Quick Hits: Pujols, Dodgers, Haniger, Dipoto, Bichette
On July 31, 2000, the Padres and Cardinals swung a trade deadline deal that sent Heathcliff Slocumb and prospect Ben Johnson to San Diego in exchange for catcher Carlos Hernandez and minor league utilityman Nate Tebbs. The swap is little more than a footnote in team history, though it could’ve been a far more legendary trade had Johnson been replaced with another prospect who was on the Padres’ radar — Albert Pujols. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details the intriguing history of that would-be deal, and how the Cardinals front office had to make a decision between including Pujols (a famously unheralded 13th-round pick in the 1999 draft) or Johnson, a much more highly-touted fourth-rounder from that same draft. Pujols showed so much promise in his early pro career, however, that the team ultimately decided to move Johnson and spend more time evaluating a potential hidden gem. “I really didn’t want to give up Ben, either, but that’s why you always have your top guys scout your own system,” said Walt Jocketty, then the Cardinals’ general manager. “You have to know your own, like Pujols. There was no way we could trade him. No way, just based on what our guys had seen in a short period of time. They said, ‘I think he’s going to be something special – or has a chance to be.’ When I saw it myself, it was obvious.”
Here’s more from around the baseball world…
- Even with Rich Hill on the IL for an undetermined period of time, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman isn’t planning to make starting pitching a particular focus at the trade deadline. “I don’t see it being an area where we spend a lot of energy,” Friedman told reporters, including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “Could that change? Of course. But I don’t expect it right now. We don’t expect it to be an area of need.” In fact, Friedman didn’t think his team had any obvious weak spots, which perhaps isn’t a surprise given the Dodgers’ league-best 54-25 record. Instead, the front office will look out for “impact players,” since such additions are “what moves the needle in October.”
- In an interview on “The Front Office” on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link), Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto reiterated that his trade deadline efforts will be directed towards moving veteran players. Younger and more controllable members of the Seattle roster are less likely to be moved, since they are part of what Dipoto hopes “is a very quick turnaround” within 12-18 months. “Some of the guys that we do have here that attract the most trade attention, particularly guys like Mitch Haniger, they’re critical to our growth. So at some point, you do have to build around something,” Dipoto said.
- With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio now in the majors, speculation is swirling in Toronto about when Bo Bichette could make his Blue Jays debut. A consensus top-12 prospect in the sport prior to the season, Bichette has a .256/.316/.453 slash line and three homers over 96 Triple-A plate appearances in 2019, while missing over six weeks due to a fractured hand. As a result, Jays GM Ross Atkins told Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith that Bichette still needs a bit more seasoning in his first stint at the Triple-A level. “We’d really like to see some time in triple-A and have him get his legs under him and have a good strong foundation before we have that discussion [about a promotion],” Atkins said. For comparison’s sake, Nicholson-Smith notes that Biggio had 174 PA and Guerrero 162 PA for Triple-A Buffalo before getting the call to the Show.
Dodgers Place David Freese On Injured List
As expected, the Dodgers have placed infielder David Freese on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain, as reported by Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Catcher Will Smith has been recalled to take Freese’s spot on the active roster.
Freese, 36, has emerged as a key part of the Dodgers’ offense, posting a career-best .308/.407/.592 slash line. The veteran infielder earned himself a one-year contract to return to Los Angeles after an impressive showing late last season, when he was acquired from the Pirates in August. This season, he has doubled down on that production and shown himself a steady contributor at the corner infield.
Though Freese made a name for himself as a third baseman, he has suited up primarily at first for the first-place Dodgers, often spelling Max Muncy against left-handed pitchers. Surely, Freese will be missed, but Muncy has shown himself more than capable of handling southpaws when called upon, and the versatile Dodgers have a number of options who can pick up slack in Freese’s absence: Cody Bellinger, Enrique Hernandez, and Matt Beaty have experience at first, and the Dodgers would like Joc Pederson to get more reps there.
Smith rejoins the Dodgers after getting his first taste of the Majors in May. Smith, regarded as an above-average offensive performer at the catcher position, flashed that potential in his first big-league stint, but hasn’t gotten enough experience to draw many conclusions. His numbers in Triple-A this season are impressive, slashing a tidy .291/.397/.609 in 49 games.
Dodgers Could Place David Freese On Injured List
Dodgers infielder David Freese is dealing with a knee issue that may require a stint on the injured list, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com was among those to report.
The 36-year-old Freese has been an important cog this season for the first-place Dodgers, having slashed a tremendous .308/.407/.592 (163 wRC+) with eight home runs over 140 plate appearances in a reserve role. While the former Cardinal, Angel and Pirate has been a third baseman for most of his career, he has slotted in almost exclusively at first for the Dodgers this season.
Freese has appeared in more games at first than any other Dodger in 2019, but one of the team’s calling cards is its ability to place capable players at every spot. Therefore, even if Freese goes on the IL, the Dodgers will have no shortage of replacements lined up. Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger, Matt Beaty, Enrique Hernandez and Joc Pederson have all joined Freese in starting at first this season.
Injury Notes: Hendricks, Dodgers, Nats, Tribe, German
Injured Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks played catch in the outfield Friday, though the righty “could miss another couple of turns” through the team’s rotation, Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. “We’re happy that the initial shutdown has been good, but we’re not ready to talk through a plan yet, or a progression,” general manager Jed Hoyer said of Hendricks, who has been out since June 15 with a right shoulder impingement. The Cubs started Tyler Chatwood in Hendricks’ place Thursday, but the next opportunity may go to prospect Adbert Alzolay, per Greenberg. Alzolay, 24, followed Chatwood in Thursday’s game and enjoyed a triumphant debut in a win over the Mets.
- Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and center fielder A.J. Pollock could start rehab stints during next month’s All-Star break, manager Dave Roberts said Friday (Twitter links via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com). Meanwhile, reliever Scott Alexander still hasn’t returned to throwing since left forearm inflammation forced him to the injured list June 8. Seager went to the IL on June 13 with a left hamstring strain, which should cost him four to six weeks. Pollock underwent early May surgery on his troublesome right elbow. The expectation then was that he’d be back in July.
- Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman began a rehab assignment Friday at the Double-A level, Jamal Collier of MLB.com tweets. Zimmerman has been out since April 28 with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, the latest in a long line of injuries for the 34-year-old. While Zimmerman posted a couple resurgent offensive seasons from 2017-18, he came out of the gates slowly this year before hitting the IL. Zimmerman’s a .213/.302/.373 batter thus far in 86 plate appearances. Matt Adams, Howie Kendrick and Gerardo Parra have been the Nationals’ most common first base choices in Zimmerman’s absence. Kendrick has been brilliant at the plate, while Adams and Parra have only put together replacement-level numbers.
- A few reinforcements are trying to work back for the Indians, as Mandy Bell of MLB.com details. Ace Corey Kluber, shelved since May 1 with a fractured right forearm, has an upcoming eight-week checkup that will determine whether he’ll be able to start throwing. Fellow righty Danny Salazar just threw a second two-inning simulated game, but he’s “waiting to advance to a real game in Arizona before he gets a rehab assignment,” Bell explains. Shoulder issues have kept Salazar out of action since 2017. Unlike Kluber and Salazar, reliever Dan Otero‘s not making progress. Already out almost three weeks with right shoulder inflammation, Otero is now dealing with a setback of unknown severity.
- Yankees righty Domingo German could rejoin their rotation before the All-Star break, manager Aaron Boone told reporters Friday (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). German has been out since June 9 with a left hip flexor strain. The 26-year-old struggled over a handful of starts leading up to his IL placement, though he still carries a respectable 3.86 ERA/4.05 FIP in 70 innings on the season.
Dodgers Place Rich Hill On Injured List
5:23pm: Speaking to MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick (Twitter links) and other reporters, Hill said he was told he had a flexor tendon strain. The southpaw has already received a PRP injection and won’t start throwing for around a month. Hill didn’t have any firmer details about when he could be able to return to the mound, though he does expect to pitch again this season.
5:05pm: The Dodgers have officially placed Hill on the 10-day injured list with a left forearm strain, as per a team announcement. Infielder Matt Beaty was optioned to Triple-A, while right-handers Josh Sborz and JT Chargois will join the 25-man roster.
7:14am: Dodgers starter Rich Hill lasted just one inning Wednesday before exiting with what the team called left forearm discomfort. While the southpaw will undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury, a 10-day IL stint is a certainty, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.
A forearm injury is ominous for a pitcher because it sometimes serves as a precursor to Tommy John surgery. Hill has already undergone the procedure once, in 2011, though he’s “pretty confident” he won’t require it this time. The 39-year-old revealed that a “very preliminary ultrasound” showed his elbow ligament’s still intact.
Even if Hill has avoided a possible career-ending scenario with this injury, it will still represent the latest IL stint during his recent rebirth. A series of injuries have prevented the journeyman from throwing more than 135 2/3 innings in a season since he unexpectedly emerged as a quality starter late in 2015 with the Red Sox.
The Dodgers acquired Hill from the Athletics during the summer of 2016 and then prevented him from leaving in free agency the ensuing winter with a three-year, $48MM contract. Now in the last season of his deal, the still-effective Hill has pitched to a 2.55 ERA/4.11 FIP with 10.36 K/9, 2.04 BB/9 and a 48.9 percent groundball rate over 10 starts and 53 innings.
After Hill departed Wednesday, the Dodgers’ bullpen worked eight solid innings to help the first-place club cruise to a 9-2 win over the Giants. The Hill-less Dodgers will turn to fellow lefty Julio Urias to start Thursday, with righty Ross Stripling backing him up, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets. With Urias and Stripling among fallbacks behind Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Walker Buehler and Kenta Maeda, the Dodgers’ rotation should continue to perform like one of the majors’ best as it awaits Hill’s return.
David Freese: Red Hot
David Freese is best known for one small stretch of baseball – the 2011 World Series – in which his .348/.464/.696 slash in 28 plate appearances helped lead the Cardinals to a title and earn him World Series MVP honors. However, as great as Freese was during the Cardinals’ triumph over the Rangers seven years ago, he’s no one-hit wonder. Freese has been a solid major leaguer since his career began in 2009, evidenced by his .276/.351/.422 line (115 wRC+) with 110 home runs and 19.9 fWAR with the Cards, Angels, Pirates and Dodgers. Now 36 years old, Freese isn’t showing any serious signs of slowing down.
With the Pirates out of contention at the end of last August and facing Freese’s impending trip to free agency, they traded him to the Dodgers. Los Angeles was enamored enough of Freese, who thrived with the club over a small sample last season, that it re-signed him to a one-year, $4.5MM guarantee almost immediately after its World Series loss to Boston. Seven months later, it’s looking like a fantastic decision on the Dodgers’ part.
A third baseman for most of his career, Freese has essentially been a first base-only option for the Dodgers this year. From an offensive standpoint, first is one of the most demanding positions in the game, and Freese has handled it with aplomb. The right-handed hitter has batted an eyebrow-raising .308/.419/.635 with eight home runs and a .327 ISO through 124 plate appearances, pulverizing both same- and left-handed pitchers along the way. Of hitters who have come to the plate at least 120 times this year, Freese’s 177 wRC+ ranks fifth.
Is Freese this good? Considering what he has done over the life of his career, no. However, the veteran has made real strides in his advanced age. His 16.1 percent walk rate is nearly twice his lifetime figure, while his strikeout percentage (21.8) is down a bit relative to his career. At the same time, Freese is making far more hard contact and less soft contact than usual, according to FanGraphs, and putting the ball more in the air and less on the ground than he has in any other season. His 10.2-degree launch angle is far above his usual norm, per Statcast. All of that’s a recipe for added power. Interestingly, Freese is hitting to the opposite field more, though it certainly hasn’t led to a decrease in meaningful contact.
Freese’s .348 batting average on balls in play indicates good fortune has been on his side, especially for a slow runner, but it’s not a bloated figure in his case. He has posted a .343 lifetime BABIP, after all. On the other hand, Freese’s .442 weighted on-base average – which sits third in the majors – definitely isn’t going to hold. However, his .395 expected wOBA sits 17th and isn’t indicative of a player who’s at high risk of seeing his production crash to Earth.
Freese may no longer be an everyday player, but unlike most major leaguers in their late 30s, he remains a valuable contributor. Not only could Freese help the title-contending Dodgers to a World Series in 2019, but it appears he’ll encounter a fair amount of interest in free agency in the offseason. That’s if the Dodgers don’t re-sign him first, of course.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dodgers Place Corey Seager On 10-Day Injured List
The Dodgers have placed star shortstop Corey Seager on the 10-day IL due to a left hamstring strain, as per a club announcement. Seager’s placement is retroactive to June 12. Taking Seager’s place on the roster is Matt Beaty, who has been activated from his own injured list stint.
Seager suffered the injury on Tuesday while running the bases, and an MRI revealed (as reported by J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group) that the strain “is either a particularly bad Grade 2 or a more mild Grade 3.” The issue is severe enough that Seager is currently projected to miss four-to-six weeks of action.
The news puts a damper on what had been a successful comeback season for Seager, who missed all but 26 games of the 2018 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. He also underwent hip surgery last August, though Seager didn’t look any worse for wear in his return to the field in 2019, hitting .278/.359/.468 with eight homers over 270 plate appearances.
Losing Seager is a blow to even the deep and versatile Dodgers lineup, though Chris Taylor is a capable fill-in while Seager is out of action. Enrique Hernandez also has experience at shortstop, and even backup catcher Russell Martin could play the position in a pinch.
Dodgers Sign Zac Rosscup To Minor League Deal
The Dodgers have signed left-hander Zac Rosscup to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Oklahoma City, per an announcement from Triple-A director of communications Alex Freedman (Twitter link). He’ll be active for tonight’s game.
Rosscup, who turned 31 this week, spent the 2018 season in the Dodgers organization and pitched 11 1/3 innings at the big league level. While he posted an unsightly 4.76 ERA in that time, Rosscup also racked up 20 strikeouts against just four walks. He’s split the 2019 season between the Mariners and Blue Jays thus far, showing similarly impressive strikeout capabilities but an alarming jump in walk rate (22-to-16 K/BB ratio in 15 innings).
Rosscup’s knack for missing bats and the huge swinging-strike rate he generates on his slider are tantalizing characteristics, but he’s been too prone to walks and home runs to find sustained success at the MLB level yet. He’ll vie for another shot in what has been a problematic Dodgers’ bullpen of late and could well get that opportunity if he pitches well in OKC, as both Scott Alexander and Tony Cingrani on the Major League injured list. Los Angeles currently has Julio Urias and Caleb Ferguson as southpaws in the ‘pen, but Ferguson has struggled quite a bit in his 18 1/3 innings this year.
Corey Seager Suffers Hamstring Injury
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager exited the team’s game Tuesday with a left hamstring injury. Manager Dave Roberts said afterward the club believes he suffered a Grade 2 strain, though Seager will undergo an MRI for confirmation (via Pedro Moura of The Athletic).
If the Dodgers’ fears are correct, Seager could end up missing at least a few weeks. To cite one recent example, Astros outfielder George Springer suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain May 25 and still hasn’t returned. A similar absence would mean another frustratingly short campaign for Seager, the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year who underwent Tommy John surgery last season and missed all but 26 games as a result. The 25-year-old also required left hip surgery in August, though his season was already long over at that point.
Seager had been enjoying a healthy, productive 2019 prior to incurring his latest injury. Not only has Seager appeared in 66 of the Dodgers’ 68 games, but he has slashed .279/.359/.468 (121 wRC+) with eight home runs and 2.1 fWAR over 265 plate appearances.
Seager’s production would be difficult to replace, especially given the tear he has been on this month. However, the cushion the 45-23 Dodgers have built in the National League West and the NL as a whole will give them some breathing room without Seager. For now, LA’s poised to turn to Chris Taylor as its primary shortstop, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
Dodgers, First-Rounder Kody Hoese Agree To Terms
The Dodgers have agreed to terms with first-rounder Kody Hoese, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). The now-former Tulane third baseman will receive the full slot value of $2,740,300 that accompanies the No. 25 overall selection.
Specific evaluations of Hoese had a bit of variance, but he was generally regarded as a Day One talent in this year’s draft. Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs were most bullish on the 21-year-old, ranking him 16th among all draft prospects. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com ranked him 25th, while the Baseball America team tabbed him 29th and ESPN’s Keith Law pegged him 32nd overall.
Scouting reports on Hoese generally agree that he possesses the potential for at least an average hit tool and above-average pop. There’s less certainty regarding his defense down the line, though Fangraphs and MLB.com both tout him as a potential average defender as well. Hoese posted an absurd .391/.486/.779 batting line with 23 home runs, 20 doubles and a triple in 286 plate appearances in his junior year, but his track record prior to the 2019 season was more marginal. He’s frequently tabbed as a late bloomer/breakout/pop-up prospect whose stock rose dramatically in his final season of college ball.