NL Notes: Harvey, Forsythe, Nats, Braves
Mets right-hander Matt Harvey opened the season with five scoreless innings of one-hit ball back on April 3, but the former ace hasn’t fared nearly as well in two starts since then. Harvey yielded four earned runs in five frames in each of those outings – including in a loss to the Brewers on Saturday – and now there’s some question as to whether he’s a lock to remain in the team’s rotation throughout the season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. While Harvey’s spot isn’t yet “in peril,” per Sherman, the Mets will have a decision to make soon between him and fellow righty Zack Wheeler when left-hander Jason Vargas returns from the disabled list. That’s assuming Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz stay healthy, of course, and that Wheeler continues to perform well after enjoying a seven-inning, two-hit, one-run season debut against the Marlins earlier this week.
Here’s more from the National League…
- Dodgers infielder Logan Forsythe exited the team’s game Saturday with right shoulder discomfort and subsequently underwent an MRI, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. Results should come Sunday, Gurnick adds; if Forsythe does require a stint on the disabled list, the Dodgers will divide third base among Enrique Hernandez, Kyle Farmer and a minor league call-up, manager Dave Roberts suggested. Primarily a second baseman, Forsythe has only been manning the hot corner this year because of an injury to starter Justin Turner, who suffered a broken left wrist last month. Forsythe has gotten off to a rough start filling in for Turner, having batted .174/.224/.283 in 49 plate appearances.
- Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy will begin extended spring training action Monday, manager Davey Martinez told Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com and other reporters Sunday (Twitter links). Martinez noted that the Nats aren’t going to rush Murphy, who’s working back from offseason surgery on his right knee. Meanwhile, third baseman Anthony Rendon is unlikely to require a DL stint, Martinez revealed. Rendon’s dealing with a sore left big toe that kept him out of the lineup Saturday. He’ll rest again Sunday.
- Braves left-hander Luiz Gohara, out since early March with a sprained ankle, will begin a Triple-A rehab assignment Tuesday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes. Gohara will make at least four starts in the minors, according to Bowman, putting him on track to return sometime in May. Had Gohara been healthy during spring training, the 21-year-old would have stood a strong chance to open the season in Atlanta’s rotation. Instead, the Braves have had to turn to veteran Anibal Sanchez, who has delivered positive results in three appearances/two starts (1.29 ERA, 9.0 K/9, 3.86 BB/9 over 14 innings).
West Notes: Astros, Dodgers, A’s, Giants, Mariners
In a lengthy Q&A with Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required), Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow touches on a slew of topics relating to the defending world champions, including the futures of shortstop Carlos Correa, center fielder George Springer, left-hander Dallas Keuchel and right-hander Justin Verlander. There’s no word on whether the Astros have begun extension talks with any of those players, but Luhnow would unsurprisingly like to retain each of them for the long haul. “If I could wave a magic wand and keep all three of those guys, plus others here for the foreseeable future and possibly for their entire careers, I would do it! It’s amazing to watch them,” he said of Correa, Springer and Keuchel. Luhnow added that he’d also like for Verlander to finish his career in Houston, which only has him under wraps through next season. Correa’s under control through 2021, meanwhile, and Springer isn’t slated to hit free agency until after the 2019 campaign. Keuchel could be gone sooner, though, as he’s scheduled to reach the open market next winter.
More from the majors’ West divisions…
- Injured Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner is taking dry swings, but the team remains unsure when he will make his 2018 debut, manager Dave Roberts told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and other reporters Saturday. The superstar has been out since late March with a broken left wrist, and the defending NL champion Dodgers have clearly missed him during a 4-8 start. In Turners’s absence, their third basemen have hit an ugly .250/.293/.382 (65 wRC+) in 82 plate appearances.
- The Athletics sent righty reliever Liam Hendriks to the disabled list on Saturday with adductor tendinitis in his groin. Before that, he was in danger of being designated for assignment, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Hendriks was a solid reliever for the A’s from 2016-17, but he then gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks over his first three innings this year and dealt with a drop in velocity. The injury had something to do with that, according to Hendriks. “It was always kind of there and I felt like I was doing everything right,” he said, “but I went back and looked at the video and my mechanics were completely different, trying to overcompensate.”
- The Giants expect righty Johnny Cueto to come off the DL for a start Tuesday against Arizona, manager Bruce Bochy informed reporters, including Kerry Crowley of the Mercury News, on Saturday. Cueto landed on the shelf this past Tuesday, retroactive to April 7, with a sprained ankle. As a result, the Giants have been missing their three best starters – the injured Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija are the others – though the only one who’s not nearing a return is Bumgarner, whom the club moved to the 60-day DL earlier this week (fractured finger).
- The Mariners activated designated hitter Nelson Cruz prior to Saturday’s game against Oakland, sending right-hander Casey Lawrence to Triple-A to clear roster space, the team announced. Cruz went on the DL on April 3 with an ankle sprain, before which he opened the year with two home runs in just six at-bats.
Heyman’s Latest: Arrieta, Lucroy, Tigers, Puig, Gordon, K-Rod, Acuna
The Cubs were known to have made “one last call” to Jake Arrieta‘s agent Scott Boras before signing Yu Darvish, and FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman provided some new details on that exchange. Theo Epstein proposed a “theoretical” offer of six years and $120MM to Arrieta if, and only if, things did not work out with Darvish. Epstein reportedly didn’t seriously think Arrieta’s camp would take the offer, and the executive was “just making the call to show respect” to a player who was such a major factor in Chicago’s recent success. Even if Darvish had turned the Cubs down, it still doesn’t seem as if Arrieta and the team would’ve been able to come to an agreement, as Arrieta simply wanted a larger average annual value than Chicago was willing to offer (due to their desire to stay under the luxury tax threshold). The Cubbies also are said to have put $48MM over four years on the table for Alex Cobb earlier in the winter before putting pen to paper with Darvish, and Heyman speculates that the Cubs might have eventually become interested in Alex Cobb had they missed out on both Darvish and Arrieta.
Here are a few items from Heyman, in his latest notes column…
- The Nationals could potentially be contenders to sign Jonathan Lucroy next offseason. Matt Wieters is in his last year under contract, and Washington had some interest in Lucroy this winter despite Wieters still being on the hook for $10.5MM this season. Of course, quite a bit could happen to affect this interest between now and next winter, particularly since Lucroy is looking to rebound with the Athletics after a very inconsistent 2017 season. If Lucroy does bounce back and the A’s are out of contention this year, I would think it possible that the Nats could even target Lucroy at the trade deadline.
- In some Tigers agency news, righty Franklin Perez is joining Beverly Hills Sports Council while infielder Dixon Machado is now with Octagon. You can track the latest representation information with MLBTR’s agency database.
- Speaking of agents, Yasiel Puig has been in talks with “several agencies” about representation since the Wasserman agency cut ties with the Dodgers outfielder in February. Puig has also been considering having one of his current financial advisors represent him, though the MLBPA has “strongly advised” Puig to work with an established agency.
- “It was very much a split decision” within the Royals front office to re-sign Alex Gordon to a four-year, $72MM deal in the 2015-16 offseason. Gordon’s return to Kansas City was seen as something of a surprise at the time, though he had a strong personal desire to return to the team and the Royals were willing to spend extra to retain a key member of their World Series-winning team. Gordon was entering his age-32 season at the time, however, and some in the organization felt “he had had worn down by that point” and wasn’t a good investment. These concerns seem to have been well-founded, as Gordon has hit just .213/.300/.343 over 1071 PA through two-plus years of that contract.
- Reliever Francisco Rodriguez is determined to continue pitching at age 36, even if it means going to an indy ball club. He was released by the Phillies last month after spending most of the spring with the organization on a minor league deal, and K-Rod posted a 5.40 ERA over 6 2/3 Grapefruit League innings.
- Shortstop Luisangel Acuna, the younger brother of star Braves prospect Ronald Acuna, will be a sought-after name in the next July 2 international signing period, Heyman writes in a separate piece. The Rangers are one of multiple teams interested in the younger Acuna, who could receive a bonus as high as $500K. This estimated price tag will keep the Braves out of the running, as they are limited to spending no more than $300K on any single international prospect for the next July 2 period. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez writes that some scouts feel Acuna will eventually have to move to second base, and he “has shown some power and has the potential to be an average-or-better hitter with proper instruction, but he’ll have to grow” beyond his current 5’9″, 160-pound frame.
Dodgers Claim Alec Asher, Designate Zach Neal
The Dodgers have claimed righty Alec Asher off waivers from the Orioles, per a club announcement. Fellow right-hander Michael Kelly, who was also recently designated for assignment, has cleared waivers and been outrighted by the O’s. To clear a 40-man spot for Asher, the Dodgers have designated righty Zach Neal.
Asher and Kelly were each late-spring roster casualties for the O’s. The former is a 26-year-old swingman who has not yet found much success in the majors. In his 170 1/3 innings at Triple-A, though, he owns a useful 3.75 RA with 6.4 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. Obviously, the Dodgers see something they like.
As for the 29-year-old Neal, he recently had his contract selected and appeared in one inning at the MLB level. The former Athletics hurler had joined the Dodgers on a minors pact. In his 85 2/3 lifetime innings at the game’s highest level, Neal owns a 4.94 ERA with an unusual mix of 3.9 K/9 and 0.7 BB/9.
Pirates Claim Jesus Liranzo
The Pirates have claimed righty Jesus Liranzo off waivers from the Dodgers, per a club announcement. He has been optioned to Double-A.
Liranzo, 23, has bounced around since being designated for assignment by the Orioles just before Opening Day. Clearly, his talent has attracted plenty of attention, though teams are wary of committing a 40-man spot to a player that isn’t ready to contribute at the MLB level.
Though he reputedly has a big arm, Liranzo has struggled to keep the ball in the zone, averaging 5.5 walks per nine in his five minor-league seasons. Liranzo pitched to a 4.85 ERA in 65 innings at Double-A last year, with 10.4 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9.
Dodgers Designate Jesus Liranzo For Assignment
The Dodgers announced that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Zach Neal from Triple-A Oklahoma City and designated just-acquired right-hander Jesus Liranzo for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Righty Josh Fields was placed on the paternity list to open a spot for Neal on the active roster.
The 23-year-old Liranzo has yet to appear at the Major League level, although Baseball America ranked him 19th among Orioles farmhands this offseason. Liranzo isn’t lacking for velocity and has the upside of a quality bullpen piece, but he’s struggled with control throughout his pro career, including last season when he averaged six walks per nine innings pitched and posted an unsightly 4.85 ERA in 65 Double-A innings with the Orioles’ Bowie affiliate.
[Related: Updated Los Angeles Dodgers depth chart]
Los Angeles only just added Liranzo in exchange for minor league left-hander Luis Ysla. It seems that their hope is that Liranzo will clear waivers and remain with the organization, though that’s hardly a given.
Neal, meanwhile, tossed 84 2/3 frames for the A’s from 2016-17, working to a 4.89 ERA with just 3.9 K/9 against a pristine 0.7 BB/9 and a 50.8 percent ground-ball rate. Neal barely averages 90 mph on his fastball, but he’s posted superlative walk rates throughout the minors, helping to compensate for his lack of missed bats. Opponents have had trouble squaring the ball up against Neal as well, as can be seen with a 26.6 percent hard-contact rate that falls well south of the league-average 31.6 percent across the past two seasons.
Yankees Claim Trayce Thompson
The Yankees announced that they’ve claimed outfielder Trayce Thompson off waivers from the Dodgers. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, New York transferred righty Ben Heller from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. The Dodgers had designated Thompson for assignment last week.
Thompson, 27, gives the Yankees some outfield depth with each of Aaron Hicks, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clint Frazier and Billy McKinney currently on the disabled list. The brother of NBA star Klay Thompson, Trayce has spent the past two seasons with the Dodgers organization after being acquired from the White Sox in the three-team trade that sent Todd Frazier from Cincinnati to Chicago.
[Related: Updated New York Yankees depth chart]
While Thompson logged a respectable .249/.322/.469 slash through his first 397 plate appearances between the Sox and Dodgers, he struggled to a .122/.218/.265 line in a tiny sample of 55 PAs last year in the Majors. His struggles weren’t confined to the big leagues, either; in 369 plate appearances in the hitter-friendly Triple-A Pacific Coast League, he hit just .212/.269/.363.
Thompson will give the Yankees a player who can handle all three outfield spots and has had some success both in the Majors and at Triple-A, even in light of his 2017 struggles. It remains to be seen if he can stick with the Yankees in the long term, however. He’s out of minor league options, so when some combination of Hicks, Ellsbury, Frazier and McKinney comes off the DL, it’s possible that Thompson could again find himself exposed to waivers.
Dodgers Sign Daniel Hudson
The Dodgers have agreed to a minor-league deal with veteran right Daniel Hudson, skipper Dave Roberts tells reporters including Pedro Moura of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Since the Rays and Pirates are already paying Hudson’s $5.5MM salary for the coming season, he’d only cost the Dodgers a pro-rated portion of the league-minimum salary in the majors. He’ll also earn $25K monthly in the minors, per Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter), so there’s no financial pressure. But with multiple April opt-out opportunities, Hudson can push to receive a return to the majors.
All in all, this will basically represent a free roll for a Los Angeles club that always seems to find interesting relief arms in unexpected places. Hudson had a brutal spring (during which he was traded from the Pirates to the Rays) after managing only a 4.38 ERA in 2017.
That said, there’s some reason to believe Hudson could still harness the talent that has long been evident. The two-time Tommy John recipient was healthy, showed plenty of arm speed, and also generated a solid 12.1% swinging-strike rate last season. Though he has not managed to produce consistent results, Hudson remains an interesting pitcher.
Orioles Acquire Luis Ysla From Dodgers For Jesus Liranzo
The Orioles have acquired lefty Luis Ysla from the Dodgers, per a club announcement. Righty Jesus Liranzo is heading to Los Angeles in return.
Ysla had been designated and removed from the Dodgers’ 40-man roster at the end of the 2017 season. Accordingly, the transaction will leave a MLB spot open for the O’s.
Liranzo, meanwhile, had recently been designated for assignment. He will go to the 40-man for Los Angeles, which moved righty Tom Koehler to the 60-day DL to accommodate the acquisition.
Soon turn 26, Ysla has shown his share of promise with intriguing arm strength from the left side. But he has also not yet established that he can command the ball in the upper minors. Last year, he pitched to a 5.28 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 58 Double-A innings.
Really, the situation isn’t all the different for Liranzo, though he is more youthful at 23 years of age and obviously held more appeal for the Dodgers. Liranzo, who was generally rated among the twenty or thirty best prospects in the Baltimore system, worked to a 4.85 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 over 65 Double-A frames in 2017.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/2/18
Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Red Sox picked up catcher Mike Ohlman from the Rangers in exchange for cash, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports in a comprehensive rundown of late-spring releases, trades and signings. The 27-year-old made his Major League debut with Toronto last year but collected just 13 plate appearances over the life of seven games. An 11th-round pick of the Orioles back in 2009, Ohlman has logged a respectable .758 OPS in 518 Triple-A plate appearances thus far in his minor league career. He’ll give Boston some depth behind the plate, though the Sox are largely set in that capacity with Christian Vazquez, Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart all on the 25-man roster.
- Veteran right-hander Logan Ondrusek is joining the Dodgers on a minor league contract, per Eddy. The 33-year-old didn’t pitch professionally in 2017 but does have 277 big league innings under his belt, spanning the 2010-16 seasons. Ondrusek last appeared in the Majors with the 2016 Orioles, when he allowed seven runs in a tiny sample of 6 1/3 innings. For his career, he has a 4.03 ERA, 7.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in the Majors, though he’s posted much better numbers in Triple-A and in Japan.
- Eddy also notes that the Dodgers have cut ties with righty Jordan Jankowski. The 28-year-old got his first taste of the big league in 2017, tossing 4 1/3 frames for the Astros before landing with the Dodgers via waiver claim. Jankowski has averaged 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings in 177 1/3 Triple-A frames in his career, though he’s struggled with control since being selected in the 34th round of the 2012 draft as well.