Central Notes: Phillips, Verlander, Royals, Cardinals
The Brewers announced that third baseman Travis Shaw has been placed on the paternity list, with center field prospect Brett Phillips getting his first MLB promotion to temporarily take Shaw’s roster spot. Phillips is just a year removed from being a consensus top 100 prospect throughout the game, but a rough 2016 campaign in which he batted just .229/.332/.397 caused his stock to drop a ways heading into the ’17 season. He’s done well to restore some of the hype this year, however, hitting a robust .297/.369/.589 with 11 homers, 10 doubles and four triples, albeit in the hitter-friendly environs of Colorado Springs. Phillips’ first big league look seems likely to be brief in nature, given that he’s replacing someone on paternity leave, but his strong play could force him into the Brewers’ plans later this summer. Those interested in getting to know a bit more about Phillips can check out his 2015 appearance on the MLBTR Podcast.
More from the Central divisions…
- The Tigers announced today that an MRI on Justin Verlander came back clean, and he’ll be reevaluated as the week progresses. (Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press first reported that there was no structural damage revealed by the MRI.) Verlander exited his most recent start early due to discomfort in his groin, though it seems that he’s at least managed to stave off a serious injury. His next start, however, remains TBD according to the Tigers (though Fenech noted that he’s expected to make that outing). Verlander has had an up-and-down season, as his ERA presently rests at 4.63 through 70 innings of work. Outside of 2016 Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer, the Tigers have seen their rotation struggle. Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann, Matt Boyd and Daniel Norris have combined for a 5.18 ERA on the season, and of the four, Norris’ 4.47 ERA is the best mark.
- Although Eric Skoglund‘s second start with the Royals wasn’t pretty, he’ll still likely remain in the rotation for the time being, manager Ned Yost told reporters (link via Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star). Danny Duffy will likely remain sidelined through the All-Star break, and Dodd notes that Nate Karns‘ recovery from an extensor strain is progressing rather slowly. “I need starters,” Yost said flatly. “I don’t have Karns. I don’t have Duffy. So I imagine [Skoglund’s] going to get another start. That’s not a fair judge right there (on Sunday).”
- The Cardinals‘ decision not to add an impact bat this offseason is biting the team, writes Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but Ortiz also argues that at this point it’s too late to make a significant play for a bat. Adding the necessary caliber of player would be too costly to a farm system that has routinely produced quality big leaguers that help to build a sustainable contender in St. Louis. The fact that the NL Central is weaker than expected could still allow the Cards to sneak into the postseason via the Wild Card and hope that their pitching can carry them, Ortiz concludes, adding that the offense and improved defense should once again be offseason priorities.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/4/17
Sunday’s minor moves from around baseball…
- The Phillies optioned first baseman/outfielder Brock Stassi to Double-A, the club announced. The drop of two levels was due to a crowded Triple-A roster, and Phils manager Pete Mackanin told reporters (including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki) that the team wants Stassi to get regular at-bats. Stassi, 27, made his big league debut this season, hitting .197/.290/.361 with one home run over 69 plate appearances and 35 games for Philadelphia.
Earlier today
- Tigers outfielder Tyler Collins will head to Triple-A after clearing waivers, per a team announcement. Detroit designated Collins for assignment last Sunday, and while a trade looked like a possibility then, nothing came to fruition. Before the Tigers jettisoned Collins from their 40- and 25-man rosters, the 26-year-old opened 2017 with a .200/.288/.338 batting line over 146 plate appearances.
- The Orioles have signed left-handed reliever Lucas Luetge to a minor league deal, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Luetge, whom the Reds released Friday, threw 27 2/3 innings with their Triple-A affiliate this season and, despite a 9.76 K/9 and a 2.93 BB/9, posted a 4.55 ERA. The 30-year-old was in the majors from 2012-15 as a member of the Mariners, with whom he logged a 4.35 ERA, 7.48 K/9, 4.75 BB/9 and a 47.7 percent ground-ball rate in 89 innings. Along the way, Luetge held left-handed hitters to a .201/.286/.281 line.
- In other Orioles news, they’ve announced that southpaw Paul Fry has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A. Fry, whom Baltimore acquired from Seattle in mid-April for an international bonus pool slot, has struggled over 23 1/3 innings with the O’s Triple-A affiliate (6.56 ERA, 9.26 K/9, 5.79 BB/9).
- The Dodgers have inked outfielder Quincy Latimore to a minor league contract. The 28-year-old Latimore, a fourth-round pick of the Pirates in 2007, has spent time with five big league organizations (including Detroit this year), though he didn’t ascend past Double-A with any of them. At that level, Latimore has hit .247/.318/.421 with 81 home runs in 2,585 PAs.
- The Red Sox have added right-hander Elih Villanueva on a minors pact. Villanueva threw three innings with the Marlins back in 2011, but the rest of his work has come at lower levels. The 30-year-old began the season with Lancaster of the independent Atlantic League, notching a 2.72 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 36 1/3 frames. He hasn’t pitched for a major league team’s minor league affiliate since 2015, which he split between Baltimore’s Double-A and Triple-A clubs.
Injury Notes: Werth, Travis, Verlander
Updates on some developing injury situations from today’s action….
- Jayson Werth fouled a ball off his left foot on Saturday and was seen on crutches in the Nationals clubhouse following today’s game. Manager Dusty Baker told MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman (Twitter link) and other reporters that X-rays were negative on Werth’s foot but the situation was “not looking good for” the veteran outfielder. After two down seasons, Werth has rebounded to hit .262/.367/.446 over 196 PA this year, and a DL stint would further hamper a Washington outfield that has already lost Adam Eaton for the season.
- X-rays were negative on Devon Travis‘ left hand after the Blue Jays second baseman was hit by a Luis Severino pitch in the seventh inning of today’s 3-2 Jays victory. Travis finished the inning on the basepaths and then left the game. The club will monitor the situation to see if Travis requires a DL stint, though he seems likely to miss at least a couple of games given his painful description of the injury. “I thought I broke it. It was really scary. My hand was throbbing so bad, I couldn’t really open it or close it — and I definitely wasn’t about to slide on it and lift myself up on it,” Travis told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and other media. Travis has a .257/.285/.437 overall slash line for his roller-coaster of a season, as he followed up a dreadful April (.388 OPS) with a red-hot May (1.019 OPS).
- Justin Verlander left during the third inning of today’s 7-4 Tigers win due to groin tightness, a move manager Brad Ausmus said was precautionary in nature (as per MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery and other reporters). Verlander will undergo an MRI just to make sure there isn’t any significant damage, and Ausmus feels the ace should make his next start, though it could be pushed back a day due to an off-day in Detroit’s schedule. Verlander is off to a slow start to the 2017 season, with a 4.63 ERA and career highs in BB/9 (4.24) and hard-hit ball rate (34.2%) through 70 innings.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/1/17
Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the game…
- The Tigers announced that right-hander William Cuevas, who was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo earlier this week, has rejected the assignment and instead elected free agency. The 26-year-old allowed four runs in a third of an inning in his lone appearance for Detroit this season and has made just four total MLB appearances over the past two seasons (three with Boston in addition to this year’s game with Detroit), but he does have a nice track record in Triple-A. Through 216 1/3 innings of work at that level, Cuevas has a 3.87 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9. He’ll look to latch on with another club, presumably on a minor league deal, now that he’s hit the open market.
- The Royals announced a minor roster shuffle on Thursday. Infielder and former first-round pick Hunter Dozier has been reinstated from the MLB 60-day disabled list and optioned back to Triple-A Omaha after spending the first two months of the season sidelined with a strained oblique. The Royals had a full 40-man roster, so in order to clear a spot for Dozier, they’ve recalled outfielder Paulo Orlando and placed him directly onto the Major League 60-day disabled list. Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tweets that Orlando suffered a fractured tibia a few weeks ago when he fouled a ball into his shin.
Minor MLB Transactions: 5/31/17
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Orioles announced today that they’ve selected the contract of catcher Francisco Pena from Triple-A Norfolk to replace Welington Castillo, who’s been placed on the 10-day DL due to a groin injury. Pena made the Baltimore roster out of Spring Training in part due to the fact that he’s out of minor league options, but the team ultimately decided that it could not carry three catchers and designated the 27-year-old for assignment. Pena cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, where he’s batted .229/.260/.375 in 50 plate appearances since clearing waivers. Pena has shown power but a penchant for strikeouts in his brief big league time, though he’s a strong-armed catcher that is regarded as a solid all-around defender.
- Righty William Cuevas was outrighted to the Tigers‘ Triple-A affiliate, as first noted on the club’s transactions page at MLB.com. Cuevas was designated over the weekend, with his 40-man spot going to fellow righty Arcenio Leon. The 26-year-old Cuevas made one appearance for Detroit this season and surrendered four runs in one-third of an inning. He has a 4.06 ERA in nine starts (44 1/3 innings) for the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate this season and a career 3.87 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 in 216 1/3 Triple-A innings.
Heyman’s Latest: Royals, Marlins, Tribe, Tigers, Mets, Yanks, Astros
With the trade deadline drawing nearer, FanRag’s Jon Heyman lists 70 players who could end up on the block over the next two months. Heyman ranks the players in order of name value and includes the likes of Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, Josh Donaldson and Ryan Braun near the top of the list. Check out the full piece for an in-depth look at which stars and role players might switch uniforms this summer.
Now the latest from Heyman’s American League and National League notes columns:
- Prior to the season, Royals impending free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer shot down a report that he was seeking a 10-year deal. But there’s still a belief within the organization that he will request something close to a decadelong pact in the coming months, per Heyman, who adds that Hosmer is the soon-to-be free agent the Royals most want to keep. However, Kansas City hasn’t made a serious offer to Hosmer on account of what could be a lofty asking price, and the team expects the 27-year-old to reach free agency. Fellow longtime Royals Mike Moustakas (third base), Lorenzo Cain (center field) and Alcides Escobar (shortstop) are also likely to hit the market in the offseason. Moustakas is the Royals’ biggest priority after Hosmer, suggests Heyman, while they seem resigned to the idea that Cain will find a larger payday elsewhere. Escobar, the weakest player of the four, could re-sign if the price is right. At one point, he was seeking $10MM per year, but his cost has come down thanks to his dreadful offensive start (.174/.203/.228 in 196 plate appearances). Meanwhile, right-hander Ian Kennedy probably won’t opt out of the remaining three years and $49MM left on his contract, Heyman writes.
- Alex Rodriguez could still factor into the Marlins’ next ownership group if the faction including Tagg Romney, Tom Glavine and Dave Stewart lands the franchise. Given A-Rod’s controversial past, the Romney team is keeping him “at arm’s length” for now; even if they weren’t, Rodriguez isn’t allowed to be part of an ownership group as long as he’s still collecting a salary from the Yankees. The 41-year-old’s contract with the Bombers expires at season’s end. His former teammate Derek Jeter, who’s vying with Jeb Bush and against Romney & Co. to purchase the Marlins, isn’t planning to invest much money, says Heyman. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Saturday that Bush and Jeter are leading the race to acquire the franchise.
- Heyman reported in April that the Indians would look to extend first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana, but discussions between the two sides still haven’t taken place. They might not occur, either, as Heyman relays that Santana is likely to hit free agency at season’s end. At .219/.321/.390 in 215 PAs, the 31-year-old hasn’t carried his typically above-average production into this season so far, but he continues to exhibit quality plate discipline with 27 walks against 31 strikeouts. Santana’s walk rate has dropped in each season since 2014, however, and is now at a career-low 12.6 percent.
- When the offseason rolls around, odds are that Tigers left fielder Justin Upton will not opt out of the remaining four years and $88MM left on his deal, reports Heyman. “Not happening,” one rival general manager said of a potential opt-out. Upton hasn’t lived up to his lucrative contract in his year-plus in Detroit, putting him on track to take the bird-in-the-hand approach.
- It appears first baseman Lucas Duda is in his final season with the Mets, as Heyman implies that he’s primed to sign elsewhere over the winter. The 31-year-old power hitter has been among the Mets’ top players this season, having slashed .267/.406/.570 with six home runs in 106 PAs, but they do have a well-regarded youngster behind him in Dominic Smith. Baseball America sees Smith, 21, as the game’s 65th-best prospect.
- Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez is making $557,900 this year, according to Heyman, who reported in March that the backstop had agreed to a salary worth more than the minimum of $535K.
- Add the Astros to the list of teams interested in Cuban shortstop prospect Jose Israel Garcia, who recently became a free agent. The Astros have already exceeded their pool allotment for the 2016-17 international free agent class, which could indicate that they’re looking to sign the 19-year-old Garcia before the period ends June 15.
Tigers Designate Tyler Collins
The Tigers have designated outfielder Tyler Collins for assignment and selected the contract of fellow outfielder Alex Presley from Triple-A, per a team announcement.
Collins, a member of the Detroit organization since it selected him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, ranks sixth among Tigers in plate appearances this year, but he hasn’t been productive in those 146 trips. The out-of-options 26-year-old has slashed a meek .200/.288/.338 with four home runs and a 31.5 percent strikeout rate (with an 11.5 percent walk rate), giving him a 72 wRC+ that’s significantly worse than his unspectacular career mark (87) across 529 PAs. On the other hand, Collins has bounced back from subpar 2016 in center field, having accounted for three Defensive Runs Saved and a 2.8 UZR/150 over a small sample size of 169 innings. In the event someone trades for Collins – which manager Brad Ausmus indicated is a possibility (via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com, on Twitter) – that team could control him for the long haul, as he’s not eligible for arbitration until 2019 and won’t become a free agent until 2022.
Presley first joined the Tigers on a minor league pact last July, but he only picked up at-bats with the club and was designated for assignment in late August. The 31-year-old re-signed with the organization on another minors pact over the winter and is now in line to make his Detroit debut. Presley has not performed well offensively at Triple-A this year (.213/.278/.303 in 171 PAs), however, and has also scuffled in the majors. In 1,239 combined plate trips with the Tigers, Pirates, Twins, Astros and Brewers, Presley has batted .253/.295/.382. The lefty-swinger will take Collins’ place as a third center field option to join right-handers JaCoby Jones and Mikie Mahtook, both of whom have offered uninspiring production this year.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Tigers, Dodgers, White Sox, Rays
As the trade deadline approaches, the Tigers have discussed dealing veteran players for pieces capable of helping them both now and in the future, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). Regardless of whether they’re in the playoff hunt around the deadline, the Tigers could move impending free agent right fielder J.D. Martinez, says Rosenthal, who notes that the new qualifying offer system will make it difficult for them to keep the slugger through the season if they’re not going to re-sign him. Should the Tigers retain Martinez through 2017, stay above the luxury-tax threshold and issue him a qualifying offer after the season, they’d only get back a pick after the fourth round if he rejects the QO and signs elsewhere.
More from Rosenthal:
- Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray would be a perfect fit for the Dodgers, suggests Rosenthal, though he adds that they’re not convinced they’ll need to acquire another starting pitcher this summer. The Dodgers are loaded with rotation depth, of course, and their starters entered Saturday ranked fourth in the majors in ERA and first in FIP. Their bullpen has been similarly successful (third and first in those categories), but some members of the organization believe adding a left-handed reliever is a much bigger priority than picking up another starter, per Rosenthal.
- Even though White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu could serve as a mentor to fellow Cubans Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert, they’re not necessarily inclined to keep Abreu, relays Rosenthal. This summer might not prove to be the right time for Chicago to trade him, however, as fellow first baseman Eric Hosmer (Royals) and Yonder Alonso (Athletics) are likely to end up on the block, thereby weakening Abreu’s market.
- The Rays (26-26, plus-24 run differential) are unlikely to buy at the deadline if they’re still in contention, according to Rosenthal. The low-payroll club instead plans to rely on in-house reinforcements, including soon-to-return injured players in shortstop Matt Duffy, catcher Wilson Ramos and reliever Brad Boxberger. The Rays also expect one or more of their top Triple-A arms to make an impact out of their bullpen down the stretch. Tampa Bay has well-regarded pitching prospects in Brent Honeywell and Jose De Leon at the highest level of the minors. Both righties rank among Baseball America’s 40 best prospects.
Jim Bunning Passes Away
Hall of Fame pitcher and former US Senator Jim Bunning has passed away, the Phillies have announced. He was 85 and had suffered a stroke last fall.
Bunning was born in Southgate, Kentucky, outside Cincinnati, and attended a Cincinnati high school and Xavier University. He spent several years in the Tigers’ minor-league system before debuting in the big leagues with Detroit in 1955. He received five All-Star berths as a member of the Tigers before heading to Philadelphia in 1964. There, he continued to rate as one of the game’s best starting pitchers, finishing second in NL Cy Young balloting in 1967 while leading the league in both innings pitched (302 1/3) and strikeouts (253).
Bunning made brief stops with the Pirates and Dodgers before finishing his career with two seasons in Philadelphia. He ended up with 224 wins, 2,855 strikeouts (second to Walter Johnson on the all-time list at the time of his retirement), a no-hitter, and a perfect game. As a pitcher, Bunning was known for his sidearm delivery and his reliability (he threw 200 or more innings in 11 straight seasons). He was selected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1996.
Bunning then embarked on a career in politics, serving in local and state roles in Kentucky before being elected to the US House of Representatives as a Republican in 1986. He won a Senate seat in 1998 and served two terms, leaving the body after announcing he would not run for reelection in 2010. He lived in his native Southgate at the time of his passing.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Tigers Place Ian Kinsler On DL, Designate William Cuevas
The Tigers announced this morning that they’ve placed second baseman Ian Kinsler on the 10-day DL with a left hamstring strain. In addition, they’ve optioned lefty Chad Bell to Triple-A Toledo, recalled outfielder JaCoby Jones from Toledo, purchased the contract of righty Arcenio Leon and designated righty William Cuevas for assignment.
Kinsler left a game last Saturday due to hamstring trouble, but returned to play this week. He generally struggled, however, batting 4-for-22 since Saturday. It isn’t clear how long he’ll need to be out. The team has Andrew Romine and Dixon Machado to take his place. Jones also played shortstop during his early years in the minors, but has never played second base as a pro and figures as more of a third baseman and outfielder at this point.
The 30-year-old Leon pitched well for Toledo (3.15 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 in 20 innings, earning what could be his first taste of big-league action after 12 seasons in the Astros, Brewers, White Sox and Tigers systems. His roster spot comes at the expense of Cuevas, who posted a 4.06 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 34 1/3 innings in the Mud Hens’ rotation. Cuevas also appeared once for the Tigers this year, allowing four runs in just a third of an inning.