Cubs Rumors

Cubs Sign Joe Nathan

By Jeff Todd | May 17, 2016 at 5:01pm CDT

5:01pm: Nathan’s contract also contains a club option for the 2017 season that can convert to a mutual option based on his performance, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (links to Twitter). Heyman adds that Nathan can earn up to $2.4MM worth of incentives this season and as much as $4.6MM in 2017.

12:57pm: The Cubs have signed veteran reliever Joe Nathan to a major league deal, as the team announced and Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times first reported (via Twitter). Nathan will immediately go onto the 60-day DL, meaning he won’t cost the club a 40-man spot.

Nathan, a client of Pro Agents, Inc., will earn a pro-rated portion of the league minimum salary for the time he spends in the Majors, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). The deal also includes incentives that could boost its value, though details on that clause remain unknown.

A 15-year MLB veteran, the 41-year-old Nathan was effective as recently as 2013. But he fell off upon joining the Tigers via free agency and ultimately succumbed to Tommy John surgery early last year. He has reportedly been rehabbing on his own while waiting for an opportunity to arise.

The hope is that Nathan can return to readiness at some point in the middle of 2016. Given the DL placement, it would appear that mid-July is the earliest possible date for a return to the majors, though Nathan could in theory undertake a rehab assignment prior to that point. Chicago likely won’t feel much pressure to force him into action unless and until he’s fully prepared, and there isn’t much reason to believe that Nathan will factor in the late-inning mix.

On the other hand, there are a few underperforming members of the Chicago pen, so it’s not difficult to see where opportunity could arise. And the Cubs have been willing to take shots on several former late-inning relievers in recent years, including Fernando Rodney, Rafael Soriano, and Jason Motte.

Now, the team will see what Nathan has left in the tank. He managed only one outing last year before being shut down, and posted a 4.81 ERA in his 58 frames the year prior. While ERA estimators viewed that as somewhat unlucky — SIERA valued him at a 3.88 mark — Nathan showed deterioration in both the strikeout (8.4 K/9) and walk (4.5 BB/9) departments.

But Nathan had run up a significant run of success leading up to that point, frequently posting double-digit strikeout rates and sub-2.00 ERAs. Returning to that level of performance obviously looks to be a stretch, given his age and injury history — which stretches back well before his most recent UCL replacement.

Nevertheless, it isn’t wildly implausible to hope that he will be capable of providing some solid innings. Nathan sat at just over 91 mph with his average four-seam fastball in 2014, which was off a few ticks from his career rates, but he had succeeded with only a bit more velocity the year prior and largely maintained the speed on his two-seamer. And a look at his Brooks Baseball profile suggests that he was getting much the same movement as ever from his various offerings.

In any event, it’s a small commitment for the Cubs to make, particularly since there’s no need to tie up a roster spot for the time being. While technically a major league deal, Nathan does not appear to be in line for much of a payday unless he is able to make a useful contribution at the MLB level.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/15/16

By Mark Polishuk and Connor Byrne | May 15, 2016 at 5:47pm CDT

Here are today’s minor moves from around baseball…

Cubs outfielder Ryan Kalish has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat reports (Twitter link). Kalish was designated for assignment yesterday. The 28-year-old appeared in seven games for Chicago this season, upping his career total to 153 games with the Cubs and Red Sox since 2010.
The Pirates will promote infield prospect Alen Hanson to the majors on Monday, according to his agency, LA Sports Management (Twitter link). Hansen, who has appeared on various top-100 prospect lists in recent years, owns a .284/.342/.442 batting line in 2821 career minor league plate appearances. In 126 PAs with Triple-A Indianapolis this season, the 23-year-old has slashed .288/.309/.398 with two home runs and seven steals. He swiped 35 bags with Indy in 2015. Hanson’s first taste of the majors is unlikely to last long, as his call-up will come thanks to outfielder Starling Marte’s forthcoming placement on the paternity list.
Left-hander David Huff has exercised the May 15 opt-out clause in the minor league contract he signed with the Royals during the offseason and is now a free agent, MLBTR has learned. Huff threw 23 2/3 innings for the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate and posted phenomenal nine-inning strikeout and walk rates of 11.03 and 0.76, respectively, along with a 4.18 ERA. The 31-year-old has put up a 5.08 ERA, 5.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 as a starter and reliever in parts of seven major league seasons.
Left-hander Brian Duensing has asked to be released from his own minor league deal with the Royals, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports (Twitter link). Duensing’s contract also contained a May 15 opt-out date. This is the second time that Duensing has opted out of a minor league deal with the Royals in the last two months, as the two sides came to terms on a new contract after Duensing opted out of his previous deal near the end of Spring Training. The 33-year-old has a 3.10 ERA, 3.80 K/BB rate and 8.4 K/9 over 20 1/3 relief innings for Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate this season.
The Yankees selected the contracts of right-handers Chad Green and Conor Mullee prior to Saturday’s game. In corresponding moves, Greg Bird, Mason Williams and Bryan Mitchell were all moved from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL and top catching prospect Gary Sanchez was optioned back to Triple-A after appearing in just one game for New York. Green and Mullee are both getting their first taste of the big leagues. Green has a 3.29 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 3.53 K/BB rate over 336 1/3 minor league innings, starting 59 of his 69 career games. He will start the Yankees’ game on Monday against the Diamondbacks. Mullee, a career reliever, has a 2.13 ERA, 8.9 K/9 and 3.46 K/BB rate over 143 1/3 pro innings since being picked in the 24th round of the 2010 draft.

NL Notes: Braun, Soler, Ryu

By Connor Byrne | May 14, 2016 at 6:57pm CDT

If the Brewers shop star left fielder Ryan Braun this year, his contract will serve as a deterrent to many clubs, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, who adds that Braun’s wrist is also a concern (Twitter link). The Brewers scratched Braun from their game Saturday because of a sore right wrist, the severity of which is currently unknown. Notably, he has dealt with significant right thumb issues in past seasons. Braun, 32, is hitting a red-hot .367/.434/.586 with seven home runs in 143 plate appearances this season and has another five years and $76MM, including a $4MM buyout in 2021, remaining on his contract after 2016.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Desmond, Bush, Cubs, Reyes

By charliewilmoth | May 14, 2016 at 3:50pm CDT

Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a pair of videos at FOX Sports:

Ian Desmond’s work in center field has impressed observers, and the Rangers are not ruling out the possibility of retaining him beyond 2016, Rosenthal says. Even if they don’t (and they do have a wide variety of talented young outfielders), Desmond seems like a good bet to land a multi-year deal as a center fielder.
Some in the Rangers organization felt the recently promoted righty — and former No. 1 overall pick — Matt Bush could help the team out of Spring Training, but since he was only a few months removed from being released from prison, they decided to wait. Bush, who has a long history of alcoholism, will be joined on the road by either his father Danny or Rangers special assistant Roy Silver (who had previously worked with Josh Hamilton).
It’s unclear what the Cubs might need at the trade deadline, Rosenthal says. A left fielder is one possibility if Jorge Soler can’t get it going and if the Cubs elect to keep Kris Bryant at third. There’s also a chance they could add pitching. They could move Adam Warren from the bullpen to the rotation if needed, but might need to pursue relief help if they did.
The Red Sox will be better-prepared for the trade deadline than their divisional competition, with a farm system that rates as significantly better than those of the Orioles or Blue Jays.
Rosenthal also explains why Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes’ domestic violence suspension was shorter than that of an 80-game punishment for PED use. Rosenthal says that, in the eyes of the league, a positive PED test essentially amounts to proof of guilt, but in Reyes’ case, charges against him were dropped and he has never been convicted. Without “formal proof,” MLB can only make a suspension so long.
Some players want stiffer sentences for players who fail PED tests, especially for players who use PEDs intentionally. While it’s possible there could be small changes to PED penalties, however, Rosenthal says bigger changes aren’t likely.

NL Central Notes: Hoyer, Reds, Maness

By charliewilmoth | May 14, 2016 at 12:45pm CDT

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer took an unusual path to Major League Baseball, working in the admissions departments at two universities before taking an internship with the Red Sox at age 28, David Hough of the Chicago Tribune writes. “Ben [Cherington] said, ’Do you really want to do this? You know it will be a huge pay cut and you’ll be an older intern,”’ says Hoyer. “And I said, ’I don’t care, I’ll look at it as grad school, take on debt for a couple of years and if it works, great. If not, I’ll have no regrets.”’ Shortly after Hoyer joined the organization, the Red Sox hired Theo Epstein as its GM. The two got along and have worked together ever since, with the exception of the two years Hoyer spent as GM of the Padres. Here’s more on the NL Central.

The Reds’ poor 14-21 start will not be the primary determinant in whether the team keeps manager Bryan Price, GM Dick Williams says in an interview with MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. “I think Bryan is being evaluated on his whole body of work over the course of three seasons,” says Williams. “There are a lot of things that Bryan is continuing to be evaluated on. Right now, he is totally busy doing what he needs to do day-to-day.” Williams says that the team’s injury struggles (they’ve lost catcher Devin Mesoraco for the season, and have also suffered a number of losses to their pitching staff) won’t cause the organization to deviate from its long-term vision.
The Cardinals have optioned reliever Seth Maness to Triple-A Memphis, as MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch tweets. He’s been replaced on the Cards’ active roster by lefty Dean Kiekhefer. Maness was a mainstay in the St. Louis bullpen the last three seasons, but he’s struggled this season, allowing ten runs while striking out just six in 12 2/3 innings. His average fastball velocity has also declined, from 89.5 MPH last year to 87.3 in 2016. Kiekhefer, meanwhile, is in the midst of a second consecutive strong season at Triple-A, with a 1.35 ERA, nine strikeouts and no walks in 13 1/3 innings there so far. He has never appeared in the big leagues.

Cubs Designate Ryan Kalish For Assignment

By charliewilmoth | May 14, 2016 at 10:08am CDT

The Cubs have designated lefty-hitting outfielder Ryan Kalish for assignment, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The move clears space on the team’s active roster for catcher Miguel Montero, who’s returning from a back injury.

The 28-year-old Kalish made ten plate appearances for the Cubs this season. His last significant big-league experience came in 2014, also with the Cubs, when he batted .248/.295/.347 in 130 plate appearances. He did not play in 2015 after a minor-league pact with the Blue Jays fell apart. Kalish was once a top prospect in the Red Sox organization, but a series of injuries presented obstacles in his path to big-league success. He’s now played in parts of four big-league seasons, but has never appeared in two consecutive ones, also sitting out most of 2011 and all of 2013.

NL Central Notes: Arrieta, Bryant, Walsh, Pirates

By Jeff Todd | May 12, 2016 at 8:30pm CDT

Jake Arrieta has drawn plenty of attention of late as he’s continued to generate phenomenal results for the Cubs. He’s maintained all along both that he hopes to remain in Chicago and that he won’t take a discount to do so, and it’s still not clear whether the club will be willing to offer what Arrieta considers fair market value. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney argues in an Insider piece that the Cubs are unlikely to go beyond the recent Stephen Strasburg extension, and won’t pursue a bidding war to bring back Arrieta when he reaches free agency after next season. Then, says Olney, he’ll have a chance to cash in, particularly since he’d enter an “incredibly weak market” for starting pitching. That’s a debatable assessment of the free agent class — among the potentially available arms are Yu Darvish, Alex Cobb, Johnny Cueto, Tyson Ross, Lance Lynn, and several others of interest — but there’s little doubt that Arrieta would be a major target if he can keep up anything approaching his recent performance level.

Here’s more from the NL Central:

Kris Bryant has kept on producing for the Cubs after a stellar rookie campaign, but as August Fagerstrom of Fangraphs explains, he’s dong it differently. Bryant has worked to flatten his swing plane as a way to cut down on his swings and misses, with very promising results. Though he’s more or less hitting at the same levels he did in 2015, Bryant’s managed to reduce his strikeout rate by one-third thus far. As Fagerstrom explains, the biggest impact of the adjustment may be that it raises Bryant’s floor as a hitter.
The Brewers made some roster moves today, with Scooter Gennett activated from the DL and fellow infielder Yadiel Rivera being optioned to Triple-A. As Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel notes (Twitter links), the decision shows the team’s commitment to struggling Rule 5 pick Colin Walsh. He has an unusual .098/.327/.122 slash line through 55 plate appearances, with 13 walks but just four hits. GM David Stearns would say only that “the evaluation process is ongoing” with respect to Walsh, who obviously will need to stay on the active roster all year if his control rights are to remain Milwaukee property.
In a reader mailbag, Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains the Super Two considerations facing the Pirates. Early to mid June remains the time to watch for exciting Triple-A starters Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon, he writes. Interestingly, Nesbitt predicts that Taillon is likely to get the first call, explaining that he’s the “more seasoned” of the two even though he has been away from competitive baseball for some time due to injury.

Pitching Notes: Arrieta, Matz, Strasburg, Bailey, Royals

By Steve Adams | May 11, 2016 at 10:26pm CDT

On a night when Max Scherzer turned in one of the most dominant starts in history, striking out 20 Tigers batters (video link) to tie a Major League record, here are a few notes on pitcher contracts and injuries…

Cubs ace Jake Arrieta won’t offer the team a discount in extension talks, he told reporters, including ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers. According to previous reports, the Cubs have been hesitant to commit to anything greater than a four-year term, and that length clearly isn’t of interest to the 30-year-old reigning Cy Young winner. “Aces get seven years,” Arrieta candidly said in the interview. Asked what he felt his market to be, Arrieta declined to answer directly, instead telling reporters: “I’ll let you judge that. Just look at the numbers.” Arrieta again emphasized that his preference is to remain with the Cubs but that being compensated at the same level as the game’s other elite arms is also a factor. “Financially I’m fine, regardless,” he said. “You want to be paid in respect to how your peers are paid. I don’t think that changes with any guy you ask. It happens around baseball every year.” As Rogers points out, Scherzer and David Price are likelier comparables than the recently extended Stephen Strasburg, who secured a seven-year, $175MM deal.
Mets left-hander Steven Matz will miss his next start due to soreness in his pitching elbow, manager Terry Collins told the media (via ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin). Right-hander Logan Verrett will take Matz’s turn in the rotation on Saturday, and Matz will be examined by doctors in New York next Monday. As the lefty himself explained (via the New York Post’s Mike Puma), he tried to pitch through similar soreness last season and ultimately had to spent two months on the shelf. The issue seems relatively innocuous at the moment, though given Matz’s considerable injury history it’s not surprising to see Puma write that there is “some level of concern” about Matz.
MLB.com’s Bill Ladson spoke to Strasburg about his extension with the Nationals, (Twitter link to audio download), his motivation to sign now with free agency looming, the influence Tony Gwynn (his favorite player growing up and coach in college at San Diego State) has had on his desire to remain with one club and the team’s decision to shut him down in the midst of the 2012 playoff push in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. “He definitely had that sense of loyalty,” Strasburg said of Gwynn. “I think there were certainly times in his career where he could’ve gone other places, but the city, San Diego, kind of grew on him, and he became an icon in that city. I’m not about to say that I’m going to be on his level here in D.C., but I think you do have some sort of sense of loyalty to the team that did draft you, at least speaking for myself. So, when the opportunity presented itself that, here’s a fair deal presented to you, it didn’t really take long to make my mind up.”
Reds right-hander Homer Bailey is “taking a step back” in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, writes C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Bailey explains to Rosecrans that he had a second opinion on his elbow on Monday, 366 days after his surgery, and is slowing his pace as a precaution. Bailey recently experienced some pain and took 10 days off from throwing and is being extra cautious. “One of the things that was brought to my attention was there’s a lot of research about guys who come back at the 12-month mark have a higher probability of it happening again, as opposed to maybe 14 months then the numbers are (better),” he adds. Bailey made throws of 110-120 feet on Tuesday without pain, but he tells Rosecrans he’s still about a month away from a rehab assignment.
Chris Young, who underwent an MRI today due to forearm soreness, has been diagnosed with a muscle strain on the top of said forearm, tweets the Kansas City Star’s Rustin Dodd. Young is a candidate to land on the 15-day disabled list, even though (via MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan, on Twitter) manager Ned Yost said that Young may not need 15 whole days to recover from the issue. The club may simply not have a choice, especially due to the fact that right-hander Kris Medlen is also scheduled to have his shoulder examined due to some soreness (via Dodd). Medlen’s Sunday start is in jeopardy, though the severity of the issue remains unclear.

NL Central Notes: Hammel, Peralta, Victorino, Epstein, Reds

By Jeff Todd | May 11, 2016 at 10:20am CDT

Every player has different priorities, many of which go beyond maximizing earnings, though that’s not always easy to discern from publicly available information. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports provides an interesting recent example, though, in Jason Hammel of the Cubs. The right-hander and his wife were disappointed to be dealt away from Chicago at the trade deadline in 2014, with Hammel telling Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein that he would “pitch well enough that you bring me back” even as he departed for the A’s. Though Hammel wasn’t as good in Oakland as he had been before the deal, that’s just what happened, as Hammel inked a two-year, $18MM deal in the offseason. It looked like a nice value for the team at the time, and the veteran has rewarded the Cubs with 204 2/3 innings of 3.43 ERA pitching since his return.

Here’s more from the NL Central:

Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta has been cleared to begin swinging a bat, as MLB.com’s Jen Langosch reports on Twitter. Peralta’s thumb injury looked like a major blow at the time, and while his loss has been softened by the stellar play of Aledmys Diaz, he should still provide a boost for a club that’s hovering around .500 while their division rivals to the north lay waste to the rest of the league. Fellow middle infielders Kolten Wong and Jedd Gyorko haven’t been nearly as effective as Diaz, and could cede playing time to Peralta when he’s healthy.
Shane Victorino is active at Triple-A Iowa for the Cubs, but he might not spend much time there before a decision is made on his future with the organization. Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register tweets that Chicago has informed the veteran outfielder that his status will be reevaluated after a few weeks with the team’s top affiliate. Victorino is off to a solid start, with five hits — including two doubles and a triple — in his first four games.
There’s long been talk that Epstein would sign a new deal with the Cubs before reaching executive free agency after the season, but he tells Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) that there are no imminent extensions — either for himself or with any of the team’s players. Nevertheless, the presumption still seems to be that Epstein will re-up with the organization at some point.
It was always expected to be a difficult season for the Reds, but the organization has dealt with more injuries than might’ve been hoped. C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer provides updates on several situations. Righty Michael Lorenzen is just now returning to the hill after experiencing elbow issues this spring and then suffering a bout with mono. Fellow pitchers Anthony DeSclafani, Raisel Iglesias, and Jon Moscot are all making progress with their own injury matters, but certainly that’s not a list of arms that the club hoped to see on the DL at this stage of the year. DeSclafani, like Lorenzen, has yet to appear in the majors this season.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/9/16

By Steve Adams | May 9, 2016 at 10:14pm CDT

Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…

The Cubs have purchased the contract of righty Alex Sanabia from the Mexican League Tijuana Toros, MLBTR’s Zach Links has learned. Sanabia will head to Triple-A Iowa to bolster the club’s rotation depth. The 27-year-old has seen action in parts of three MLB seasons with the Marlins, throwing 138 2/3 innings over 24 starts and four relief appearances and posting a sturdy 4.15 ERA with 5.6 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. Sanabia had a rough go of things with the Angels’ top affiliate last year, but has given the Toros 30 innings of 3.60 ERA ball with 6.0 K/9 against a stingy 0.9 BB/9.
Left-hander Ryan O’Rourke has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A by the Twins, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The 28-year-old has appeared in 36 games for Minnesota over the past two seasons but struggled to a 5.83 ERA. While O’Rourke misses plenty of bats (8.9 K/9), he also has struggled with his control, as evidenced by the 20 walks he’s issued in 29 1/3 big league innings. Lefties, however, have been befuddled by him, batting just .149/.286/.234 in 58 plate appearances.
The Orioles announced today that right-hander Scott McGough has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Norfolk. Baltimore designated the 26-year-old, who was claimed off waivers from the Marlins earlier this year, for assignment last week. McGough made his big league debut in Miami last season but allowed seven runs in 6 2/3 innings. He’s been roughed up for a dozen runs in 8 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season but had an excellent 2015 campaign, posting a 1.93 ERA in 37 1/3 innings across three minor league level.
The Red Sox have signed former A’s first baseman Nate Freiman to a minor league deal and assigned him to Double-A Portland, according to an announcement from the independent Atlantic League. Freiman, 29, has been playing for the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks and hitting quite well through a small six-game sample (8-for-21, two homers, one double, two walks). Freiman showed good pop and handled left-handed pitching well for the 2013-14 A’s (.279/.326/.470 in 233 PAs), but his production evaporated at the Triple-A level last season when he hit just .220/.279/.321 in 305 PAs.
The Nationals acquired minor league catcher Martin Medina from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations, per Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. The 26-year-old was originally drafted by the White Sox in the 20th round back in 2011, but Chicago flipped him to Toronto last summer (also for cash considerations). He’s a career .244/.314/.334 hitter in the minors and has caught 30 percent of opposing base-stealers, but he’s yet to progress beyond the Double-A level.
Also via Eddy, the Braves have released right-hander Rob Wooten from Triple-A Gwinnett. The long-time Brewers reliever signed a minors pact with Atlanta this winter and had a nice showing with Gwinnett, yielding just three runs on seven hits and no walks with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. The rest of Wooten’s career has come with the Brewers organization. He owns a 4.07 ERA with 8.3 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 in 185 2/3 Triple-A innings and a 5.03 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 in 68 big league frames.
One more from Eddy, who adds that the Reds traded outfielder Pin-Chieh Chen to the Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations. The 24-year-old Chen, signed by the Cubs as a free agent out of Taiwan prior to the 2010 season, has climbed as high as Double-A in the minors, spending parts of four seasons at that level and compiling a .236/.344/.327 batting line there. Baseball America rated him as Chicago’s No. 31 prospect prior to the 2012 season but didn’t rise higher than that on their prospect rankings.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Cubs Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect