Deadline Notes: Turner, Phelps, Cards, Brewers, Phils
The Nationals don’t expect to go without shortstop Trea Turner for more than two months, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. As such, the report suggests, Washington doesn’t currently intend to pursue a replacement at the position. The Nats do have internal options, of course, in veteran Stephen Drew and youngster Wilmer Difo, who could make for a functional platoon pairing. And the team is still holding a sizable lead in the division, although there’s still time for that to change. Regardless of whether any other position players are ultimately pursued, the biggest need in D.C. remains in the bullpen.
- Elsewhere in the division, the Marlins are lining up to sell barring a sudden turnaround, with their relief corps looking to be an area of focus for rival organizations. Indeed, the Fish have already been contacted by half the teams in baseball about righty David Phelps, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets. That may be due to the fact that the team just pushed to move the salary of shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, perhaps leading other organizations to smell some blood in the water. Surely, though, Miami will wait to allow interest to build to maximize the return on Phelps, who has continued to pitch well after a breakout 2016 season.
- Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. discussed his organization’s approach with the trade deadline coming, as Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. DeWitt said he “never” believes it’s advisable to “go all in for a season and sacrifice the future.” Obviously, that applies now as the Cards find themselves in a somewhat strange position — not playing terribly well and way out of the Wild Card race, but still within range of the division lead. He did say its possible the team could “try to do something with a short-term asset to get a long-term asset” — if, that is, the Cardinals end up being “totally out of the race.” As newly minted president of baseball operations John Mozeliak noted, even if the Cardinals are in the thick of things, it’s not clear to what extent they’ll be buyers. “When I look at the future we have to embrace our farm system,” he said. “For us unless there was this one thing that we felt could change the outcome of our season, then I might look at it a little differently. But we haven’t been able to identify what that one thing might be.”
- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio also commented on his team’s state of affairs, and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has the story. While Milwaukee has surprisingly managed to stay out in front in the NL Central, Attanasio says he has expressed to GM David Stearns and skipper Craig Counsell that “there would be no pressure from me to divert from the plan.” (That, of course, is a reference to the organization’s long-term vision to build a sustainable winner.) Attanasio suggested that Stearns’s sober decisionmaking process has bought him significant operation leeway, though surely that same fact will lead to a calculated approach to the deadline. Still, the owner acknowledged that he’s excited to see his team in first: “I’ll admit my expectations are higher. How could they not be?”
- In a lengthy chat with the media that’s well worth a full read, Phillies president Andy MacPhail addressed the frustrating first half of the year for his organization. (Via CSNPhilly.com.) Generally, he expressed an inclination to continue staying the course, noting that the team is focused on evaluating its internal options and has maintained a mostly open balance sheet for future campaigns. As regards the coming deadline, MacPhail suggested that righty Pat Neshek and outfielder/infielder Howie Kendrick ought to draw significant interest, saying that it will be GM Matt Klentak’s “job” to “find a motivated buyer” for Neshek, in particular. He also said the organization does not see any untouchable players in its system. Klentak’s boss said that the GM “needs to keep a wide spectrum, wide horizon and any opportunity that makes sense for us going forward, he should explore.”
Marlins Reportedly Nearing Decision On Sale Of Team
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is nearing a decision on the sale of the team and is prepared to sell the club for less than the originally reported $1.3 billion price tag, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Earlier tonight, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted that the Marlins had made “significant progress” on the sale and were expected to receive $1.1-$1.3 billion dollars from the group that is being led by Tagg Romney, Tom Glavine and Wayne Rothbaum or the group that is led by Derek Jeter.
FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported earlier today that the likely sale price would fall somewhere in the range of $1.1-$1.25 billion, and he also noted that Jeter has made progress on raising the requisite funds for his bid’s approval. Jackson offers a similar sentiment, reporting that the Jeter group has bid more than $1.1 billion. Jackson adds that the league has been led to believe in recent days that Jeter has solidified his investment group to some extent. Rothbaum/Romney/Glavine, meanwhile, have the funds to bid upwards of $1.3 billion but have not been willing to go that high in talks, Jackson reports.
Jackson cites a “New York-based Major League Baseball source” in reporting that Loria hopes to make a decision before the end of July, but adds that there’s no front-runner at this time. Rothbaum would technically be the control person of their group, though he’s work closely with Romney, while Glavine would have some type of role in the baseball ops department. Jeter, meanwhile, would want to be heavily involved in baseball operations as well, according to Jackson.
Trade Rumblings: A’s, Prado, Marlins, Verlander, Hand
Here’s the latest trade chatter from around the league:
- The Athletics do not feel a need to wait until the deadline to begin moving veterans, sources tell MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. That may be true even (or especially) in the case of Sonny Gray. While he’s controllable, and doesn’t have to be traded, a rival exec says he thinks Oakland will be interested in dealing him early to avoid a month of injury risk. Possible rentals Yonder Alonso and Jed Lowrie are both said to be on the block as well, unsurprisingly.
- Other teams beginning to explore sell-side moves, per Feinsand, are the Braves, Marlins, Mets, and Reds. Those clubs are all obvious suspects given their placement in the standings. Atlanta could be an interesting team, though, since the organization seems to be prioritizing improvement in the on-field results and doesn’t have a lot of clearly valuable trade pieces.
- The Yankees and Red Sox are both looking over the Marlins roster and have asked about a few players, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Both New York and Boston have inquired on veteran third baseman Martin Prado, who is not terribly cheap and has spent a good chunk of the year on the DL. The Yanks are also expressing some interest in Miami first baseman Justin Bour, per the report; he’d offer a quality left-handed bat, though his affordable control will likely come with a fairly high asking price. The Fish are also said to have indicated an openness to dealing “anyone with a multi-year contract,” Nightengale adds. That would obviously free up quite a few intriguing potential trade candidates, including the club’s three quality young outfielders.
- Rival executives feel that the Tigers will market veteran righty Justin Verlander, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports writes, though Detroit’s intentions (and asking price) remain unclear. He’d be an easy product to pitch were this 2016, when Verlander was in vintage form. But he hasn’t followed that up with any degree of consistency thus far in 2017. Still, the $56MM he’s owed in 2018 and 2019 seems fairly reasonable, and it’s hard to ignore the top-line upside that still seems to reside in Verlander’s powerful right arm.
- The Padres, meanwhile, are apparently setting their sights high in talks involving southpaw Brad Hand, with one source telling Passan that GM AJ Preller hopes to achieve a return commensurate with that achieved last year by the Yankees for Aroldis Chapman. As Passan notes, that does seem steep — despite the fact that Hand does come with two more years of cheap arb control — but it likely won’t hurt to aim big at this stage of the proceedings.
- There, are, of course, some other talented relievers available. Two Marlins hurlers are also drawing interest from “multiple teams,” per Passan. AJ Ramos and David Phelps appear to be solid (albeit hardly perfect) late-inning pen options for contenders; indeed, MLBTR ranked them in a tie for 11th in the most recent list of the top fifty trade targets leaguewide. Both hurlers are reasonably expensive ($6.55MM and $4.6MM, respectively), so the salary-conscious Fish may see an opportunity to avoid some obligations. They each also can be controlled for an additional season via arbitration.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/27/17
We’ll track the day’s minor moves in this post:
- The Marlins have outrighted infielder Christian Colon to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, per a club announcement. The 28-year-old Colon was a waiver claim from the Royals just over a month ago but struggled at the plate in his brief time with Miami. Through 38 plate appearances, the former No. 4 overall draft pick batted just .152/.243/.182 with a double and seven strikeouts. He’ll provide the team with some infield depth.
- Right-hander Alex Wimmers has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Rochester from the Twins, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The former first-rounder has moved to the bullpen in recent seasons and had some success in Triple-A but not much in the Majors. He threw 7 1/3 inning with Minnesota this year and walked more batters (nine) than he struck out (eight). He does have a more respectable a 3.72 ERA with 8.6 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9 in 67 2/3 career innings at Triple-A, though.
- The Rays have selected the contract of left-hander Adam Kolarek, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, who is out with a hip fracture, was moved from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL to clear a spot on the 40-man for Kolarek, who will be making his MLB debut. The 28-year-old Kolarek, a longtime Mets farmhand, is in his second season with the Rays organization and has excelled with a 1.36 ERA, 7.9 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a ludicrous 77 percent ground-ball rate through 33 frames with Triple-A Durham this year. Kolarek is no stranger to gaudy ground-ball rates, as he induced worm burners at a 68.7 percent clip in 41 1/3 innings with Durham in 2016 as well.
- According to a club announcement, the Rockies selected the contract of outfielder Mike Tauchman from Triple-A Albuquerque and moved David Dahl to the 60-day disabled list to create a roster spot. The former 10th-rounder is enjoying a strong season, hitting .313/.377/.529 with 10 homers and 11 steals through 298 plate appearances, albeit in a very hitter-friendly setting. Tauchman, 26, isn’t considered to be one of the Rockies’ best prospects, though Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen did mention him briefly in looking at the Rockies’ farm prior to the year, noting that he possesses good contact skills and is an above-average defender that lacks power.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/26/17
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- Righty Keyvius Sampson has signed on with the Marlins on a minors deal, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). The 26-year-old threw 91 2/3 MLB innings for the Reds in the past two seasons, struggling to a 5.60 ERA while allowing 16 long balls and 53 walks to go with 84 strikeouts. Sampson spent time with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate earlier this year. He struggled to a 6.75 ERA in his 42 2/3 innings at Reno, however, racking up 9.7 K/9 but also coughing up 6.3 BB/9 in that stint. (Free passes have been an ever-present concern in recent years for the former fourth-round draft pick.) He’ll head to the Marlins organization now in search of a new chance to return to the majors, which may well be achievable if his new organization moves some arms at the deadline.
Rays Acquire Adeiny Hechavarria
5:16pm: Both clubs have announced the deal, making it official.
2:26pm: The Rays and Marlins have reportedly agreed to a trade that will send shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria from Miami to Tampa Bay in exchange for minor league outfielder Braxton Lee and minor league right-hander Ethan Clark. The Rays will take on all of Hechavarria’s remaining salary.
Hechavarria, 27, has been out for more than a month due to a strained oblique muscle but is ready to return to the field. While he doesn’t bring much to the table from an offensive standpoint, he’ll dramatically improve the Rays’ infield defense whenever he’s on the field. The Rays have relied primarily upon Tim Beckham and Daniel Robertson at shortstop in 2017 due to the fact that projected starter Matt Duffy has missed the entire year to date with a heel injury that recently required minor surgery.
From 2015-16, Hechavarria posted excellent defensive marks at shortstop, grading out at +18 Defensive Runs Saved and a +24.1 Ultimate Zone Rating. However, while that superlative glovework was paired with a respectable .281/.315/.374 batting line in 2015, Hechavarria has slashed just .241/.283/.319 in 614 trips to the dish since that time. He’s also earning $4.35MM this season, which was reportedly the Marlins’ primary motivation for finding a trading partner.
The Rays will control Hechavarria for one more season via the arbitration process, if they’re so inclined. Retaining him would mean giving him a raise on that $4.35MM salary in arbitration, though his injury and lack of production at the plate will likely limit the size of the raise to a fairly nominal amount.
Exactly how Hechavarria fits into the mix for the Rays remains to be seen. While he looks like the clear favorite to play shortstop on an everyday basis for the time being, Tampa Bay will need to decide what to do with the combination of Backham, Robertson and, when he returns from the disabled list, Brad Miller — the latter of whom was the primary second baseman prior to getting injured. One of Beckham or Robertson seems likely to be sent out — Beckham is out of options, so Robertson seems likelier — but the eventual returns of Miller and Duffy will further crowd the infield mix.
As for the players that Miami will receive in return, neither Lee nor Clark entered the season rated among Tampa Bay’s top 30 prospects. Lee, a 12th-round pick out of the University of Mississippi back in 2014, is hitting .318/.387/.391 through 296 plate appearances in Double-A this season, although it’s his second season at that level and he’ll turn 24 in August, so he’s not especially young relative to the competition that he’s facing. That production has been buoyed by a .397 BABIP, though, and Clark has never shown any power, with just two homers in his pro career.
Clark, meanwhile, has a 3.11 ERA with 8.2 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 39.9 percent ground-ball rate in 55 innings at Class-A Bowling Green. The former 15th-round pick (Crowder College, 2015) is 22 years of age, so he’s not young for the Class-A Midwest League, either.
For the Marlins, the move boils down to primarily a salary dump, as they’ll save $2.33MM by moving Hechavarria and the entirety of his contract. The trade likely opens up an everyday role for 25-year-old JT Riddle to attempt to establish himself as Miami’s new long-term shortstop, though Riddle has been mired in a dreadful slump at the plate and is currently batting just .230/.251/.354 with three homers, nine doubles and a triple through 173 big league plate appearances.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald first reported that Hechavarria was on the trade block, and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports added that he was likely to be traded in the very near future (via Twitter). ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that the Rays had made significant strides in getting a deal worked out (Twitter link). MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweeted that the Rays were the front-runners. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted that Lee and Clark were involved in talks, and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald broke the news (on Twitter) that the deal was done.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Marlins Close To Trading Adeiny Hechavarria
2:19pm: Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the two sides are reviewing medicals of the players that will be involved. Topkin hears that outfielder Braxton Lee and right-hander Ethan Clark are among the names being discussed.
11:45am: Crasnick reports that if the Rays are to take on all of Hechavarria’s salary, they’d like the Marlins to include a cheaper, controllable power arm to help facilitate the deal (Twitter links). Crasnick notes that Barraclough would fit that bill, though he adds that it’s not clear if the Rays have actually singled Barraclough out as a target.
Meanwhile, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Rays and Marlins are optimistic that they can reach an agreement to send Hechavarria to Tampa Bay in exchange for “fringe prospects” at some point today.
JUNE 26, 8:40am: The Marlins are close to a trade of Hechavarria, tweets MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. Like Frisaro, Morosi hears that the Rays are the likeliest landing spot for Hechavarria.
10:42pm: The Rays seem to be the “frontrunners” in talks, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets. Miami is looking for young pitching in return for Hechavarria.
JUNE 25, 10:20pm: The Padres have joined the Rays in the Hechavarria sweepstakes, Clark Spencer reports (via Twitter). The Cardinals are no longer involved in talks.
JUNE 24, 12:07pm: The Orioles are no longer involved, per Spencer (Twitter link). But he hears that the Cards (as well as the Rays) are still in talks for Hechavarria.
8:26am: There’s at least one mystery team involved, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (via Twitter).
JUNE 23: The Marlins have informed other clubs that they expect to trade Hechavarria within the next 24 to 48 hours, Spencer reports (on Twitter). It seems the push from the Marlins’ side is driven by an ownership effort to save salary rather than a baseball ops assessment, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick notes on Twitter.
It appears that the Rays appear to have “created some traction” in structuring a deal, sources suggest to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). Meanwhile, the Cardinals don’t seem to be pursuing Hechavarria at this point, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. St. Louis had at least spoken to the Marlins about Hechavarria, tweets Spencer.
Taking Inventory: Miami Marlins
This is the 10th entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory Series. Click for entries on the White Sox, Royals, Phillies, Pirates, Giants, Padres, Reds, Braves and Tigers.
While the Marlins have played better of late, they face an uphill climb just to get to within striking distance of postseason contention. The signs point to moving some veteran assets, but there’s also a significant complication. As ownership continues to explore a sale of the team, it’s unclear how that process could bear on the decisions at the trade deadline. One thing is for certain: Adeiny Hechavarria looks to be on the way out the door in the next day or so, with the Rays standing as the rumored front-runner to acquire his services. That move is reportedly driven by an ownership push to clear his salary, so perhaps Jeffrey Loria will continue to shed payroll in the weeks to come.
Here are the Miami players who’ll likely draw some trade consideration:
Rentals
Dustin McGowan, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $1.75MM
The 35-year-old McGowan has revived his career with the Marlins over the past two seasons, tossing a combined 107 innings of 2.78 ERA ball with 8.2 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a ground-ball rate of nearly 53 percent. McGowan’s velocity is down this season, but his control has improved as well. A team in need of middle relief help wouldn’t have to part with much to pick him up.
A.J. Ellis, C | Salary: $2.5MM
Ellis hasn’t played much this year, totaling just 63 plate appearances, and in that time he’s batted .200 with a .290 OBP and no extra-base hits. Barring a revival of some sort at the dish, which will be difficult with such limited playing time, he’s unlikely to generate much interest.
Controlled Through 2018
Adeiny Hechavarria, SS | Salary: $4.35MM, arb-eligible 2018
As previously noted, Hechavarria seems decidedly likely to move in the next day or so. The Marlins reportedly are hoping to move him before Tuesday’s series opener, when he’d have to be activated from the DL and would force a corresponding roster move. The Rays and Padres are among the teams currently linked to him, but Hechavarria’s salary and lack of offense should limit the return.
Edinson Volquez, RHP (starter) | Salary: $9MM in 2017, $13MM in 2018
After a terrible start to the season, Volquez has turned it on. His turnaround was highlighted by a June 3 no-hitter against a stacked Diamondbacks lineup, but Volquez was pitching fairly well even before that outing. He’s posted a 3.86 ERA with a 44-to-27 K/BB ratio across his past nine starts, spanning 54 2/3 innings. Volquez is an innings-eater at worst and a slightly above-average starter at best, and his contract, while not a bargain, isn’t outlandish.
David Phelps, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $4.6MM in 2017, arb-eligible 2018
The 30-year-old Phelps broke out as a dominant late-inning weapon for the Marlins in 2016, and while he hasn’t been quite as good in 2017, he’s still a highly desirable bullpen piece. Through 34 innings this season, he’s posted a 3.65 ERA with 9.2 K/9 against an improved 3.4 BB/9 and a 44.9 percent ground-ball rate. And dating back to last season, Phelps has a 2.69 ERA in 123 2/3 innings. Phelps has experience as a starter, including five starts in 2016, so he can definitely handle a multi-inning role. Some teams may even have interest in trying him in the rotation once again.
Tom Koehler, RHP (starter) | Salary: $5.75MM, arb-eligible 2018
The Marlins have reportedly been open to trading Koehler for roughly a month. The righty is currently in Triple-A after a brutal start to the season (7.28 ERA in 38 1/3 innings), and he’s allowed just two runs with a 22-to-5 K/BB ratio in 15 2/3 innings there. Koehler, 30, is hardly teeming with upside, but from 2013-16 he logged a perfectly respectable 4.14 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9. His 2017 performance has probably torpedoed his modest trade value, but Koehler has a fourth starter’s track record and wouldn’t require any notable young talent to acquire.
Brad Ziegler, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $7MM in 2017, $9MM in 2018
Miami’s highest-profile bullpen addition of the offseason, Ziegler has been surprisingly ineffective in 2017 and is currently on the disabled list with a back injury. Ziegler’s ground-ball rate remains elite, and he’s inducing more pop-ups in 2017 as well. But, his strikeout and walk rates have both gone in the wrong direction, and his combination of salary and injury makes it difficult to envision a move at this juncture.
AJ Ramos, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $6.55MM in 2017, arb-eligible 2018
The Marlins’ closer since 2015, Ramos routinely posts gaudy strikeout totals with questionable control. That’s truer than ever in 2017, as he’s currently sporting a career-high 12.2 K/9 against a lackluster 4.9 BB/9. The 30-year-old’s strikeout rate and reasonable salary should create some trade value if Miami looks to move him, though it’s interesting that the Nationals, perhaps baseball’s most bullpen-needy contender, reportedly don’t have all that much interest.
Junichi Tazawa, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $5MM in 2017, $7MM in 2018
Like Ziegler, Tazawa inked a two-year deal in Miami as a free agent this winter but has been a bust to this point in the season. Tazawa’s 6.88 ERA, 6.4 K/9, 4.8 BB/9 and 27.5 percent ground-ball rates are all career-worsts. Right now, he looks more like a DFA candidate than a trade candidate, though he did just return from a month-long stint on the DL, so perhaps he can get back on track now that he’s been deemed healthier. Those numbers, after all, come in a sample of just 17 innings, so it won’t take too long for Tazawa to turn the tide.
Jeff Locke, LHP (starter/reliever) | Salary: $3.025MM, arb-eligible 2018
Non-tendered by the Pirates this past winter, Locke signed a one-year deal with the Fish and missed the first two months of the year with tendinitis in his biceps. He’s healthy now but hasn’t looked much better than he did prior to this offseason’s non-tender. Through 23 2/3 innings, Locke has a 20-to-9 K/BB ratio with an improved 53.8 percent ground-ball rate. He does have a history of serviceable work as a fifth starter and can probably be had for little more than salary relief.
Controlled Through 2019
Marcell Ozuna, OF | Salary: $3.5MM in 2017, arb-eligible through 2019
Ozuna may be the best combination of trade value and actual plausibility of a trade. Ozuna has just two years of control left and a price tag that should soar in arbitration thanks to a career year in ’17, so the Marlins may look to cash in and acquire a haul in return for his bat this summer. Through 74 games/316 plate appearances, Ozuna has hit .319/.383/.575 with 20 homers and 13 doubles. He’s already just three big flies short of his career-high and looks like a virtual lock to clear 30 homers this year. On top of that, Ozuna is capable of playing center field and has played considerably above-average defense in left field thus far in 2017 (+5 Defensive Runs Saved, +4.4 Ultimate Zone Rating). If he’s moved this summer, the Marlins would likely be selling near his peak value.
Martin Prado, 3B | $11.5MM in 2017, $28.5MM through 2019
Re-signed prior to hitting the open market last year, Prado has missed time this season with a pair of hamstring injuries. He’s batted just .278/.301/.392 in 83 plate appearances even when healthy, the Marlins are known to love his clubhouse presence, and his remaining salary looks untradeable at the moment. All of that is to say, Prado seems likely to stay in Miami for now.
Tyler Moore, 1B/OF | $1MM in 2017, arb-eligible through 2019
Moore has belted six homers in a tiny sample of 81 plate appearances while posting an overall .263/.284/.566 batting line. The Marlins picked him up on a minor league deal this winter, and he’s already cleared waivers once. Moore is the type of asset that is routinely flipped for cash or a player to be named later, and he could potentially help another team’s bench in 2017.
Longer-Term Assets
Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Dee Gordon, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Barraclough, Justin Bour, Dan Straily, Derek Dietrich, Wei-Yin Chen, Adam Conley
Stanton may find his way into some trade rumors this summer, but the reality is that he’s still guaranteed a total of $295MM through the 2027 season and can opt out of his contract following the 2020 campaign. It’s exceptionally difficult to imagine any club taking that contract on, and even if the Marlins find a team that’s interested (and/or if they agree to pay down a huge portion of the deal), Stanton has a full no-trade clause as well. If the Marlins sell, there will be tons of speculation, but Stanton is likely staying put.
Yelich, on the other hand, doesn’t have a no-trade clause but would come with an enormous price tag in a trade a cost-controlled young star on an affordable deal. His offense is down in 2017, but he’s still drawing walks and is actually striking out less than in recent years. Yelich has spent his whole career playing his home games in a pitcher-friendly environment yet still owns a lifetime .289/.366/.424 triple slash in the Majors, to say nothing of quality baserunning skills and excellent left field defense (though he’s playing center in 2017). Yelich is still just 25 years old and is owed $44.5MM from 2018-2021, and his contract has an option for the 2022 season as well.
Gordon, meanwhile, isn’t producing as he did in 2015, though he’s still a nightmare for opposing pitchers on the basepaths and an above-average defender at second base. He’ll earn $38MM from 2018-20 and has an option for the 2021 season, though teams will undoubtedly be a bit wary of Gordon following last year’s PED suspension.
As was the case for the Reds in 2017, Straily has beaten expectations and proven to be a bright spot in the rotation. He boasts a 3.43 ERA with career-best K/9 (9.2) and BB/9 (2.9) rates in addition to a 38.1 percent ground-ball rate. Straily is still controlled through 2020, and though his .259 BABIP looks like it’s due for regression, it’s actually right in line with his career .255 mark. He’s likely improved his trade stock in Miami, and he’ll be arb-eligible for just the first time this winter.
It’s tough to see the Marlins having much interest in moving either Realmuto or Bour, both of whom are healthy, playing terrifically, and are controlled through the 2020 season. Each will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and should maintain an affordable salary. Barraclough is a bit easier to envision simply due to his control issues and the volatile nature of relievers, but he’s controlled through 2021 and has posted some of baseball’s best strikeout numbers since debuting in 2015.
Dietrich was an above-average bat (.261/.355/.427) without much defensive value from 2014-16, but now he’s not hitting, either. As such, it’s difficult to envision him garnering much interest, though maybe a team in need of a bench piece would be intrigued by his track record and look to buy low. Chen, meanwhile, is completely immovable due to the $52MM remaining on his deal from 2018-20 and a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament that might not allow him to pitch again this season. Conley has pitched to a 7.53 ERA in the Majors this year and a similarly troublesome 6.42 mark in Triple-A. He’s still in his pre-arbitration years, so Miami wouldn’t get any cost savings from dealing him.
Trade Rumblings: Pirates, Hechavarria, Gyorko, Harvey
Since the Pirates plan to contend in 2018, they could pursue a “soft sell” at the deadline rather than unload major pieces, Fangraphs’ Travis Sawchik writes. This would mean keeping big names like Andrew McCutchen or Gerrit Cole unless they receive offers too good to ignore, while perhaps being open to moving the likes of Josh Harrison, David Freese, Juan Nicasio or other bullpen arms. As Sawchik points out, the Bucs already used this kind of “soft sell” to great effect last summer, when they dealt Mark Melancon to the Nationals and unloaded Francisco Liriano‘s contract on the Blue Jays. Pittsburgh received a good young relief arm in Felipe Rivero for Melancon, and the money saved by moving Liriano allowed the Pirates to re-sign Freese and Ivan Nova, who has become a rotation staple. (Nova himself was a deadline pickup last year, a sign that the Pirates weren’t merely focused on selling.)
Here’s some more player movement buzz from around the majors…
- The Orioles are reportedly out of the running for Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, and ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required) writes that a lack of payroll flexibility may have scuttled Baltimore’s chances. From the Marlins’ standpoint, the O’s wanted to move a comparably salary in a trade to fit Hechavarria’s remaining salary (around $2.17MM for the year) into the budget. It isn’t clear whether the O’s are lacking in flexibility altogether, or simply weren’t willing to stretch payroll for Hechavarria, who is a quality defender but has delivered virtual replacement-level value in three of the last four seasons.
- Also from Olney’s column, he opines that Jedd Gyorko could be a big trade chip for the Cardinals if St. Louis decides to sell at the deadline. Gyorko could be of particular interest to prospect-laden contenders like the Red Sox or Yankees, who are both in the market for third base help. Gyorko is hitting .291/.350/.500 in 254 PA and is locked up on a very affordable contract through 2019, though as Olney notes, these could also be reasons for the Cards to want to keep Gyorko in the fold. In my opinion, I would guess that St. Louis would explore moving several other players before considering a Gyorko trade, and even then wouldn’t move him for anything less than a massive return.
- Olney looks at the Mets‘ situation heading into the deadline, as the team is open to moving veterans with an eye to creating payroll and roster space to reload for another run at contention next year. Another big-picture question is what the Mets will do with Matt Harvey, as the former ace has continued to struggle with injuries, performance, and off-the-field controversy. It seems like Harvey won’t be in a Mets uniform once his contract is up after the 2018 season, so Olney feels New York could try to move him in a trade or perhaps even non-tender Harvey after the year.
NL Notes: Phillies, Marlins, Cards, Rox, Cubs
The last-place Phillies will be open for business at the trade deadline, reports Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. While free agents-to-be like Pat Neshek, Howie Kendrick, Jeremy Hellickson, Joaquin Benoit and Daniel Nava stand out as obvious trade candidates, Zolecki suggests that the Phillies could also listen to offers for some controllable players. That list includes first baseman Tommy Joseph, injured second baseman Cesar Hernandez and shortstop Freddy Galvis. Joseph is currently on a minimum salary and won’t even be eligible for arbitration until 2020, but moving him would enable the Phillies to open up first base for prospect Rhys Hoskins, who’s destroying Triple-A pitching. Hernandez, meanwhile, is on a $2.55MM salary and has three arbitration-eligible years remaining. However, he’s blocking another hot-hitting prospect – Scott Kingery, who’s at Double-A. Galvis is the most expensive of the three right now ($4.35MM) and only has another year of arbitration eligibility remaining. Behind him is J.P. Crawford, who hasn’t hit much at Triple-A since debuting there last year. Nevertheless, he still ranks as Baseball America‘s 19th-best prospect.
The latest on a few other NL teams…
- The Marlins probably won’t trade any major pieces as long as their ownership situation is in flux, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. If true, that would rule out deals involving the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna and J.T. Realmuto, all of whom have been part of rumors this year. However, Frisaro notes that trades featuring lesser players (including Adeiny Hechavarria, Tom Koehler and certain relievers) remain possible.
- The Cardinals will recall outfielder Randal Grichuk, whom they demoted to the minors May 29, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Redbirds sent down Grichuk after he batted a paltry .222/.276/.377 with a 29.8 percent strikeout rate in 181 plate appearances. He fared better at Triple-A, slashing .270/.313/.603 in 67 PAs, but struck out even more frequently (29.9 percent) and only posted a 4.5 percent walk rate. It’s unclear how often Grichuk will play in his return to St. Louis, at least initially, as the team has gotten terrific production in his spot (left field) from Tommy Pham. The Cardinals also have Dexter Fowler and Stephen Piscotty as everyday outfielders, of course, so there’s no obvious fit for Grichuk in a starting role.
- Right-hander Jon Gray will make his long-awaited return to the Rockies’ rotation during their series against Arizona next weekend, per Nick Groke of the Denver Post (Twitter links). Gray entered the season as the de facto ace of Colorado’s staff, but he has been out since mid-April with a stress fracture in his left foot. Still, the Rockies have stormed out of the gates at 47-30, and Gray’s return should only help the team’s already high playoff odds. The Rox will deploy a five-man rotation when Gray comes back, meaning someone will have to exit the group, observes Groke.
- Cubs righty Kyle Hendricks threw Saturday for the first time since going on the disabled list June 8, and he told reporters – including Glenn Sattell of MLB.com – that it was a pain-free session. “The arm felt good. I’ve been doing a lot of shoulder work. It took a few throws to find the arm slot and actually felt pretty normal,” said Hendricks. “I was actually surprised by it.” A return isn’t imminent, though, with manager Joe Maddon noting, “It’s probably aggressive to think he’d be back by the All-Star break, but I don’t want to rule anything out.”