AL News & Rumors: Astros, Tigers, ChiSox, Jays
There remains an outside chance that Houston will trade for Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander this month, as the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo hears from major league sources that the Astros haven’t closed the door on acquiring the fireballer. There have been a slew of reports since last month on the possibility of Verlander going to the Astros, including one from FanRag’s Jon Heyman earlier this week. A source told Heyman that negotiations between the two teams had been “put to bed.” For his part, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow doesn’t expect to make a big acquisition before the month’s out. To land Verlander, who’s still due around $7MM this season and another $56MM from 2018-19, the Luhnow-led Astros would need to take on the majority of his contract and “give up a few prospects,” Cafardo writes. Not all prospects are created equally, of course, and the Tigers want legitimate young talent in return for the longtime ace and franchise icon, per various reports.
More from the American League:
- Left fielder Justin Upton, another of the Tigers’ high-priced veterans, currently doesn’t plan to opt out of his contract in the offseason, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (via Twitter). A change of heart, which could happen given Upton’s superlative production and the Tigers’ rebuilding status, would mean walking away from the guaranteed $88MM he’s due through 2021. The soon-to-be 30-year-old Upton wasn’t great in 2016, the first season of the $132.75MM accord, but has rebounded to slash an excellent .283/.367/.542 with 25 home runs, 10 stolen bases and 4.0 fWAR through 479 plate appearances in the current campaign.
- Right-hander Lucas Giolito will make his White Sox debut Tuesday with a start against the Twins, relays Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). The Sox acquired Giolito and a pair of fellow pitching prospects, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning, from the Nationals last winter for outfielder Adam Eaton. Giolito has since turned in 128 2/3 Triple-A innings of 4.48 ERA ball, to go with 9.37 K/9, 4.13 BB/9 and a 44.4 percent ground-ball rate. Once among the game’s most celebrated prospects, the big 23-year-old has lost some luster over the past couple seasons, though he still factors into the summer top 100 lists of FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen (No. 35), MLB.com (No. 59) and Baseball America (No. 75).
- Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi profiles Blue Jays outfield prospect Teoscar Hernandez, whom the team acquired from the Astros for left-hander Francisco Liriano last month. Hernandez actually made his major league debut in Toronto in August 2016 and collected his first hit, a home run, against Liriano. The Dominican Republic native then called his mother and told her he’d love to play for Toronto eventually. Unsurprisingly, then, Hernandez reacted with elation when Astros assistant GM Mike Elias broke the news of the trade to him. “He told me I just got traded for Francisco Liriano and when first he told me that, I was like, ‘Really? Is this happening?’” Hernandez said. “Then I felt so happy. I don’t know why. My first reaction was like the same one when I got called up (to the majors) last year – I was so excited.” Hernandez, 24, has played with Triple-A Buffalo – not Toronto – since the deal, but rival executives Davidi polled expect him to at least serve as a quality fourth outfielder for the Jays.
Minor MLB Transactions: White Sox, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Mariners
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.
- The White Sox have announced that they’ve placed righty Reynaldo Lopez on the 10-day DL with a strained back. To take his place on the active roster, they’ve selected the contract of veteran righty Danny Farquhar. The extent of Lopez’s injury is unclear, although he left Thursday’s game with soreness in his ribcage, as MLB.com’s Scott Merkin notes. Farquhar pitched 35 innings in Tampa Bay’s bullpen earlier this season, posting a 4.11 ERA, 8.5 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9 before being released.
- The Blue Jays have announced that they’ve selected the contract of lefty T.J. House, optioning lefty Tim Mayza to Triple-A Buffalo to clear space. The 27-year-old House had pitched 130 2/3 innings in Buffalo’s rotation, posting a 4.27 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9, though he’s expected to pitch in relief in this stint in the big leagues. He appeared in the Majors with Cleveland each of the last three seasons, making 18 big-league starts in 2014.
- The Jays also announced that they outrighted catcher Mike Ohlman to Buffalo. Ohlman was pressed into duty after a series of injuries to Jays catchers (including Russell Martin, Miguel Montero and Luke Maile) but was designated for assignment when Montero returned last week. The 26-year-old Ohlman collected 13 plate appearances with the Jays this year.
- The Cardinals have announced that they’ve selected the contract of righty Josh Lucas, optioning fellow righty Mike Mayers (who allowed five runs against Pittsburgh yesterday) to Triple-A Memphis to clear space. The 26-year-old Lucas is a former 21st-round pick and took a slow path through the minors, but he’s generally fared well since converting to relief in 2014, and this year he’s posted a 3.34 ERA, 10.3 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 56 2/3 innings with Memphis.
- The Mariners have signed lefty Ashur Tolliver to a minor-league deal, according to an announcement from the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, to whom he’s been assigned. This will be Tolliver’s second stint with the Travelers — he briefly pitched for them last season, when they were an Angels affiliate. The Astros released Tolliver last week after he posted a 7.13 ERA, 7.1 K/9 and an alarming 8.4 BB/9 in 35 1/3 innings of relief with Triple-A Fresno. The 29-year-old has pitched brief big-league stints for Baltimore and Houston the past two seasons.
- The Phillies have announced that they’ve outrighted righty Pedro Beato to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. They designated Beato for assignment when they selected Pedro Florimon‘s contract last week. Beato pitched just once for the Phillies before heading to the DL with a hamstring strain. He’s posted a 3.65 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 49 1/3 innings in Lehigh Valley’s bullpen this year.
- The Athletics have outrighted righty Zach Neal, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The A’s designated Neal on Wednesday when they added lefty Sam Moll to their roster. The 28-year-old Neal struggled in 14 2/3 innings with the big club, posting a 7.98 ERA and five home runs allowed, albeit with ten strikeouts and just one walk. He has pitched 74 innings this year for Triple-A Nashville (including making 12 starts), with a 4.99 ERA and just 4.3 K/9, although with a very good 1.0 BB/9.
Players Clearing Revocable Waivers: Thursday
As August wears on, more and more players are being put through revocable trade waivers. Here’s today’s list of names that have not only been placed on revocable waivers but have also gone unclaimed and are now free to be traded to any team…
- White Sox starters Derek Holland, Miguel Gonzalez and James Shields have all cleared revocable waivers, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. It’s almost impossible to see Shields moving anywhere, as the White Sox are still on the hook for $14.5MM of Shields’ contract through the end of the 2018 season. Shields has posted a 5.90 ERA in 68 2/3 innings this season. It’s at least feasible that Holland and/or Gonzalez could move, though. While neither would fetch a significant return, Holland has held lefties to a putrid .216/.279/.333 slash and could be viewed as a bullpen option at the least, if not as a simple innings eater for a club with a comfortable division lead. That latter label could also be applied to Gonzalez, who has a 4.67 ERA with 5.2 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 39.2 percent ground-ball rate in 113 1/3 innings this year. Gonzalez has turned in a 3.60 ERA over his past six starts, though peripheral metrics don’t support the uptick in ERA. Holland is on a one-year, $6MM deal, while Gonzalez is on a very similar one-year, $5.9MM pact.
- Heyman also reports that a quartet of expensive Tigers veterans — Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Anibal Sanchez and Jordan Zimmermann — has cleared waivers as well. It’s not a surprise at all to see any of those four clear, given the sizable contracts to which each is signed. Each has struggled in 2017 (Zimmermann and Martinez in particular), and no one from that group is going anywhere. Martinez is owed $18MM next year, while Zimmermann is owed $74MM from 2018-20. Cabrera, who is hitting .255/.343/.408 in 2017, is owed a staggering $192MM from 2018-23. Sanchez, meanwhile, is a free agent after this season and is owed the remainder of a $16MM salary plus a $5MM buyout on his 2018 option. He has a 6.95 ERA on the season and a 6.19 ERA since being recalled from Triple-A earlier this summer.
You can see a full list of players that are known to have cleared revocable waivers here, and those seeking a refresher on the intricacies of the waiver process can check out MLBTR’s August trade primer.
Astros Acquire Tyler Clippard
AUG. 16: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Astros sent $1MM to the White Sox in the trade, which covers the bulk of Clippard’s remaining contract. (Clippard was owed a total of roughly $1.14MM at the time of the trade.)
AUG. 13: The Astros have acquired reliever Tyler Clippard from the White Sox for a player to be named later or cash considerations, according to announcements from both teams.
[Updated Astros & White Sox Depth Charts]
This is the second trade of the season involving the 32-year-old Clippard, who went from the Yankees to the White Sox last month in a deal that saw major leaguers David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Todd Frazier head to New York. Clippard struggled to prevent runs this year as a Yankee, with whom he pitched to a 4.95 ERA over 36 1/3 innings, in part because of a bloated walk rate (4.77 per nine). Clippard did post a 10.44 K/9 with the Yankees, though, and allowed just two earned runs in 10 frames with the White Sox. The right-hander also added 12 strikeouts against five walks during that span.
The Astros have been quiet this summer in terms of trades, with longtime starter and now-reliever Francisco Liriano serving as their most prominent in-season acquisition. And while the Astros possess the best record in the American League, 72-45, and a bullpen that ranks fifth in the majors in fWAR (4.9), their relief corps has scuffled of late. Over the past 30 days, Houston’s bullpen has logged the league’s sixth-worst ERA (4.96).
Considering he has been successful with multiple teams as both a setup man and a closer since debuting in 2007, Clippard may help the Astros overcome their recent issues. However, as someone who generates a lot of fly balls (his 52.1 percent FB rate ranks fourth worst among relievers), Clippard might not be a great fit for home run-friendly Minute Maid Park. Nevertheless, he’ll slot into a bullpen that currently features a few other proven options – Ken Giles, Chris Devenski and Luke Gregerson – and has seen youngster Joe Musgrove dominate. The team could also be close to welcoming back Will Harris, who has been on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation since July 28.
For the White Sox, parting with Clippard likely wasn’t an especially difficult decision. The rebuilding club has been selling off veterans dating back to last winter, after all, and Clippard’s an impending free agent whom Chicago acquired in large part to help balance out money in its trade with the Yankees. Clippard is on a $4.25MM salary and is due roughly $1.14MM of that through season’s end.
Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network first reported that the Astros were trying to acquire Clippard (Twitter link). Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweeted that a trade was close. FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweeted that Clippard was indeed on his way to the Astros. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/16/17
Here are some of the latest minor moves from around the game, courtesy of Baseball America’s Matt Eddy except where otherwise noted:
- The Mariners outrighted right-hander Christian Bergman to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, per a club announcement. Bergman, 29, had the right to opt for free agency now or at the end of the season; given that he’s now listed on Tacoma’s roster, it seems he’ll wait and consider the latter option when the time comes. Bergman, 29, has thrown 51 1/3 innings on the year for Seattle, working to a 4.91 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
- Outfielder Daniel Robertson will return to the Indians on a minors deal after being designated for assignment and then released, the club announced. The 31-year-old has appeared in each of the past four MLB campaigns — each time with a different team. This year, he took 88 plate appearances for Cleveland, slashing .225/.287/.338. While it’s not clear whether Robertson will factor at the major league level again this year, the fleet-footed, high-contact 31-year-old could conceivably make for a useful bench piece once rosters expand in September.
- The Diamondbacks have added right-handers Andury Acevedo and Louis Coleman on minors deals. Acevedo, who’ll soon turn 27, was intriguing enough to land a 40-man spot with the Cubs a few years back, but has yet to show any consistency on the mound in the upper minors. As for Coleman, who threw 48 innings of 4.69 ERA ball last year for the Dodgers, he’ll return to Arizona after briefly testing the open market. He has worked to a 2.05 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 over 57 innings this year in stints with the D-Backs’ and Reds’ top affiliates.
- Heading to the Reds on a minors deal is slugging outfielder Adam Walker. He has bounced around via waiver claims and minor-league deals of late, seeing time in three organizations thus far in 2017. All told, he has compiled a tepid .185/.220/.410 batting line — with a dozen home runs but also 88 strikeouts against just ten walks — in his 241 plate appearances in the upper minors.
- The White Sox released infielder Grant Green, who had previously seen brief action in the majors this year with the Nationals. On the season, Green owns an overall .232/.306/.300 slash over 245 plate appearances at the Triple-A level with those two organizations. The 29-year-old was once considered a notable possible contributor with the Athletics and Angels, but has managed only a .248/.283/.336 batting line in his 353 trips to the plate in the majors.
- Six-year MLB veteran Collin Cowgill has been released by the Padres. Cowgill, 31, joined the organization on a minors deal over the winter, but never earned a crack at a return to the majors. He carries a .235/.297/.390 slash through 220 plate appearances
- Finally, the Rangers have released lefty Bobby LaFromboise and righty Jaye Chapman. The former has made 27 MLB appearances and shown some intriguing numbers at times, but struggled last year at Triple-A with the Phillies and was sidelined for much of the current season. The 30-year-old Chapman, meanwhile, is looking to work back toward the majors for the first time since his lone stint back in 2012. But he was hit hard in his 36 2/3 innings at Triple-A Round Rock, with a 6.63 ERA and 6.9 K/9 against 5.2 BB/9.
White Sox Recently Extended Kenny Williams, Rick Hahn
Earlier this summer, the White Sox extended the contracts of executive vice president Kenny Williams and general manager Rick Hahn, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports in the course of a lengthy interview with long-time club owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Precise terms are not known, but both have received new long-term deals, per the report. Reinsdorf also discussed the organization’s current rebuilding efforts in a piece that’s well worth a full read.
Both executives are longstanding members of the organization. Williams played with the White Sox, joined the club as a scout in 1992, and has steadily climbed the ranks ever since. He took the GM seat in 2000, helping to engineer the club’s 2005 World Series-winning roster, and left it with a move further upstairs twelve years later.
Hahn took the baton from Williams as GM in 2012 and has held that role since. He originally joined the South Siders when Williams took over the baseball operations, moving to the organization after a stint as a sports agent. He quickly rose to become the assistant GM and was long seen as an eventual successor.
In recent years, that pair of top baseball decisionmakers oversaw the construction and then dismantling of a strong core of young talent. High-end, controllable players such as Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, and Adam Eaton seemingly gave the club a chance at a nice window of contention, and it spent big on complementary veterans (through trade and free agency) to put a winner on the field. Those efforts failed to come to fruition, though, and the Sox haven’t posted a .500 record since 2012.
With evident needs all over the roster after a disappointing 2016 campaign, Reinsdorf authorized a dedicated sell-off. Sale and Eaton were moved in successive Winter Meetings blockbusters. Quintana went this summer to the cross-town Cubs. And ensuing deals saw David Robertson, Todd Frazier, Melky Cabrera, and Tommy Kahnle swapped out for young talent.
While Reinsdorf says it was “very tough” to go through that process, particularly given that he’s 81 years old, he tells Nightengale that he determined he has “an obligation to do what’s right for the fans.” It was particularly difficult to boost the Cubs by sending them Quintana, he noted, though again he cited the need to focus on his own organization’s needs. “I know the White Sox fans will be upset if Quintana pitches them to the World Series,” says Reinsdorf, “but I also know we got their two best prospects.’’
Since embarking upon this new path, the White Sox have compiled one of the game’s top farm systems. In addition to the numerous youngsters added via trade, Chicago inked highly rated Cuban prospect Luis Robert and is on course to score a top draft choice next year. The club’s most intriguing new assets litter top-100 prospect ranking lists, and several — including Yoan Moncada and Reynaldo Lopez — have already earned promotions to the majors.
Turning that aggregation of young talent into a successful MLB roster, of course, will still require a concerted effort. The Sox currently own an ugly 45-71 record and will face many challenges in player development and, eventually, further roster maneuvering designed to supplement the hoped-for new core. More immediately, the team’s top decisionmakers will need to consider trades involving players such as Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia, each of whom has played well this year and can be controlled for two more seasons via arbitration.
There’s mostly a blank slate on future salary commitments, though, which will surely aid the undertaking. After pushing payroll to north of $130MM by the end of 2016, the front office has pared things back to the point that the recent extension of shortstop Tim Anderson stands as the only significant remaining long-term commitment.
East Notes: Yankees, Mets, Nava, Orioles, De Leon
Both the Yankees and Mets acted rationally with their approaches in trades this summer, opines Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Yankees showed a willingness to deal from the middle range of their considerable prospect depth to avoid luxury taxation, as they did with the Jaime Garcia trade and reportedly tried to do in their pursuits of Jay Bruce and Neil Walker. Sherman writes that the Yankees asked the Mets to eat $2.7MM of the remaining $3.7MM on Bruce’s contract in exchange for two prospects. The Mets clearly didn’t deem the difference between that pair and Ryder Ryan (whom they acquired from the Indians for Bruce) to be sizable enough to eat that cash. While many Mets fans chastise the organization for not spending, Sherman points out that the Mets have taken on salary (Bruce, Addison Reed, Yoenis Cespedes) in recent years. They’ve also already begun spending for 2018, Sherman adds, pointing to the acquisition of AJ Ramos. In that sense, saving money in trades to better stock the team’s offseason war chest could have relatively immediate impact on the team’s fortunes. Of course, it remains to be seen how their offseason plays out.
A bit more from the game’s Eastern divisions…
- The Phillies announced tonight that outfielder Daniel Nava has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a lower back strain. The veteran Nava’s injury is especially noteworthy given the fact that he seemed a logical August trade candidate for the Phils. The 33-year-old switch-hitter hasn’t done much against left-handed pitching this year — he’s always been weaker as a right-handed bat — but he’s clubbed righty pitching at a .347/.427.492 clip through 143 PAs and could’ve been a solid bench addition for a contender. There’s still time for Nava to get back and demonstrate his health to interested parties, but his back injury clearly diminishes the chances of a trade.
- Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com writes that Orioles GM Dan Duquette has a long history of making August deals — six in the past five years — but opines that there’s not much worth pursuing for the O’s this summer. Baltimore’s greatest need is starting pitching, but the remaining available arms are mostly fringe fifth starters that don’t represent a clear upgrade over the Orioles’ current options. Nonetheless, Connolly states that he does find it likely that Duquette and his staff make some kind of move, noting that the Orioles have “always had a little interest in” Derek Holland and are quite familiar with Miguel Gonzalez — both currently pitching for the rebuilding White Sox. I’d agree with Connolly that neither seems to represent an upgrade, though the O’s could probably acquire either pitcher primarily in exchange for salary relief.
- Rays right-hander Jose De Leon is on the minor league disabled list for the third time this season, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. De Leon, who has previously dealt with forearm/flexor issues, now has tendinitis in his right elbow, per Topkin. It’s been a frustrating first season with the Rays organization for De Leon — a highly touted pitching prospect that was acquired in a straight-up swap that sent Logan Forsythe to the Dodgers. De Leon has appeared in just one big league game with the Rays and has only 38 1/3 minor league innings under his belt, though he’s logged a 3.05 ERA with 44-to-16 K/BB ratio in the minors when healthy.
AL Central Notes: Kinsler, Perkins, White Sox, Chisenhall, Brantley
After being tossed from yesterday’s game, Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler was blunt (to say the least) when voicing his displeasure with veteran umpire Angel Hernandez today (via Chris McCosky of the Detroit News and Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press). “I don’t know how, for as many years he’s been in the league, that he can be that bad,” said Kinsler of Hernandez’s strike zone. “He needs to reevaluate his career choice, he really does. Bottom line. … He’s changing the game. He needs to find another job.” Kinsler was tossed mid-at-bat for questioning Hernandez’s strike zone, though as he tells it, he never cursed at the umpire. Kinsler also recalled a story from his rookie season in which he was repeatedly “screamed” at by Hernandez for blocking Hernandez’s view on a play at first base.
It’s far from the first time that Hernandez has been called out by a player, though Kinsler’s vitriolic comments — there are many more in the columns from McCosky and Fenech — are likely the most extreme case you’ll see anytime soon. The Tigers’ second baseman acknowledged that he’ll likely be disciplined for his outburst but didn’t let that serve as a deterrent in sounding off: “No one in this game wants [him] behind the plate any more, none of the players.”
More from the division…
- Former Twins closer Glen Perkins joined the Twins in Minneapolis tonight after a rehab stint in Double-A Chattanooga, writes La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, but Perkins has not yet been activated from the disabled list. Perkins is with the team, but the Twins are waiting to formally make a move regarding him, per Neal. The Twins technically still have until Aug. 21 to activate Perkins if they wish to get him more than the 7 1/3 innings he’s thrown on his rehab assignment thus far, and Neal notes that he could either throw live batting practice in Minneapolis or join Triple-A Rochester for another outing or two. That Perkins is even emerging as a consideration at all is significant; the former All-Star has pitched just two innings since 2015 due to a significant shoulder injury that required surgery last summer.
- White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf spoke with Bob Nightengale of USA Today about the difficult decision to give GM Rick Hahn and his staff the green-light for a full rebuild of the team. “What made it hard for me was my age,” said Reinsdorf. “I’m 81 years old. How long am I going to be around, right? … The decision I made was that I can’t be a factor in this thing. As the owner of this team, I have an obligation to do what’s right for the fans. The real owner of a team is the fans, the owner is a custodian.” Reinsdorf acknowledges that the closely bunched group of teams in the American League suggests that the ChiSox might have had a chance for a Wild Card spot had they kept Chris Sale and Adam Eaton this offseason and made one more attempt at contending. However, he also adds that his ultimate goal of building a perennial contender for White Sox fans and the haul of young talent Hahn & Co. have acquired leaves him with no regrets about the rebuilding decision.
- The Indians‘ acquisition of Jay Bruce could push the injured Lonnie Chisenhall from right field to left field once he’s activated from the DL, writes MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. Cleveland has a left field vacancy of sorts at the moment due to Michael Brantley‘s ankle injury, and Bastian writes that there’s currently no timetable for Brantley’s return. Per manager Terry Francona, Brantley is still in a walking boot and is still “in the healing stages” of his recovery from a sprained right ankle. Chisenhall has never even played a full inning in left field as a big leaguer, but he made a smooth transition from third base to right field and has graded out as an above-average defender there since 2015, per Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved.
AL Central Notes: Verlander, Miller, Lopez, Sox
Too often overlooked in the general talk about Justin Verlander‘s contract serving as an impediment to a theoretical trade is the amount of leverage that Verlander’s no-trade clause gives him, opines ESPN’s Buster Olney. Verlander currently can’t become a free agent until after his age-36 season, but his recent return to form would give him the ability to hold out for a contract extension in order to green-light a move to another club. (One middle ground, speculatively speaking, could be to push for his $22MM vesting option for the 2020 season to be exercised in advance.) A strong finish could make that all the more true if the Tigers hold him and look to move him this offseason. Verlander’s last seven starts have resulted in a 1.71 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9, though he’s still received some help in terms of BABIP (.229) and strand rate (91 percent) in that time.
More from the AL Central…
- Andrew Miller is scheduled to make a minor league rehab assignment on Wednesday this week, and the Indians are expecting him to need just one appearance before being activated, per Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. If all goes well, that seems to point to a total of roughly two weeks on the shelf for Miller, who hit the disabled list back on Aug. 3. Hoynes also notes that outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall began a rehab assignment on Sunday, so he could return from a lengthier absence (on the disabled list since July 9) in the relatively near future as well.
- The White Sox will monitor Reynaldo Lopez‘s workload over the rest of the season, manager Rick Renteria tells Brian Sandalow of the Chicago Sun-Times, though the skipper declined to divulge a specific innings cap on the ballyhooed young righty. “I think everybody is very cognizant of pitch counts,” said Renteria. “Like we talked about last night, he has wipeout type stuff. He can strike out a lot of guys. Those guys tend to elevate in their pitch counts sometimes. We will be mindful of that.” Lopez totaled 153 1/3 innings between the Majors, Triple-A and Double-A last season. He’s currently pitched 127 innings between Triple-A Charlotte and his lone start with the ChiSox.
- Following last night’s trade of Tyler Clippard to the Astros, the White Sox don’t have a single player on their roster with a save in 2017, as MLB.com’s Scott Merkin points out. Clippard, David Robertson, Dan Jennings, Tommy Kahnle and Anthony Swarzak have all been dealt to other clubs in the past five weeks, while excellent setup man Nate Jones is out for the remainder of the 2017 season. Merkin suggests that Jake Petricka and rookies Brad Goldberg and Aaron Bummer could all be candidates to get some save opportunities. Petricka, who has 16 career saves after spending part of the 2014 season as Chicago’s primary stopper, seems to be the logical candidate for saves of that bunch. However, each of the three has struggled considerably at the big league level in 2017. Of the others currently in the South Siders’ bullpen (depth chart), Greg Infante and Juan Minaya have had the best results this season.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Blue Jays, White Sox, Brewers, Gray
Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada drew “virtually no interest” in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Estrada has been at top form since then, however, making it likely someone will claim the impending free agent on revocable waivers this month, a rival executive told Rosenthal (Twitter link). The Jays placed Estrada on waivers Friday, per Rosenthal, though he adds that they’re not bent on trading the 34-year-old unless a solid offer comes along. Because Toronto still has a shred of playoff hope and is averaging almost 40,000 fans per home game, it’s not ready to wave the white flag.
More from Rosenthal:
- The rebuilding White Sox are still deciding on the futures of first baseman Jose Abreu and outfielder Avisail Garcia, says Rosenthal. As a bat-first type who doesn’t play a premium position and will turn 31 in January, Abreu would be the harder of the two to trade, observes Rosenthal, who also points out that he’s not cheap ($11MM salary in 2017 with two arbitration trips left). With that in mind, the White Sox could end up keeping the veteran around as a lineup anchor and a mentor to their younger players, including fellow Cubans Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert. Garcia, meanwhile, is amid a career year and still fairly young (26), so he could be an extension candidate if the White Sox don’t “trade him at peak value,” suggests Rosenthal. Garcia’s making a reasonable $3MM this season and, like Abreu, has two arb-eligible years remaining.
- Contrary to a report last month, the Brewers’ unwillingness to part with high-end outfield prospect Lewis Brinson did not kill their chances of landing righty Sonny Gray from the Athletics, according to Rosenthal. The A’s would have accepted a package of other prospects from the Brewers’ talented farm system, relays Rosenthal, but the two sides still couldn’t work out a deal leading up to July 31. Oakland ultimately sent Gray to the Yankees for a trio of prospects on deadline day, officially ending any chance of the Brewers acquiring him.