Injury Notes: Nelson, Travis, Tulo, Banuelos
A serious knee injury to Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang will have immediate impact as the post-season nears, and that’s not the only injury to watch today. Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson exited his outing tonight after being struck in the head by a line drive. It was a scary situation, and he’s obviously being handled with extreme care, but the 26-year-old righty was able to walk off and is reportedly coherent as he heads to a hospital for treatment.
As we send our best wishes to Milwaukee, here’s the latest on some other medical situations around the league:
- Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis will undergo exploratory surgery on his left shoulder, as MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm was among those to report on Twitter. That will end whatever hope had remained for him to return this year. It’s unfortunate for both Travis and the Jays that he won’t have a chance to rejoin the club late in the year. Travis, 24, was a revelation for Toronto after coming over in an offseason swap for Anthony Gose. He owns a .304/.361/.498 slash over 239 plate appearances. With good baserunning and fielding added in, he was certainly one of the league’s most impressive rookies, though he’s been out since late July. His progress over the fall and winter will certainly be important as the Jays plan for next season.
- Of course, the Blue Jays are also waiting to learn when shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will return from his own shoulder issues. As Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports on Twitter, the club is still looking for a full understanding of the situation and does not yet have a timeline. Tulo saw a specialist today in hopes of learning more. There is no indication at present that the collision which led to the injury will post any long-term difficulties for the star infielder.
- Young Braves left-hander Manny Banuelos underwent a procedure today to remove a bone spur from his elbow, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter links). It went as well as could be hoped, says O’Brien, as there was no ligament damage found. The former top prospect, now 24, made his big league debut after generating solid results at Triple-A in his first season with the Atlanta organization.
Pirates Designate Radhames Liz, Recall Vance Worley
The Pirates have designated right-hander Radhames Liz for assignment, as Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review first reported on Twitter. He’ll lose his roster spot to clear 40-man space for the return of fellow righty Vance Worley.
Liz was a surprising big-league signee this offseason, given that he’d last appeared in the majors in 2009. The 31-year-old has shown the ability to miss bats, with 10.4 K/9 on the year. But he has also struggled to keep hitters from reaching base, surrendering four and a half walks and ten hits per nine.
All told, Liz owns a 4.24 ERA in 23 1/3 innings at the major league level on the year, though he put up good results during a mid-season stint at Triple-A (much of it as a starter). Regardless whether he makes it back to the bigs this year, Liz has certainly shown enough — including a nearly 95 mph average fastball — to draw interest again this coming winter.
Worley, 27, had a bounce-back season last year for the Bucs. While he hasn’t been quite as good in 2015, at least in terms of bottom-line results, he’s been effective enough at the big league level with a 3.78 ERA over 69 innings. And he has been been quite effective against Triple-A hitters since being outrighted this summer.
Central Notes: Chisenhall, Pirates, Tigers
Good health is usually a backbone for any contending team, though it’s not an absolute. As Jonah Keri notes in his weekly MLB power rankings for Grantland, the Brewers and Indians have been amongst the league leaders in fewest DL days, yet Milwaukee’s season has been a disaster and the Tribe has just a .500 record (though they’re making a late run at a wild card spot). The Cardinals, meanwhile, have the best record in baseball despite numerous key injuries, though a 4-8 record in September could indicate these missing players and some slumping regulars are starting to take their toll. Here’s more from both the AL and NL Central…
- Part of the Indians‘ recent turn-around has been due to a greatly improved defense, including Lonnie Chisenhall‘s spectacular play since moving to right field. As Zack Meisel of the Northeast Ohio Media Group notes, Chisenhall’s glove may have saved his 2016 roster spot. Chisenhall, a former top prospect, earned $2.25MM this season and is eligible for arbitration for the second time this winter. Even with an arb raise, Meisel figures Chisenhall is worth keeping for the Tribe, who can use him in a right field platoon with a right-handed hitter.
- In an outstanding piece about the modern state of baseball in the Dominican Republic, J. Brady McCollough of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines how children are trained, scouted and developed from a young age with the dreams of being signed by a Major League club before they even hit their late teens. The focus is on the Pirates‘ Dominican organization and how the club scouted and signed Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco in recent years. McCollough looks at all facets of the process, from how teams operate academies in the Dominican to the somewhat controversial influence of the buscones, who often act as trainers and middlemen between the players and teams at the price of a share of a player’s eventual signing bonus.
- Mike Maroth will not return as the Tigers‘ Triple-A pitching coach in 2015, the Detroit News’ Lynn Henning reports, though Maroth will take another job in the organization. This is the latest in a series of moves the Tigers have made and are expected to make in their minor league (and Major League) coaching ranks
- Ron Gardenhire has been linked to the Tigers manager’s job in rumors, and Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press feels an experienced skipper like Gardenhire would be an ideal choice to lead the team if Brad Ausmus is replaced (as many expect). Rick Renteria or Lloyd McClendon could also be fits, Fenech opines, as both were finalists for the job before Ausmus was originally hired. McClendon, of course, currently manages the Mariners, though it’s possible the new Seattle GM could make a change in the dugout.
NL Central Links: Brewers, Happ, Cervelli
Here’s the latest from around the NL Central…
- The Brewers may not add any free agent arms this winter, let alone big-name pitchers, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Recent signings Randy Wolf, Jeff Suppan, Kyle Lohse were all unable to pitch effectively throughout the entirety of their multi-year deals with the Crew, and Matt Garza may be the latest signing to not make a full return on his contract given his rough 2015 numbers. The Brewers could rely on internal pitching options for next year’s rotation and since contending in 2016 will be a tall order, signing a top free agent starter (such as Wisconsin native Jordan Zimmermann) isn’t happening.
- Also from Haudricourt’s piece, he notes that next year’s Brewers payroll will be “down significantly” from its $102MM figure this season. “Principal owner Mark Attanasio has shown he is willing to go the extra mile financially when his team is in contending mode but otherwise has said many times he won’t spend just to spend,” Haudricourt writes, and thus a payroll cut seems imminent with the club entering a rebuild phase.
- J.A. Happ was a fairly unheralded trade deadline pickup but he’s pitched like an ace since joining the Pirates, to the point of outshining almost all the big-name pitchers who changed teams in July. Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan looks at why Happ has blossomed since coming to Pittsburgh to the tune of a 1.79 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 6.00 K/BB rate over 40 1/3 innings.
- Speaking of unheralded Pirates acquisitions, Francisco Cervelli has been more than just a suitable replacement for Russell Martin, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Cervelli’s 3.5 fWAR is the second-highest of any catcher in baseball, behind only Buster Posey (5.6) and well ahead of Martin (3.0). Cervelli has stayed healthy and contributed at the plate, while Sawchik also looks at how Cervelli has developed and adjusted his elite pitch-framing skills.
- Cody Stanley‘s 80-game PED suspension could threaten his future with the Cardinals, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. GM John Mozeliak said he and the organization will “look at our options” before deciding whether or not to keep the young catcher. “He clearly was having a nice year and we thought enough of him to bring him up. To everybody involved, it’s disappointing,” Mozeliak said. Stanley, a fourth-rounder from the 2010 draft, was ranked by Baseball America as the 22nd-best prospect in the Cards’ organization prior to the season, though given the depth of St. Louis’ system and the two PED suspensions now on Stanley’s record, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the club cut ties with him.
Quick Hits: Phillies, Puerto Rico, Park
Phillies president Pat Gillick will officially pass the baton to future-president Andy MacPhail in roughly 45 days, writes Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. However, the first decision of the MacPhail administration was made on Thursday when the club dismissed GM Ruben Amaro Jr. Kaplan provides a look at potential candidates and names Angels assistant GM Matt Klentak as a possible favorite. Klentak, 34, fits plurality owner John Middleton’s suggestion that MacPhail “hire himself.” Klentak was also a favorite of MacPhail while both executives were with the Orioles. Former Reds GM Wayne Krivisky, Royals assistant GM J.J. Picollo, and Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler are also names to watch.
- Regular season games may return to Puerto Rico in 2016 for the first time since 2004, writes Bill Shaiken of the LA Times. Major League Baseball plans to honor Puerto Rican legend Roberto Clemente in a series between the Pirates and Marlins. Details are as yet unconfirmed per Shaiken’s anonymous source. The visit could include part or all of a four game set between the two clubs. Shaiken also writes about the history of talent development out of Puerto Rico. When the island was included in the Rule 4 draft beginning in 1990, clubs refocused international scouting efforts to Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, the unintended consequence weakened the popularity of baseball in Puerto Rico.
- We learned earlier today about how Jung-ho Kang‘s success could influence the earning power of fellow Korean star Byung-ho Park. Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes about the “paradox” or Kang’s success. When Yoenis Cespedes and Ichiro Suzuki were acquired from their respective markets, they were a relative bargain. They were followed by Jose Abreu and Daisuke Matsuzaka respectively. In both cases, the second player earned substantially more. As such, the Pirates may be pushed out of the market for Park. Sawchik does have a word of caution. Davenport translations suggest Park may only be a roughly .249/.323/.443 hitter with 24 home runs. Teams may want to be careful about investing Abreu or Matsuzaka money in Park.
NL Notes: Stanton, Phillies, Kang
Dave Schoenfield of ESPN’s list of five stars who could be traded this offseason is topped by a provocative name: that of Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Schoenfield doesn’t suggest a Stanton trade is likely, only that it’s a possibility, given how unpredictable the Marlins can be. Schoenfield speculates that Dodgers as a potential match if the Marlins put Stanton on the market. Stanton has full no-trade protection, but might well be willing to waive it if the Dodgers were to deal for him, given that he was born and raised in Southern California. The Dodgers presumably would also have relatively little trouble absorbing Stanton’s enormous contract. Here’s more from the National League.
- Now that the Phillies have dismissed Ruben Amaro, their open GM position should be an attractive one to potential candidates, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. They have plenty of young talent, including Maikel Franco, J.P. Crawford, Aaron Nola and a host of prospects they acquired when trading veterans. They also have few troublesome contracts.
- Pirates infielder Jung-Ho Kang is cutting a path for other players from the Korea Baseball Organization to come to the U.S., Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Kang has excelled in his first season in the big leagues, hitting .288/.358/.468 while also providing value on the bases and on defense. That’s led to 4.1 fWAR, so the $2.5MM he’ll make this season is a fraction of what he’s worth. The next Korean star set to come to the big leagues is Kang’s friend former Nexen Heroes teammate Byung-Ho Park. “(Park) has much more power than I have,” says Kang. The Pirates could be in the market for a first baseman this offseason and have scouted Park. The big contract it will surely now take to sign Park would, however, block top first base prospect Josh Bell, who hit well upon being promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis this season.
Central Notes: Ausmus, Stanley, Indians, Pirates
Tigers players are unfazed by recent rumors surrounding manager Brad Ausmus, MLive.com’s Chris Iott writes. Recent reports have indicated that the Tigers plan to fire Ausmus once the season is over, although new GM Al Avila has said the team hasn’t yet made up its mind. Second baseman Ian Kinsler, however, was completely unaware of the rumors and had to have them explained to him before he could comment. “It’s not significant right now,” said Kinsler. “When a move’s made, whether he stays as manager or we find a new manager, then I think it will be significant. … But right now it’s really nothing.” Here’s more from the Central divisions.
- Cardinals catcher Cody Stanley has been suspended 80 games for use of a performance-enhancing substance, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch tweets. The Cardinals promoted Stanley when rosters expanded so he could serve as their third catcher, behind Yadier Molina and Tony Cruz. They added another catcher, Ed Easley, yesterday. Stanley, the Cards’ fourth-round pick in 2010, hit .241/.304/.359 this season for Triple-A Memphis. He also received a 50-game suspension as a minor leaguer in 2012.
- The Indians could try to acquire a late-inning reliever this offseason, Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer writes. Cleveland’s bullpen has fared well overall — its 3.18 ERA ranks seventh in the Majors, and Indians relievers also boast strong peripherals, with 8.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 this season. But with Marc Rzepczynski gone via a trade to the Padres, the Indians are a bit thin on lefty relief, and although they’ve gotten good performances from pitchers like Zach McAllister and Jeff Manship, they could grab another pitcher to help Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw in the late innings.
- The Pirates lost Russell Martin last winter, but after acquiring Francisco Cervelli in an offseason trade with the Yankees, they’ve maintained a very high level of production at the catcher position, Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Pirates catchers (almost entirely Cervelli and Chris Stewart) have hit a remarkable .302/.370/.396 this season, and Pirates catchers rank first in the Majors in batting average and on-base percentage. Also, Cervelli ranks as the top pitch-framer in the game, and Stewart is above average there as well. The Bucs are also paying the duo a total of about $2.2MM this season.
Front Office Notes: Jennings, Brooks, Eppler, Nationals
Dan Jennings has a standing offer from the Marlins to return to the GM seat, but has not yet informed the team whether he will accept, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Miami seemingly expects that Jennings will slot back in at that role, unless he is able to land a job elsewhere with more conclusive decisionmaking authority. As the Fish continue their front office maneuvering, the club has hired Marc DelPiano as VP of player development, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports on Twitter.
Here’s more on some front office and managerial situations around the league …
- The Brewers are set to interview Pirates director of player personnel Tyrone Brooks for the open GM position in Milwaukee, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. We have heard some chatter about possible names to watch for the Brewers, but it appears that Brooks is the first reported candidate to receive an interview. Brooks has held his current role in Pittsburgh for about four years, overseeing an impressive delivery of young talent onto the big league roster. He gave an interesting interview with MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch back when he received that promotion, acknowledging at the time that he ultimately hoped to keep climbing the front office ladder.
- Both the Mariners and Angels have been given permission to interview Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Eppler has long been considered a top general manager candidate, and interviewed with several teams in the past, so it’s no surprise to hear his name linked to multiple openings.
- The Nationals have dropped two straight to the Mets in hard-to-believe fashion, squandering an opportunity to re-start the division race in the season’s final weeks. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post encapsulates the situation well in his piece on the frustrating turn of events. Despite the obvious cause for disappointment, GM Mike Rizzo says there is no consideration to making a late-season change at manager. “Matt Williams is our manager,” said Rizzo, “and he’s going to lead us through this stretch. I’ve always supported him. We’re not going to talk about 2016 while 2015 is ongoing.” Rizzo himself is not believed to have any job security issues, says Svrluga, though he adds that the team’s ownership can be “opaque” in its decisionmaking.
NL Central Notes: Lackey, Arrieta, Burnett, DelPiano
John Lackey intends to pitch “for a couple of more years” after getting clearance from his family, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets. Though Lackey turns 37 in October, he’ll still be in line for a multi-year deal in free agency this winter given how well he’s pitched over the last three seasons. Lackey has expressed an interest in remaining in the NL and ideally continuing to pitch for the Cardinals, who could be interested on a short-term deal.
- Jake Arrieta is represented by Scott Boras but that doesn’t mean the righty is destined to leave the Cubs when he hits free agency, ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers writes. Boras himself notes in the piece that he has had several high-profile clients who signed extensions with teams, while Arrieta said he has enjoyed his time in Chicago. “I came over to this organization and was embraced by everybody and they made me feel extremely welcome and the comfort level was there from the get-go. It was like a seamless transition,” Arrieta said.
- It seems like A.J. Burnett will return to the Pirates rotation perhaps as early as Wednesday against the Reds. GM Neal Huntington didn’t confirm any timeline with reporters (including Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review), though “we do have (a plan); we just need to have some conversations with those who are impacted by it. Those will take place over the next day or so.” Burnett has been sidelined for over a month recovering from a flexor strain in his throwing elbow but threw a simulated game on Friday and a bullpen session Sunday.
- Marc DelPiano is leaving his position as a special assistant to Pirates GM Neal Huntington to take a senior vice-president role with the Marlins, ESPN’s Keith Law reports (Twitter link). DelPiano has been with Pittsburgh since 2008, the latest stop in a 25-year career as a scout, coach and front office member with several different teams. DelPiano previously worked with the Marlins in various capacities from 2000-05, including serving as their director of player development during the Marlins’ 2003 World Series season.
Quick Hits: Hart, Phillies, Davis
CJ Nitkowski of FOX Sports takes a look at the upcoming generation of MLB managerial candidates. He provides some interesting notes on five names to watch: D’Backs scout and special assistant Todd Greene, White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing, Dodgers director of player development Gabe Kapler, and Alex Cora and Raul Ibanez, each of whom currently work in the media.
Here are some more scattered notes from around the league:
- The Pirates announced today that first baseman Corey Hart is finished playing this year. Hart, who signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal with Pittsburgh over the offseason, had been attempting to make a late-season return, but his health and productivity have been lacking all year. He’ll return to the free agent market after the season, but he hasn’t been a significant contributor since 2012 and his future looks murky.
- While the Phillies possess an ugly win-loss record, as had been expected, the organization has shown real progress this year, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury writes. Rival scouts have looked favorably upon the young players acquired in Philadelphia’s numerous recent trades, says Salisbury, and the team’s best higher-level talent has transitioned well thus far to the majors. There’s more to be done, of course, but it isn’t hard to see a promising path forward — especially given that the big-budget Phils now have less than $100MM in total future commitments on their books.
- Slugger Chris Davis means more to the Orioles than his home run tallies, writes Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. Of course, bringing him back in free agency will require a sizable commitment, particularly now that Davis — who has yet to turn 30 — is closing in on 40 home runs with a 138 wRC+. It doesn’t hurt that Davis has shown the ability to play a serviceable corner outfield (UZR views him as a slight positive, DRS as a slight negative) in addition to a solid first base. He’ll hold appeal to a variety of teams this winter.