Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Angels Rumors

AL West Notes: Hamilton, Bailey, Mariners, Devenski

By | at

Some news and notes from around the AL West…

  • Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton is expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Monday, the club told reporters (including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).  Hamilton underwent two surgical procedures on that same knee last year and has been bothered by soreness in the same joint this spring.  According to assistant GM Mike Daly, the Rangers still “feel good that Josh is going to play,” and haven’t had any talks with the veteran about his future with the organization.  Texas re-signed Hamilton to a minor league deal over the winter as the former AL MVP is attempting to revive his career after several injury-plagued down years, plus a lost 2016 that saw him play in just one minor league game.
  • Andrew Bailey “never seriously considered leaving” the Angels in free agency this winter, the veteran reliever tells Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times.  “I feel like, with where I’m at in my career and what I’ve been through, signing early and getting something done and focusing on getting ready for this year was more important to me than chasing something else,” Bailey said.  Amusing, he didn’t actually realize he was headed for free agency until last September, as Bailey believed he was still arbitration-eligible; he just barely passed the required six years of service time to hit the open market.  The righty pitched well after signing a minor league deal with the Angels last August, and showed signs of recovery from several injury-plagued years by tossing 43 2/3 innings in 2016.
  • The Mariners were counting on their “big three” of James Paxton, Taijuan Walker and Danny Hultzen to anchor their rotation for years to come, though as Larry Stone of the Seattle Times observes, only Paxton is still on the M’s roster.  Walker was dealt to the Diamondbacks in November as part of the multi-player deal that brought Jean Segura to the M’s while Hultzen is simply trying to resume his career in the wake of multiple arm injuries.
  • Chris Devenski’s surprising rise from unheralded prospect to a major weapon out of the Astros bullpen gives Houston some pitching flexibility, ESPN’s Mark Simon writes.  The ’Stros could utilize Devenski as one of their many setup options, a multi-inning fireman like Andrew Miller or potentially even as starting depth in the back end of the rotation.  Over 108 1/3 innings as a rookie last season, Devenski posted a very impressive 2.16 ERA, 8.6 K/9 and 5.2 K/BB rate.

AL Notes: Astros, Angels, Rangers, Jays, Twins

By | at

Astros senior vice president of broadcasting and alumni relations Jamie Hildreth passed away Friday at the age of 72, reports Alyson Footer of MLB.com. Hildreth joined the Astros in 1987 and became their longest-tenured employee. “Jamie was a vital part of the Astros’ organization for over three decades,” owner Jim Crane said in a statement. “His knowledge of the industry and great ability to connect with people were invaluable. He has left an indelible mark on those of us that were fortunate to work with him. We send our deepest condolences to his many friends and family members.”

MLBTR sends our condolences to Hildreth’s family, friends and organization.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • Thanks in part to injuries, the Angels’ rotation finished last season 20th in the majors in ERA and 28th in fWAR. The Halos responded by making several depth-oriented additions during the offseason, including Yusmeiro Petit, Bud Norris and John Lamb, and expect to have far more success in 2017 as a result. “We’re confident we have the depth that is going to give us a championship-caliber rotation,” manager Mike Scioscia said Tuesday (via Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times). “Exactly what the names are gonna be or what order remains to be seen, but we’re excited with the depth that we have. We’re excited with our defensive team, which should be an excellent team, and the positive effect that’ll have on all of our pitching, especially on our starters. We’re confident.” While Scioscia is clearly optimistic about the Angels’ pitching depth, rival talent evaluators are largely skeptical of the group, according to Moura.
  • In the same piece, Moura relays that infielder/outfielder Dustin Ackley still hasn’t received medical clearance to throw since the then-Yankee underwent shoulder surgery last June. Of course, that will make it all the more difficult for the early February minor league signing to earn a spot on the Angels’ Opening Day roster.
  • With a strong spring, first baseman James Loney “could rise to prominence in the Rangers’ camp,” writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Fellow minor league signing Josh Hamilton is also competing for a roster spot, and his knee issues might aid Loney in his quest to crack the 25-man, suggests Sullivan, who points out that they could use a lefty-swinging first baseman to complement the right-handed Mike Napoli. It’s worth noting that Hamilton has never played first, whereas Loney has lined up there almost exclusively since debuting in 2006. Although Loney batted a meek .265/.307/.397 in 366 plate appearances last year, Rangers manager Jeff Bannister told Sullivan that the lifetime .284/.336/.410 hitter “has proven over time that he’s a pretty tough out.”
  • While Blue Jays outfielder Dalton Pompey’s stock has dropped since he peaked as Baseball America’s 30th-best prospect after the 2014 season, the club remains bullish on the 24-year-old. “We think he’s part of the future, left field or whatever, in this organization,” manager John Gibbons informed Paul Hagen of MLB.com. Continued Gibbons: “We think he’s going to have a great career, but he just needs to go out there and play and don’t worry about anything else. Because he’s got a ton of talent. He’s really got everything he needs to be really, really good.” Only two of Pompey’s 384 plate appearances last season came in the majors, and with Kevin Pillar, Jose Bautista, Ezequiel Carrera, Melvin Upton Jr. and Steve Pearce around as outfield options, he seems likely to head to the Triple-A level to begin 2017.
  • Twins right-hander Ryan Vogelsong was worried the line drive he took off the head last May would not only end his career, but perhaps cost him his vision, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Fortunately, the ex-Pirate returned to the mound with his vision intact last year, and he’s now vying for a role with Minnesota after signing a minor league pact in January. On coming back for 2017, the soon-to-be 40-year-old Vogelsong said: “I love to compete. I think talking to guys who are done, it’s hard to replace that. I love being around the guys. I just love the game. I don’t play this game to make tons of money. The money is nice, but I play it because I love it. That’s what drives me. I still feel like I have good seasons left.”

Los Angeles Notes: Bellinger, Gagne, Angels, Shoemaker

By and | at

Dodgers top prospect Cody Bellinger is now being represented by agent Scott Boras, reports Robert Murray of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). While the highly touted Bellinger has yet to make his big league debut, he checked in among the game’s top 30 overall prospects in the estimation of ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 6), Baseball America (No. 7), MLB.com (No. 12), Baseball Prospectus (No. 26). Bellinger joins Dodgers superstar Corey Seager and another high-ceiling talent, Julio Urias, among young Dodgers represented by the Boras Corporation — as can be seen in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which houses representation info on more than 2,500 Major League and minor league players.

A few more notes on the Dodgers and Halos…

  • Former closer Eric Gagne turned some heads with the news that he’s attempting a surprise comeback. Though he hasn’t thrown in the bigs since way back in 2008, Gagne has already pitched in the presence of the Dodgers front office and is readying to showcase for other organizations, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). He’ll be repped by Scott Leventhal of All Bases Covered Sports Management, who tells Heyman that his client is willing to showcase for teams “on back-to-back days,” presumably to show his readiness to handle a reasonably significant workload at 41 years of age.
  • While it seems that the Angels’ first base situation is ripe for a platoon, Maria Guardado of MLB.com writes, GM Billy Eppler is planning to watch the candidates closely this spring to see how the playing time should be divvied up. “It’s not something that we have to decide until the very end,” he said. “I’m very pragmatic with decisions. I like to wait until the 11th hour all the time, so we’ll just see how it goes. You’ll see plenty of Luis Valbuena, C.J. Cron and Jefry Marte, and a little sprinkle of Matt Thaiss early on. You’ll see all those guys, but ultimately we’ll save that decision for the last possible minute.” While there was some chatter at the time of Valbuena’s signing that Cron could be on the trade block, that never seemed terribly realistic given the relative lack of demand for limited sluggers and the Halos’ own roster needs with Albert Pujols working back from foot surgery.
  • Angels righty Matt Shoemaker pitched off a mound for the first time since suffering a truly terrifying skull fracture last September, writes Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times. The 30-year-old underwent emergency surgery to halt bleeding in his skull after he was struck in the head by a 105-mph liner off the bat of Kyle Seager late last season. Shoemaker has been using a carbon-fiber headguard in an effort to protect him in the event of similar instances in the future, Moura notes, though he may experiment with other types of headgear during Spring Training games as well.
  • Moura also notes in his column that potential closer Cam Bedrosian is a bit behind schedule as he battles a groin strain that he suffered on Tuesday. While not a significant cause for concern, Bedrosian’s general health is a key factor for the Halos this season after the righty’s season was cut short by a finger injury and then a blood clot in his right arm which required surgical repair. Prior to his injury, the 25-year-old was somewhat quietly one of baseball’s most dominant relievers in 2016, pitching to a 1.12 ERA with a 51-to-14 K/BB ratio in 40 1/3 innings. Bedrosian will compete with Huston Street and Andrew Bailey for the closer’s role with the Halos, as MLBTR’s Jason Martinez recently outlined when breaking down the Angels’ upcoming spring training battles.

West Notes: Angels, Dodgers, Mariners, Diamondbacks

By | at

Angels right-hander Ricky Nolasco hasn’t eclipsed the 200-inning plateau since 2011, but he’s motivated to log at least 202 1/3 frames this year, writes Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times. That would give Nolasco 400 innings from 2016-17, meaning his $13MM club option for 2018 would vest; otherwise he could end up with a $1MM buyout next offseason. “It’s a big deal to me,” Nolasco told Moura. “I know what’s at stake — something that, obviously, I want to get to, no matter what happens. When I first signed that contract with the Twins, I thought, ‘Well, as long as I stay healthy, this is a five-year deal.’ It’s kind of been on my mind since day one.” Nolasco came close to 200 innings last year, when he combined for 197 2/3 with the Twins and Angels, and Halos general manager Billy Eppler is rooting for him to surpass the mark this season. “I hope Ricky takes the ball every fifth day and does his thing and goes deep in games and wins a lot of ballgames,” said Eppler. Manager Mike Scioscia, meanwhile, stated that he doesn’t “even want to hear about” Nolasco’s contract, adding that “he’s gonna pitch, and hopefully pitch well.”

More from the West Coast:

  • Another Angels starter, left-hander Andrew Heaney, is recovering well from his Tommy John procedure last July and holding out hope for a return this season, per Moura. Scioscia isn’t optimistic, however. “From the information I have available right now, there is nothing that would make him available to pitch this year,” he said. “I just don’t see it happening.” Heaney took the mound only once last season, in a six-inning start on April 5, and attempted stem-cell therapy treatment on his elbow before opting for surgery. That worked for teammate Garrett Richards, but not Heaney.
  • Before the Dodgers traded southpaw Vidal Nuno to the Orioles on Sunday, they offered him back to the Mariners, who declined thanks to a lack of roster space, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Nuno spent most of the past two seasons in Seattle, which sent him to Los Angeles for catcher Carlos Ruiz in November.
  • The Diamondbacks are “looking into building the industry’s most intelligent catchers,” including focusing on pitch framing, catching coach Robby Hammock told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. “The catching staff tries to throw out attempted base-stealers 80-120 times a year as opposed to receiving 20,000 to 25,000 pitches a year,” Hammock said. “What do you want to emphasize?” Hammock’s views explain the Diamondbacks’ offseason decision to jettison Welington Castillo, a poor framer, in favor of the defensively adept Jeff Mathis. Fellow free agent addition Chris Iannetta, on the other hand, hasn’t fared too well as a framer (via Baseball Prospectus), though the D-backs are optimistic they can help fix his issues. “It’s a skill,” analytics head Mike Fitzgerald observed. “So if it’s a skill, you can improve at it or decline at it. There’s a decent amount of empirical evidence that guys can improve on this.”

Arte Moreno On Angels’ Payroll, Stadium

By | at

Angels owner Arte Moreno spoke to reporters, including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, early Saturday, and he spoke about the team’s payroll in upcoming seasons and its future in its current stadium. Here’s some of what he had to say.

  • Recent Angels offseasons have been a far cry from several years ago, when the team signed top free agents like Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and C.J. Wilson (sometimes to limited success, as it turned out). This past winter, the Angels were again relatively quiet, though they did add Cameron Maybin, Luis Valbuena, Jesse Chavez, Danny Espinosa, Ben Revere and Martin Maldonado. The team will have greater financial flexibility in upcoming offseasons than it did this past winter, however, according to Moreno. The Angels can potentially clear plenty of payroll after 2017, including the last year of Josh Hamilton’s contract and potentially also the contracts of Ricky Nolasco and Huston Street (although the team has 2018 options on both players). The team could potentially again contend for top free-agent talent, Moreno says. “If our people feel it’s a player who fits, that’s what we’re going to do,” says the owner. “We’re going to try to win.”
  • The team could also add payroll in trades later this season if the team performs well. Fletcher notes that the team is currently about $10MM to $12MM below the luxury tax threshold. The Angels, Moreno says, “have enough economic flexibility to be able to go out and, if we do have holes, try to fill those holes.”
  • The Angels will remain in Angel Stadium until 2028 or beyond, according to Moreno. The team’s stadium deal contained the option to leave by 2019, but the Angels have no immediate plans to leave and would not be able to build a new stadium by then anyway. Instead, they will focus on upgrading their current ballpark. In addition to their option to leave their stadium by 2028, they also have an option to leave by 2038.

Minor MLB Transactions: 2/17/17

By | at

Plenty of players are still looking for opportunities as Spring Training gets underway in earnest. Among them is former White Sox lefty Scott Snodgress, who worked out for teams this week and will likely choose his landing spot tomorrow, per MLBTR’s Zach Links (via Twitter). Snodgress played indy ball last year after a rough 2015 season in the upper minors with the Angels.

Here are the latest minor moves from around the game, featuring a host of other southpaws:

  • The White Sox have added lefty Tyler Matzek on a minors pact, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). A 2009 first-rounder, Matzek worked through control problems and showed promise upon reaching the majors in 2014 with the Rockies. But his struggles with the strike zone returned with renewed vigor the next year, and Matzek was ultimately diagnosed with anxiety. Though he was able to make 33 minor-league appearances in 2016, he was outrighted off of Colorado’s 40-man and ended up issuing as many walks as strikeouts (11.1 per nine) on the year.
  • Former first-round pick Chris Reed has decided to retire from the Marlins, Eddy tweets. Just 26 years of age, Reed worked to a 3.65 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 81 1/3 innings in the upper minors last year. That represented progress after he struggled badly with control in 2015, but it seems that Reed will move on to other pursuits. The Dodgers, who originally took him 16th overall in 2011, will still get something out of their investment, though, as the trade that sent Reed to Miami netted southpaw Grant Dayton.
  • Outfielder Slade Heathcott has landed with the Giants on a minor-league deal that includes a camp invite, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The 26-year-old, who was taken after Reed in the first round in 2009, has long been viewed as a talented player but hasn’t yet earned a full MLB opportunity. He showed well in his lone stint in the bigs, in 2015, but hit only .254/.359/.380 in his 247 Triple-A plate appearances last year.
  • Lefty Hung-Chih Kuo is attempting a comeback with the Padres, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County-Register reports on Twitter that he has struck a minor-league deal with San Diego. Now 35 years of age, the Taiwanese native provided the division-rival Dodgers with 292 1/3 innings of 3.73 ERA ball over 2005 through 2011. Kuo has been pitching in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League for the past two campaigns.

Camp Battles: Los Angeles Angels

By | at

With limited resources at his disposal, Angels general manager Billy Eppler did well to plug holes throughout his team’s roster this offseason. The improved depth will not only help his team over the 162-game grind, it will result in some competition this spring.

Here are some notable position battles to keep an eye on.

LEFT FIELD
Cameron Maybin
Age: 30
Bats: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $9MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Ben Revere
Age: 29
Bats: L
Contract Status: 1 year, $4MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Dustin Ackley
Age: 29
Bats: L
Contract Status: MiLB deal; $2.25MM if he makes the MLB roster
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

On the surface, Maybin should have a strong edge in this battle. Despite missing a good part of the 2016 season due to an assortment of injuries, he slashed .315/.383/.418 with 15 stolen bases in 393 plate appearances for the Tigers. Revere is coming off of an abysmal season with the Nats (.217/260/.300 in 375 plate appearances) in which he deservedly lost his starting job.

However, both players have been around long enough that their track records, as well as spring performance, will play a part in determining who will get the bulk of playing time when the season begins. Maybin has a long history of injuries and subpar offensive seasons. Revere, up until 2016, had been able to compensate for a lack of power and plate discipline with a .303 batting average and 36 stolen bases per season from 2012-2015. It would be tough to keep him out of the lineup if he returns to that form. Defensively, Maybin and Revere each cover a ton of ground and should be well above-average in left field.

Ackley, who signed a Minor League deal this offseason after he was released by the Yankees, is probably the most intriguing player in camp who could conceivably do enough in Spring Training to make a push if both Maybin and Revere struggle terribly. The 2nd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Ackley had an impressive rookie season with the Mariners in 2011, but has been a disappointment since.

Even if manager Mike Scioscia names one as his starter, it’s likely that he’ll look for platoon opportunities and/or go with the “hot hand” during the season, with Maybin and Revere both getting a chance to run away with the job.

Prediction: Maybin

CLOSER
Huston Street
Age: 33
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $10MM with 2018 club option ($10MM or $1MM buyout)
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Cam Bedrosian
Age: 25
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’21 season
Options remaining: Out of options

Andrew Bailey
Age: 33
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $1MM 
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Considering that Street had been one of the most consistent and reliable relief pitchers in baseball for more than a decade prior to an injury-plagued and ineffective 2016 season, it’s fair to say that he deserves the benefit of the doubt and should remain in the closer role to start the 2017 season.

The emergence of Bedrosian, however, is the likeliest reason why Street will have a much shorter leash than he’s ever had during his career. If not for a blood clot that ended his season two days after taking over as the closer when Street landed on the disabled list in early August, Bedrosian might have already proven that he’s the best man for the job. It won’t be long, though, if he can pick up where he left off (1.56 ERA, 11.4 K/9 in 45 appearances).

Former A’s closer Andrew Bailey also earned his way into the competition by pitching well after the Angels signed him to a Minor League deal in August (11.1 IP, 3 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 8 K). For Bailey to get serious consideration, though, he’d have to give the Angels every indication that he is healthy and back to the form that made him a Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star very early in his career.

Prediction: Street on Opening Day. Bedrosian takes the job from him by June 1st.

STARTING ROTATION (TWO SPOTS)
Tyler Skaggs
Age: 25
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’20 season
Options remaining: 1

Jesse Chavez
Age: 33
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $5.75MM 
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Nate Smith
Age: 25
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’23 season 
Options remaining: 3

Alex Meyer
Age: 27
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 or ’23 season 
Options remaining: 1

Bud Norris
Age: 32
Throws: R
Contract Status: MiLB deal; $1.75MM if he makes the MLB roster
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Yusmeiro Petit
Age: 32
Throws: R
Contract Status: MiLB deal; $2.25MM if he makes the MLB roster
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Other candidates: Daniel Wright, Manny Bañuelos, Brooks Pounders

Not only is there a rotation spot that is Skaggs’ to lose, he’s a strong candidate to break out in 2017. In his first season since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2014, Skaggs was eased back into action with 10 MLB starts after a late-July promotion. The Angels will still likely proceed with some caution since he only threw a total of 89 innings in 2016. He’ll need to prove in Spring Training that he’s ready to handle a full workload or else he could begin the season in Triple-A.

Chavez’s versatility is a big part of his value, but the Angels did not have the financial freedom to give nearly $6MM to a pitcher who wasn’t going to start or factor into the late-inning mix. He’ll be given every opportunity to win a rotation spot. In 26 starts with the A’s in 2015, he had a 4.37 ERA with 7.6 K/9 in 150.1 innings pitched. The Angels would be ecstatic if he can come close to that production.

Meyer, a former top prospect for the Twins, has battled injuries and control issues throughout his career. He does have an upper-90’s fastball, however, which is why he’s the most intriguing candidate on this list. The bullpen might be his ultimate destination, but the Angels probably aren’t ready to give up on him as a starter just yet. The 6’9″ right-hander only pitched 50.1 innings in 2016, but 12 of his 13 appearances, including all five at the MLB level, were starts.

Smith doesn’t have Meyer’s ceiling, but he has the potential to be a solid back-of-the-rotation starter and he might be ready to step in now. Both he and Meyer are on the 40-man roster, which is why they’ll get a long look this spring.

Like Chavez, Petit is valuable because of his ability to pitch as a swingman. In this case, he’ll be given an opportunity to win a rotation spot, although he’ll have an uphill battle to stand out. His ability to successfully bounce from the bullpen to emergency spot starter might even work against him since he’s an appealing candidate for the pen. Norris isn’t that far removed from being a very good MLB starter, but he’s had a rough go of it over the past two seasons (5.79 ERA in 196 IP between four teams). Regardless, Petit and Norris are veterans who are capable of contributing at some point, even if not right out of the gate.

Prediction: Skaggs and Chavez win spots.

[RELATED: Los Angeles Angels Depth Chart]

Minor MLB Transactions: 2/15/17

By | at

Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • Two players are joining the Orioles on minor-league deals, per a club announcement. Outfielder Michael Choice and corner infielder Juan Francisco both signed on, though it’s not clear whether either has received an invitation to MLB camp. Choice, 27, is a former top prospect who has struggled in his limited chances at the MLB level and hit .246/.304/.456 in 276 Triple-A plate appearances last year. Meanwhile, it’s a return to the affiliated ranks for Francisco, who’s still just 29 years old. He hasn’t seen the majors since 2014, when he did manage above-average overall production despite a typically subpar on-base percentage, and did not play in 2016 after a brief stint in Japan during the prior season. (Note: Francisco’s signing was first reported yesterday, as we covered here.)
  • The Orioles also outrighted catcher Francisco Pena after he cleared waivers, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com first reported on Twitter. Pena, 27, scuffled in limited MLB action but will still enter camp with at least a shot at winning a reserve role on the Opening Day roster. The out-of-options backstop owns a .248/.294/.453 batting line in extensive Triple-A action and is regarded as a solid defender.
  • Also outrighted was right-hander Deolis Guerra, who’ll head to Triple-A for the Angels (though as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register notes on Twitter, he can still reject the assignment). The 27-year-old was recently dropped from the 40-man in favor of another reliever, but the club will get to keep both options on hand. Last year, Guerra contributed 53 1/3 frames of 3.21 ERA ball with 6.1 K/9 and an excellent 1.2 BB/9 for Los Angeles, but the soft-tossing control artist doesn’t seem to have generated much interest from other organizations.
  • Finally, the Blue Jays have outrighted lefty Chad Girodo after he cleared waivers, per a club announcement. Recently designated, the 26-year-old will hope to earn his way back to the majors after making his debut in 2016. He did generate grounders at a healthy clip last year, but struggled in his 10 1/3 MLB frames and managed only a 3.79 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in his 35 2/3 innings at Triple-A.

Pitching Notes: Lewis, Weaver, Masterson, Cubs

By | at

Free-agent righty Colby Lewis bid adieu to the Rangers organization in a statement to reporters, including Anthony Andro (Twitter link). Though he has still yet to sign, it seems that there’s now no possibility of a reunion with Texas. Lewis, 37, did not suggest that he’s planning to retire, though he has yet to find a roster spot with camps opening around the league. The veteran right-hander posted a solid 3.71 ERA in 116 2/3 innings last season, but he struggled upon returning from a lat strain that sidelined him for nearly two months. Beyond that, ERA alternatives like FIP, xFIP and SIERA all felt he was fortunate to get through the season with that 3.71 mark, as he posted an abnormally low BABIP while his strikeout, walk and home-run rates each trended in the wrong direction.

A few more notes on the waning market for arms…

  • If there was any doubt, former Angels righty Jered Weaver made clear recently to teammates that he won’t be back with the Halos, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports (Twitter links). Right-hander Garrett Richards told reporters that Weaver recently sent out a group text telling his now-former teammates what a pleasure it was to play alongside them. Said Richards of receiving the text: “After that went out, everything was put into perspective that he wasn’t coming back… It’s going to be weird.” Weaver has been connected to the Padres on multiple occasions, though a union between the two sides has not yet commenced. It’s possible that he could latch on there or with another club, as multiple teams are still seeking depth, and injuries are sure to continue to arise as Spring Training gets underway.
  • Justin Masterson worked out for eight teams in Phoenix, Ariz. earlier today, per ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). He’ll pitch again for some clubs on Friday, Crasnick adds. The Twins were reportedly in attendance for today’s session, though it’s not clear which other clubs were present. Masterson’s last productive MLB campaign came back in 2013, as injuries have hampered his results in recent years. He struggled with Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate last season, but at age 31 (32 in March), he’s hardly old enough to doubt the possibility of a successful comeback effort.
  • The Cubs passed on matching the Royals’ offer to Travis Wood and on matching the recent commitments made to Jerry Blevins (by the Mets) and Boone Logan (by the Indians) in large part because they’re saving their resources for the summer trade market, writes CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney. “There were some relievers who became available on shorter deals late that we were interested in early on (with) those types of deals,” said president of baseball ops Theo Epstein. “But they weren’t really ready to commit yet to the shorter deal. And then by the time it rolled around late in the offseason, we kind of spent our money.” Epstein specifically cited a desire for “flexibility for in-season moves” and added that the baseball operations department had some “self-imposed limitations” late in the winter. As such, it doesn’t sound as if Cubs fans should expect much in the way of significant additions to the roster between now and Opening Day.

AL Injury Notes: Flynn, Tillman, Richards, Perkins, Smith, Cishek, Doubront

By | at

Royals lefty Brian Flynn is expected to miss eight weeks of action due to injuries suffered in a fall through the roof of his barn, as Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reports on Twitter. A broken rib seems to be the main injury to the 26-year-old, who turned in 55 1/3 innings of 2.60 ERA ball last year for Kansas City. Though Flynn will clearly now be delayed, there’s no indication that there are any long-term concerns, and the organization’s recent signing of Travis Wood will help restore any lost early-season depth.

Here are some more injury situations developing around the American League:

  • The Orioles may be without righty Chris Tillman to start the year, as the veteran starter undertook a PRP injection in his shoulder in December, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to report (Twitter links). Tillman is said to be about three weeks behind, though he isn’t expected to miss significant time at this point. Still, there’s little chance he’ll be ready to take the ball on Opening Day, which would break a string of three-straight appearances in the first game of the season. It seems there’s no particular reason to worry about Tillman’s outlook for the season, though it’s fair to wonder whether the shoulder issue will gum up any attempts by the team to lock him up to a long-term deal this spring. Tillman is earning $10.05MM this season before hitting the open market.
  • Angels righty Garrett Richards reported feeling normal after his pen session on Friday, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. That represents a positive start to the spring for a pitcher who once seemed destined for Tommy John surgery. Richards instead elected stem cell and PRP therapy, returning to the hill over the fall before taking his winter rest. The hope remains that he’ll be able to undertake a normal spring and open the season in the rotation. Meanwhile, the Halos are still waiting to see how first baseman Albert Pujols will progress in his return from foot surgery. The high-priced slugger expressed cautious optimism, but wasn’t willing to say for sure whether he’ll be ready by the start of the year, as Fletcher further reports.
  • Twins lefty Glen Perkins felt good after a short, 15-pitch bullpen session, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press tweets. He’s on track to take the hill again late this week. If you like, you can take a look at the former closer’s progress for yourself, as Berardino has uploaded a video of him throwing to YouTube.
  • Red Sox right-hander Carson Smith is expected to throw off of a mound for the first time since his Tommy John surgery on or around March 10th, as Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal tweets. That would presumably set up Smith for a mid-season return; if he’s able to remain on track, he could provide a nice boost to the BoSox pen in advance of the trade deadline.
  • It seems that Mariners righty Steve Cishek has a bit more to overcome than just the hip labrum tear that was previously reported, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter links). The reliever also needed a microfracture procedure, and now acknowledges that an Opening Day return is optimistic. Though Cishek is only just beginning light throwing, fellow relief candidate Tony Zych will soon progress to 120-foot throwing, Divish adds on Twitter.
  • Athletics lefty Felix Doubront threw a pen for the first time today since his Tommy John surgery about ten months back, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter. It’s not clear as yet what kind of timeline can be expected for the southpaw, though it’s certainly promising that he was deemed ready to get on the hill. Doubront re-signed with the A’s on a minor-league pact this offseason.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top