Rosenthal’s Latest: Gurriel, Erasmo, D-Backs, Royals, Lohse, Taylor
In his latest notes column, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports looks at the developing market for Cuban star Yulieski Gurriel. Discussing his team’s reported interest, Giants GM Bobby Evans tells Rosenthal that he is primarily looking to “be as thorough as we can when it comes to international talent,” not angling to replace a starter in the infield. In Rosenthal’s opinion, Gurriel fits best with the Mets, who could use him at third this year and then utilize him there or at second in the seasons beyond, depending upon how things shake out. Needless to say, Gurriel figures to be a fascinating player to watch over the coming weeks.
Here are some more highlights from the post:
- The Dodgers have engaged the Rays in talks regarding righty Erasmo Ramirez, according to Rosenthal. Though he’s working out of the pen for Tampa Bay, the Dodgers would intend to utilize Ramirez in the rotation — at least initially. He has spent most of his career as a starter, and presumably would offer the club a swingman/long-relief option down the line. With several youthful and recently-injured starters in the picture in L.A., it’s not hard to see the match.
- Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart says that the organization is getting trade interest in both Brad Ziegler and Daniel Hudson, with some teams even asking about landing both arms. However, Arizona is not yet ready to concede the 2016 campaign, particularly after improved play of late. Stewart also suggested again that the club would rather extend both of the late-inning righties, each of whom is a pending free agent, rather than shipping them out.
- Despite their position-player gaps — most of which are being filled with surprising aplomb by unheralded players — the Royals‘ biggest need is starting pitching, Rosenthal argues. GM Dayton Moore says that the club is “not overly concerned” about third base or right field, which are currently manned by Cheslor Cuthbert and Paulo Orlando. “If we had to make a decision today, we’d probably go with what we’ve got,” he said. But the architect of the reigning World Series champs also noted that the starting pitching market isn’t showing the same kind of top-quality veterans that it did last year, making it a “challenge” to find a real upgrade for the staff.
- Speaking of that thin market, Rosenthal says that teams are not unaware of the fact that Kyle Lohse can still opt out of his his deal with the Rangers after recently being bypassed for a promotion. Though the veteran owns only a 5.23 ERA in 51 2/3 Triple-A innings on the year, he is sitting at a typical 6.1 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 and obviously comes with a lengthy track record of quality major league pitching. (Note: it’s unclear precisely what opt-out situation Lohse has; the deal included a June 1 date that has obviously already passed, but may allow him to force the Rangers’ hand if another team offers a big league opportunity.)
- Rosenthal says that the Nationals have previously discussed center fielder Michael Taylor in trade talks and suggests they could do so again this summer in search of a top relief arm. Taylor would certainly make for an interesting piece to dangle: he still possesses tantalizing tools despite his difficulties in harnessing the strike zone and only just turned 25.
West Notes: Greinke, Urias, Panik, Karns, Rangers
The D-backs announced that ace Zack Greinke left tonight’s game after two innings with tightness in his left oblique. The severity of the injury isn’t known, but the D-backs have already suffered quite a few injuries this season and can ill afford to lose Greinke for any substantial period of time. Since a rocky start to the season, Greinke has turned in a 2.58 ERA over 11 starts dating back to April 30. Arizona has already lost A.J. Pollock for much of the season (if not all of it) and also has Rubby De La Rosa, David Peralta, Chris Owings and Socrates Brito on the disabled list at this time.
More from the game’s western divisions…
- The Dodgers‘ rash of injuries in the rotation has the team re-thinking the looming shutdown of top prospect Julio Urias, tweets Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times. The team may rely on Urias in the rotation for as long as it can despite the fact that his innings are a concern coming off a season in which the 19-year-old threw just 80 1/3 total innings at the minor league level. Including tonight’s six-inning start, Urias has already thrown 77 innings this season between the Majors and minors.
- Giants second baseman Joe Panik was scratched from tonight’s game after displaying concussion-like symptoms, writes Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. While Panik hasn’t sustained a head injury within the past few days, he was struck on the helmet by a Matt Moore pitch on June 18, and Schulman writes that the symptoms appear to be a delayed effect of that occurrence. Panik could land on the 7-day disabled list tomorrow, Schulman adds.
- The Mariners have moved right-hander Nate Karns to the bullpen, as MLB.com’s Greg Johns writes. Seattle is getting injured hurlers Taijuan Walker and Wade Miley back this week, and veteran lefty Wade LeBlanc pitched well in his Mariners debut. Manager Scott Servais tells Johns that the move isn’t considered a permanent one for Karns but explains that the team is hoping to get Karns back on track following a rough patch of starts in recent weeks. Karns posted a 7.33 ERA in the month of June after logging a strong 3.43 mark over the season’s first two months, and the 17 walks he issued in 23 1/3 innings this month speak to the fact that there’s more than simple poor fortune at play in his struggles.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels tells Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that he’s more focused on getting injured pitchers Yu Darvish, Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, Keone Kela and Tanner Scheppers healthy right now than he is on the trade market. Kela, according to Daniels, is the closest of the bunch to returning and could be back prior to the All-Star break (which would be ahead of his initially projected schedule). However, Daniels also tells Grant that he won’t take the 10-game lead that Texas carried into play today for granted and assume that he has the luxury of too much patience. “We’re aware of where we are, but I try not to look at things that way,” said Daniels of the his club’s sizable division lead. “We’re very cognizant of what can happen quickly.” Part of the reason for not yet placing a significant emphasis on trade talks may be a lack of willing trade partners, as well; Daniels told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford on Monday that there simply isn’t much quality pitching available on the trade market.
Injury Notes: Kershaw, Strasburg, Colome, Floyd, Morneau, Rangers
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is heading back to Los Angeles to meet with a specialist (Dr. Robert Watkins) about his ailing back, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick writes. Kershaw experienced some soreness in his back following Sunday’s loss, and manager Dave Roberts told the media that Kershaw’s lower back has been somewhat of an issue for the past few weeks. Roberts said the team is still optimistic that Kershaw will make his upcoming start on Friday, though that can’t be certain until he undergoes further examination. Kershaw is in the midst of arguably his best season ever, having recorded a 1.79 ERA, 10.8 K/9, 0.7 BB/9 and a 49.8 percent ground-ball rate through an MLB-best 121 innings thus far.
A few more injury items from around the league…
- An MRI of Stephen Strasburg‘s back revealed “nothing serious,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker told reporters, including Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post (Twitter link). While the Nats have yet to receive an official diagnosis on the injury, Baker said the initial results have made the organization feel better about the injury that landed Strasburg on the 15-day disabled list this weekend. There’s no word on exactly how long Strasburg will be out, but the lack of a serious injury suggests that it could be a fairly brief stay on the DL.
- The Rays have placed closer Alex Colome on the 15-day disabled list with what has been diagnosed as medial right biceps tendinitis, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. That’s the second closer on the disabled list for Tampa Bay, though Colome’s absence from team looks like it will be considerably shorter than that of fellow closer Brad Boxberger. Topkin writes that Colome’s DL stint is retroactive to June 19, and the right-hander is hoping to return to action as soon as he is eligible on Monday of next week.
- Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports that the Blue Jays will be without right-hander Gavin Floyd for a prolonged period of time, as Floyd has been diagnosed with a tear in his right lat muscle (Twitter link). Floyd hasn’t been dominant for the Jays this season, but he’s turned in 31 innings of 4.06 ERA ball and averaged 8.7 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 with a 42.2 percent ground-ball rate out of the Toronto bullpen. The extent of the tear and the projected length of his absence are not yet known.
- Justin Morneau feels that he can be ready to join the White Sox after about 30 at-bats on a minor league rehab assignment, he tells Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago (Twitter link). Levine estimates that Morneau will be ready to join the big league roster around July 15. Morneau tells the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Mike Berardino (Twitter link) that he’s hoping to begin a rehab assignment next week and be in uniform with the Sox soon after the All-Star break. Chicago signed Morneau to a one-year contract earlier this month.
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News provides updates on several injured Rangers. Per Grant, Yu Darvish will face hitters in a simulated game tomorrow, as will right-hander Keone Kela, who has missed the majority of the season after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow earlier this year. Beyond that, Grant adds that Derek Holland isn’t traveling with the team on this road trip and isn’t likely to pitch before the All-Star break. Kela is a bit over two months into his projected three-month recovery timeline, and his eventual return could be a boon for a Rangers bullpen that has seen its share of struggles in 2016.
Dodgers Claim Cole Figueroa
The Dodgers have claimed infielder Cole Figueroa off waivers from the Pirates, Los Angeles announced. He has been optioned to Triple-A.
Figueroa, who’ll turn 29 on Thursday, has appeared at second, third, and short at the major league level. He hasn’t hit much in limited action at the major league level, but has produced at a .288/.356/.376 clip in nearly 2,000 turns at the plate at Triple-A.
Athletics Claim Nick Tepesch, Designate Eric Surkamp
The Athletics have claimed righty Nick Tepesch off waivers from the Dodgers, per a club announcement. Oakland designated lefty Eric Surkamp to clear a roster spot.
Tepesch made a spot start for Los Angeles, marking his first major league outing since 2014. He was far from dominant, but obviously showed enough for Oakland to desire his services. Tepesch has battled through injury issues, but provided the Rangers with some good innings over 2013-14 and was carrying a 3.66 ERA at the Triple-A level on the year.
As for Surkamp, 28, it’s a been a tough go thus far in 2016. He has contributed 38 2/3 innings in nine starts, surrendering thirty earned runs on 55 hits (including eight home runs) while posting an ugly 22:21 K/BB ratio. Surkamp has been rather effective at the Triple-A level — he owns a 3.56 ERA with 8.4 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in 293 1/3 career innings — but has never been able to translate that consistently to the big leagues.
Knocking Down The Door: Bell, Berrios, Hedges, Judge, Stewart
This week’s installment of “Knocking Down The Door” includes five homegrown players—two first-round picks, two second-round picks and one sixth-round pick—who are close to reaching the majors with the team that drafted and signed them to professional contracts.
Josh Bell, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates (Triple-A Indianapolis): Chad Kuhl‘s solid MLB debut on Sunday should ease the calls for top pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow (13 IP, 0 R, 0 H over last two starts) to join the big league rotation, at least for this week. I’m not sure John Jaso‘s doing enough (.619 OPS since May 29th) to hold off Bell much longer, though.
The 23-year-old first baseman has been a hitting machine during his ascent through the minors, and 2016 has been no different. Well, there has been one difference. He’s finally starting to show off some in-game home run power (11 HR in 74 games in 2016; 30 HR in 373 games from 2012-15) to go along with the high average (.321) and on-base percentage (.405), which should get the attention of a Pirates front office that isn’t known for quickly moving prospects up the ladder.
With a .356/.422/.644 slash line in June, the switch-hitting Bell has done more than enough to earn a spot with the Pirates and push Jaso into a bench role.
Jose Berrios, SP, Minnesota Twins (Triple-A Rochester): It wasn’t a big surprise that Berrios earned an early promotion to the Majors in 2016. He dominated in Triple-A last season (2.85 ERA, 1.7 BB/9, 9. K/9 in 12 starts) and is considered to be one of the best pitching prospects in the game. It also shouldn’t have been a surprise, however, that a 21-year-old struggled in the big leagues and was sent to Triple-A after four starts.
Now a 22-year-old with two more months of Triple-A experience under his belt, Berrios is making a strong case to rejoin the Twins’ rotation after tossing three-hit ball over eight shutout innings in his last start. It was the eighth time in 10 starts that he’s allowed two earned runs or less and seventh time he’s allowed three hits or less.
Left-hander Tommy Milone did not fare well in his return to the rotation last week, and Tyler Duffey was on the brink of a demotion before dominating the Yankees in his last start. I’m guessing we’ll see Berrios if either Milone or Duffey has a bad start this week.
Austin Hedges, C, San Diego Padres (Triple-A El Paso): It doesn’t matter if Hedges homers in 10 straight games — he’s actually halfway there right now — there isn’t a spot for him on the Major League roster until the Padres can trade Derek Norris, who has an .828 OPS in June and is under team control through 2018. Those numbers are attractive on the trade market.
Norris also has value to the Padres, but Hedges’ recent power surge (seven homers in nine games) is a reminder that they have a big league ready catcher down in Triple-A who many think can be an elite defender and is healthy after surgery in late April to repair a fractured hamate bone.
The Austin Hedges era should begin in San Diego very soon — no, last year’s big league stint when he sat on the bench and watched Norris play almost every day doesn’t count. It just won’t happen until the Derek Norris era ends.
Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre): If a hitter’s walk-to-strikeout ratio is an indicator of his readiness for the majors, then maybe Judge is getting very close.
After walking 16 times and striking out 56 times in April and May, the 24-year-old Judge must be unrecognizable at the plate with his June performance—he’s walked 17 times and struck out only 21 times. While some hitters sacrifice power with a more patient approach, Judge’s power has also increased (8 homers in June; 7 homers in April/May).
Right fielder Carlos Beltran has been the Yankees’ most productive hitter in June, but he’s also 39 years old and needs to start getting off his feet and into the designated hitter spot more often. That designated hitter spot is currently being occupied by 40-year-old Alex Rodriguez, who is not having a productive season. Add those two things up and Judge has a chance to be patrolling the Bronx outfield in the near future.
Brock Stewart, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers (Triple-A Oklahoma City): The Dodgers currently have an opening in their rotation and there is a chance that they go with a guy who started the season in High-A and hadn’t been considered much of a prospect.
Crazy, right? Not as crazy at how deserving the guy is. (Note: Apparently the Dodgers agree, as Stewart tweets that he has been called up.)
A 6th Round draft pick in 2014, Stewart had the misfortune of spending most of his first full pro season in the very hitter-friendly California League, where he posted a 5.43 ERA. He returned there to start 2016 and was rewarded/saved with a promotion after two good starts. The 24-year-old has not stopped dominating hitters since.
After cruising through Double-A with 1.12 ERA, 1.6 BB/9 and 9.9 K/9 in nine starts, the right-hander has been brilliant in three Triple-A starts (2.89 ERA, 18.2 IP, 2 BB 27 K), including back-to-back 10-strikeout games. His next start could come in the majors on Wednesday.
“Knocking Down the Door” is a weekly feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.
Dodgers Interested In Jay Bruce
The Dodgers have considered Reds outfielder Jay Bruce as an outfield upgrade, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link). Bruce would add both left-handed hitting balance and some extra pop to a Los Angeles outfield that has underachieved this season, and may not be getting any internal reinforcements since Andre Ethier‘s return from the DL is uncertain.
Bruce, 29, has rebuilt his trade value after a couple of subpar seasons by hitting .280/.329/.575 with 16 home runs over 283 plate appearances this year. He’s hitting for more power than ever before as per the Isolated Power metric (.295), and his 20.8% strikeout rate is his lowest total since 2009.
Despite the big offensive numbers, however, Bruce is still rated as barely above replacement level (0.2 fWAR) since he isn’t bringing much to the table in terms of baserunning or right field defense. Bruce’s defensive metrics have declined over the last two seasons and cratered this year to the tune of a -28.4 UZR.150 and minus-9 Defensive Runs Saved.
If L.A. acquired Bruce, he would be taking right field playing time away from Yasiel Puig, who has the opposite problem — a struggling bat but an elite glove. It seems likely that Bruce would primarily be used against right-handed pitching, as while he’s hit southpaws quite well this season, he has hit significantly better against righties than lefties over his career. Speaking of splits, Bruce has a notable but not outlandish gap between his carer home/away splits (.828 OPS at home, .751 OPS on the road), though a move from the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark to pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium is likely to have an impact.
Though Bruce’s performance in 2014-15 sapped his trade value, his power bat still generated some attention on the trade market as the Reds explored deals with the Orioles, White Sox and Blue Jays, among other teams. Cincinnati appeared very close to dealing Bruce to Toronto in a three-team deal involving the Angels in February, a trade that carries a lot of “what-if” potential given how Michael Saunders (who would’ve gone to Anaheim) has gone on to have a huge season for the Jays.
Bruce’s contract isn’t necessarily a problem for the deep-pocketed Dodgers, though he doesn’t represent too much of a financial commitment. He is only owed roughly $6.35MM remaining this season, plus a $1MM buyout of a $13MM club option on his services for 2017. Bruce can block trades to eight teams but as Rosenthal notes, the Dodgers aren’t on his no-trade list.
The Dodgers have hit .237/.308/.386 with a 90 wRC+ as a team this season, ranking in the bottom third of teams in most offensive categories. The lack of consistency from the outfield has contributed to the lack of pop, as Joc Pederson has struggled against lefties, Trayce Thompson has cooled off after a hot start, Puig has battled both injuries and a decline at the plate, and left field has become the domain of converted infielders Enrique Hernandez and Howie Kendrick.
If not Bruce, Rosenthal notes (in another tweet) that the A’s Josh Reddick or the Angels’ Kole Calhoun could also fit the Dodgers’ need for a left-handed hitting outfielder. Reddick is also a free agent after the season, though Calhoun is controlled through 2019 and would come at a much higher price (if the Halos were interested in dealing him at all).
Draft Signings: 6/25/16
Here’s a roundup of key draft signings not yet covered here at MLBTR.
- The Phillies have signed fifth-round lefty Cole Irvin to an above-slot deal worth $800K, well over the $417,500 value of the 137th pick, reports Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (Twitter link). Mayo and colleague Jim Callis ranked Irvin as the 138th-best prospect entering the draft, noting that the Oregon standout possesses a 93 to 94 mph fastball and two occasionally above-average secondary offerings – a slider and changeup. Irvin has a solid chance to crack the majors as a back-end starter, according to the MLB.com duo.
- The Tigers have signed fourth-rounder Kyle Funkhouser for $750K, significantly above the pick value of $526,200, as Callis tweets. The Louisville righty was a first-round pick by the Dodgers last season, but he opted not to sign after sliding down draft boards. The righty suffered diminished velocity this year, resulting in his stock dropping still further — MLB.com’s scouting report notes that he threw 88-92 MPH with secondary stuff that was weaker than it had been previously. Callis notes, though, that Funkhouser’s stuff improved as the draft approached.
- The Orioles have agreed to terms with their second-rounder, No. 69 overall pick Matthias Dietz, Callis notes (on Twitter). Dietz will receive $1.3MM significantly above his pick value of $934,400. The Illinois community college righty stands 6’6 and throws 91-94 MPH, touching 98, with a hard slider. He is committed to TCU.
- The Giants have signed Vanderbilt outfielder and second-rounder Bryan Reynolds, as Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The selection, at No. 59 overall, was the Giants’ top pick, since they forfeited their first-rounder with the Jeff Samardzija signing. Via a tweet from Callis, Reynolds will receive $1.35MM, above the pick value of $1.09MM. Callis notes that Reynolds rated as a first-round talent, but he ultimately slid in the draft. Via MLB.com, the switch-hitter has solid tools across the board, but none rank as outstanding, and some scouts fret about his strikeout proclivities.
- The Dodgers have signed 11th-round pick A.J. Alexy for $600K, almost $500K above his pick value, Callis tweets. As Baseball America noted in its pre-draft scouting report (subscription only), the Pennsylvania high school righty currently throws 88-92 MPH, although he’s 6’4 and projectable, with the talent to throw three pitches in the big leagues. He was committed to Radford. The Dodgers should have space to sign him in part because they picked college seniors in the ninth and tenth rounds, and because second-rounder Mitchell White signed for significantly below his pick value.
Dodgers Sign First-Rounder Jordan Sheffield
The Dodgers have signed first-round pick Jordan Sheffield, the right-hander announced on Instagram. Los Angeles selected Sheffield 36th overall, the competitive balance pick it received for not signing Kyle Funkhouser – whom it took 35th a year ago. Sheffield will land a $1.85MM bonus, which is more expensive than the value of the pick ($1.79MM), tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com.
Sheffield, 21, garnered solid pre-draft rankings from prospect experts, with Callis and colleague Jonathan Mayo placing him 19th, Baseball America (subscription required) 23rd and ESPN’s Keith Law (Insider required) 31st. Law actually had Sheffield ending up with the Dodgers in his June 9 mock draft, but with the 32nd pick instead of the 36th. Sheffield is perhaps the likeliest pitcher in this year’s draft to develop three plus offerings, according to Callis and Mayo, who praised his high-velocity fastball (94 to 96, with the ability to hit 98), breaking ball and circle change. However, the 6-foot, 185-pounder’s size, past Tommy John surgery and high-effort delivery are red flags, per Callis and Mayo.
Sheffield, the brother of Indians left-handed prospect Justus Sheffield, was previously a 13th-round pick of the Red Sox in 2013 after his stock fell because of his Tommy John procedure. However, in lieu of signing with the Sox, he chose to honor his commitment to Vanderbilt. He recovered from the surgery to rebuild his stock at the college level and will now join the Dodgers. With Sheffield locked up, the Dodgers have their first 12 picks – and 16 of their initial 17 selections – under contract, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets.
Dodgers Outright Will Venable
SATURDAY: Venable has cleared waivers and has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City, MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick tweets.
FRIDAY: The Dodgers have designated outfielder Will Venable for assignment, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced on the roster by Nick Tepesch, whose contract was selected so he can start tonight.
Venable was with Los Angeles for only about a week after signing directly onto the major league roster. He contributed a single in 11 plate appearances. Venable has a track record of league-average or better hitting and brings a reliable glove to the outfield. While he has put up middling offensive numbers in each of the last two seasons, he could still contribute at the major league level at 33 years of age.
Meanwhile, Tepesch will get the nod for at least one start for L.A. He also recently joined the organization after opting out of his deal with the Rangers earlier this year. The 27-year-old righty contributed some useful frames to Texas at the major league level, but has been derailed recently by injury.