Indians Move Danny Salazar To Bullpen
The Indians are moving right-hander Danny Salazar to the bullpen, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Salazar lasted just two-thirds of an inning in his first start off the disabled list due to inflammation in his right elbow.
To call the 2017 campaign and up-and-down year for Salazar would be an understatement. The 27-year-old pitched poorly through the season’s first two months before a brief move to the ‘pen followed by a subsequent placement on the disabled list for shoulder fatigue. He returned roughly six weeks later and looked like the Salazar of old — dominating hitters and racking up prodigious strikeout totals. From July 22 through Aug. 15, Salazar tossed 32 1/3 innings with a minuscule 1.39 ERA and a gaudy 46-to-9 K/BB ratio. Salazar surrendered only five runs in those 32 1/3 frames, but he allowed six runs in his next start (4 2/3 innings) before landing back on the DL.
Salazar’s move to the relief corps points to a rotation consisting of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Mike Clevinger and Josh Tomlin down the stretch, though manager Terry Francona did tell Hoynes that the team will try to get Salazar a two- or three-inning appearance in the near future. That could give Salazar an opportunity to stretch back out for the postseason, but he could also simply be multi-inning weapon for October if he takes to his new role well and remains healthy.
Looking beyond the 2017 season, the injuries and the late move to the bullpen this year figure to hamper his arbitration earnings. Salazar avoided arbitration as a Super Two player for the first time last winter, agreeing to a fairly sizable $3.4MM salary. He’ll still receive a raise on that figure for the 2018 season, but the extent of that salary increase will be reduced thanks to his limited innings and lack of productivity for much of the year. Cleveland controls Salazar through the 2020 season, and he’ll be arbitration-eligible a total of three more times (including this upcoming offseason).
AL Notes: Astros, Salazar, Profar, Travis
The Astros have reallocated resources away from traditional scouting roles to newer methods of assessing talent, most notably eliminating eight positions recently. It’s a move that could signal yet another stage of development in the now-ensconced analytical revolution, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic explores in detail through conversations with numerous key industry figures (subscription required and recommended). Houston is one of a few teams drawing back on the live-game player analysis of pro scouting. That said, per Rosenthal, other clubs have increased their staff sizes, making for a multitude of approaches around the game. The piece is essential reading for baseball fans.
Here are some more notes from the American League:
- Danny Salazar‘s first start upon returning from the disabled list lasted just two-third of an inning and put his spot in the Indians‘ postseason rotation in question, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Trevor Bauer, like staff aces Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco, is pitching well right now, Hoynes observes, and right-handers Mike Clevinger and Josh Tomlin have also been throwing better (should a fourth starter be needed). Hoynes wonders if the Indians could again use Salazar as a bullpen piece in the playoffs, noting that the righty did at least display strong velocity in his otherwise ugly outing.
- With the Rangers foregoing an opportunity to bring up Jurickson Profar this month, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News examines how the one-time uber prospect fell entirely out of the club’s plans. If Texas can’t even find a use for him with expanded rosters, it only stands to reason that the team will elect to move on over the winter — even if that means taking far less in return than once would have seemed reasonable. As Grant notes, that’s particularly true given that Profar will be out of options. Surely some other team will offer something to take a shot on a player who is still just 24 years of age and won’t command much of a raise on his $1.05MM arbitration salary. Notably, too, given his minimal MLB time this year — and the Rangers’ decision not to activate him in September — Profar will be controllable through arbitration for three more seasons.
- While Devon Travis has mostly been excellent for the Blue Jays when healthy, he has also appeared in only 213 games over the past three years while dealing with a variety of injuries. That has led to some suggestions that he might be best off moving off of second base to the outfield, though GM Ross Atkins (via MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm, on Twitter) doesn’t sound wholly convinced of the idea. Atkins suggested some openness, but emphasized that it could be explored “more in the context of versatility” rather than that of improving durability. The GM made clear that he thinks Travis is most valuable as the team’s everyday second baseman and also stressed that there’s no real “research” showing that shifting onto the grass would really help keep Travis on the field.
Minor MLB Transactions: 9/3/17
Sunday’s minor moves from around baseball:
- The Indians have signed 16-year-old Cuban right-hander Roberto Hernandez to a deal with a $320K bonus, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports. Hernandez wasn’t included within MLB.com’s top 30 or BA’s top 50 rankings of 2017-18 international prospects, though Badler describes the righty as “one of the better” arms available in the July 2 class. Cleveland had an international spending pool of $5.75MM to work with in this signing period, and $3.825MM has already been accounted for by the team’s signings of youngsters George Valera, Aaron Bracho, Jose Tena and Wilfi Peralta.
Earlier moves
- The Phillies announced that they have outrighted first baseman Brock Stassi to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Stassi lost his spot on the Phillies’ 40-man roster when they claimed reliever Juan Nicasio off waivers from the Pirates on Thursday. Prior to his designation for assignment, the 28-year-old Stassi batted just .167/.278/.295 in his first major league action (90 plate appearances). Stassi has been better – albeit not great – at Triple-A this year, having hit .256/.328/.354 in 186 PAs.
- The Rangers have outrighted right-hander Anthony Bass to Triple-A Round Rock, executive vice president of communications John Blake tweets. Texas designated Bass on Thursday when it acquired righty Miguel Gonzalez from the White Sox. Bass’ most recent extensive big league action came during a 64-inning campaign with the Rangers in 2015, when he pitched to a 4.50 ERA. He has made two appearances with the Rangers this season, but his work has otherwise come at Triple-A, where the 29-year-old has put up a 4.18 ERA with 10.39 K/9 and 3.35 BB/9 in 75 1/3 frames.
Notable September Call-Ups
September 1 marks the date on which regular-season rosters expand from 25 to 40 in Major League Baseball. While the merit of that rule and its impact on games are a source of debate — MLB games tend to increase considerably in length in September as managers can more freely make pitching changes with deeper bullpens — the fact remains that there could be more than 100 players promoted to the big leagues today as the first wave of call-ups arrives.
Many September call-ups are players that have experience already under their belt. Journeyman big leaguers with exceptionally specific roles (e.g. pinch-running and defensive specialists) become a luxury that teams can now afford, and many teams will bring up a third catcher or additional bullpen arms for depth, even if a long-term MLB role isn’t likely for said players.
Some promotions, though, are more notable than others. Big league teams will often use the month of September to get a look at their top organizational prospects, and in some instances September can provide a potential audition for former stars seeking to reestablish themselves. (The Orioles, for instance, were reported last night to be bringing slugger Pedro Alvarez up from Triple-A for the season’s final month.)
All that said, here are some of this year’s more notable September promotions (we’ll update throughout the day as more moves are announced)…
- Four new youngsters are joining the Cardinals, the team announced. Outfielder Harrison Bader and infielder Alex Mejia were already on the 40-man, but the team has also gone ahead and added righty Sandy Alcantara and backstop Alberto Rosario. Alcantara is an interesting pitcher to keep an eye on, as he reputedly comes with a big arm and could contribute from the bullpen — though he’s still ironing things out as a starter after spending the year pitching to a 4.31 ERA at Double-A.
- The Indians announced that they’ve recalled top catching prospect Francisco Mejia from Double-A Akron and selected the contract of outfielder Greg Allen from Akron, thus adding him to the 40-man roster. The 21-year-old Mejia is commonly regarded as one of the top 25 prospects in all of Major League Baseball and was reportedly the would-be centerpiece to the Jonathan Lucroy trade that Lucroy vetoed in 2016. Allen, too, was set to be a part of that trade but has instead remained in the Indians organization and will now join Mejia in donning a big league jersey for the first time this month.
- Right-hander Fernando Salas will return to the Angels, who announced last night that his contract has been selected from Triple-A Salt Lake. Salas spent parts of three seasons as a useful bullpen arm for the Angels before a trade to the Mets last August. While he dominated for New York down the stretch, Salas was torched for a 6.00 ERA this year after re-signing with the Mets. He tossed three scoreless innings in Salt Lake City and will hope for a strong finish to bolster offseason interest.
- The Blue Jays, too, will be getting another look at an old friend. Outfielder Michael Saunders is joining the Jays as a September call-up, tweets MLB.com’s Greg Johns. While Saunders is merely looking to show well in his return to the Majors after struggling badly with the Phillies earlier this season, another outfielder is looking to carve out a long-term role in Toronto; trade acquisition Teoscar Hernandez is also on his way to the Majors, per Johns. The 24-year-old Hernandez was acquired in the Francisco Liriano swap and has posted a combined .265/.351/.490 batting line in 456 Triple-A plate appearances this season.
- The Mets are promoting right-handers Jacob Rhame and Jamie Callahan, tweets MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. While neither reliever is considered to be among the game’s best prospects — they rank 23rd and 30th, respectively, on MLB.com’s list of the Mets’ top 30 prospects — both were recently acquired on the trade market. Rhame came to the Mets from the Dodgers as the return for Curtis Granderson, while Callahan arrived in Queens by way of the Addison Reed trade with the Red Sox. Both will be looking to make a strong impression as they seek to secure a long-term spot in the Mets’ bullpen.
- The Tigers are getting their first look at left-handed reliever Jairo Labourt, per a team announcement. The 23-year-old was acquired alongside Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd in exchange fo David Price back in 2015. He’s turned in an excellent 2.17 ERA across three minor league levels this season and averaged better than 10 strikeouts per nine innings, albeit with some shaky control (4.5 BB/9).
Yankees Acquire Erik Kratz From Indians
The Yankees announced that they’ve acquired veteran catcher Erik Kratz from the Indians in exchange for cash considerations.
The 37-year-old Kratz has spent parts of the past seven seasons in the Majors, logging a combined .200/.248/.362 batting line in 647 plate appearances as an up-and-down reserve option. He’s had a very nice year with Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate, however, posting a robust .270/.359/.472 slash with 13 homers in 324 plate appearances. Kratz has also thwarted 37 percent of stolen base attempts against him this season in Triple-A and posted characteristically solid framing marks (per Baseball Prospectus).
Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine will remain the two primary catchers in the Bronx, but the addition of Kratz gives the Yankees a veteran option to serve as a third catcher down the stretch in September when rosters expand. Notably both Sanchez and Romine are facing potential suspensions following the Yankees’ recent brawl with the Tigers, so Kratz can help fill in during their absences as well.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/30/17
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Indians announced that right-hander Diego Moreno has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus after being recently designated for assignment. Cleveland claimed Moreno off waivers from Tampa Bay in late July, but he didn’t appear in a game for their Major League club. In 27 1/3 minor league innings this season, Moreno has logged a 0.99 ERA with a 27-to-4 K/BB ratio, though his overall Triple-A track record isn’t quite as impressive (3.54 ERA in 175 1/3 innings with similar strikeout rates but lesser control). Moreno has allowed nine earned runs on 15 hits and five walks with 14 strikeouts in 16 Major League innings — including 5 2/3 frames with the Rays earlier this year.
Indians Select Craig Breslow’s Contract, Designate Diego Moreno
The Indians have selected the contract of veteran left-hander Craig Breslow from Triple-A Columbus, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports (via Twitter). In corresponding moves, lefty Ryan Merritt was optioned to Triple-A and right-hander Diego Moreno was designated for assignment.
Breslow signed a minor league deal with the Tribe earlier this month after being released by the Twins at the end of July. Breslow posted a 5.23 ERA, 1.5 K/BB and 5.2 K/9 over 31 innings for Minnesota, though those unimpressive overall numbers mask some glaring splits. Right-handed hitters accounted for much of the damage against Breslow this season, while he held left-handed hitters to just a .200/.279/.257 slash line (over 44 PA).
With Andrew Miller on the DL, Breslow adds some veteran depth to a Cleveland bullpen that only has one other left-hander (Tyler Olson, who is yet to allow a run over 10 innings pitched this season). Miller isn’t expected to be out of action long, and when he returns after the September 1 roster expansion, so the Tribe will have their multi-inning threat as well as two southpaws in Breslow and Olson who can handle more specific situations against lefty bats late in games.
Moreno was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay last month and he has since made six appearances for Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate. Moreno has a 2.97 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 3.7 K/BB rate over 424 2/3 career innings over ten years in the minors, as well as a 5.06 ERA over two brief stints in the big leagues (10 1/3 IP with the Yankees in 2015 and 5 2/3 IP with the Rays this season).
Andrew Miller Diagnosed With Patellofemoral Syndrome, Shut Down 5-7 Days
Indians lefty Andrew Miller has been diagnosed with “patellofemoral syndrome” in his right knee, per a club announcement (via Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer, on Twitter). At this point, he’ll just need to be shut down for five days to a week before being reevaluated.
The diagnosis doesn’t appear to be all that concerning. Rather, it’s a common condition that can occur when cartilage underneath the kneecap is not functioning properly. It seems likely that the club will largely be looking to get the inflammation and discomfort under control before allowing Miller to ramp back up.
All told, then, the news is as good as the Indians could have hoped for. Certainly, when Miller left his most recent outing after sitting well below his usual velocity level, there were some fears it could be worse. The key fact is that there’s no bone, muscle, or ligament damage. And the relatively short rest period that has been prescribed seemingly indicates that doctors anticipate the joint ought to respond fairly quickly to treatment.
Cleveland has been hit with a sudden rash of injuries, with Danny Salazar and Jason Kipnis also just heading to the DL. Players such as Josh Tomlin, Michael Brantley, and Lonnie Chisenhall are all on the shelf as well, so the Indians still have quite a few notable players working back toward full health. Fortunately, the team maintains a sturdy, 5.5-game lead in the AL Central, so there’s a decent bit of cushion to work with.
Indians Place Miller, Salazar, Kipnis On 10-Day DL
3:32pm: The team doesn’t currently have a timetable for Kipnis’ return, manager Terry Francona tells reporters (Twitter links via Bastian). An MRI revealed a strain, but there could be some scar tissue forming in Kipnis’ hamstring as well. As for Miller, the Indians consulted with the Cleveland Cavaliers’ medical staff to get another opinion on dealing with this type of injury to a player of Miller’s height. They’ll have a more detailed update tomorrow, but it doesn’t appear that the injury is especially serious.
Aug. 23, 1:57pm: Kipnis is headed to the DL with what the team is calling a hamstring strain, though the severity isn’t yet known. Infielder Erik Gonzalez has been recalled to take his roster spot.
Aug. 22, 10:38pm: Indians fans can breathe a sigh of relief with respect to Salazar, as Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal tweets that his MRI came back clean. That said, Salazar will still “be down a few days before being built back up,” per Lewis.
Unfortunately for Cleveland fans, though, there’s now yet another injury situation over which to have some trepidation. Second baseman Jason Kipnis exited tonight’s game in the second inning with tightness in his right hamstring, and Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that Kipnis is scheduled for an MRI of his own tomorrow.
Kipnis was on the disabled list from July 9 through Aug. 6 due to a strained right hamstring and missed three additional games with discomfort in that same hamstring earlier this month.
4:22pm: MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets that Salazar felt “tightness” in his right elbow during a side session Tuesday and will undergo an MRI later tonight.
2:23pm: The Indians have placed two key hurlers — lefty Andrew Miller and right-handed starter Danny Salazar — on the 10-day DL, per a club announcement. The team has recalled righty Shawn Armstrong and infielder Yandy Diaz to take the open roster spots.
It’s disappointing to see both Miller and Salazar landing back on the DL so soon after recent trips. The former left his appearance last night after a worrying dip in velocity, as his patellar tendinitis flared up. Meanwhile, the latter has been diagnosed with elbow inflammation. He missed a lengthy stretch with shoulder woes, but had pitched brilliantly in his first five starts upon his return before turning in a dud in his last outing.
The outlook on these two pitchers isn’t yet clear, but Cleveland will obviously be hoping for a relatively quick return. While the Indians do enjoy a fairly healthy 5.5-game cushion in the AL Central, that’s hardly an unassailable position. If a repeat postseason run is to be had, the club will need these high-powered arms at its disposal.
Andrew Miller Leaves With Aggravation Of Knee Injury
Star Indians reliever Andrew Miller left his appearance today with what the team is calling an aggravation of the right knee patella tendinitis that recently sent him to the DL, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets. His outlook is not currently known.
Miller missed little more than the minimum earlier this month, and threw without apparent issue on Friday. But he exited after just seven pitches tonight, issuing a walk and showing a significantly reduced fastball velocity. Miller, who typically sits at 95 mph, was clocked at an average of around 90 mph this evening.
It’s too soon to know whether there’s cause for real concern. And Cleveland can afford to exercise caution with a five-game lead (entering today’s action) in the AL Central. Still, at this stage of the season, it’s a bit worrying to see such a showing from such an important piece of the team’s hopeful post-season roster.
Even if it turns out that Miller’s situation is serious, the Indians would have no realistic hope of finding a similarly valuable arm on the August trade market. With Boone Logan possibly out the rest of the way, though, any questions surrounding Miller could leave the club with added impetus to find another southpaw reliever.
Fortunately for Cleveland, Tyler Olson has been a revelation since ascending to the MLB roster. Through 11 appearances this year — already matching a career-high — Olson has racked up 13 strikeouts (on a 13.6% swinging-strike rate) against just one walk without allowing a run.
The Indians also announced that first baseman Carlos Santana departed the contest with lower-back tightness. There’s little reason at this point to believe that is an injury of any significance.