Latest On Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, C.J. Wilson
Angels starters Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney are receiving mixed results from their stem-cell therapy treatments, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports. It’s ultimately too soon to know whether either or both will require Tommy John surgery, per GM Billy Eppler, but they have progressed somewhat differently to this point.
The right-handed Richards has experienced some “progressive healing” in his UCL, whereas Heaney’s left elbow has not. Richards is set for his next follow-up in six weeks, with Heaney getting looked at sooner, but Gonzalez suggests there’s not much hope that either will return in 2016 even in the best case scenario.
Eppler made clear that the decisions about the TJ procedure will be made before this season ends. That would ensure that the pitchers can undertake a full recovery timeline and return for the 2018 season. Ultimately, per Eppler, the starters will need to build up to “competitively throwing pitches of consequence” before a final determination can be made.
Needless to say, the progress of these two pitchers is critical to the team’s plans. Coming into the year, they were expected to front the staff for years to come. Even if it’s unrealistic to expect any significant contribution this year, the question remains whether either will be available in 2017.
In Richards’ case, too, difficult arbitration questions loom. He is earning $6.425MM this year in his first season of arb eligibility, and figures to command at least a slight raise after contributing 34 2/3 quality innings. If he’s out for all of next year, then, Los Angeles might be left deciding whether to pay him something on the order of $15MM for the 2018 campaign, with no guarantees of how he’d bounce back from the TJ procedure. It is worth noting that teams have acted creatively to deal with such matters; the Rockies recently extended reliever Adam Ottavino during his rehab, and the White Sox did the same with Nate Jones, with the teams capturing some upside as the players avoided uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the Halos got yet more middling news on lefty C.J. Wilson. He’s going in for another opinion as his shoulder continues to fail to respond to efforts to get back to the big leagues. “It seems like it’s not firing the way he wants it to fire,” said Eppler. It’s far from clear that the 35-year-old will appear again before his contract expires a year’s end.
Angels Option A.J. Achter
5:51pm: Achter has been optioned, not designated, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via Twitter).
5:26pm: The Angels have designated righty A.J. Achter for assignment, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweets. His roster spot will go to fellow right-hander J.C. Ramirez, who was claimed off waivers from the Reds.
Mets, Giants Interested In Yunel Escobar; Angels “Listening”
SUNDAY: The Mets have also shown interest in Escobar, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). Escobar could directly serve as a replacement for the injured David Wright at third, or his multi-position versatility could further add to a plethora of infield options for New York, especially now that Jose Reyes is also in the mix.
FRIDAY: The Angels are listening to offers on infielder Yunel Escobar, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). It appears that multiple teams have expressed at least some level of interest, with the Giants among them.
Escobar, 33, has continued to put up strong offensive numbers since he was acquired over the winter from the Nationals. All told, he owns a .313/.369/.413 batting line over 892 plate appearances dating to the start of 2015. He has only hit a dozen home runs in that span, but has continued to hit at a high average while knocking 43 doubles.
Long a shortstop, Escobar has seen most of his action recently at third. He had been slated to play second for the Nats before internal needs dictated a change, though, and it seems that a contender could add him with intentions of utilizing him in any number of ways in the infield. Though the glove doesn’t rate very well, it’s versatile. It’s worth noting, too, that Escobar can be controlled for another season via a $7MM club option (with a $1MM buyout). He’s playing this year at the same reasonable annual rate, so there’s a bit of contract value included as well.
For the Giants, it’s hard not to tie interest in Escobar to Matt Duffy‘s issues. He’s not expected to need a terribly long DL stint after a recent injury, but was off to a rough .253/.313/.358 start to the season that fell well shy of the above-average batting line he put up in 2015. Of course, he’s still a highly-valued defender, but it’s not difficult to see why the organization might want to add another piece with a bit more bat to the infield mix. Both Duffy and Escobar hit from the right side, but the latter could fill in now at the hot corner and then float around the infield thereafter. (Notably, second bagger Joe Panik and shortstop Brandon Crawford both hit from the left side, though quality young utilityman Kelby Tomlinson is another righty bat.)
If you’re curious how Escobar might hypothetically fit on the San Francisco roster, you can check out the team’s depth chart right here.
Angels Claim J.C. Ramirez From Reds
The Angels have claimed righty J.C. Ramirez off waivers from the Reds, according to the Halos’ communications department (on Twitter).
Ramirez posted a 6.40 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 3.11 K/BB rate over 32 1/3 innings out of Cincinnati’s bullpen this season, allowing an ungainly seven homers over that stretch. The 27-year-old has a 6.41 ERA over 80 career innings with the Reds, Diamondbacks and Phillies dating back to 2013. He could serve as bullpen depth in Anaheim, given how the Angels already have a number of right-handed relief options, or it’s possible another move could be forthcoming.
AL West Notes: Angels, Eppler, Dull, Paulino, Dyson
Here’s the latest from around the AL West…
- Angels GM Billy Eppler is non-committal about his team being sellers at the deadline, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times writes. “Let’s let this club play a little bit longer. There’s no rush to make a decision right now,” Eppler said. The front office wants to “get the full team intact and guys back on the field and healthy” before making any decisions, Eppler said, though Moura points out that this will be impossible given how many key pitchers are either out for the season or indefinitely shelved. It could be that Eppler is simply engaging in some gamesmanship, as the Halos’ record (31-44, last place in the AL West) would certainly indicate that they’ll be selling come August 1.
- Don’t look for the Athletics to trade reliever Ryan Dull, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Dull has been a bright spot for the A’s, posting a 2.31 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 5.25 K/BB rate over 39 bullpen innings this season. The 26-year-old is under team control through the 2021 season, so it makes sense that Oakland hang onto Dull and instead focus on older players closer to free agency as possible deadline trade chips.
- Astros pitching prospect David Paulino has been suspended by the club for an undisclosed period of time, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports. “We’ve got rules and every once in a while rules are violated and we have to enforce them,” GM Jeff Luhnow said, though he noted that Paulino’s violation “wasn’t anything major” and the 22-year-old righty won’t be out of action for too long. Paulino, ranked on top-100 prospect lists by Baseball America (91st) and MLB.com (98th), has a 1.86 ERA, 10.2 K/9 and 6.0 K/9 rate over 58 Double-A innings this season, with eight of his 13 appearances coming as a starter.
- Sam Dyson has emerged as the Rangers‘ closer but is also tied for the league lead in appearances. As Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News writes, this is an untenable situation for any closer, especially one with a checkered injury history like Dyson. The logical answer is to limit Dyson’s innings, though that could be difficult with Texas in the thick of a pennant race. The Rangers are known to be exploring bullpen upgrades, and they could even replace Dyson at closer if the Yankees made Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller available.
Heyman’s Latest: Vizcaino, Outfield Market, Chapman, Padres
Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com has another lengthy report full of trade rumors and rumblings. Among the highlights:
- Closer Arodys Vizcaino is drawing “intense” interest and is receiving more attention on the trade market than any other Braves player, according to Heyman. A high level of interest in Vizcaino should come as no surprise; the 25-year-old boasts a 1.83 ERA dating back to Opening Day 2015 and is earning just $897,500 this season after avoiding arbitration for the first time as a Super Two player this past winter. He can be controlled through the 2019 season, so the Braves would assuredly have a considerable asking price for three and a half years of Vizcaino.
- The Indians continue to monitor the market for outfield help, and they’re also in the market for some bullpen reinforcements, though they have competition on that front. The health of Michael Brantley will impact how aggressive Cleveland is in its search for outfielders, though there’s yet to be any definitive word on how long Brantley will be sidelined.
- The Royals, too, are on the lookout for outfield help, and Heyman lists Jon Jay and Melvin Upton Jr. as possibilities, though he does so in a fairly speculative manner. Heyman further splashes some cold water on the Yordano Ventura trade rumors from earlier this month, quoting an anonymous Royals exec: “With starting pitching at a premium, of course we aren’t trading him.”
- Aroldis Chapman‘s name continues to come up in speculation, but Heyman writes that the Yankees haven’t ruled out signing the lefty to an extension as opposed to entertaining trade offers. Heyman adds that the Yankees have yet to even have internal discussions about selling off parts of their MLB roster.
- If the Athletics end up selling — which they aren’t yet prepared to do — the team will consider anything, per Heyman. But GM Billy Beane is least interested in parting with Sonny Gray and Sean Doolittle, both of whom come with extended, cheap control.
- Across the bay, the Giants are still willing to consider acquiring a starting-level outfielder even though Hunter Pence appears on track to return before the end of August. The idea would be to move Angel Pagan into a reserve role, it seems.
- Derek Norris is available on the trade market, but the Padres players receiving the most interest at this time are Jon Jay and Fernando Rodney, per Heyman. He adds that the Padres are open to trading anyone, but an early deal for Wil Myers shouldn’t be expected due to the fact that he’s the team’s official All-Star Game ambassador in San Diego this season. Beyond that, a “Padres-connected” source told Heyman the team would expect four top-tier prospects to part with the controllable Myers, who is having a breakout season at the plate.
- The Mariners are set to shop for starting pitching this summer, per Heyman, though they could also aim for relief help. It’s not unusual for depth issues to creep up in a pitching staff, but Seattle is probably less than enthused with the fact that Felix Hernandez is now in the midst of an extended DL stint after a less-than-promising start to the season (despite his strong results).
- Multiple clubs are trying to buy low on Francisco Liriano, but the Pirates aren’t inclined to sell at this time. The Orioles, it appears, are one such team, as MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reported yesterday that Baltimore has interest in the underperforming southpaw.
- The Angels “are officially out” on Cuban third baseman Yulieski Gurriel, according to Heyman. The 32-year-old figures to command a significant multi-year deal, and adding another eight-figure average annual salary to the ledger would severely impede the Halos’ ability to avoid continual luxury tax penalization. Heyman also notes that Tim Lincecum could eventually become trade bait for the Angels if the team continue to struggle and if Lincecum performs well.
Rangers Acquire Kyle Kubitza
The Rangers have acquired third baseman Kyle Kubitza from the Angels, per an announcement from club VP of communications John Blake. Cash considerations will head back to the Halos in the deal.
Kubitza had been designated for assignment by Los Angeles as the organization continues to churn through pitching at the major league level, leading to a need for 40-man roster spots. Texas has optioned Kubitza to Triple-A.
Heading into the year, prospect watchers generally viewed Kubitza as a top-ten organizational prospect in an exceedingly thin Angels farm. The 25-year-old had been acquired before the 2015 campaign from the Braves in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Ricardo Sanchez.
Kubitza is hitting just .253/.349/.366 over 215 plate appearances on the year at Triple-A, and struggled in a brief taste of the majors last year. But he has shown more in the past at the plate. Obviously, Texas was intrigued enough to use an open 40-man spot to add him.
Draft Signings: 6/18/16
Here are the latest notable draft signings from around the majors:
- The Nationals have signed second-round shortstop Sheldon Neuse to a below-slot pact, tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com. Neuse will rake in $900K, down from the $1,107,000 allotted to the 58th pick. The righty-swinging Neuse profiles as a third baseman, according to Callis, who adds that he can hit 94 mph on the mound.
- The Pirates have agreed to a below-slot deal with second-round pick Travis MacGregor, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (Twitter link). MacGregor will receive $900K, which is $48,900 less than the value of his pick (68th overall). Baseball America rated the high school right-hander from Florida as the 186th-best prospect available in the draft, noting that the Clemson commit has bumped his fastball velocity from the high-80s into the low-90s; he also possesses an average changeup and some feel for a breaking ball.
- The Twins have agreed to sign supplemental second-rounder Jose Miranda and 11th-round choice Tyler Benninghoff, writes Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Miranda, a Puerto Rican shortstop, will land $775K. That’s a good deal less than the value of the 73rd pick ($878,500). BA had Miranda as the 113th-ranked player in the draft and praised his offensive abilities, though the outlet expects him to move to second or third base. Benninghoff, BA’s 201st-rated prospect, will collect the highest bonus ($600K) thus far of anyone outside of this year’s first 10 rounds. An early season biceps injury weighed down the Missouri high school righty, who BA notes had the potential to go in the first five rounds had he stayed healthy.
- The Angels have signed fourth-rounder Chris Rodriguez, the 126th pick, to a significantly above-slot deal. Rodriguez will collect $850K – not the $464,300 his selection called for – according to Callis (Twitter link). The high school righty from Florida earned the 162nd overall ranking from BA, which Rodriguez impressed with his 93 to 95 mph fastball and hard slider.
- The White Sox have agreed to a $700K deal with sixth-round shortstop Luis Curbelo, per Callis (on Twitter). That’s a far cry from the $286,700 value of the 176th choice. Callis is bullish on the Florida high schooler’s pop at the plate and plus arm, and believes he could be a major league third baseman.
- Third-rounder Aaron Civale has signed a below-slot contract with the Indians, tweets Callis. The Northeastern right-hander, who went 92nd (worth $655,500), will get $625K. Civale’s best offering is his cutter, says Callis.
- The Athletics have agreed to an above-slot deal with fourth-round pick Skylar Szynski, a high school right-hander from Indiana, reports Callis (Twitter link). As the 112th pick, Szynski was in line for a $531,500 bonus, but the A’s will give him $1MM. Szynski sits 90 to 95 mph with his fastball, complementing that pitch with a hard curve and a changeup, according to Callis.
- Third-round shortstop Stephen Alemais, a Tulane product, has signed a below-slot deal with the Pirates, Callis tweets. Alemais will receive $500K, which is $68,400 less than the worth of the 105th pick. The contact-hitting Alemais should be able to stay at short, notes Callis.
- The White Sox have signed third-rounder Alex Call for $719,100, the exact value of his pick (No. 86), relays Callis (Twitter link). The Ball State outfielder mixes pop at the plate with solid running ability and a capable arm, with Callis adding that he has the potential to play center in the majors.
- The Rangers have signed fourth-rounder Charles LeBlanc for $415K, which is $36K below the slot value of his pick – the 129th selection – tweets Mayo. BA ranked the shortstop from Pitt as the 452nd-best player available in this year’s draft, lauding his bat but questioning whether the 6-foot-4 LeBlanc will be able to stick at short.
Angels Activate Andrelton Simmons, Outright Brendan Ryan
SATURDAY: Ryan has cleared waivers, and the Angels have outrighted him to Triple-A Salt Lake, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets.
WEDNESDAY: The Angels have activated shortstop Andrelton Simmons after a long layoff for a thumb injury, as MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports on Twitter. To create a roster spot, the club designated infielder Brendan Ryan for assignment.
[RELATED: Updated Los Angeles Angels Depth Chart]
Simmons had been out since early May after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb, which required surgery. It’s certainly positive news that he was able to return earlier than had been expected.
The Halos need Simmons’s glove at short, but even more than that will need him to pick up the pace at the plate upon his return. Over his 118 plate appearances earlier in the year, Simmons posted a weak .219/.246/.281 batting line and managed only a single long ball.
As for Ryan, this is his second trip through DFA limbo with Los Angeles this year. He was added as depth with Simmons and then Cliff Pennington injured. The 34-year-old managed only one hit in 14 plate appearances, though he’ll continue to have a niche role in this or another organization due to his well-respected glove.
Angels Designate Todd Cunningham For Assignment
The Angels have designated outfielder Todd Cunningham for assignment, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. The move clears space on the Angels’ active and 40-man rosters for Tim Lincecum, who’s set to start against the Athletics today.
The 27-year-old Cunningham had played in five games for the Angels. He’s spent most of the season so far with Triple-A Salt Lake, posting a solid .299/.401/.382 line and playing all three outfield positions. Despite demonstrating good on-base ability in the minors, though, he lacks home-run power and has struggled in brief stints in the big leagues, batting just .208/.263/.255 in 114 career Major League plate appearances, mostly accumulated with the Braves in 2015.