Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Astros Rumors

Blue Jays Hire Dave Hudgens As Bench Coach

By | at

The Blue Jays announced Wednesday that they’ve hired Astros hitting coach Dave Hudgens as manager Charlie Montoyo’s new bench coach. Hudgens, 62 next month, becomes the third member of Houston manager A.J. Hinch’s staff to be hired away by another organization since season’s end. Bullpen coach Doug White was recently named the Angels’ new pitching coach, and assistant hitting coach Jeff Albert took an offer from the Cardinals to become their new hitting coach.

Hudgens has plenty of experience on a big league coaching staff, having served as a hitting coach with the Athletics and Mets in addition to the ’Stros. In total, he has 12 seasons as a big league hitting coach under his belt, though this will be his first stint as a Major League bench coach.

A former first baseman, Hudgens had a six-year minor league career and made a brief, six-game cameo in the Majors with the 1983 Athletics. In addition to his work as a hitting coach in the Majors, he’s worked as a minor league manager and roving hitting coordinator. He also spent six years as the Athletics’ assistant director of player development in the late 90s and early 2000s.

AL West Rumors: Athletics, Marwin, Gurriel, Grandal, Ramos, Wakamatsu

By | at

The Athletics will boost their payroll in 2019, but general manager David Forst tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that there’s no set number following meetings with ownership. Oakland needs to address its rotation, second base and catcher situations, but Forst cautions that the A’s aren’t “going to shock anyone with huge deals.” Shea writes that while deals for Patrick Corbin and Dallas Keuchel won’t come together for the A’s, they’ll still be active in searching for upgrades. As for second base and catcher, the latter of the two is a more pressing urge for Oakland. Forst explains that the presence of Franklin Barreto as an MLB-ready option creates less urgency at second base than at catcher, where Sean Murphy, a fellow well-regarded prospect, is a bit further from the Majors.

More from the division…

  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow discussed his team’s options for replacing utlityman Marwin Gonzalez, as MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart covers. Moving Yuli Gurriel around the diamond could help the club make up for the loss of flexibility. Perhaps notably, Luhnow specifically references a “post-Marwin world,” which could be telling with regard to how the organization feels about its chances to retain its most versatile player. Meanwhile, says Luhnow, he’s “looking at different options to add more to our offense.” Adding a big stick certainly seems to make sense under that roster alignment, as the club would have flexibility to get a new player into the lineup at DH, first base, or the corner outfield.
  • Speaking of the Astros, catching is another obvious area to address. The club has some level of interest in Yasmani Grandal, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter), with the Mets also showing early signs of intrigue. As the top catcher on the free-agent market, Grandal will garner interest from a wide slate of teams. At present, the Astros’ top internal option behind the dish is Max Stassi.
  • Veteran catcher Wilson Ramos is of interest to the Angels, according to Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times, with at least four other teams also in pursuit early. The fit for the bat-first backstop is perhaps not as clean in Los Angeles as it might be for some other clubs, as most of the Halos’ DH plate appearances seem already to be spoken for with Shohei Ohtani and Albert Pujols figuring to garner significant playing time in that capacity. Given Ramos’ durability issues, he’d be a more logical fit for an American League club with plenty of DH at-bats available, though he’ll certainly draw interest from clubs lacking in DH time and from National League clubs as well.
  • Don Wakamatsu, who spent the 2018 season as the Rangers’ bench coach before assuming the role of interim manager late in the season, will return to the organization in 2019, tweets T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Wakamatsu interviewed for the managerial opening that eventually went to Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward, but he’ll return to the 2019 staff despite being passed over for the job in the end.

Lance McCullers Jr. Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

By | at

Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. underwent Tommy John surgery today and will miss the 2019 season, tweets Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle.

It’s a brutal blow for an Astros rotation that was already faced with the possibility of losing both Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton to free agency. The loss of McCullers for the upcoming season now gives the Astros a third rotation piece to potentially replace. Houston does have some internal options who’d likely be starting for other organizations; righties Collin McHugh and Brad Peacock have both proven to be viable multi-inning relievers and could potentially slot into the starting five next year depending on the moves that president of baseball operation Jeff Luhnow and the rest of the Houston front office put together.

Luhnow, in fact, spoke today about the possibility of McHugh returning to a starting role next season (Twitter link via Rome). “I’d say we have three spots fairly well locked up, if we choose to go down the path of putting (Collin) McHugh back in the rotation,” he said. “With Lance not being there, it probably increases the odds of that happening.”

That’s not quite a proclamation that McHugh will start in 2019, but it does suggest that the ’Stros are comfortable with that outcome should it be necessary. Houston also has top prospect Forrest Whitley not far from the big leagues, and it’s possible that he could emerge as a rotation piece at some point in 2019.

But Houston’s long-term rotation outlook is now murkier than ever. Beyond the loss of McCullers and the fact that Keuchel and Morton are already free agents, each of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and McHugh will be free agents at the end of the 2019 season. Viewed through that lens, it’s all the more critical for the Astros to add some arms that are controlled for multiple seasons this winter, be they top free agents (e.g., Keuchel, Patrick Corbin, J.A. Happ, Nathan Eovaldi) or trade acquisitions (e.g., James Paxton, Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Michael Fulmer).

The Astros will still owe McCullers a raise on 2018’s $2.45MM salary — a raise they’ll gladly pay despite the fact that McCullers won’t pitch next season. That raise will be based on his 2018 results — 3.86 ERA, 10.0 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 10-6 record through 128 1/3 innings — and he’ll likely earn that amount in both 2019 and 2020. Houston controls McCullers through the 2021 season, so while agreeing to pay a player who is known to be out for the season isn’t an ideal situation, the fact that tendering him a contract also entitles the Astros to his 2020-21 seasons makes it a lock that he’ll be retained.

Health Notes: McCullers, Miller, Ohtani, Meyer

By | at

Health considerations can certainly have a major impact on the development of the player market. Here are the latest notes on several hurlers whose medical reports bear watching:

  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow acknowledged yesterday that the team is awaiting word on the status of righty Lance McCullers Jr., Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle writes. McCullers has dealt with forearm problems that have created plenty of uncertainty entering the offseason. Luhnow acknowledged that a surgical outcome is on the table. When asked whether he anticipates McCullers being with the club in 2019, the GM responded: “If he has surgery, no. If he doesn’t, yes. Any time you’re talking about an elbow injury, [surgery] is one path to resolving it.” That isn’t the most optimistic stance, even if it is still possible that McCullers will avoid surgery, as it clearly suggests he’s dealing with a significant injury. Needless to say, losing the 25-year-old would create a major opening in a rotation that is already bidding adieu to several notable pieces.
  • The news on veteran southpaw Andrew Miller is generally more promising. Agent Mark Rodgers tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Miller has been given a clean bill of health after a 2018 campaign that was marred by ongoing knee issues. If that is indeed the case, then Miller could be an immense value in free agency. Of course, he’s also closing in on 34 years of age and has endured plenty of wear and tear, so interested clubs will surely take a close look for themselves at the medicals. MLBTR has taken a rather bullish stance on Miller’s earning potential, predicting he’ll be capable of securing a three-year deal with a $9MM AAV.
  • The Angels provided updates on two notable righties today, as Maria Torres reports on Twitter. Shohei Ohtani is said to be on track in his Tommy John rehab, though certainly it’s only at an early stage. He’s expected not to pitch at all in 2019, regardless, but his rehab progress will dictate whether and when he’s able to function as a DH. Meanwhile, Alex Meyer has suffered a setback in his efforts to make it back from shoulder surgery. For now, he’ll rest for four to six weeks before attempting to resume throwing. It has been more than a year since Meyer went under the knife to repair a torn labrum, so there’s cause to hope that the towering righty will be able to get up to speed and contribute in 2019. Of course, recovery from surgical intervention in that joint is often not a straightforward proposition. The Halos will surely not make any assumptions about his availability for the coming season in making offseason decisions.

Michael Brantley, A.J. Pollock Hire Excel Sports Management

By | at

TODAY: Also heading to Excel is outfielder A.J. Pollock, another key piece of the free agency puzzle this winter. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription link), Pollock is staying with his own agent, Brian Peters, who’s also moving to Excel.

YESTERDAY: Outfielder Michael Brantley has hired Excel Sports Management to represent him in free agency, SB Nation’s Devan Fink recently reported on Twitter. He is moving to Excel from The Legacy Agency along with agent Kenny Felder and some of Felder’s other clients, including George Springer of the Astros and Lewis Brinson of the Marlins.

Of this trio, Brantley’s case is of particular note since he’s now a free agent. He recently reached the open market without having received a qualifying offer, meaning any team can sign him without surrendering draft compensation.

Brantley, 31, spent ten seasons with the Indians. The latter half of his time in Cleveland was played under an extension that included an option for the 2018 season, which the club picked up at $11MM. However, the $17.9MM QO proved too rich for the Indians, even after watching Brantley turn in a nice effort in 2018.

While he’s hardly an eye-popping power threat for a corner outfielder, Brantley is an exceptional contact hitter who is plenty valuable on offense. He finished the 2018 campaign with a .309/.364/.468 slash along with 17 home runs and a dozen steals. Brantley was a tough out, with a 9.5% strikeout rate that only just exceeded his 7.6% walk rate.

Brantley’s new reps will no doubt pitch their client as a high-quality performer with the bat who showed recently that his particular skills haven’t waned. He can also provide some value on the bases, though Brantley isn’t particularly well-regarded defensively and is also somewhat vulnerable to left-handed pitching.

The biggest questions surrounding Brantley, though, don’t involve his quality of play. Rather, they concern his ability to stay on the field. Brantley has endured a series of travails that cast some doubt on his durability, particularly given the cumulative effects. At the same time, he was healthy in 2018 and offers a hitting skillset that isn’t easy to come by. MLBTR recently named him the tenth-best free agent on the market, predicting a three-year, $45MM contract.

Find up-to-date information on player representation in MLBTR’s Agency Database.

Quick Hits: Yanks, Machado, Harper, Astros, Mets, Marlins

By | at

With questions along the left side of their infield, the Yankees will at least “look into” signing free-agent shortstop/third baseman Manny Machado, Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets, though he notes that adding pitching is their top priority. Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn’t expect the Yankees to sign either Machado or free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper, writing that they’ve “never seemed infatuated with” the latter. Instead of splurging on either of them, Sherman looks for the Yankees to spread money around on their rotation, bullpen and lineup, for which they may seek a “versatile lefty bat” such as Marwin Gonzalez.

More from around the majors…

  • Changes are coming to the Astros’ front office, as Sig Mejdal and Ryan Hallahan – members of their Ground Control analytics team – are leaving, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com and Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Their exits come on the heels of director of research and development Mike Fast’s September departure. Both Mejdal and Hallahan had been in Houston since 2012. Mejdal, a former NASA researcher, joined the Astros as a director of decision sciences. He spent part of the 2017 season as a coach at the Class-A level, interestingly enough, and held the title of special assistant to the general manager, process development in 2018. Hallahan served as the Astros’ senior technical architect.
  • After a season in which the Mets’ bullpen finished 28th in the majors in both ERA (4.96) and fWAR (minus-0.6), they “expect to be active” in the relief market, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. When it comes to finding free-agent relievers, new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen won’t have a difficult act to follow in ex-GM Sandy Alderson, Puma observes, considering the bullpen pieces the Mets signed under the latter fell well short of expectations. Anthony Swarzak, for instance, endured a brutal 2018 after inking a two-year, $14MM contract with the Mets last winter.
  • Having finished last in the league in runs scored in 2018, the Marlins are focused on upgrading their offense, according to president of baseball operations Michael Hill (via Joe Frisaro of MLB.com). “We like the young starting pitching that we have, and have coming,” he said. “We like where we’re at from a pitching-depth standpoint. But we know we need to score more runs and improve our offense. I think that will be a big part of the conversations we have.” Specifically, Miami’s seeking players who can man the middle of the field, and the club’s also interested in first base help, per Frisaro.

Astros Claim Chris Herrmann

By | at

The Astros have claimed catcher/outfielder Chris Herrmann off waivers from the Mariners, per an announcement from the Houston organization.

Herrmann, 30, is eligible for arbitration and projected by MLBTR to receive a $1.5MM salary. Whether he makes it through the non-tender deadline on the Houston roster remains to be seen, but he’ll obviously be considered as a possibility.

Soon to turn 31, Herrmann has had an interesting career to this point. Capable of lining up behind the dish, in the corner outfield, and at first base, he can be an interesting roster piece when he delivers enough offensive punch.

Herrmann was a light-hitting reserve catcher with the Twins before landing with the Diamondbacks and turning in a big (albeit brief) showing with the bat in 2016. That all disappeared in the following season. In the 2018 campaign, though, he hit well at Triple-A and then turned in a solid .237/.322/.421 output in 87 plate appearances with Seattle.

Astros Not Expected To Issue Charlie Morton Qualifying Offer

By | at

The Astros are not planning to issue a qualifying offer to right-hander Charlie Morton, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). That’s a rather surprising turn of events for the veteran hurler, who has excelled over the past two seasons in Houston.

What’s most interesting about this news is that it would appear to suggest the Astros are ready to move on. That’s not entirely clear from this decision alone, to be sure, but it seems from an outside perspective that Morton would be a good buy at $17.9MM for a single season. Given his stated uncertainty about pitching much longer, and his interest in returning to Houston, Morton may well have been a candidate to accept a QO.

This call could, then, open the door for a few other teams to get in on Morton. He has made clear he’d like to land in the mid-Atlantic, owing to family considerations. If that preference holds, then most of the contending teams on the eastern seaboard figure to place calls. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Morton will now evidently be available without the need to surrender draft compensation.

Astros To Decline Option On Will Harris

By | at

The Astros have declined their club option on right-handed reliever Will Harris, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports (via Twitter). Harris’ option would’ve paid him $5.5MM had it been exercised. He won’t become a free agent, however, as he has not yet reached six year of Major League service time. As such, Harris will remain under Astros control as an arbitration-eligible player. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him at a $3.6MM salary for the coming season, so it’s not surprising to see the ’Stros decline an option that would’ve paid him a considerably larger sum.

The 34-year-old Harris still seems like a safe bet to return to the ’Stros in 2019 — albeit at a lower rate. Like Collin McHugh before him, Harris was a scrapheap pickup off the waiver wire who found great success upon landing in Houston. In four seasons with the Astros, he’s pitched to a 2.58 ERA in 237 innings and averaged 9.6 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9 along the way.

His performance took a step backward in 2018, though looking past his still-solid 3.49 ERA, Harris’ 10.2 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, 0.48 HR/9, 49.7 percent ground-ball rate, 13.8 percent swinging-strike rate and 34.6 percent chase rate on out-of-zone pitches were all legitimately excellent.

If and when the Astros do tender Harris a contract for the 2019 campaign, he’ll go through the arbitration process this winter and then become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2019 campaign.

Astros Decline Option On Brian McCann, Outright Jandel Gustave

By | at

The Astros announced that they’ve declined their $15MM option on catcher Brian McCann and sent right-hander Jandel Gustave outright to Triple-A after he cleared waivers. Both players will become free agents. Their 40-man roster currently has seven open spots.

McCann, 34, gave the Astros a much-needed quality option behind the plate in 2017 following an offseason trade from the Yankees. But after hitting .241/.323/.436 with 18 home runs in his first season with Houston, his production fell off in 2018. This past season saw the seven-time All-Star and 14-year veteran bat just .212/.301/.339 with seven homers in 216 trips to the dish. McCann spent significant time on the disabled list in ’18 as well, logging more than two months on the shelf due to knee issues that required surgical repair.

Gustave, 26, missed the 2018 season recovering from Tommy John surgery performed back in late June of 2017. Certainly, the Astros were hoping that he’d be able to return to the club late in the 2018 campaign — hence rostering him all last offseason — but he’ll now hit free agency and have the ability to sign with any team of his choosing. Of course, he could very well opt to re-sign a minor league deal in Houston, which is the only organization he’s known outside of brief spells with the Royals and Padres following his selection in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft.

The hard-throwing Gustave has a 3.98 ERA in 20 1/3 big league innings and worked to a 3.79 ERA with a 55-to-23 K/BB ratio as a 23-year-old in his lone Triple-A campaign (2016).

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top