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Indians Release Dioner Navarro

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The Indians have released catcher Dioner Navarro, Baseball America’s Kegan Lowe reports.  Navarro signed a minor league deal with the Tribe last winter, and hit .211/.339/.274 over 115 plate appearances (in 29 games) for Triple-A Columbus.

It marked a return to affiliated baseball for Navarro, who sat out the 2017 season entirely due to family health reasons and whose 2018 action was limited to 20 games with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League and 22 games in the Venezuelan Winter League.  He’ll turn 36 in February, and seems to be in line for another minors contract this offseason in another veteran depth role.

Navarro hit .250/.309/.370 over 3351 Major League plate appearances for seven different teams from 2004-16.  The bulk (458) of his 1009 games came with the Rays, a stint that included an All-Star Game selection in 2008, though Navarro also saw regular or semi-regular duty as a member of the Dodgers, Cubs, and Blue Jays.

AL Central Notes: Colome, Ramirez, Twins

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In the wake of the Nationals’ dramatic NLDS victory over the Dodgers last night, it is perhaps fitting that October 10 marks another red-letter day in Washington baseball history….not to mention Minnesota baseball history.  It was on this day back in 1924 that the Twins won their first World Series, though they were still several decades away from becoming the Twins, as the franchise played in D.C. as the Washington Senators from 1901-1960.  The Senators beat the New York Giants in a dramatic Game Seven that lasted 12 innings, with the legendary Walter Johnson earning the win after tossing four shutout innings in relief.  1924 marked the franchise’s only Series title in Washington, as the Senators/Twins wouldn’t again win it all until 1987.

Some items from around the AL Central…

  • Though Alex Colome is projected to earn $10.3MM in salary next year, the Athletic’s James Fegan (subscription required) doesn’t think the high arbitration price tag will prevent the White Sox from bringing the closer back in 2020.  GM Rick Hahn indicated after the season that the performances of Colome and Aaron Bummer as Chicago’s late-game duo “makes you feel real good about their spot going forward,” and Fegan notes that the Sox likely wouldn’t have acquired Colome from the Mariners last winter if they were worried about paying him in 2020, given how save totals predictably lead to big raises for closers in the arbitration process.  Both advanced metrics (.215 BABIP, and a 2.64 wOBA that was far below his .324 xwOBA) and ERA predictors (4.08 FIP, 4.61 xFIP, 4.38 SIERA) indicated that Colome was rather fortunate to post his 2.80 ERA over 61 innings last season, so a non-tender or a trade is perhaps feasible if the White Sox felt a bigger course correction was on the way next year.
  • Jose Ramirez is open to playing either second base or third base next season, though he has told Indians management that he doesn’t want to shift between the two positions, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes.  Ramirez played exclusively at third base in 2019 and spent most of his time at the hot corner in 2018, though he moved over to second base late in the year to accommodate the Tribe’s acquisition of Josh Donaldson.  Ramirez also more or less split time between third (736 2/3 innings) and second (577 1/3 innings) in 2017 due to an injury to regular second baseman Jason Kipnis.  Over the last three seasons in question, Ramirez has been an above-average defender at third base as per the UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved metrics, while UZR/150 has been a bit less impressed with his work as a second baseman, though the 27-year-old is still overall pretty solid at the keystone.  “I think we’re comfortable that Jose can play both at a premium defensive quality,” manager Terry Francona said.  “I agree with him, going back and forth is hard, especially at this point in his career.”  Ramirez’s ability to handle either infield role gives Cleveland some flexibility in pursuing infield help this winter, assuming the team doesn’t rely on some combination of Yu Chang, Mike Freeman, Christian Arroyo, or Andrew Velazquez to handle the other position in 2020.
  • The Twins are already planning to chase some front-of-the-rotation pitchers this offseason, and Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune opines that outfielder Eddie Rosario could be “the logical trading chip” to try and land an arm.  Rosario hit .276/.300/.500 with 32 homers over 590 PA for Minnesota last season, and he has 83 total home runs over the last three seasons.  After posting a decent .326 OBP in 2017-18, however, Rosario had much more difficult getting on base this past year, and he also didn’t have a good defensive year as a left fielder (though he did fare much better defensively in 2018).  Trading Rosario would result in a projected starting outfield of Max Kepler, Byron Buxton, and Marwin Gonzalez, with top prospects Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach all potentially available as late-season call-ups.  More veteran outfield depth could also be added at a lower price than Rosario, who is projected to earn a hefty arbitration raise to $8.9MM, up significantly from his $4.19MM salary in 2019.

Quick Hits: Kluber, Freese, Kapler

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A quick look around Major League Baseball, which is now down to nine teams vying for a World Series…

  • With their season having ended earlier than expected, the Indians are now facing an important decision on star right-hander Corey Kluber, who has a $17.5MM club option (or a $1MM buyout) for 2020. As of Sunday, the club’s higher-ups and Kluber hadn’t discussed his future, he told Zack Meisel of The Athletic (subscription required). It’s hard to believe the Indians would buy Kluber out, though the two-time AL Cy Young winner is coming off an abbreviated season in which he struggled to a bloated 5.80 ERA (with a much better 4.06 FIP) in 35 2/3 innings. Kluber wasn’t able to make it back after suffering a right forearm fracture May 1, thereby ending a run of five straight seasons with 200-plus frames. Indians manager Terry Francona found a silver lining in Kluber’s truncated season and made it sound as if the longtime ace will stick with the club in 2020, saying: “Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise for next year. I mean, we leaned on him pretty heavy for six years.”
  • The Dodgers re-signed first baseman David Freese for $4.5MM last offseason, though the veteran nearly retired after their World Series loss to the Red Sox, per Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times. In the end, however, the “deep mutual interest” Freese and the Dodgers had in a reunion won out, Castillo writes. “I came back because this was everything I wanted to be a part of. And it was worth another year to get up for 180 games and just get after it,” said Freese, who, as Castillo details, seems universally respected in the organization. It doesn’t hurt that the 36-year-old has thrived with the bat this season, having batted a spectacular .315/.403/.599 with 11 home runs in 186 plate appearances. The former World Series hero with the Cardinals will have another chance at a memorable October this year, though this postseason could prove to be the end of the line for Freese, Castillo suggests.
  • It wouldn’t have been a surprise if the Phillies jettisoned maligned manager Gabe Kapler after their disappointing season ended Sunday. A couple days later, though, they still haven’t announced whether he’ll return for a third year. But it’s “likely” they’ll make Kapler’s fate known on Wednesday, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The Kapler-led Phillies just concluded a second straight season in which a summer implosion canceled out a promising start. Philadelphia went 80-82 under Kapler in 2018, and despite an incredibly active offseason, the club only mustered an 81-81 mark this year.

AL Notes: Carrasco, Thornton, Castro, Trumbo

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Carlos Carrasco’s health situation was one of MLB’s most-followed off-field storylines in 2019. Stunningly diagnosed with leukemia this summer, Carrasco made a heartwarming return to the mound September 1 in Tampa Bay and has made ten appearances out of Cleveland’s bullpen since. The 32 year-old father of five verbalized the ups-and-downs of the past five months in an emotional piece for the Players’ Tribune, emphasizing the importance of leaning on his wife Karelis, other family, and friends- inside and outside baseball- for support along the way. Encouragingly, the well-respected Carrasco says he’s “back to feeling 100%” and no doubt figures to be a foundational piece for both the Indians and the Cleveland community at large in the future. The moving and courageous piece, in which Carrasco discusses the gutwrenching decision he and Karelis confronted of whether to tell their children of his diagnosis, is worth a full read.

  • Turning to strictly on-field matters across the American League, it seems Trent Thornton has pitched his way into the Blue Jays’ rotation plans for 2020, writes Kaitlyn McGrath of the Athletic. The rookie overcame a dreadful start to his MLB career to log a team-high 154.1 innings, working to a 4.84 ERA with pedestrian strikeout (22%) and walk (9%) rates. As McGrath notes, Thornton’s changeup has given him problems in the past and developing consistency with the offering will be among his offseason priorities. Thornton’s profile doesn’t scream future ace, but his durability and high-spin fastball and curveball make him a logical fit for a Toronto rotation that is lacking in certainty and rich in opportunity.
  • Another rookie who could be positioned for playing time on a rebuilding team is Tigers infielder Willi Castro. A September call-up, Castro hasn’t gotten off to an especially rousing start to his MLB career. He has, though, impressed manager Ron Gardenhire, who tells Chris McCosky of the Detroit News Castro will have a chance to compete for the Tigers’ shortstop job in spring training. The 22 year-old, whom Detroit acquired from Cleveland in 2018 for Leonys Martín, ranks as Detroit’s #11 prospect, per Baseball America. He hit a solid .301/.366/.467 this season in his first extended action in Triple-A.
  • On the opposite side of the service time spectrum is Orioles DH Mark Trumbo, who discussed the forthcoming end of his three-year contract with Baltimore Baseball’s Rich Dubroff. The 33 year-old tells Dubroff he’ll take some time off at the end of the season and gauge how his body feels before determining if he wishes to come back in 2020. So continues a pattern of noncommital responses on his future from Trumbo, who has been hampered by right knee problems for the last year-plus. That injury history means Trumbo will probably have to settle for a minor-league contract with a spring training invite if he does decide to give playing another go.

Indians Activate Jose Ramirez

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Sept. 24: Cleveland has officially reinstated Ramirez from the injured list, per a club announcement.

Sept. 23: The Indians are expected to activate infielder Jose Ramirez from the injured list on Tuesday, manager Terry Francona told reporters this weekend (link via Mandy Bell of MLB.com). He’s been out since Aug. 26 due to a fractured hamate hook in his right hand, but he’ll beat even the optimistic end of his initially projected recovery period (five to seven weeks).

A healthy Ramirez — or even a mostly healthy Ramirez — will be a notable jolt to an Indians lineup that has been utilizing Mike Freeman, Ryan Flaherty, Andrew Velazquez and Yu Chang in the infield with both Ramirez and Jason Kipnis sidelined. (Kipnis suffered a hamate fracture of his own last week and will undergo surgery tomorrow.) While Ramirez started the season in a dreadful slump, he heated up along with the weather and has turned in a sensational .313/.360/.643 with 16 home runs, 22 doubles and three triples in 253 plate appearances since seeing his OPS bottom out at .586 in mid-June. In fairness to Freeman, he’s certainly held his own at the dish (.269/.366/.391 in 192 plate appearances), but few can stack up against Ramirez when he’s at his best.

Ramirez has experience at second base, but Francona was clear about the fact that he’ll remain at third base once he returns. “When he comes back, we’ll have six games left,” Francona said. “We’re just going to leave him right at third. That’s a big ask. That’s another transition that we don’t need to do.”

With the Twins’ magic number down to three and six game remaining, the Indians are in a virtual Wild-Card-or-bust scenario. They’re two games behind the A’s for top Wild Card billing and currently in a tie (92-64) with the Rays for the second spot. The Indians will finish out the year with three games in Chicago against the White Sox and three in D.C. against the Nationals. The Rays, meanwhile, have one more game to host against the Red Sox, two to host against the Yankees and will finish the year with a three-game set in Toronto. Oakland has two road games against the Halos and four in Seattle. The Twins play three in Detroit followed by three in Kansas City.

Jason Kipnis To Undergo Surgery On Tuesday

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Sept. 23: Kipnis will undergo surgery to repair the injury tomorrow, per Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Sept. 17: An MRI performed on Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis revealed a fracture in the hook of the hamate bone in his right wrist, the team announced Tuesday. The team is currently scheduling a followup appointment for him, but surgery is expected to be required, which would sideline Kipnis for four to six weeks and ostensibly remove any chance of him appearing in a potential postseason series. Cleveland has recalled infielder Andrew Velazquez to add some infield depth in the wake of the injury.

The injury not only brings an end to Kipnis’ 2019 season but could very well bring an end to his career with the only organization he’s ever known. Cleveland’s second-round pick in the 2009 draft, Kipnis was a heralded top prospect who made an immediate impact upon debuting in 2011 and eventually signed a six-year, $52.5MM contract extension covering the 2014-19 seasons. That contract carries a $16.5MM option for the 2020 season, but the Indians are likely to opt instead for a $2.5MM buyout given Kipnis’ recent decline. It’s possible that he could be brought back at a more affordable rate, but both he and the organization will be able to explore alternative options once he reaches free agency.

Kipnis, a two-time AL All-Star, signed the contract early in the 2014 campaign. At the time, he was a 27-year-old coming off a superlative .284/.355/.452 (130 OPS+) showing. He’d swatted 17 home runs, swiped 30 bases and played generally solid defense at second base during his breakout 2013 campaign and looked every bit the part of a potential building block in Cleveland. Injuries, namely an oblique strain, may have hampered Kipnis in 2014, as he floundered through a lackluster season. But he bounced back with a second All-Star nod in 2015 and turned in another strong effort in 2016. Between those two seasons, Kipnis batted a combined .289/.357/.460 with 32 home runs and 27 steals.

Since that time, it’s been a steady downhill trajectory for Kipnis, though. This season’s .245/.304/.410 slash is well below league-average production (84 OPS+), and dating back to 2017 he’s managed only a .236/.305/.403 output. Along the way, he’s been slowed by shoulder, hamstring and calf injuries in addition to his current wrist issue. He’ll quite likely hit the open market on the heels of that unproductive trio of seasons as he heads into his age-33 campaign, making a one-year deal the likeliest outcome for him.

The Indians, meanwhile, will look to a combination of Velazquez, Ryan Flaherty and Mike Freeman to pick up the slack at second base. Velazquez, who has a career .260/.316/.415 batting line in 163 games of Triple-A experience, is in the lineup and getting the nod tonight. He only appeared in a dozen games with Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate this season, spending the rest of the season in the Rays organization. Velazquez joined the Indians in an early July trade — he was injured at the time, hence the minimal time with Cleveland’s top affiliate — so he’d be postseason-eligible should the Indians secure a Wild Card spot and wish to carry him.

Latest On Jose Ramirez, Corey Kluber

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For those in need of further evidence that Indians infielder Jose Ramirez is composed of superlative DNA, consider that, according to today’s report from Mandy Bell of MLB.com, the injured star may be back in the lineup for tomorrow’s game against the Phillies (link). Before Saturday’s game, Ramirez took live batting practice, which could represent the final step in his recovery.

Just two days ago, MLBTR relayed that Ramirez–who fractured a hamate bone in late August–may have been ready to return for next week’s series against the White Sox. That the 27-year-old would make it back even sooner than that is a testament to both his toughness and some impressively resilient bones. Though he hasn’t played at the halcyon level we saw from him in 2018, Ramirez has still graded out as an above-average regular to this point in 2019, with a .254/.325/.463 slash line, 20 homers, and 24 steals through 126 games.

Team prez Chris Antonetti also gave an update to Bell on the progress of ailing starter Corey Kluber, who long-tossed from 120 feet on Friday. In short, the club isn’t ruling out Kluber’s return this year–even if their playoff rotation remains unsettled in a heated race for the AL Wild Card.

“Yes, [Kluber] could fit in,” Antonetti told Bell. “I think how far [the season] goes obviously has an impact on that…I’d love for him to be pitching Game 7 of the World Series. That’s a good outcome for us.”

Kluber, 33, fractured his forearm on May 1 and suffered a strained left oblique in his comeback bid on Aug. 18. The former Cy Young winner has pitched to a 5.80 ERA (4.06 FIP) through 35.2 innings this year, with 9.59 K/9 and 3.79 BB/9 marks.

Injury Notes: Cain, Segura, Hand, Betts, Upton

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The latest on several notable injury situations from around the league…

  • Lorenzo Cain was forced out of the Brewers’ game Thursday afternoon due to left ankle discomfort, the team announced.  Cain hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, but was replaced by Trent Grisham in center field in the top of the fifth.  Injuries have plagued Cain all season, as thumb, wrist, and oblique problems have contributed to his career-worst 76 wRC+ (from a .251/.316/.357 slash line and 10 homers) over 592 plate appearances. He’s “greatly wobbled,” per Tom Haudricourt of the Miilwaukee Journal, who adds that Cain could undergo more tests.
  • Phillies shortstop Jean Segura exited the team’s loss to Atlanta with a left hamstring cramp, Matt Gelb of The Athletic relays. The severity’s unknown as of now, Gelb notes. One of many big-ticket offseason acquisitions for the Phillies, Segura has produced a respectable 2.6 fWAR in 593 plate appearances, but he hasn’t been as effective as he was with the Diamondbacks and Mariners from 2016-18.
  • Indians closer Brad Hand threw a “really good” bullpen session Wednesday, manager Terry Francona said, though it’s still unclear when he’ll be able to return (via Mandy Bell of MLB.com). It was the first bullpen for Hand during his absence from a fatigued arm, which dates back to Sept. 8. Things have gone well to this point for the Hand-less Indians, as they’ve gone 7-2 since he last pitched and only needed saves in two of those wins (one apiece from Adam Cimber and Oliver Perez).
  • There’s nothing meaningful left to play for this year for the Red Sox, though banged up right fielder Mookie Betts still doesn’t plan to shut it down, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes. The reigning AL MVP, who hasn’t played since Sept. 12 on account of left foot inflammation, is aiming to come back during a four-game series in Tampa Bay that begins Friday. Betts wouldn’t line up in the field during that set, though, as the Red Sox don’t want to risk running him out there on turf. Meanwhile, reliever Heath Hembree is progressing from elbow problems and could come off the IL next week. Hembree’s balky elbow has forced him to the shelf twice this year and stopped him from pitching since Aug. 1.
  • Angels left fielder Justin Upton will undergo a platelet-rich plasma injection Friday, per Bill Ladson of MLB.com. The hope is that it’ll aid Upton in overcoming the pain in his right knee – a joint that has bothered him since spring training. The eliminated Angels shut Upton down for the season last week after injuries helped limit the normally terrific hitter to a .215/.309/.416 line with 12 home runs in 256 plate appearances.

Latest On Jose Ramirez

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The Indians took a massive hit in late August when third baseman Jose Ramirez fractured the hamate bone in his right hand. Now, with the Indians fighting for a wild-card spot in the American League, Ramirez is working toward a regular-season return. There’s at least a possibility he’ll back for the team’s road series against the White Sox next week, Mandy Bell of MLB.com writes. That would give Ramirez a chance to play in the final six games on the Indians’ schedule.

The injury to Ramirez has been part of a long line of health issues for this year’s Indians, who look as if they will fail to take the AL Central for the first time since 2015. Ramirez’s aggregate production hasn’t come close to where it was from 2017-18, which is one reason they’re four games back of the Twins in their division, though he did recover from a brutally slow start this season before landing on the injured list. The 27-year-old switch-hitter owns a .254/.325/.463 line with 20 home runs, 24 stolen bases and 3.0 fWAR in 532 plate appearances, so he has certainly remained a quality player in 2019.

To its credit, Cleveland has more than hung in the AL playoff race sans Ramirez, having gone 13-9 dating back to his Aug. 24 injury. The Indians just defeated the Tigers, so they’ll be tied with the Rays for the AL’s last wild-card spot heading into Friday.

The Ramirez-less Indians have largely turned to Yu Chang at third base with Mike Freeman and Ryan Flaherty also seeing time at the position. Nobody from that trio comes with a ton of upside, though, and with the Indians having lost second baseman Jason Kipnis to a season-ending hamate fracture this week, it’s all the more important for their infield to get Ramirez back as soon as possible.

Injury Notes: Turner, Kipnis, Kimbrel, Gsellman

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Justin Turner is expected to return to the Dodgers’ lineup on Tuesday, MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick tweets.  The third baseman hasn’t played since September 7 due to a left ankle sprain, so it will end up being a seven-game absence for Turner.  Still one of the game’s better hitters (.291/.370/.514 with 27 homers in 538 PA) in his age 34 season, Turner is likely to get further rest time over the last couple of weeks if necessary, as the Dodgers obviously want him fully healthy and prepared for the postseason. [UPDATE: Turner’s return on Tuesday isn’t a sure thing, as manager Dave Roberts told the Los Angeles Times’ Jorge Castillo and other media that Turner’s ankle is still bothering him.]

The Dodgers have long since punched their ticket for October, but let’s check in some teams still fighting to reach the playoffs and dealing with some injuries along the way…

  • Jason Kipnis will receive an MRI on Monday after leaving today’s game due to discomfort in his right wrist, as per multiple reporters (including MLB.com’s Mandy Bell).  Kipnis has been battling tendinitis in the wrist and missed a few games with the ailment earlier this month.  If Kipnis is forced to miss time, he’ll be not only miss some of the stretch run of the Indians’ pennant race, but also potentially his last two weeks in a Cleveland uniform.  The former All-Star has hit only .245/.304/.410 over 511 plate appearances as the Tribe’s regular second baseman, and after three straight years of subpar batting numbers, it is widely expected that the team will decline its $16.5MM option on Kipnis’ services for 2020.
  • Craig Kimbrel had no setbacks during a 20-pitch bullpen session today, Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters.  Right elbow inflammation has kept Kimbrel on the shelf since September 1, though he is now tentatively slated to toss a simulated-game scenario against hitters later this week.  Theo Epstein said earlier in the weekend that the Cubs are “pretty optimistic” that Kimbrel can return before the end of the season, but nothing is yet certain about the closer’s status.
  • Mets manager Mickey Callaway told Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News and other reporters that there is “no timeline” on a potential return for Robert Gsellman, though they “haven’t ruled out him coming back” in 2019.  A partial lat tear seemingly ended Gsellman’s season back in mid-August, though the reliever has been playing toss with no ill effects reported.  With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, the odds are still against Gsellman getting back into New York’s bullpen, though there’s at least some hope now rather than last month’s more grim diagnosis.
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