Concussion Sends Ronald Guzman To DL
- The Rangers announced Tuesday that rookie first baseman Ronald Guzman has been placed on the 7-day concussion list, with Ryan Rua returning from Triple-A Round Rock to take his spot on the active roster. Guzman sustained his concussion when he dove back into third base on a pickoff attempt but collided with the knee of Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva. The 23-year-old Guzman, long one of the Rangers’ most promising farmhands, had a rough start to the season but came alive in late May and had compiled an impressive .266/.364/.489 slash in his most recent 110 PAs leading up to the injury.
Braves, Red Sox Interested In Adrian Beltre
- Also from Cafardo, he adds the Red Sox and Braves to the list of teams with some interest in veteran third baseman Adrian Beltre. With Rafael Devers on Boston’s big league roster and Braves top prospect Austin Riley looming at Triple-A, both teams could make sense for a short-term upgrade like Beltre, who is only signed through this season. While Beltre seems like a natural trade chip for a Rangers team that is well out of contention, there still remains some speculation as to whether or not Texas will actually move him, as the team heavily values Beltre’s leadership and wants him on the roster in 2019. Beltre also has no-trade protection via 10-and-5 rights. Still, the Rangers are at least shopping Beltre (and other players) to gauge trade interest, and it can’t hurt that multiple contenders could be in the market for third base help.
Rangers Interested In Keeping, Re-Signing Adrian Beltre
Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre is reportedly available, though it’s no sure thing the team will trade the future Hall of Famer, Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram writes. Rather, the Rangers are interested in keeping Beltre, an impending free agent, in hopes of re-signing him prior to next season. In order to deal Beltre, the Rangers would need a return that outweighs the benefits of retaining the 39-year-old through the season and trying to re-sign him, Wilson hears. And should teams make offers for Beltre, general manager Jon Daniels will keep the player informed, Wilson reports. Given that Beltre has 10-and-5 rights and has enjoyed his time with the Rangers, Wilson notes that it’s not yet known whether he’d accept a deal to leave the team.
Angels Acquire Deck McGuire, Request Release Waivers On Juan Graterol
JUNE 24: The Angels have requested unconditional release waivers on Graterol, per a team announcement. His release will become official in 48 hours if he clears waivers.
JUNE 19: The Angels announced Tuesday that they’ve acquired right-hander Deck McGuire from the Rangers in exchange for cash. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, catcher Juan Graterol has been designated for assignment. McGuire will head to Triple-A Salt Lake, per the Angels’ announcement.
Texas claimed the 28-year-old McGuire from the Blue Jays last Friday, but he appeared in just one game with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate before being designated for assignment in order to clear a spot on the roster for the return of Elvis Andrus. Now, McGuire will change organizations for the second time in a span of less than a week.
A former first-round pick (11th overall by the Blue Jays in 2010), McGuire has yet to establish himself as a viable Major League arm. Prior to the 2018 season, in fact, he’s posted largely unsightful numbers at the Triple-A level. However, McGuire enjoyed a strong season with the Reds’ Double-A club in 2017 and carried that success with him back to the Jays organization in 2018, pitching to a 3.22 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, 0.6 HR/9 and a 39.7 percent ground-ball rate in 44 2/3 innings at Triple-A Buffalo.
After making eight promising starts in Buffalo, the Jays summoned him to the Majors, where he was tagged for six runs on nine hits and five walks with seven strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings of relief. But the Rangers and Angels, apparently, both saw enough in his work out of the Buffalo rotation to hold some interest in seeing if the former top prospect can emerge as a late bloomer at the big league level. For the Halos, McGuire will at the very least serve as a spot start/depth option in the upper minors — an important addition following injuries to Shohei Ohtani, Matt Shoemaker, J.C. Ramirez and Nick Tropeano.
Graterol, meanwhile, has made just one plate appearance for the Halos this season, going 1-for-1 with a single. He’s been up and down with the club on multiple occasions dating back to 2016, however, and has now been designated for assignment by the Angels on three different occasions. The first of those instances saw Graterol bounce around the league, briefly landing with the D-backs, Reds and Blue Jays before making his way back to Anaheim. The defensively-sound backstop is a career .222/.225/.283 hitter in 103 MLB plate appearances but carries a more encouraging .290/.318/.349 slash in 449 PAs at the Triple-A level.
Alex Speas To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
- Rangers right-handed pitching prospect Alex Speas has suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will undergo Tommy John surgery, Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram writes. Speas will miss the rest of this year and a large portion of next season as a result. The 20-year-old, whom MLB.com ranks as the Rangers’ 22nd-best prospect, pitched to a stellar 2.20 ERA with 15.38 K/9 against 6.59 BB/9 over 28 2/3 innings at the Low-A level in 2018.
Rangers Make Adrian Beltre, Keone Kela, Jake Diekman Available
With the Rangers sitting at 34-44 and well out of playoff contention, they’ve made third baseman Adrian Beltre, closer Keone Kela and reliever Jake Diekman available on the trade market, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.
Even though Beltre is a franchise icon, this isn’t the first time the Rangers have put him on the market. They previously did so during the offseason, according to Grant, who adds that there wasn’t much interest in Beltre then. At the time, Beltre was coming off an injury-shortened season, though he still managed a lofty .312/.383/.532 batting line with 17 home runs and 3.1 fWAR across 94 games and 389 plate appearances.
This season – Beltre’s age-39 campaign – hasn’t gone as well for the future Hall of Famer, but he has still drawn reported interest from at least two playoff contenders. Beltre has endured a pair of stints on the disabled list because of hamstring issues, thus limiting him to 47 games and 192 PAs thus far. He looks healthy now, but because there’s no designated hitter in the National League, injury concerns could limit Beltre’s market to mostly AL teams, Grant notes. Any club acquiring Beltre would be landing a still-useful hitter, as shown by his .314/.365/.456 line this year, though his power hasn’t been as evident (four home runs, .142 ISO).
While Beltre has remained a capable player despite his injury issues over the past couple seasons, there are other complications that could stand in the way of a deal. For one, Beltre has 10-and-5 rights which would enable him to block a trade anywhere. Beltre also isn’t cheap – the impending free agent’s still owed around $9.77MM through season’s end – and could be part of a market featuring other established third base options in Manny Machado, Mike Moustakas and Josh Donaldson, as Grant points out.
Unlike Beltre, Kela can’t prevent a deal from happening, nor is he expensive. The 25-year-old’s on a $1.2MM salary this season and comes with arbitration control through the 2021 campaign. In his first extensive action as a closer this year, the flamethrowing Kela has upped his value by converting all 17 of his save opportunities and posting a 3.67 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 3.67 BB/9 over 27 innings. While Kela has only logged a 35.4 percent groundball rate, he has partially offset that with a 20 percent infield fly mark – good for a 13th-place tie among qualified relievers. Kela’s penchant for inducing harmless pop-ups has helped limit his home runs allowed to .68 per nine, which easily outdoes the league-average figure for relievers (1.01).
The 31-year-old Diekman has joined Kela in serving as a bright spot for Texas’ bullpen this season. Diekman’s performance has been especially encouraging after he missed most of last season following a procedure in which he had his colon removed. Diekman was an effective big league reliever prior to the surgery, and he has picked up where he left off this season. Thus far, the left-hander has notched a 2.96 ERA with 11.52 K/9 and a 50 percent grounder rate over 27 1/3 innings, though he has also walked 5.27 batters per nine. And Diekman carries a significant reverse platoon split, as lefties have slashed .303/.452/.424 against him and righties have limped to a .171/.256/.246 line. Struggles against lefties are unusual for Diekman, who has held them a .222/.319/.295 mark in his career.
Given his remaining team control, there’s no pressure on the Rangers to part with Kela if they’re unable to find a deal to their liking. But Diekman is an impending free agent, making the hard-throwing veteran an obvious trade candidate. Diekman’s on an affordable salary ($2,712,500), which seems to make a trade all the more likely by the non-waiver deadline on July 31.
Rangers Notes: Choo, Beltre, Diekman, Mendez
The Rangers would be willing to pay down some of Shin-Soo Choo‘s remaining salary in a trade, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports in his latest notes column. Heyman writes that the Rangers would do so “for the right take,” though it seems difficult to imagine the Rangers being especially picky in any Choo negotiations. While the 35-year-old is undeniably having a very nice season at the plate, hitting .277/.388/.468 with 13 homers, he’s also owed $52.86MM through the 2020 season — including about $10.86MM through season’s end in 2018. Choo, already largely limited to DH work, will be 38 by the time his current seven-year deal ends, and the last-place Rangers would presumably be happy to be free of a decent chunk of that onerous sum even if it meant taking on a negligible amount of talent in return.
A bit more out of Arlington…
- As third baseman Adrian Beltre draws trade interest in the twilight of his career, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explores how that career blossomed more quickly than anyone could’ve imagined. In an extensive look back at the venerable Beltre’s original promotion by the Dodgers, Grant notes that he was promoted during Tommy Lasorda’s brief run as the GM in Los Angeles. Lasorda candidly explains to Grant that he initially called Beltre up to “set a tone” despite some protest from others in the front office. Beltre collected a pair of hits in his big league debut, and the improbable promotion proved to be a permanent move, as the then-19-year-old prospect never returned to the minors. It’s a fun tale of a unique situation featuring some notable baseball characters and terrific quotes that is well worth a full read.
- Lefty Jake Diekman has recently boosted his trade stock, as Grant writes in a thorough examination of the veteran reliever. Diekman, who’s a pending free agent, has been throwing hard and getting both whiffs and grounders, but he’s also continuing to issue too many walks. Still, with a 2.96 ERA through 27 1/3 innings, he has shown he can get results (as he has in the past). Perhaps the most confounding aspect of his season is the fact that he has uncharacteristically struggled quite a bit against lefties, who own a .303/.452/.424 slash against him. Despite the questions, it’s not hard to imagine a fair bit of interest materializing from teams that want a power lefty but miss on other options or see particular appeal in Diekman’s reasonable salary ($2,172,500).
- Matt Moore‘s shift to the bullpen was supposed to prompt a long-term rotation audition for lefty Yohander Mendez, but plans quickly changed in that regard. General manager Jon Daniels told reporters this week that Mendez was optioned to Triple-A as a disciplinary measure after violating team rules (link via Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Wilson reports that Mendez and second baseman Rougned Odor were out for a night with some friends on the Royals while visiting Kansas City and the evening “got out of hand.” Police weren’t involved in the incident, Daniels emphasized. “Part of the development of where we are as a club is upholding a certain level of standards for veterans and young players alike,” Daniels said of the incident. “Part of the development process of young players is on the maturity side as well. I’d say that’s kind of where this one falls.” Manager Jeff Banister added that Mendez will now need to earn his way back to the big leagues.
Adrian Beltre Drawing Trade Interest
Both the Phillies and Indians have varying levels of interest in Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Philadelphia’s interest is portrayed a bit more strongly in the report, whereas Morosi writes that “[a]t least some within the Indians organization would like to acquire Beltre,” who is familiar with skipper Terry Francona from the 2010 season with the Red Sox.
The Rangers’ stance as sellers on this summer’s trade deadline has been clear for weeks. Texas currently sits 12 games below .500 and an insurmountable 18 games out of first place in the American League West. They’re a similarly daunting 14.5 games out of the American League Wild Card chase.
While trade interest in Beltre figures to pick up as the deadline draws nearer, it’s not yet clear whether the 39-year-old Beltre will waive his 10-and-5 rights, which allow him to veto any trade scenario with which he is presented. Certainly, there’s a logical case to be made that given his age, Beltre would prefer to go somewhere with a chance to win a World Series ring. At the same time, he’s been with the Rangers since 2011 and undoubtedly has a comfort level with his teammates, the coaching staff, the city and Rangers fans. He’s earning $18MM this season — with approximately $9.77MM of that sum still owed to him through season’s end.
For the Phillies, it’s not difficult to see the appeal Beltre brings to the organization. Philadelphia third baseman have posted a lackluster .235/.300/.399 batting line so far in 2018, and their third basemen have been seven runs below average in the field according to both Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved. There’s been little in the way of value provided from either Maikel Franco or J.P. Crawford, the latter of whom just went on the disabled list for up to six weeks after incurring a broken hand when he was hit by a pitch two days ago.
The Indians, meanwhile, have a less obvious need, considering the brilliance of Jose Ramirez, who has broken out as a full-fledged superstar over the past two seasons. Ramirez is hitting a ridiculous .291/.391/.611 with 22 homers, 20 doubles, a triple and 10 steals (in 12 tries) while playing strong defense at third base. However, Ramirez is also a more-than-capable second baseman, and the Cleveland organization has received virtually no production at that position from former star Jason Kipnis (.208/.282/.328 in 295 plate appearances). Acquiring Beltre would allow Cleveland to shift Ramirez to second base.
Clearly, Beltre isn’t the player that he once was. But the future Hall of Famer has still notched an impressive .302/.357/.428 slash with three homers, nine doubles and a triple so far through 182 plate appearances. However, he’s also had a pair of DL stints this season due to hamstring strains and has begun to see more time at designated hitter as a means of keeping his legs healthier. That could limit some of his appeal to an NL club such as the Phillies, though with Crawford, Franco and Scott Kingery on the roster, the Phils have the depth to rest Beltre a couple of times per week should they deem it necessary.
Rangers Seek To Spread Infield Playing Time
- The Rangers have a crowded infield mix now with Elvis Andrus re-joining the active roster. As Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explains, the organization hopes to keep all of its primary options on the field quite often, allowing Jurickson Profar to continue receiving ample opportunities while also letting Rougned Odor work through his struggles at the plate. Skipper Jeff Banister says this will be accomplished by utilizing third baseman Adrian Beltre as a DH with some frequency and allowing Andrus some extra rest. Utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa, meanwhile, is going to attempt to add to his versatility by suiting up behind the dish, as Grant tweets. It’ll be interesting to see how this situation plays out for the struggling Rangers, who could weigh trades involving several of these players. In particular, Beltre (who’ll be a free agent at season’s end) and Andrus (who can opt out of his contract) seem to be plausible candidates.
Rangers Designate Deck McGuire
The Rangers have designated righty Deck McGuire for assignment, per a club announcement. That’s the roster move for the activation of shortstop Elvis Andrus.
McGuire was only just claimed off waivers, so the Texas organization evidently intended all along to try to sneak him back through waivers. If he clears, the 28-year-old will presumably take up a place on the depth chart at Triple-A while not occupying a 40-man spot.
Though he has seen MLB action in each of the past two seasons, McGuire hasn’t thrown enough innings to tell us much. But he does have loads of experience in the upper minors, having reached Double-A in his first season as a pro, way back in 2011. Over 335 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level, McGuire carries a 5.09 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9.