Royals Rumors

Pitcher Notes: Pomeranz, M’s, Giants, Royals, Tigers

By Connor Byrne | June 4, 2016 at 5:53pm CDT

The Padres traded James Shields on Saturday, but they aren’t as willing to move their best starter, southpaw Drew Pomeranz, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). The club would need to be “overwhelmed” to deal the 27-year-old, according to Lin. Pomeranz currently ranks eighth among qualified starters in both ERA (2.22) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.66), and he’s playing this season on a meager $1.35MM salary. Thus, it would likely to take a significant haul to land him and his two-plus remaining years of team control.

10 Potential Replacements For Mike Moustakas And David Wright

By Steve Adams | June 3, 2016 at 1:27pm CDT

A pair of teams have been struck with significant blows on the injury front in the past week, as the Royals announced last week that Mike Moustakas has a torn anterior cruciate ligament, while the Mets announced today that David Wright won’t even participate in any baseball activities for the next six weeks to two months. That injury ended Moustakas’ season, while Wright’s could leave him sidelined into mid-August or even September, as he’ll need awhile to get back up to speed after a potentially eight-week layoff.

Both clubs have internal options from which to choose — Cheslor Cuthbert, Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier for the Royals; Wilmer Flores and Matt Reynolds for the Mets — but injuries of that magnitude tend to eventually lead a team to explore the outside market. It doesn’t seem likely that either club will leap into action immediately, as one might expect had these injuries occurred closer to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, but if and when they do explore the trade scene, there’s no shortage of options on which to inquire.

Let’s run down some names that could plausibly be in play…

Trevor Plouffe / Eduardo Nunez, Twins: With Minnesota staring at a virtually insurmountable climb in the AL Central, their infield options could be available sooner than most. Plouffe isn’t off to a good start (.246/.277/.362), but he batted .248/.312/.426 in 2200 plate appearances from 2012-15, showing 20-homer pop and steadily improving his glovework along the way. Plouffe is earning $7.25MM this year, so he’s not exactly a cheap asset, but if he turns it around at the dish, he’s controllable through 2017. He can also help out at first base, where the Mets are presently missing Lucas Duda. Nunez, meanwhile, is more of a utility option, but he’s played quite a bit of third in his career and has enjoyed a brilliant start to the 2016 season, hitting .331/.358/.509. He’s not a great defender, but he’s a competent bat with plenty of speed on the bases and a low salary. Nunez is earning $1.475MM this season and can be controlled through 2017 as well.

Yangervis Solarte, Padres: Executive chairman Ron Fowler voiced disgust with his team’s 2016 performance earlier this week and, in doing so, signaled that changes could be on the horizon. The number of Padres players that have underperformed this season limit their trade chips on the summer market, but the quietly steady Solarte has been excellent since returning from a hamstring injury. He’s hitting .339/.429/.593, and while no one should expect that to continue, he’s a .269/.334/.411 hitter since debuting in 2014 despite playing the majority of his games at Petco Park. He’ll be arbitration eligible for the first time this winter and is controllable through 2019, so the Padres would ask for a legitimate return.

Jed Lowrie / Danny Valencia, Athletics: Like Nunez, Lowrie embodies the “jack of all trades, master of none” profile, as he’s capable of playing many positions on the diamond but doesn’t draw positive defensive marks in most instances. Third base is the one exception, as he’s been a positive there in the eyes of both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating. Lowrie has been playing mostly second base this season, but he logged nearly 400 innings at the hot corner last year in Houston. He’s batting .315/.355/.364 and earning $7.5MM this season. He’ll earn $6.5MM next year, and his contract contains a $6MM club option for the 2018 campaign (which comes with a $1MM buyout). Valencia would require a larger return, given his excellent production over the past calendar year, and the Royals have already been down that road once before, while the Mets may not have a regular spot for him late in the year. As an affordable slugger with a year of control remaining beyond 2016, he’s certainly appealing, and it’s tough to definitively rule out any trade when it comes to the A’s.

Yunel Escobar, Angels: The last-place Halos might not be waving the white flag just yet, but with baseball’s most injury-riddled pitching staff and a dismal farm system from which to draw reinforcements, things are bleak in Anaheim. Escobar has been a bright spot at the plate (.306/.362/.416) while earning just $7MM, and he comes with a 2017 option for the same price. Escobar’s poor defense weighs down the value brought to the table by his bat, and he’s also drawn questionable reviews (to put things mildly) for his clubhouse presence in the past. But, his premium contact skills would fit in well with the Royals’ philosophy, and he’s capable of playing multiple positions.

Luis Valbuena, Astros: The 30-year-old doesn’t look like he’s going to come close to matching last season’s career-best 25 homers. Valbuena is hitting .223/.320/.399 with six big flies on the year, demonstrating a solid walk rate but also a penchant for strikeouts. The left-handed-hitter is best deployed as a platoon option, which might make his $6.125MM salary steep, but Houston could be willing to absorb some of that salary. Former No. 2 overall pick Alex Bregman is demolishing minor league pitching and may be on the cusp of the Majors, so the Astros would probably be comfortable moving their starting third baseman even if they still aim to contend.

Kelly Johnson, Braves: Johnson looks primed to experience some deja vu this summer. After signing a one-year deal to return to the Braves (who originally drafted him) during the 2014-15 offseason, he found himself flipped to the Mets alongside Juan Uribe. Johnson isn’t hitting like he did in 2015, but he’s a known commodity to the Mets and can play all over the infield. Given his struggles (.210/.276/.295), the cost of acquisition figures to be minimal. Even if he doesn’t end up in New York, he’s an obvious trade candidate.

Aaron Hill, Brewers: On the more productive side of the veteran scale is Hill, whose huge May has perhaps made him a more appealing target for clubs in need of some infield help. The 34-year-old’s season-to-date batting line rests at a productive .274/.346/.433, and while he’s historically been a second baseman, Hill has piled up 557 innings at the hot corner over the past two seasons. He’s earning a steep $12MM in 2016, but the D-backs are reportedly on the hook for $6.5MM of that sum, and I’d imagine that the Brewers would be willing to kick in some additional funds if it meant improving the return.

Alex Guerrero, Dodgers (for now): The Dodgers designated Guerrero, he of a four-year/$28MM contract (signed in 2013), for assignment earlier this week when he completed a minor league rehab assignment. Guerrero hasn’t lived up to his contract by any stretch of the means, but he also never got an opportunity at regular playing time. He’s a poor defender and has batted .224 with a .251 on-base percentage in the Majors, but he also slugged .414 (.190 ISO) and ripped 11 homers in just 247 Major League PAs over the past two seasons. Guerrero owns a lifetime .303/.385/.526 batting line in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, and mashed at a .323/.357/.598 clip in 266 Triple-A plate appearances with the Dodgers. It’s unlikely that a team would be willing to take on the remainder of his contract in a trade, but Guerrero could soon be released, thus freeing him to sign with any club willing to roll the dice.

Certainly, there are other names to consider. Each team can explore everything from bad contract (e.g. Chase Headley) to former prospects now in the upper minors (e.g. Will Middlebrooks), to elite prospects like Joey Gallo that may be somewhat “blocked” at the MLB level (though the latter of the three presents further long-term roster maneuvering). And, as is the case every year, other names will most likely surface as trade candidates once the non-waiver trade deadline draws closer. However, for a pair of clubs in tight races for the division lead — the Royals hold a 1.5 game lead on the AL Central, while the Mets are three back in the NL East — acting sooner rather than later to fill a void can make a sizable impact.

Heyman’s Latest: Harper/Machado, Braves, Shields, Odor

By Steve Adams | June 2, 2016 at 6:28pm CDT

Bryce Harper of the Nationals and Manny Machado of the Orioles are young, controlled superstars who look like highly appealing extension targets. Of course, that also makes them incredibly expensive potential candidates for their respective teams, as Jon Heyman explains at todaysknuckleball.com. According to Heyman, there’s some suggestion that it could take more than $500MM over an unprecedented term to keep Harper from heading to the open market after the 2018 season. “We have not to this point had any substantive negotiations about a long-term deal,” Nats GM Mike Rizzo said with regard to Harper. Rizzo did suggest that the team has serious interest in doing so, however. “They know what our intentions are,” he said. “My intention is always to get him on a long-term deal that will make him a National for life. At a very young age he performed admirably, not only admirably, but the year he had was historic. It’s going to be a unique deal. We have a very unique player.”

As for Machado, he might not be far behind in value if the O’s hope to reach a deal. Intriguingly, the report suggests that Baltimore very nearly agreed to a seven-year contract with its best player at some point in recent years. That would have certainly proved a bargain given Machado’s increasingly outstanding performance, though the terms of the prospective pact are not known. (Neither is it clear what caused negotiations to fall apart.)

Here’s more from Heyman:

“A few teams” have checked in with the Braves on Nick Markakis, Heyman writes, but his recent skid at the plate hasn’t helped out his trade value much. Kelly Johnson, too, could become available, though Heyman adds that GM John Coppolella said of Julio Teheran that he expects the right-hander “to be on the team a long time.” From my vantage point, Markakis doesn’t have much value at $11MM per season and with apparently evaporated power. Even if the Braves were to pay down half of his remaining salary through the 2018 season, he hasn’t been productive enough to bring in a meaningful prospect return.
The Orioles talked to the Padres about James Shields in Spring Training but weren’t willing to cover even half of the salary owed to Shields at the time. Shields has two years and $44MM remaining on his contract following the 2016 season (if he doesn’t opt out), and he’s earning $21MM this season as well. Shields has grabbed headlines recently, having been prominently featured in trade rumors over the weekend and then suffering a 10-run meltdown earlier this week, which the team’s executive chairman publicly referred to as “an embarrassment.”
The Red Sox, too, have considered Shields but are waiting to see how Eduardo Rodriguez performs upon returning from the disabled list (so far, so good). The White Sox, meanwhile, would want the Padres to pay down a significant portion of the $57MM that remains on Shields’ contract (again, barring an opt out). Heyman writes that a source indicated that shortstop prospect Tim Anderson wouldn’t be involved in talks, though that doesn’t strike me as a surprising revelation; even with half of his contract paid down, that would seem like an overpay on Chicago’s behalf. On a somewhat similar vein, Heyman adds that the Padres approached the Tigers about Shields, but Detroit had no interest in parting with any of Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris or Matt Boyd in a potential deal.
Shortly after the Rockies acquired Jose Reyes, the Yankees were willing to part with shortstop prospect Jorge Mateo and pay half of the $22MM that is owed to Reyes annually through the 2017 season, Heyman hears.
The jobs of Tigers manager Brad Ausmus and Twins manager Paul Molitor are safe, Heyman writes, though he adds that Detroit GM Al Avila has privately told Ausmus to stop discussing his job security (or lack thereof) with the media, as the situation doesn’t need any extra fuel.
Greg Holland could take the mound in August, per Heyman, and he may wait until that point before deciding on a team. Both the Royals and Braves have shown interest to this point, he adds.
The Athletics “may be a favorite” for Cuban second baseman Jose Miguel Fernandez, writes Heyman, who also notes that incumbent second baseman Jed Lowrie could help a number of clubs on the trade market. The Padres, too, are said to be considering Fernandez, he adds.
Rougned Odor’s agent and Rangers GM Jon Daniels recently rekindled extension talks, and Heyman notes that the team heaped praise onto Odor during his appeal hearing during which his suspension for punching Jose Bautista was dropped from eight games to seven games. His suspension has also given Jurickson Profar a chance to play, and Heyman writes that the former top prospect could be a trade candidate now that he’s healthy. Sticking with the Rangers, Heyman adds that the Phillies lobbied hard for Texas to include Nomar Mazara in last year’s Cole Hamels blockbuster, but Daniels refused to give him up.
The Nationals talked with the D-backs in the offseason about Gio Gonzalez, but Arizona wouldn’t part with Ender Inciarte or David Peralta in the prospective trade. Heyman writes that the Nats spoke to a few teams about Gonzalez, including the Marlins. However, Miami wasn’t keen on surrendering Christian Yelich.

AL Central Notes: Anibal, Indians, Kepler, Snider

By Steve Adams | June 2, 2016 at 8:51am CDT

The Tigers have removed Anibal Sanchez from the rotation and replaced him with left-hander Matt Boyd, as Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press writes. Sanchez took the move as well as could be expected, manager Brad Ausmus told the media, and Fenech writes that Sanchez spoke with conviction about working to correct his flaws and reclaim his job. Sanchez, who is earning $16MM in 2016, the fourth season of a five-year, $80MM contract, has surrendered a 6.67 ERA through his first 56 2/3 innings of the year. He led the American League with 29 homers allowed in 157 innings last season and has allowed an even more alarming 14 long balls in this year’s 56 2/3 frames while also displaying his worst control since 2009 (4.6 BB/9). Sanchez is owed $16MM once again in 2017, and the Tigers hold a $16MM club option for the 2018 season that comes with a hefty $5MM buyout. With offseason signee Mike Pelfrey struggling so greatly as well, the Tigers are definite candidates to seek rotation upgrades this summer, though the emergence of Michael Fulmer and a recent string of solid outings for Daniel Norris at Triple-A may lessen the urgency.

Injury Notes: Dodgers, Joseph, Romo, Perkins, Minor

By Steve Adams | May 31, 2016 at 7:49pm CDT

The Dodgers will place left-hander Alex Wood on the 15-day disabled list with soreness in his left elbow and will recall fellow lefty Julio Urias from Triple-A just a few days after optioning him back to the minors, reports Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). McCullough tweets that Wood’s injury is not structural, though he informed the team earlier in the day that he’s has some lingering soreness in his triceps. It’s not entirely certain that Urias will step into the rotation for Wood, McCullough notes. That decision will be impacted by righty Kenta Maeda, who has some swelling in his right hand after being hit by a comeback line drive over the weekend.

A few more notes on some injury situations from around the league…

The Orioles have placed backup catcher Caleb Joseph on the 15-day disabled list after he underwent surgery for a testicular injury sustained over the weekend when he took an unfortunately placed foul ball, tweets Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. Encina wrote earlier in the day that the injury was sustained on a foul tip in the eighth inning of yesterday’s contest. As MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes, the O’s have recalled Francisco Pena from Triple-A, and he’ll receive an equal workload to the one that had been shouldered by Joseph. In other words, Matt Wieters’ workload will not increase in light of Joseph’s absence. “We’re not going to start pushing up his load and jeopardize something down the road,” said manager Buck Showalter of Wieters. “He may feel differently, but we’ll take it day to day. Shouldn’t change anything about that, but we’ll see.”
Giants right-hander Sergio Romo has had a setback in his rehab from a flexor strain in his right elbow, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (Twitter links via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle). Romo has been experiencing tenderness in his right elbow, which prompted the Giants to order an MRI on their longtime late-inning reliever. On the positive side, Schulman notes that the MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage. However, he’ll still be backed off for four to five days, making it unlikely that he’ll be back with the team anytime soon.
Twins closer Glen Perkins suffered a setback in his return from a shoulder injury earlier this month, but assistant GM Rob Antony told reporters, including Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link), that Perkins’ throwing program since that time has been going well. The Minnesota native and career-long Twin will throw his first mound session since hitting the DL back on April 13 this coming Saturday. He’s pitched in just two games this season — a significant factor the Twins’ season-long bullpen woes.
Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star writes that Royals left-hander Mike Minor returned to Kansas City today to have his surgically repaired left shoulder checked out by the Major League training staff. Minor, who signed a two-year deal this winter on the heels of the aforementioned surgery, has been dealing with some fatigue in that shoulder. Manager Ned Yost said the team doesn’t consider the injury to be serious at this time and isn’t calling the fatigue a setback, though as Dodd notes, he’s just over a week away from the end of his 30-day rehab window, which comes to a close on June 9.

Royals Agree To Minors Deal With Joe Beimel

By Jeff Todd | May 29, 2016 at 5:28pm CDT

The Royals have agreed to a minor league deal with southpaw Joe Beimel, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). It’s pending a physical, but Brown notes that Kansas City has already seen an MRI of Beimel’s left arm and does not believe that health will pose an obstacle.

Beimel had previously struck a deal with the Marlins, but that accord fell apart — apparently over issues with the status of his arm. Unless something new is found this time around, though, it seems that the veteran will join his ninth major league organization.

The 39-year-old has seen action with seven teams at the big league level, including a two-year run with the Mariners from 2014-15 in which he compiled 92 1/3 innings of 3.12 ERA pitching. Of course, he had better results in the first of those campaigns, and ERA estimators viewed his results last year with particular skepticism.

Beimel was actually somewhat better against right-handed hitters in 2015, but historically he’s much stingier when facing opposing lefties. Presumably, the Royals will give him a shot to earn a LOOGY role. With Danny Duffy moving to the rotation, the club’s pen currently features only one lefty, Scott Alexander. He’s been effective in his first ten innings on the year, and has good results recently at Triple-A, but has a fairly limited MLB track record.

Central Notes: Cardinals, Indians, Royals

By Connor Byrne | May 29, 2016 at 11:39am CDT

The Cardinals’ Jhonny Peralta is nearing a return from thumb surgery, but he might not be their everyday shortstop when he comes back, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Redbirds want to continue playing standout rookie shortstop Aledmys Diaz, possibly their long-term solution at the position, and have had conversations with both Peralta and third baseman Matt Carpenter about lining up at multiple spots. Peralta has been playing third (he has previous major league experience there) and short during his rehab assignment, while Carpenter could move back to his former position – second base – or first base, where he started Saturday. “I feel like it’s going to create a fresh opportunity for us, but I also feel like given what you’re seeing out of Diaz at his age (25) you really need to see him develop at shortstop,” said general manager John Mozeliak. “We want to keep him developing and also figure out the right combination to win games. We need to have at least one player moving around. We need one of the veterans to say, ‘Hey, I’m willing.’”

Now for some notes on a couple of teams from the AL Central…

Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco, out since late April with a hamstring injury, is close to rejoining the club. He could make one more rehab start or get back on a big league mound even earlier than that, general manager Mike Chernoff told MLB Network Radio on Sunday (Twitter link). Prior to his injury, Carrasco pitched to an outstanding 2.45 ERA in 22 innings while putting up strong strikeout and walk ratios (8.18 and 2.05, respectively, per nine innings).
Having already lost Mike Moustakas for the season and Alex Gordon for an extended period of time earlier this week, the Royals suffered yet another scare to a cornerstone player Saturday when catcher Salvador Perez left their game against the White Sox after colliding with third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert. Fortunately, an MRI showed no structural damage (only a quad contusion), meaning Perez will miss just 7-10 days, manager Ned Yost told reporters (Twitter link via Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star). The Royals will not place Perez on the disabled list, tweets Dodd.
With Perez temporarily unavailable, the Royals have recalled catcher Tony Cruz from Triple-A Omaha and optioned reliever Peter Moylan, Dodd was among those to report (via Twitter). Cruz, who owns a .220/.262/.310 line in 633 career major league plate appearances, hit .278/.352/.417 in 122 trips to the plate with Omaha before today’s promotion. Moylan has thrown 7 1/3 innings of two-run ball for the Royals this year, striking out seven and walking two.
While the Indians have one of the majors’ lowest payrolls, salary has never been a deciding factor for them around the trade deadline, Chernoff said (Twitter link). “It’s almost always about players and the return you have to give up,” he stated.

Injury Notes: Darvish, Perez, Cain, Wright

By charliewilmoth | May 28, 2016 at 4:49pm CDT

As expected, the Rangers have announced that they’ve activated Yu Darvish from the disabled list. To clear space for him on the active roster, they shipped slugger Joey Gallo to Triple-A Round Rock. Darvish will start tonight in his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2015 season. Previously, of course, Darvish was one of the game’s most dominant starters, leading the AL in strikeouts (277) and K/9 (11.9) and finishing second in Cy Young balloting in a brilliant 2013 season before succumbing to injury. It will be interesting to see how he fares tonight in his first regular-season action since August 2014. Here are more notes on injuries.

Catcher Salvador Perez left the Royals’ game against the White Sox today after colliding with third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reports. He had to be helped off the field. Via Dodd on Twitter, manager Ned Yost says Perez has a quad contusion and that there’s no structural damage to his knee, although he’ll have an MRI tomorrow. Losing him for an extended period would be tough for the Royals — his offense this season (.282/.314/.503) has provided plenty of value even independent of the work he does with the Royals’ pitchers, and the Royals also recently learned that another key player, Mike Moustakas, would be out of the season after tearing his ACL.
The Giants have announced that they’ve placed starter Matt Cain on the 15-day DL with a hamstring strain and recalled fellow righty Chris Stratton to take his place on the active roster. 2016 has proven to be yet another frustrating season for Cain, who currently has a 5.20 ERA, 6.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 53 2/3 innings this year after struggling through an injury-riddled 2015 campaign. For now, Stratton will likely serve as a long reliever, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News suggests. Stratton, the 20th overall pick in the 2012 draft, was pitching in the rotation at Triple-A Sacramento, where he’d posted a 6.02 ERA, 6.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 52 1/3 innings.
David Wright is out the lineup Saturday due to neck pain, and the Mets have at least some concern about the situation, ESPN’s Adam Rubin writes. The concern might be that the issue could be related to Wright’s chronic spinal stenosis, although Mets GM Sandy Alderson won’t speculate about the matter until he knows more. Wright has collected 164 plate appearances this season and has generally been effective, batting just .226 but with a solid on-base percentage (.350) and seven home runs.

AL Notes: Profar, Young, Jays’ Farm, Twins, Ausmus

By Jeff Todd | May 27, 2016 at 11:53pm CDT

In theory, Jurickson Profar could stay up for the Rangers even after Rougned Odor returns from his suspension, functioning in some kind of utility capacity. But as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explains, the likelihood remains that he’ll head back to Triple-A: while Profar could well represent an upgrade over Hanser Alberto, it would be tough to find sufficient action for a player who still needs reps after a long layoff. It is worth noting that Texas slotted Profar right into the leadoff spot tonight, and he could conceivably play his way into a bigger role.

Royals, Steve Tolleson Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | May 27, 2016 at 10:05am CDT

The Royals have signed infielder Steve Tolleson to a minor league contract, tweets Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. The 32-year-old will report to Triple-A Omaha, he adds.

Tolleson, released by the Orioles earlier this week, is a veteran of four big league seasons and 12 minor league seasons. He most recently logged 234 Major League plate appearances with the Blue Jays between the 2014 and 2015 campaigns, hitting a combined .256/.313/.384 with three homers and five steals while seeing time at second base, third base, shortstop and in the outfield corners. Tolleson is a career .245/.299/.372 hitter in 363 PAs at the MLB level and owns a lifetime .281/.365/.401 batting line in an even 2100 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He’ll give Kansas City some infield depth in the wake of yesterday’s devastating news that Mike Moustakas will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Royals Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect