Dodgers Rumors

Quick Hits: Cutch, Nats, Pirates, Crisp, Dodgers, Soler, Rangers

By Connor Byrne | April 22, 2017 at 10:37pm CDT

Financial reasons played a key role in the Nationals’ offseason decision to trade for then-White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton instead of the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). With his $4MM salary this year, Eaton is much cheaper than McCutchen ($14MM), and acquiring the latter would have forced the Nationals to jettison left-hander Gio Gonzalez and his $12MM price tag in a separate deal, says Rosenthal. In addition to having concerns over how their payroll would have looked with McCutchen, the Nationals had no interest in meeting Pittsburgh’s lofty demands for the five-time All-Star. Washington bought high on Eaton, whose excellent 2016 helped convinced the club to give up high-end pitching prospects Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning for him. McCutchen, on the other hand, had a career-worst season last year, yet the Pirates wanted an even more impressive package for him than the Nationals sent the White Sox, according to Rosenthal. Pittsburgh held out for both pitching prospects and major leaguers, leading the Nats to go in another direction.

Injury Notes: Miggy, Jays, Rox, Britton, Griffin, Reds, Morin, Richards, Cedeno, Kazmir, Garza

By Jeff Todd | April 21, 2017 at 11:21pm CDT

Star Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera left tonight’s game with a groin strain, as Evan Woodberry of MLive.com reports on Twitter. For now, there’s no real indication of the severity of the injury; Detroit will take a closer look tomorrow.

Here’s more on the injury front:

Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca provides an update on some injured Blue Jays hurlers. While there had been some hope that J.A. Happ would be able to return after missing just one start, he was still feeling elbow discomfort when he played catch yesterday. There is still hope, though, that Aaron Sanchez will be ready to return from his blister issues to re-take his turn in the rotation.
The Rockies have received promising updates on the injury front, as Nick Groke of the Denver Post reports. Ian Desmond’s hand has healed to the point that he was able to hit off of a tee. He’ll soon be followed by David Dahl, whose latest medical check-brought positive news.
Likewise, the Orioles have reason to hope they’ll welcome back closer Zach Britton in short order. As Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets, manager Buck Showalter says that Britton’s MRI results were very promising. Britton, who hasn’t been quite his dominant self thus far in 2017, hit the DL with forearm soreness.
Rangers righty A.J. Griffin is heading to the 10-day DL with what the team is describing as ankle inflammation caused by gout. It doesn’t seem likely to require an extended absence, but the issue arises at an unfortunate time for the 29-year-old (and the struggling ballclub). Griffin is off to a solid start, having allowed seven earned runs on nine hits — and an excellent 16:4 K/BB ratio — over 15 1/3 innings.
There were a few updates from the Reds, as provided by Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter links). Righty Homer Bailey could be ready for mound work as soon as the end of the month, per skipper Bryan Price. Bailey has made just eight starts since the start of the 2015 season; he’s working back from surgery to remove bone spurs. Southpaw reliever Tony Cingrani, meanwhile, was placed on the 10-day DL with an oblique strain, with outfielder Phil Ervin taking his place on the active roster.
Alex Meyer made a start tonight for the Angels, taking the roster spot of reliever Mike Morin, who is headed to the DL with neck stiffness, as Maria Guardado of MLB.com tweets. Morin, who’ll soon turn 26, has been hit hard in his 6 2/3 frames to open the season.
Meanwhile, Angels righty Garrett Richards is said to be making some progress but isn’t yet able to begin throwing, Guardado tweets. Continued biceps weakness is still the culprit. The Halos are understandably taking care to ensure that Richards is at full health before pushing him forward.
Rays lefty Xavier Cedeno is experiencing forearm tightness will require at least a brief DL placement, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. It’s not seen as a significant injury, but the loss of Cedeno does leave Tampa Bay without a southpaw in the pen. The 30-year-old has not looked sharp early; as Topkin notes, he has struggled to prevent inherited runners to score. And Cedeno has surrendered four walks without recording a single strikeout in his seven appearances.
Dodgers lefty Scott Kazmir is still dealing with hip tightness that is preventing him from progressing back to the hill, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. The veteran southpaw is not yet nearing a rehab stint, per the report.
The Brewers will welcome back righty Matt Garza from the DL to make a start on Monday, per a team announcement. Garza was not ready to open the year due to a groin strain. He’ll bump southpaw Tommy Milone to the bullpen.

Heyman’s Latest: Slow Starters, Dodgers, Braun, O’s, Tigers

By Steve Adams | April 20, 2017 at 8:38pm CDT

FanRag’s Jon Heyman tackles a number of slow-starting teams in the intro to his weekly notes columns, getting the opinions of rival scouts and executives on the slow starts from the Cardinals, Giants, Blue Jays and Rangers. Heyman spoke to Giants GM Bobby Evans on his club’s issues in left field, with Evans conceding, “We don’t have a true left fielder. We’re going to have to mix and match.” Heyman notes that veteran infielder Aaron Hill is expected to get some looks in left field. San Francisco elected to move on from Angel Pagan this offseason and entered the year with a platoon of Jarrett Parker and Chris Marrero in left field, but Parker will now miss significant time following a broken clavicle. And it appears to be too late to turn back to Pagan, who told El Vocero yesterday that he’s planning to sit out the 2017 season to spend time with his wife and children.

Here are some highlights from Heyman’s National League and American League roundups…

There’s “no evidence of any real trade talk” between the Brewers and Dodgers involving Ryan Braun, per Heyman. He notes that the Brewers may feel a slight sense of urgency due to the fact that Braun will achieve 10-and-5 rights on May 24 (thus allowing him full veto power over any trade). The improved production out of Yasiel Puig could make Braun a less appealing target, as Puig himself has the ability to be a dynamic weapon against lefties if he can return to form. Even if Braun does ultimately reach 1o-and-5 status, Heyman notes that the Dodgers are said to be his preferred destination in a trade, so he could very well approve the deal after that point.
Also of note to Dodgers fans, Los Angeles showed interest in right-hander Brad Ziegler this offseason and were willing to discuss something in the range of $12MM over two years. Ziegler, instead, signed with the Marlins for two years and a total of $16MM. To this point, he’s yielded just one run with a 6-to-1 K/BB ratio and a ridiculous 81 percent ground-ball rate through his first eight innings.
Multiple teams inquired with the Brewers about right-hander Wily Peralta this spring, but Milwaukee clearly didn’t find an offer to its liking. “We’re very comfortable having him as part of our rotation,” GM David Stearns tells Heyman. The 27-year-old Peralta has a 2.65 ERA through his first three starts, though his strong work dates back further than Opening Day. While Peralta’s 2016 numbers look pedestrian at best, he posted a 2.92 ERA through 61 1/3 innings after being recalled from a Triple-A demotion early last August. In his past 13 MLB starts, Peralta has a 2.86 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 51.2 percent ground-ball rate. He’s controllable for two seasons beyond the 2017 campaign, and it’s easy to envision him emerging as a trade candidate this summer if he continues to perform anywhere near that level.
J.J. Hardy’s lengthy injury history will make the Orioles unlikely to pick up his $14MM club option at season’s end. However, Heyman adds that even if the O’s do move on from Hardy, they’re not likely to displace Manny Machado from third base given his excellence (and, presumably, his comfort level) at the hot corner. Rather, the team figures to shop for a shortstop next offseason. The 2017-18 free agent crop at shortstop figures to be headlined by Zack Cozart, with alternative options including Eduardo Nunez, Alcides Escobar and Danny Espinosa. Baltimore could, of course, turn to the trade market for some shortstop help as well. Ryan Mountcastle is the team’s top-regarded minor league shortstop, but the 20-year-old former first-rounder opened the season in Class-A Advanced and many scouting reports question his ability to remain at short in the long run.
The Tigers are planning to be “extra cautious” with right fielder J.D. Martinez as he returns from a foot injury, Heyman writes. However, there’s little chance of the Tigers pursuing him as a free agent this offseason due to the fact that the team still intends to trim down its long-term payroll outlook. Re-signing Martinez, who ranked sixth on MLBTR’s Free Agent Power Rankings earlier today, could require another sizable commitment of five or more years if Martinez has a typical season at the plate.

Logan Forsythe Diagnosed With Fractured Toe

By Jeff Todd | April 19, 2017 at 5:56pm CDT

6:21pm: Fortunately, manager Dave Roberts says it’s only a “hairline” fracture for Forsythe, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets. The expectation is he’ll only be sidelined for a few weeks.

5:56pm: The Dodgers have announced that infielder Logan Forsythe has been placed on the 10-day DL after being diagnosed with a fractured right big toe. Also heading to the DL, in his case with a strain of his right big toe, is Rob Segedin.

To take the now-open roster spots, Los Angeles has promoted a pair of reserve options. Infielder Chris Taylor will be joined by outfielder Brett Eibner in the majors. Presumably, Taylor will join fellow right-handed hitter Enrique Hernandez as options at second base against lefties, with Chase Utley carrying the load when facing right-handed pitching.

[RELATED: Updated Dodgers Depth Chart]

Clearly, the big question here is how long Forsythe will be out. There’s no word at this point as to whether there’s a current timeline. It’s possible that we’ll need to await a determination of a course of treatment before learning of any preliminary expectations.

Forsythe, 30, became the biggest new addition to the Los Angeles roster over the winter when he was acquired in a swap for top pitching prospect Jose De Leon. Thus far, he has performed as hoped. While he hasn’t yet hit a home run or swiped a bag, and his strikeouts are up, Forsythe is slashing a strong (albeit unusual) .295/.407/.341 over 54 plate appearances.

NL West Notes: Bochy, Gardenhire, Dayton, Hill, Padres

By Steve Adams | April 18, 2017 at 9:19pm CDT

MLBTR extends its best wishes to Giants skipper Bruce Bochy and Diamondbacks bench coach Ron Gardenhire, each of whom underwent surgery today, according to a pair of club releases. Bochy had a “minor ablation procedure this morning to alleviate some discomfort he was experiencing due to an atrial flutter,” the Giants said in a statement. Bochy is expected to rejoin the team on Friday, and in the interim, bench coach Ron Wotus will assume managerial duties. Gardenhire’s surgery was part of his ongoing treatment for prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with during Spring Training. Both veterans are among the most respected and well-liked managers/coaches in the game, and we join those around the industry in wishing Bochy and Gardy full recoveries.

A few notes from around the NL West…

The Dodgers announced that left-hander Grant Dayton has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to an intercostal strain. Right-hander Josh Fields has been recalled from Triple-A to take his spot on the active roster. The injury to Dayton, who has provided L.A. with 32 2/3 innings of 1.65 ERA ball dating back to his MLB debut last season, leaves Luis Avilan as the lone southpaw in manager Dave Roberts’ bullpen (as their depth chart at RosterResource.com shows). To this point, there’s no word on whether Dayton will be able to return in the minimum 10 days or if he’ll require a lengthier stay on the shelf.
Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register writes that Rich Hill’s lack of blisters during Spring Training and immediate blister flare-up early in the season has left the Dodgers’ training staff “baffled” about what could’ve caused the issue. Roberts said that “everything” is on the table when it comes to getting Hill back up to speed, and the manager elaborated a bit on the notion of a temporary bullpen role for the left-hander to get him through the current issue. While some will question the decision to bring Hill back so quickly only to see the issue pop back up, Roberts doesn’t think insufficient rest isn’t to blame. “Put it this way – he shut down all winter and we didn’t see this blister until his first start,” said Roberts. “You can argue that resting it isn’t the solution because he had as much rest as he could and there wasn’t a sign of this until he made his first start.”
The Padres are looking for more production at shortstop but are hoping for one of Erick Aybar, Allen Cordoba or Luis Sardinas to step up for the time being, writes AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. There’s some optimism in the organization that prospect Luis Urias could emerge as a viable option, though he could be a ways off from the Majors. Urias opened the year at Double-A but is just 19 years of age. He did post a very strong .333/.404/.446 batting line as one of the youngest players in the Class-A Advanced California League last season, though, and even got a brief cup of coffee in Triple-A in 2016 (three games). In the meantime, manager Andy Green praised Aybar’s eye at the plate (he’s walked six times) and voiced confidence that hits will begin to fall in for the veteran. Aybar is hitting just .147/.293/.206, while Sardinas comes with less of a big league track record and Cordoba is swimming with sharks after jumping directly from Rookie Ball to the Majors as a Rule 5 pick.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/18/17

By Mark Polishuk | April 18, 2017 at 6:07pm CDT

Here are the latest minor moves from throughout the game, all from Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless credited otherwise…

The Phillies announced on Tuesday that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. He’ll fill the roster spot of Howie Kendrick, who has been placed on the 10-day DL with a right abdominal strain. Leiter, a 22nd-round pick by the Phillies back in 2013, is the son of former Major League pitcher Mark Leiter and the nephew of former All-Star pitcher Al Leiter. He opened the season in Triple-A Lehigh Valley — his first experience at that level — and has worked to a 3.38 ERA with 8.4 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 across 445 1/3 innings as a pro.

Earlier Moves

The Dodgers signed righty David Hale to a minor league deal. Hale previously inked a minors contract with the Braves during the offseason but was released during Spring Training. The right-hander spent much of 2016 pitching in the Orioles’ minor league system after being claimed off waivers from the Rockies in April. A ground-ball specialist, Hale owns a 4.48 ERA, 6.0 K/9 and 1.94 K/BB rate over 178 2/3 career IP with the Rockies and Braves.
The Marlins signed lefty Daniel Schlereth to a minors deal. Schlereth, taken by the Diamondbacks with the 26th overall pick of the 2008 draft, posted a 4.35 ERA over 93 relief IP with Arizona and Detroit from 2009-12 and hasn’t been back to the majors since, pitching for six different organizations in the last four seasons.
The Reds released right-hander Carlos Portuondo after just one relief outing for their Double-A affiliate. Portuondo was notably acquired as part of the Brandon Phillips trade this winter, coming to the Reds along with southpaw Andrew McKirahan and $1MM in salary relief. Portuondo’s release leaves the Reds with even less to show for the former All-Star second baseman, though it was clear that the deal was a case of Cincinnati simply wanting to move on from Phillips to create room for Jose Peraza at second base.

Rich Hill Heads Back To 10-Day DL

By Jeff Todd | April 17, 2017 at 8:14pm CDT

After his blister problem reappeared in his most recent outing, Dodgers lefty Rich Hill is heading back to the DL, per a club announcement. For the time being, corner outfielder/infielder Rob Segedin is headed up to the active roster while Alex Wood will take the open rotation spot.

There’s plenty of uncertainty in Hill’s situation. As things stand, the team is examining ways to treat the ongoing problem, though there’s no timetable at present and it seems there’s little in the way of clear answers. Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that the organization’s medical staff has been stymied thus far in its efforts to get at the root cause, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick reports on Twitter. (Gurnick provided more detail on the confounding issue earlier today.)

The strategy of utilizing the 10-day DL to provide rest obviously wasn’t successful on its own. As Roberts notes, and Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets, “ten days wasn’t enough.” Whether additional rest will provide a solution obviously isn’t known, though presumably that’s one possible action. It’s even possible that the veteran southpaw could move to the bullpen upon his return, Roberts says (as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets), with the idea presumably being that shorter stints may help alleviate the problem.

Fortunately, the Dodgers do have ample depth built into their plans. Every member of the current MLB staff has at least some significant recent injury on his record, but the current top five seems to be a strong and healthy unit at the moment. Swingman Ross Stripling could also step into the rotation, while Triple-A starters Julio Urias and Joe Gunkel could also be called upon. Scott Kazmir and Brock Stewart both represent additional starting options who are currently on the mend.

While the organization always knew there was some health risk with the 37-year-old Hill, that doesn’t soften the blow. The Dodgers promised Hill $48MM over three years to bring him back into the fold, so while a bullpen move might at least allow him to contribute and stay fresh while the team looks for a permanent fix, such an approach would surely not return value on the contract over the long run.

Quick Hits: Yankees, Braun, Bellinger, White Sox, Kang

By charliewilmoth | April 16, 2017 at 10:21pm CDT

For a team trying to get younger, this year’s Yankees have gotten plenty of mileage out of veterans, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. Chase Headley, Jacoby Ellsbury, Starlin Castro, Matt Holliday, CC Sabathia and Aroldis Chapman have all played well, as have two veteran pitchers (Tyler Clippard and Adam Warren) who were acquired at last year’s trade deadline even as the Yankees were attracting more attention for trading away veteran pitchers like Chapman and Andrew Miller. “They made all the trades last year, but we still went out and got Clippard, who’s a big part of our team now. It’s always about winning here,” says Sabathia. “I’ve only got so many bullets left. It’s at the end. I’m not interested in playing for somebody that’s not trying to win.” Here’s more from around the game.

On Saturday, it emerged that the Dodgers and Brewers had remained in touch about a potential Ryan Braun deal. But Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times writes that the two sides are not currently discussing a trade. The Dodgers are, however, keeping tabs on one of their own prospects, 1B/OF Cody Bellinger, as a potential offensive upgrade. The 21-year-old Bellinger is batting .371/.436/.657 thus far for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The White Sox might have the best pitching available to deal this summer, Ken Rosenthal opines in a video for FOX Sports. There’s Jose Quintana, of course, but fellow veterans James Shields and Derek Holland have also pitched well in the very early going, and closer David Robertson has been terrific. The departures of veteran pitchers during trading season could create openings for newly acquired top prospects like Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez, along with 2015 first-rounder Carson Fulmer.
Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang remains stuck in South Korea after his third DUI conviction resulted in his being unable to get a visa. The Bucs are hoping to get him back, but making other plans until he does, MLB.com’s Phil Rogers writes. The Pirates are hoping to send Kang a special hitting machine that delivers hard fastballs along with MLB-style breaking pitches. “We’re trying to get him a machine with velocity and spin, to help,” says Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. “He’s been more working indoors, doing everything he can to prepare. But in here, we’re moving on until he’s back.” David Freese has performed well at third in Kang’s absence, batting .344/.482/.594 thus far.

Injury Notes: Happ, Hill, Flowers, Segura, Cishek

By charliewilmoth | April 16, 2017 at 7:10pm CDT

A day after placing Aaron Sanchez on the DL, the Blue Jays might have lost another starting pitcher today — J.A. Happ will have an MRI after leaving today’s game with elbow trouble, as Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling and other reporters have noted. “I felt kind of a pull, a tug in my elbow,” says Happ. “And then I went back out there for the fifth and it just got progressively worse.” A significant injury to Happ would be yet another blow to a Blue Jays team that is already off to 2-10 start that had already led to whispers that the team could be sellers on the trade market this summer. Here are more notes on injuries.

Dodgers lefty Rich Hill’s second start of the season ended just as his first one did — with an early departure due to blister trouble, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times notes. Shaikin further adds in a tweet that the Dodgers will decide tomorrow whether Hill will require another DL stay. The team could even consider moving him to the bullpen, manager Dave Roberts tells reporters, including MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick (link to Twitter). Presumably, pitching shorter outings could prevent blister flareups. Hill pitched just three innings in the Dodgers’ 3-1 loss to the Diamondbacks. “We’ve talked to a lot of different people that have issues with that outside of our game, and we just can’t pinpoint it,” Roberts said before the game of Hill’s blister issues. “We’re going to continue to try. We don’t have an answer.”
Braves catcher Tyler Flowers is day-to-day with a strained hamstring he noticed during Sunday’s game, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman notes. “We’re going to re-evaluate him tomorrow and see where we’re at. Hopefully it’s nothing real serious, because he’s swinging that bat real well,” says Braves manager Brian Snitker. The Braves will wait to decide whether to place Flowers on the DL. In Flowers is out for awhile, Kurt Suzuki will start and Anthony Recker will back him up. Both are already on the Braves’ active roster.
Mariners infielder Jean Segura and reliever Steve Cishek are close to returning from injury, writes MLB.com’s Greg Johns. Segura has been doing some supervised running to test his ailing hamstring, and hopes to return on Friday, when is when he’s first eligible to come back after going on the DL last Tuesday. Cishek, meanwhile, is beginning a rehab assignment with Double-A Arkansas. Cishek is still making his way back after having microfracture hip surgery last October.

Cafardo’s Latest: Braun, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Fister

By charliewilmoth | April 15, 2017 at 2:18pm CDT

Here’s the latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

The Dodgers and Brewers have remained in contact over a potential deal involving Ryan Braun, Cafardo reports. Last summer, the two sides reportedly engaged in serious talks about a deal involving Braun and Yasiel Puig. Trades involving big-name players don’t typically take place early in the season, although it’s worth noting that, at last check, the Dodgers were not one of the teams restricted by Braun’s no-trade clause, and that he will receive ironclad no-trade protection when he becomes a 10-and-5 player May 24.
The Mariners could start selling talent early if they don’t improve after starting the season 3-8, Cafardo writes. Should the Mariners become sellers, I’d speculate that potential trade candidates could include Danny Valencia, Carlos Ruiz, Jarrod Dyson, Yovani Gallardo and Steve Cishek, all of whom are eligible (or potentially eligible) for free agency after this season. Players like Marc Rzepczynski, Leonys Martin and even Nelson Cruz and Jean Segura could also be subjects of speculation.
New Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen isn’t certain about when, or whether, the team will put veterans like Zack Greinke on the market. “We haven’t tackled the long-term outlook yet,” he says. “You see what you have when you get to the June 1 marker. We’ll ask, ‘What are we looking to do to improve the club? What can we do to improve the club? Where are we at overall with our organization?’ That’s what we’re going to talk about. We’re not looking too far down the road at present.” Hazen, of course, inherited a Diamondbacks team that won 69 games last season, although it should be noted that they’re currently 7-4 and in first place in the NL West at this very early point in the year.
The Red Sox have missed 85 player days due to illness since 2011, most in the Majors. Those 85 days cost the team approximately $3.9MM in salaries. At the start of the season, the team was dealing with a flu outbreak, leading other teams to take precautions when sharing a clubhouse or stadium with the Red Sox — the Twins asked the Tigers to fumigate their visitors’ clubhouse after following the Red Sox as guests at Comerica Park, and the Rays brought air purifiers for their series at Fenway this weekend.
Doug Fister remains a free agent mostly because teams feel his stuff is “marginal,” and that he therefore isn’t worth the big-league deal he seeks. Colby Lewis, too, is available, and has lately only received lukewarm interest. Those pitchers could find homes if hurlers from other teams get hurt, although, at this point, Fister would almost certainly need to start the season in the minors anyway to build up to being able to make big-league starts.

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