Dodgers Option Tony Gonsolin To Alternate Training Site
The Los Angeles Dodgers have optioned swingman Tony Gonsolin to their alternate training site, tweets Jorge Castillo of the LA Times.
It was clear as early as last week that Gonsolin was unlikely to make the Dodgers’ rotation. There was still a chance Gonsolin would break camp in the bullpen, but it appears the Dodgers have decided to keep him in camp. Presumably, this means they’ll continue to stretch him out for the possibility of joining the rotation at some point during the season. Ross Stripling figures to have the best shot at joining Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Julio Urias, and Walker Buehler in the rotation, though Dustin May could still be in the mix for either the rotation or the pen.
Though Gonsolin pitched well in the majors last season (2.93 ERA/3.86 FIP across 40 innings), he benefited from a below-average BABIP (.209). In 13 Triple-A starts before getting the call-up, Gonsolin put together a blasé 4.35 ERA/4.38 FIP. He’ll remain a depth option for the Dodgers.
In the meantime, the Dodgers have more than enough arms in the bullpen. Presuming Kenley Jansen gets up to speed in time to make the Opening Day roster, he’ll join Joe Kelly, Blake Treinen, Pedro Baez, Caleb Ferguson, Scott Alexander, Brusdar Graterol, Dylan Floro, and lefty specialist Adam Kolarek as pen options for the Dodgers.
Health Notes: Quintana, Rangers, Hernandez, Santander
Cubs southpaw Jose Quintana is making progress in his recovery from left thumb surgery, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. Quintana had his stitches removed and will start tossing Thursday, according to Heyman. There’s no update on how much regular-season time Quintana will miss, but assuming he does land on the injured list, it’ll be the durable 31-year-old’s first IL stint since he entered the majors in 2012. He amassed 30-plus starts in each of the previous seven seasons.
- Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun suffered a Grade 1 right hip strain and probably won’t be available for the team’s season opener July 24, according to general manager Jon Daniels (via Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Fortunately, though, the Rangers don’t expect Calhoun to miss much time. Likewise, they’re of the belief catcher Robinson Chirinos shouldn’t be out long. Chirinos suffered a right ankle injury Monday, but Texas is optimistic he won’t need an IL stint.
- Dodgers utility player Enrique Hernandez, whose wife is pregnant, said Wednesday he would have considered opting out of the season if not for his status as a pending free agent, per Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times. Hernandez is not a high-risk individual, meaning he would not have collected service time had he decided to sit out the campaign. When the season does get underway, Hernandez will look to rebound after his numbers took steps backward last year from a career-best showing in 2018.
- Speaking with Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com and other media Wednesday, Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander revealed he was late reporting to Summer Camp because of a positive COVID-19 test. Santander said he dealt with “mild” symptoms, but he’s now “healthy” and “not contagious.” That doesn’t mean Santander will have enough time to ramp up to avoid an IL stint, but he and the Orioles are hoping he’ll be ready for Opening Day. Santander received his first extensive MLB action last season and hit .261/.297/.476 (97 wRC+) with 20 home runs in 405 plate appearances, gaining an international fan club in the process.
Tyler White Signs With SK Wyverns
8:20pm: White has signed with the Wyverns for a guaranteed $130K and a $30K option for the rest of the season, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News tweets. He’ll have to go through a two-week quarantine before joining the team.
3:54pm: Dodgers first baseman Tyler White is finalizing a contract with SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization, Daniel Kim of MBC reports. White is not part of the Dodgers’ 60-man player pool.
The Dodgers acquired White last July in a trade with the Astros, with whom he debuted in 2016 and showed flashes of offensive brilliance at times. In a 304-plate appearance run from 2017-18, White slashed an excellent .277/.349/.531 (140 wRC+) with 15 home runs. However, the 29-year-old fell to earth last season, combining for a dismal .208/.308/.304 showing with three homers and a 71 wRC+ in 279 PA between Los Angeles and Houston.
White only collected 26 trips to the plate and one hit as a Dodger, thanks in part to a right trapezius strain. The team outrighted him off its 40-man roster in the offseason, and with no clear opportunity to reestablish himself in the majors, he’ll now try to rebuild his stock overseas. The Wyverns could certainly use a revival from White, as the club has won just 19 of its first 61 games this year.
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/14/20
A couple of minor MLB moves…
- The Dodgers have added infield prospect Kody Hoese to their 60-man player pool, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports. The 23-year-old went 25th overall to the Dodgers in the 2019 draft and is now considered one of their top 10 prospects (MLB.com places him seventh in LA’s system, Baseball America eighth, FanGraphs ninth). An elbow injury slowed Hoese to some extent during his first taste of Single-A ball last year, but he’s still seen as someone with the potential to emerge as a quality hitter in the majors down the line.
- Left-hander Brian Flynn has elected free agency after the Rangers didn’t add him to their player pool, Steve Adams of MLBTR reports. Flynn joined the Rangers on a minor league contract in the offseason after appearing in the majors in each of the previous four years with the Royals. Thanks in part to a sprained UCL, Flynn could only muster 29 1/3 innings of 5.22 ERA pitching a season ago. To his credit, though, Flynn still managed a respectable overall mark of 3.76 during his 162 2/3-frame KC tenure.
Kenley Jansen Reports To Dodgers Camp; Tested Positive For COVID-19
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen reported to camp today—as first reported by Pedro Moura of The Athletic—rejoining his team after a positive test for COVID-19 prevented him from participating in Dodgers workouts to this point. It was previously unknown why Jansen had yet to arrive at Dodger Stadium, but he confirmed today that he indeed tested positive for the virus. Evidently, he has since passed the two tests necessary to permit him to return to action.
Jansen told reporters including MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick that he expects to be ready for the Dodgers’ July 23 matchup with the Giants to kick off the season. With Opening Day less than two weeks away, that seems like an ambitious goal for a pitcher who has thus far been unable to train with his team in Spring Training 2.0, but the build-up to game shape might be less steep for a bullpen pitcher like Jansen, who’s been throwing consistently during the baseball stoppage.
Should Jansen need more to time to recover, the Dodgers’ deep bullpen should give them options to deploy in the ninth inning in place of Jansen: Joe Kelly and Blake Treinen are accomplished veteran relievers who could pick up the slack for a time.
Jansen, 32, has dealt with heart issues in the past, though he’s said that those problems have not influenced his intent to play in the shortened 2020 season. Last year was arguably Jansen’s worst season since arriving in MLB in 2010. For the better part of a decade, he was one of the most dominant relievers in the sport, though declining velocity has troubled him in recent years. As 2020 gets underway, we will cross our fingers for a healthy, bounce-back season from Jansen.
Dodgers Mull Rotation Options
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has yet to name David Price‘s replacement in the rotation, but Tony Gonsolin isn’t likely to claim the spot, writes J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group. Gonsolin certainly put together enough of an effort in 2019 (2.93 ERA/3.86 FIP across 11 appearances, six starts), but according to Roberts, the issue is that Gonsolin is behind his competitors in terms of building up the strength a starter needs to accumulate heavy usage.
In a vacuum, Ross Stripling would figure to be the top candidate to join Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Julio Urias, and Walker Buehler in the rotation. Despite being temporarily traded to the Angels, Stripling’s been largely productive as a swingman and occasional starter for the Dodgers. While contributing between 74 and 122 innings over the last four seasons, Stripling has never had an ERA or FIP higher than 3.96, coming in his rookie season. In this environment, however, roles will have as much to do with readiness as past performance. Dustin May could certainly earn some consideration for the rotation, as could Dennis Santana. Edwin Uceta could also get a look. May, 22, has the highest upside of the group.
In other news from camp, the Dodgers added six players to their 60-man player pool, writes Hoornstra (via Twitter). Michael Busch, Anthony Garcia, Landon Knack, Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot, Edubray Ramos and Carson Taylor all join the pool as non-roster invitees.
Gavin Lux Reports To Dodgers Camp
Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux is back in action at Summer Camp, MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick was among those to report on Twitter. He’ll jump right into an intrasquad game this evening.
Lux’s status was never clear, though his absence obviously spoke to the fact that he may not be ready for the start of the season. We still don’t know why he was away. If the time away related to the coronavirus, then Lux must have tested negative twice in order to be admitted.
This is good news for Lux’s health and the Dodgers’ competitive position. The 22-year-old held his own in the majors last year after dominating upper minors pitching. He’s expected to play a key role in the team’s middle infield mix in 2020.
Mookie Betts On Resumption Of Play
The Dodgers acquired Mookie Betts to chase a 2020 World Series. Before that, Betts spurned extension efforts by the Red Sox, making the 2020 season a critical platform year. There’s a lot at stake for both parties in the pandemic-shaped campaign.
Betts, who is finally back in a Dodgers uniform and nearing a potential regular season debut, discussed the situation with media members including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The 27-year-old outfielder indicated that his focus is on more immediate concerns rather than the past or the future.
Betts spoke about the two overarching issues that have dominated the national discourse since baseball hit pause in March. He indicated that he is focused right now on health and safety matters as camp gets underway. While he expressed some uncertainty as to whether the league can manage a return to play in the midst of the spread of the coronavirus, Betts says it’s a matter that’s ultimately out of his hands.
The superstar had a different take on the social justice issues he also discussed. Betts spoke of a personal responsibility to “bring baseball into Black communities.” He also indicated displeasure with MLB’s handling of the protests that erupted in the wake of George Floyd’s death. “I think baseball did not do a good job of that,” said Betts, “but I think voices were heard and that’s the main thing, that we get our voices heard and to make some changes.”
With Betts focused on gearing up to play in 2020, he says he’s not worried about contractual matters. “Free agency is on the back burner,” he says. While it’s likely MLB teams will be keeping a tighter hold on their wallets this winter, Betts doesn’t seem to be having second thoughts on his decision not to take what the Red Sox offered him in prior contract talks.
“I don’t regret turning that [extension offer] down,” says Betts. “Once I make a decision, I don’t go back and question myself. So I don’t worry about that. The market will be what the market is. We’ll just kind of cross that bridge when we get there.”
While Betts is quite sensibly not thinking about dollars and cents at the moment, it’s hard not to ponder his future here at MLBTR. We’ll see what the truncated 2020 season holds, but it’s quite likely that Betts will reach the open market as the best free agent position player in recent memory. Setting aside intervening financial uncertainties, it would stand to reason that Betts could top Bryce Harper‘s 13-year, $330MM pact and Mike Trout‘s ten-year, $360MM extension (reached when he was two years from free agency). That’s all the more true given the boosted earnings we saw this past winter, when the Yankees promised $324MM to Gerrit Cole, a pitcher who was a full year older than Betts will be when he hits free agency.
Just how the market shapes up is impossible to say at this point. The near-term financial outlook is sure to depend on what kind of season MLB is able to pull off in the midst of a pandemic.
Dodgers Sign 2nd-Rounder Clayton Beeter
The Dodgers have signed supplemental second-round pick Clayton Beeter to an over-slot bonus worth $1,196,500, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets. As the 66th overall pick, the right-hander’s selection came with a recommended value of $1,003,300. The Dodgers added Beeter to their 60-man player pool after signing him.
Los Angeles acquired the pick it used on on Beeter from Minnesota in the teams’ offseason trade centering on righty Kenta Maeda. The 21-year-old Beeter’s a past Tommy John surgery patient (2017), but he rebounded to post effective numbers at Texas Tech from 2019-20. While Beeter only threw 41 2/3 innings as a Red Raider, he notched a 2.81 ERA with a jaw-dropping K/9 of 15.8. Beeter did walk almost a batter per inning (8.7 BB/9) during his first college season, but that number shrunk to a far more palatable 1.7 this year. He possesses a 93 to 98 mph fastball and a “wipeout” curveball-slider combination, according to Callis, and entered the draft as MLB.com’s 51st-ranked prospect.
Now that Beeter’s under wraps, the Dodgers have secured all six of their picks from this year’s class. Here’s a refresher on their other five choices:
- Bobby Miller, 1st round, 29th overall. Slot value: $2,424,600 (Signed for $2.2MM)
- Landon Knack, 2-60. Slot value: $1,157,400 (Signed for $715K)
- Jake Vogel, 3-100. Slot value: $581.6K (Signed for $1,622,500)
- Carson Taylor, 4-130. Slot value: $434.3K (Signed for $400K)
- Gavin Stone, 5-159. Slot value: $327.2K (Signed for $100K)
Jimmy Nelson To Undergo Back Surgery
Dodgers righty Jimmy Nelson is slated to undergo lower back surgery tomorrow, the team announced (h/t J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group, via Twitter). Precise details of the procedure aren’t yet known, but it’s expected to sideline Nelson for all of the 2020 season, per MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick (Twitter link).
Nelson had signed on with the Los Angeles organization in hopes of launching a comeback. Once a high-quality young hurler, he had fallen prey to arm issues in recent years. The 30-year-old dealt with some back and groin issues during camp and evidently was not able to overcome them during the leaguewide shutdown.
The deal that Nelson inked with the Dodgers certainly contemplated both upside and downside scenarios. He was promised just $750K in the pact, but could’ve earned another $2MM in roster bonuses alone. His deal came with a floating-value club option that will now end up being priced at the minimum $2MM.
It seems unlikely that the Dodgers will end up picking up that option at that price, but perhaps that can’t be ruled out entirely. If not, he’ll end up going back onto the open market after rehabbing yet another significant injury. Odds are, Nelson will be looking at minor-league offers over the coming offseason.