be seen just what will occur here, it’s a rather notable development that the league is even considering this sort of action.
Heyman’s Latest: Yankees, Pirates, Teheran, Marlins
There appear to be different viewpoints in the Yankees front office about how to approach the deadline, Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com writes. GM Brian Cashman may actually be more inclined to sell some assets than is the ownership and upper-level management, per the report.
After a long look at that situation, Heyman goes on to provide some other notes from around the game:
- Some within the Yankees think there’s a very good chance that Aroldis Chapman will be around for the long-term, whether that comes about via extension or a re-signing over the winter. Meanwhile, a team official says the price on Andrew Miller is so high that the odds he’ll be dealt are miniscule.
- The Pirates could sell off a few short-term pieces if the club isn’t in contention come late July, but a broader sale isn’t expected. Heyman suggests Francisco Liriano, Mark Melancon, David Freese, and perhaps Tony Watson as plausible trade chips. You could probably also throw names like Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez, and Juan Nicasio into the mix as well.
- Julio Teheran may be pitching his way out of a trade for the Braves, says Heyman. Rival executives suggest that they see a trade as unlikely, and also gave some endorsement of his value. Heyman cites three who believe Teheran is a better trade piece than Sonny Gray of the Athletics at this stage.
- There’s plenty of demand on the starting pitching market, which is perhaps one reason to think that some arms could end up being pried loose. Heyman lists the Orioles, Red Sox, Dodgers, Tigers, Rangers, Blue Jays, Astros, Mariners, and Yankees as looking for rotation pieces.
- The Marlins are also reputed to be looking for starting pitching, with Drew Pomeranz on the wish list. But a Miami source tells Heyman that the team finds it “hard to trust Pomeranz” given his relatively thin track record.
- The Padres “at least took a look” at Jose Reyes before he signed with the Mets, per Heyman. It isn’t clear what sort of opportunity San Diego was interested in offering, but it’s not surprising to hear that the organization is looking for low-cost ways to seek value.
International Notes: July 2 Preview, Maitan, Braves, Padres
Baseball America’s Ben Badler has compiled scouting reports on the Top 50 prospects on the upcoming July 2 international market, in addition to providing projected landing spots for each player on the list. The exhaustive report on the international scene requires a BA subscription, but it’s highly recommended for those who wish to dive headfirst into learning about the upcoming glut of talent that will be injected into most clubs’ minor league pipelines. Those looking to learn more about the process can also check out this primer from Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs, who also provides a ranking of the class (with further explanation here).
Here are just a few highlights from Badler’s excellent work on the topic, which deserves a full read:
- Badler takes a particularly close look at top prospect Kevin Maitan, who he says may be a better prospect than Miguel Sano was as a teenager. The link comes with a lengthy and detailed scouting report, including discussion of the question whether Maitain will be able to stay at shortstop for the long run. Scouts are divided on the likelihood, but all seem to agree it’s at least a plausible outcome.
- Maitan has long been said to be heading for the Braves, and we’ve yet to hear anything to change that expectation. Atlanta has lined up a big batch of spending, but Badler provides a bit of context for just how large: he says it “should look comparable to what the Yankees did in 2014-15.” (You can refresh yourself on New York’s shock and awe campaign here.)
- The Padres appear headed in that direction, too, as Badler says that a $30MM to $35MM spend might be their floor. In addition to big activity on the Cuban market, San Diego is in line to add eight of the top fifty available players. As for the Nationals, who are also believed to be pacing the market in spending, it might not be quite that dramatic. But Washington could still come away with three of the fifteen best prospecs on the market.
- The Astros, too, seem ready to drop some big cash — including a $3.5MM bonus for Cuban shortstop Anibal Sierra. Houston is eyeing five of the top fifty names on Badler’s list, he notes. One player that could be ticketed for the ‘Stros is fifth overall prospect Freudis Nova.
- Nova had been connected to the Marlins before failing a PED test. Now, Badler explains, Miami has a big chunk of pool availability and little in the way of commitments. The club could deal that away or see if it can find a nice price on the Cuban market.
- It also remains to be seen what the Reds will do, but Badler explains that things could go in either of two directions. Cinci could trade for some added bonus pool space to add Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez and a few smaller signings without hitting the penalty. Or, the team could enter the broader Cuban market and blow past its limits.
- The White Sox are expected to land slugging prospect Josue Guerrero — who, yes, is a part of the famous family. Despite being quiet in recent years, the Athletics are in position to add some talent, including George Bell, whose father (same name) was a quality big leaguer.
- The Brewers aren’t believed to have any seven-figure bonuses lined up, but could still add a high number of interesting players with the fifth-highest spending availability in the game. Likewise, the Phillies are expected to spread their cash.
- Of course, not every team will have the opportunity to spend lavishly this period; the Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, D-backs, Angels, Rays, Red Sox, Giants, Royals and Blue Jays are each prohibited from spending more than $300K on international amateurs after incurring maximum penalties, though that doesn’t mean those organizations don’t have a chance to find some talent.
AL East Notes: Miller/Chapman, Yankees, Floyd, Young, Sox
While there have yet to be any firm indications that the Yankees will shop Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman this summer, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes that some executives from other clubs are becoming more and more convinced that the Yankees will indeed hold a “two-tiered auction” on their imposing lefties. In Miller’s case, the belief is that the Yankees will name a specific price for interested organizations (e.g. Kyle Schwarber from the Cubs) and tell the teams to take it or leave it. Chapman’s status as a free agent at season’s end gives him a lower price tag, Olney notes. He goes on to list the Nationals, Dodgers, Rangers, Cubs and Red Sox as teams with potential interest in late-inning bullpen help, though I personally have a tough time envisioning the Sox and Yankees connecting for a trade of that magnitude.
More from the AL East…
- The Yankees received positive news on Carlos Beltran, who exited last night’s contest with a hamstring injury, writes ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand. An MRI revealed no damage to the muscle, and the organization’s hope is that he’ll only miss a day or two. In the event of a setback, Marchand notes that the Yankees could hand right field to the combination of Aaron Hicks and Rob Refsnyder with Alex Rodriguez again receiving regular DH at-bats, or the team could elect to give Aaron Judge a long-awaited look in the Majors. GM Brian Cashman recently suggested that Judge had more work to do at the minor league level, however. The Yankees will hope to not have to even ponder such options, however; Beltran has been the club’s best hitter in 2016, batting .297/.336/.570 with 19 home runs. If the Yanks do end up selling veteran pieces, as Olney speculated above, Beltran’s bat would surely be in demand.
- Yankees prospect James Kaprielian, the team’s first-round pick in the 2015 draft, has been diagnosed with a strained right flexor tendon, reports Newsday’s Anthony Rieber. He’s headed to Los Angeles this week to meet with renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Kaprielian, a product of UCLA, has been limited to three games this season but has posted impressive numbers in his 29 innings since being drafted. The 22-year-old has a 1.55 ERA with a 36-to-5 K/BB ratio in that time.
- The Blue Jays also received some bad news on the injury front, as Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star writes that Gavin Floyd‘s torn lat muscle will cost the right-hander eight to 12 weeks of action. While Floyd’s injury doesn’t require surgical repair, that timeline could sideline Floyd until anywhere from mid August to late September. The 33-year-old hasn’t been one of manager John Gibbons’ highest-leverage relievers, but Floyd has delivered 31 innings of 4.06 ERA ball with a 30-to-8 K/BB ratio. His loss further thins out a bullpen that currently has Brett Cecil on the disabled list and has seen struggles from Drew Storen all season long. (You can check out the Jays’ updated depth chart here.)
- Red Sox manager John Farrell tells Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal that outfielder Chris Young underwent an MRI in Boston on Monday, and the test revealed “a little bit more injury” than Young’s initial tests did (Twitter link). What that means for Young’s return is not yet clear; the outfielder hit the disabled list with a hamstring strain on June 24. Boston has been using the inexperienced Bryce Brentz and Ryan LaMarre in left field since Young hit the disabled list.
- Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports that Red Sox prospect Christopher Acosta has been placed on the restricted list after he left the club’s extended Spring Training facility to travel to the Dominican Repbulic without permission. Since returning to the Dominican, Acosta hasn’t reported to the team’s academy there despite being asked to do so. Boston signed the now-18-year-old Acosta in July 2014 and gave the Dominican native a $1.5MM signing bonus, Speier notes. The reasons for his actions aren’t clear, though Speier adds that Acosta doesn’t intend to quit baseball.
AL East Notes: Judge, Silverman, Rays, Red Sox
Yankees GM Brian Cashman suggested that outfielder Aaron Judge is not on the cusp of a promotion despite his recent hot streak, as ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand reports. As Jason Martinez of MLBTR/MLBDepthCharts wrote just yesterday, Judge has improved both his plate discipline and his power of late. While Cashman said that the young slugger has been impressive at Triple-A, he left Marchand with the impression that Judge’s time has yet to come.
Here’s more from the AL East:
- Rays GM Matthew Silverman says that he’s not yet ready to throw in the towel this year despite sitting 13 games out of the AL East lead, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The executive did note that he is “very dissatisfied” with the club’s performance thus far, however, and certainly did not rule out a sell-off over the coming weeks. “There’s going to be time to cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said. “Right now, there’s a lot of baseball to be played between now and the deadline. There’s a lot of grit in this clubhouse. We’re going to support that club and see if we can turn this thing around.” A run of success can always change perceptions in relatively short order, but the trouble for Tampa Bay is that it needs to climb over four other teams — all of which could well be willing and able to add pieces at the deadline.
- If and when the Rays do move assets, it’s likely they won’t send them to any of the four other teams in the division, Silverman tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Tampa Bay’s top baseball decisionmaker acknowledged that he has at least some bias against intra-division swaps. “Personally, we’d prefer not to,” he said. “It’s a lot less fun to have to sit there and watch a player 19 times a year, but at the same time, we can’t cut off all avenues. We have to be open, but if the return is about the same, I would give the nod away from the division.”
- The Red Sox have an increasing number of holes to address, writes Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. With varying degrees of need in the rotation and pen, out in left field and behind the plate, Boston faces a complicated deadline. Speier notes that the Craig Kimbrel deal cost the club several very useful pieces of trade bait, leaving the organization with a tough call on how willing it is to deal from its group of highly-touted top prospects.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/27/16
Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…
- Ike Davis has been outrighted to Triple-A, the Yankees announced. The first baseman was designated for assignment over the weekend after struggling in a brief stint in New York. It has been some time since Davis was an effective major league hitter, though he did hit a useful .268/.350/.437 in 163 plate appearances at the Triple-A level earlier this year with the Rangers organization.
- Cubs catcher Tim Federowicz has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Federowicz, 28, only received 27 plate appearances with Chicago and didn’t do much with the bat. With Chicago moving to activate highly-regarded prospect Willson Contreras, and already possessing two receivers in Miguel Montero and David Ross, there was no room for Federowicz. Over 298 major league plate appearances in his career, he owns a .194/.245/.297 batting line.
- The Cubs will select the contract of right-hander Joel Peralta and option left-hander Gerardo Concepcion back to Triple-A Iowa, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Peralta, 40, inked a minors pact with the Cubs last week after he was designated for assignment and released by the Mariners. The veteran struggled with Seattle this season, logging a 5.40 ERA in 23 1/3 innings despite excellent K/BB numbers. Peralta yielded an alarming seven homers in his 23 1/3 frames, but he also carried a 28-to-7 K/BB ratio in that time, and his 20 percent homer-to-flyball ratio with Seattle was double that of his career rate, suggesting that there’s some regression in store. Because the Cubs’ 40-man roster was at 39 prior to the move, a corresponding 40-man move isn’t necessary.
- The Red Sox announced that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Mike Miller from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned right-hander William Cuevas in his place. Boston, like Chicago, had an open spot on its 40-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary. The 26-year-old Miller was a ninth-round pick by Boston back in 2012. He’s never hit much in the minors, and that’s been especially true at the Triple-A level, where he owns a career .233/.284/.302 slash in 448 plate appearances. As the Providence Journal’s Brian MacPherson points out (Twitter link), though, he’s capable of spelling Xander Bogaerts at shortstop. Bogaerts has started 57 consecutive games, so Miller can be inserted into the lineup to give him a much-needed breather. The same is, of course, true of Deven Marrero, who is already on the 40-man roster, but he was just optioned back to Triple-A on Saturday and must spend 10 days in the minors before he’s eligible to be recalled (barring an injury on the big league roster).