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West Notes: Shoemaker, Holland, Padres, Cain

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The Angels demoted righty Matt Shoemaker to Triple-A today, capping off what has been a disappointing season for the 28-year-old.  Coming off an impressive 2014 rookie campaign, Shoemaker has been inconsistent this year, and his rough last two outings (13 ER in just 7 1/3 combined innings) apparently convinced the Angels that he needed a breather in the minors.  Shoemaker has a 4.76 ERA over 117 1/3 innings this season, though advanced metrics — such as a 3.80 SIERA, 4.01 xFIP, 8.1 K/9 and 3.5 K/BB rate — suggest he’s pitched better than his ERA indicates.  Shoemaker’s demotion leaves the Halos with a four-man rotation for now; right-hander Nick Tropeano is probably a good bet to be promoted, as he’s already made a couple of spot starts for Los Angeles this season.

Here’s some more from both the AL and NL West divisions…

  • The Rangers will decide tomorrow whether Derek Holland will be activated from the DL and start on Wednesday, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News writes.  Holland told reporters that he felt good after a full bullpen session today, and he is ready to make just his second appearance of 2015.  Holland has played in just seven games in 2014-15 due to knee surgery, back spasms and a shoulder injury, the latter being responsible for his current DL stint.
  • The Padres didn’t move any of their big names prior to the July trade deadline and ESPN’s Christina Kahrl believes the team may similarly stand pat in August.  Dealing away controllable young players wouldn’t have helped the team contend in 2016, and veterans like Ian Kennedy or Joaquin Benoit wouldn’t have brought premium prospects back in return.  As for bigger-name veterans, Justin Upton may not have netted more than the first-round pick the Padres would obtain when Upton rejects a qualifying offer and possibly leaves in free agency this winter.  As for James Shields, Kahrl points out that the righty had a long wait on the open market last winter, so teams who passed on Shields then may not be eager to give up prospects to acquire him now.
  • It took a lot of work to get Colin Rea to the majors, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes in a profile of the rookie right-hander’s growth from being a lightly-regarded project of a prospect to a Padres starter.
  • The moving and organizational switches that come with being a pro ballplayer can be especially hard for a player’s family, the Arizona Republic’s Zach Buchanan illustrates in an interview with Taylor Ray (wife of Diamondbacks lefty Robbie Ray) and the wives of several other D’Backs players.
  • Mike Leake’s return from the DL this week will force the Giants to make a pitching roster move, and CSNBayArea.com’s Alex Pavlovic writes that bumping Matt Cain from the rotation is an option the club is considering.  Cain has struggled through an injury-plagued season, posting a 6.05 ERA in only 41 2/3 innings.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/16/15

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Here are the latest minor moves, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • The Braves purchased the contract of right-hander Peter Moylan from Triple-A Gwinnett prior to today’s game, and the Australian tossed two-thirds of an inning in the 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks.  This was Moylan’s first Major League outing since 2013; the 36-year-old has been plagued by injuries over the last five years, most notably missing all of 2014 recovering from Tommy John surgery.  Moylan signed a minor league deal with Atlanta this past March and he’s posted a 3.14 ERA over 28 2/3 Triple-A innings.
  • Amidst a flurry of call-ups and DL placements today, the Angels purchased the contract of shortstop Ryan Jackson from Triple-A.  To create a 40-man roster spot, C.J. Wilson was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.  Jackson joined the Angels organization in May after being dealt from Kansas City for Drew Butera, and he has hit .293/.371/.373 in 363 plate appearances for Triple-A Salt Lake City.  Jackson’s big league experience consists of 25 PA with the Cardinals in 2012-13.
  • Right-hander Taylor Thompson has cleared waivers and been outrighted to the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate, MLB.com’s Jane Lee reports (Twitter link).  Thompson, who’s been limited to just 8 2/3 minor league innings this season due to a shoulder injury, was designated for assignment on Friday.
  • While Thompson is now out of “DFA Limbo,” nine players are still awaiting their next assignment.  Check out the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker to keep track of their status.

Latest On Phillies, Chase Utley

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Chase Utley wants to join a contender on the West Coast and preferably in his native Southern California, two executives involved in the discussions told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The second baseman holds full no-trade rights, so he’ll have say over where he goes or whether he leaves Philly at all.

The Angels and Giants are said to have interest, but Rosenthal writes that the right fit might never arise for the Phillies and the 36-year-old.  Utley has never asked the Phillies for a trade and would only leave the organization reluctantly, sources tell the FOX Sports scribe.  Also, while teams are interested, they are reluctant to give up much for a seven-week rental who is owed $6MM+, including a $2MM buyout on his 2016 option.

On the flipside, Utley could have incentive to green light a trade since going to a contender could enhance his value this winter.  The Phillies could also sweeten the pot with some cash to get a suitable return and make a deal happen.

The Cubs are still in the mix for the veteran, but given his California preference, they are not his first choice.  The Cubs also might not want to disrupt a team that has won 15 of its last 16 games heading into today’s contest against the White Sox, Rosenthal writes.  The Yankees could offer more playing time than any other suitor, but they’re on the wrong coast for the veteran.  The Dodgers, in theory, fit the bill as a Cali contender with a need at second base, but Howie Kendrick could return in two weeks and Kiké Hernandez has been doing well in that spot so far.

Angels Still Hope To Acquire Utley

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The Angels thought they were close to acquiring Phillies second baseman Chase Utley yesterday, tweets Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. The club still hopes to add the veteran second baseman per Gonzalez although the team is more pessimistic than yesterday per reports. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal points out that it’s a complicated trade (via Twitter). The Phillies have to agree on a prospect, the two sides have to work out the roughly $6MM guaranteed left on his contract, and Utley has full no-trade protection. He plans to use it to ensure he’ll have an active role on his new club.

Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times adds (tweet) that Utley is also considering the 2016 season with regard to his no-trade rights. Since his $16MM vesting option is out of reach, Utley will have a club option valued between $5MM and $11MM based on time spent on the disabled list. This is my speculation, but it’s possible Utley may ask to have the option guaranteed.

While many assume an acquiring team will opt to use his $2MM buyout, the 2014 version of Utley was well worth a one-year deal of no more than $11MM. Per FanGraphs’ WAR metric, Utley was worth 4.5 wins last season. While his 2015 numbers are obviously miserable, Utley reportedly made a mechanical fix related to his injured ankle. FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan has the details with some video. As of this writing, Utley is 13-for-25 since returning from the disabled list with six extra base hits (including a double and a home run tonight). For now, it’s believable that he’s reverted to his previous talent level.

Latest On Chase Utley Trade Talks

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We heard earlier today that the Angels are looking into a trade for Phillies second baseman Chase Utley. While there are some barriers to a deal there, as there are with other possible destinations, it seems to be one of several viable landings spots. Here’s the latest on the long-time star:

  • There is “credible buzz” that the Astros are also involved in pursuing Utley, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com tweets. Obviously Houston has Jose Altuve entrenched at second and can play both Jed Lowrie and Luis Valbuena at third. But Salisbury says that the team could utilize Utley at first and/or the DH slot, where the club is currently struggling to find consistent production. The Astros join five other previously-reported teams with interest, including their primary competition in the AL West.
  • Executives involved in the discussions say they expect Utley will end up deciding whether to waive his no-trade protection for the Cubs or Angels, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. It’s not entirely clear whether those two clubs are most appealing to the team or to Utley, let alone what kind of process is being pursued to arrive at a decision.
  • The Giants join the Cubs and Angels atop Utley’s preference list, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. As he notes, one major question with San Francisco is the status of Joe Panik, who will presumably slot back in as the regular second baseman when he returns from injury.

Angels “Exploring Possibility” Of Chase Utley Trade

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The Angels are “exploring the possibility” of a trade for Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, reports Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (All Twitter links). However, as Gonzalez notes, the Angels don’t feel they have a great deal of roster flexibility, as they don’t see an easy call to option or designate for assignment in order to clear room. Gonzalez adds that the extent of the Angels’ interest isn’t clear, especially with Johnny Giavotella hitting well this month, although Utley could see some reps at first base in Anaheim as well.

Utley’s still owed about $4.43MM this season, plus a $2MM buyout on a club option that will not automatically vest, as he’ll fall shy of 500 plate appearances required for that guarantee to trigger. The 36-year-old has already cleared waivers, making him eligible to be dealt to any team, but his 10-and-5 rights are still in effect, giving him the power to veto any trade of which he does not approve. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported yesterday that Utley was seeking a guarantee of playing time in any trade.

The 28-year-old Giavotella has somewhat surprisingly held down the Angels’ second base gig all season, hitting .271/.320/.359 along the way. Defensive metrics peg him as sub-par at second base, however, leading both rWAR and fWAR to value him as little more than a replacement-level option when combined with his slightly below-average bat. Of course, there’s no guarantee that Utley would provide a superior alternative, as he hit poorly all season before landing on the DL for more than a month. He’s 7-for-17 since being activated, but that does little to nothing to erase his earlier woes.

Some may question the aforementioned lack of roster flexibility on the Angels, but the team clearly feels committed to keeping Rule 5 pick Taylor Featherston on the roster despite the absence of offensive production (.126/.181/.195). Shane Victorino hasn’t hit since his acquisition, but he does have just 27 plate appearances with the Halos and would figure to have a lengthier leash than that. Matt Joyce has struggled at the plate all season long, but he’s on the disabled list due to concussion symptoms as opposed to occupying a spot on the active roster.

C.J. Wilson To Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery

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As expected, Angels starter C.J. Wilson has decided to undergo elbow surgery and will miss the rest of the season, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. Wilson is expected to be ready for the spring.

Wilson was reportedly weighing whether or not to go under the knife after dealing with multiple bone spurs all season long. He’s previously had clean-up operations with good results, and was able to toss over two hundred innings in 2013 after having bone spurs removed over the prior offseason.

Wilson topped that inning mark in four straight seasons, including his first two with the Angels, but fell shy last year and will do so again in 2015. He’ll wrap up his season with 132 frames of 3.89 ERA pitching, with 7.5 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9. The Halos owe Wilson $20MM next year, the final season of his contract.

At this point, it’s no surprise to the Angels that they’ll be without Wilson, and an outside addition seems unlikely. But it certainly hurts to lose depth, and the injury (plus his large salary) will make it rather difficult for the team to consider trading Wilson over the winter.

AL West Notes: Martinez, Wilson, Astros, Davis

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The Rangers optioned right-hander Nick Martinez to Triple-A following yesterday’s poor outing versus the Twins, and as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News points out, it looks like the option will be a costly one for Martinez. The 25-year-old has already spent 18 days in the minors this season, and barring a quick recall due to an injury, his collective time at the Triple-A level will likely be large enough to prevent him from accruing a full year of service time, thus delaying his free agency by a season. However, as Grant stresses, this isn’t an instance of a team manipulating service time. Rather, Martinez’s poor outing exhausted the bullpen yesterday and eliminated the possibility of working with a short relief corps for a few days. Martinez’s recent play hasn’t done him any favors, either; he’s pitched to a 6.25 ERA over his previous 11 outings after a brilliant start to the season.

Here’s more from the AL West…

  • There’s been no final decision made on whether or not Angels lefty C.J. Wilson will undergo season-ending surgery, writes MLB.com’s Greg Garno. Wilson had a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache recently, and while the meeting revealed nothing new, per manager Mike Scioscia, the decision is solely up to Wilson. “Once he gets all the information, I’m sure we’ll get the results from it and see what C.J.’s decision is,” said Scioscia. The Angels are currently waiting for Wilson to “digest” all of the info and make the call, according to Scioscia. Wilson reportedly has eight bone spurs in his elbow which will need to be surgically removed at some point.
  • The Astros have had a rough stretch of games on the road, but GM Jeff Luhnow tells the Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich that he’s confident due to the quality of pitching he’s received as well as the quality of upper-level players who will join the team in September. The Astros currently have a logjam of corner/DH options that will be magnified by the return of George Springer. As Drellich writes, though, it’s difficult to justify the loss of a player like Chris Carter for little to no return (that is, by way of DFA or waiver claim) when expanded rosters are just under two weeks away.
  • Alex Hall of Athletics Nation makes a case for the A’s to cut ties with Ike Davis sooner rather than later. As Hall notes, Davis hasn’t hit since coming off the DL in May, and his $3.8MM salary figures to increase even after a down season simply due to the nature of the arbitration process. Davis only has a year of team control remaining anyhow, so he’s not likely to be a long-term piece in Oakland, and the A’s could do well to replace him with a cheaper set of lottery tickets in 2016 as opposed to paying him north of $4MM. Davis was already acquired for very little last offseason, Hall points out, and a season marred by injury and more poor performance at the plate will sap him of any meaningful trade value this winter. Releasing him now would give Davis a chance to latch on with a contending team that wants to roll the dice on his previous success in the season’s final six weeks, which would be beneficial to both Davis and the A’s, Hall concludes.

NL Central Notes: Brewers’ GM Search, Cubs, Barnhart

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The Brewers’ search for a new general manager has only been officially underway for a day, but Bob Nightengale of USA Today hears (Twitter link) that the team is likely to hire someone from outside the organization, with Angels assistant general manager Scott Servais as one “intriguing name [that’s] surfacing.” MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, however, tweets a different take, noting that he’s heard current scouting director Ray Montgomery has a good chance at being tabbed to fill the vacancy. Yesterday, the team announced that Doug Melvin would transition to an advisory role, with a search for a new GM beginning immediately. (Melvin, for the time being, is still the team’s acting GM though.)

Here’s more from the NL Central…

  • Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said today on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link) that the bulk of starting pitchers that will be available this offseason impacted the team’s strategy for last month’s non-waiver trade deadline.  The Cubs were linked to various controllable starters, but ended up adding veteran Dan Haren on deadline day.
  • Of course, the Cubs could still look to add some pitching help this month, but president of baseball operations Theo Epstein tells Bruce Levine of 670 The Score/CBS Chicago that the team isn’t currently close to any deals (Twitter link). As Epstein noted, sometimes things don’t really pick up on that front until the end of August.
  • Though the absence of Devin Mesoraco has hurt the Reds this season, it’s also created the opportunity for young backstop Tucker Barnhart to play his way into a future role with the team, writes the Cincinnai Enquirer’s C. Trent Rosecrans. While Mesoraco is still the Reds’ long-term catcher, Rosecrans spoke to manager Bryan Price about how impressed Price has been with the 24-year-old Barnhart. Price said that when it came to Barnhart, the biggest question surrounding him would be if his bat would be good enough to handle an extended stint if something were to happen to Mesoraco, but the team has been impressed with Barnhart in exactly that scenario. Entering play tonight, Barnhart was hitting .259/.338/.353 with three homers. “When he comes to the plate, I feel that he’s going to do something good,” said Price. “…There’s been nothing about his game that’s been disappointing. Offensively, he’s been a lot more than I expected.”

Quick Hits: Rookies, Brewers, Glasnow, Angels

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It’s still early August but the rookie class of 2015 is on the verge of becoming the most productive (via fWAR) first-year crop in the history of the game, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan writes.  The Astros’ Carlos Correa leads the way, and Passan hears from two general managers who already rank Correa amongst the top 5-10 players in the game.  Rookie position players are generally outshining the rookie pitchers, though this season has still seen several impressive young arms like Noah Syndergaard, Joe Ross, Aaron Nola and Lance McCullers make their debuts.  Here’s more from around the baseball world as we wrap up the weekend…

  • The Brewers’ midseason trades have heavily upgraded their farm system, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes.  Baseball America’s John Manuel is describes the Brew Crew’s improvements as “pretty amazing,” saying the team went “from a middle of the pack (farm) system to a top five or 10 system.”  Haudricourt breaks down the projected new top 10 prospects in the Brewers’ system.
  • With the Pirates lacking in rotation depth, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonders if the team would consider calling up top prospect Tyler Glasnow.  The Bucs could break their pattern of being conservative with minor league promotions if it meant adding a premium arm for the playoff race, like how Gerrit Cole’s call-up in 2013 helped carry the team into the postseason.  Glasnow, a consensus top-16 prospect (as per MLB.com, Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law) prior to the season, has a combined 2.41 ERA, 11.6 K/9 and 3.61 K/BB rate over 78 1/3 innings over three levels, though he’s made only two starts at Triple-A.
  • There’s a perception around the game that an experienced executive like Dave Dombrowski may not want to take the Angels’ GM job given the perceived lack of power a GM would have with Arte Moreno and Mike Scioscia wielding most of the influence, The Los Angeles Times’ Bill Shaikin writes.  Then again, Shaikin notes, pundits said the same thing about the Orioles’ front office situation a few years ago prior to Dan Duquette’s hiring, and the O’s have since thrived.  Shaikin doesn’t think Dombrowski will end up in Anaheim, but rather could join the Blue Jays or the Mariners front office.
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