Marlins Place Wei-Yin Chen On 10-Day DL With Tired Arm
The Marlins have placed left-hander Wei-Yin Chen on the 10-day DL with what the club is describing as a tired arm, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Tim Healey and others reported. Chen is expected to miss just one start (his scheduled outing today), as an MRI didn’t reveal anything serious. Righty Odrisamer Despaigne has been called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move in order to start today’s game.
[Updated Marlins depth chart at Roster Resource]
As Healey reported two weeks ago, Chen has been pitching through a slight UCL tear, so the uneventful MRI is certainly a good sign for both the pitcher and the team. The downside, of course, is that the Marlins are suddenly facing an even larger short-term rotation deficit, as Edinson Volquez was placed on the DL earlier this week due to a blister issue. Both Chen and Volquez aren’t expected to miss much time, though manager Don Mattingly said that rehabbing southpaw Jeff Locke will be stretched out to give Miami more rotation depth.
Chen has a 4.33 ERA, 6.7 K/9 and 2.22 K/BB rate over 27 innings for the Fish this season. The lefty is looking to rebound from an injury-shortened first season in Miami (his first year of a five-year, $80MM contract) that saw him post a 4.96 ERA over 123 1/3 innings. Chen can opt out of his contract this winter, though he’d be leaving $52MM of his guaranteed on the table, which could be a risky proposition for a pitcher already dealing with some UCL damage.
Dave Stewart Part Of Romney-Led Ownership Group In Pursuit Of Marlins
Former D-backs general manager Dave Stewart has joined the Tagg Romney-led ownership group that is aiming to purchase the Miami Marlins from current owner Jeffrey Loria, reports USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Major League Baseball officials have been informed that Stewart has been added to a group that already includes Hall of Fame lefty Tom Glavine, per Nightengale.
According to Nightengale, Stewart had initially assembled his own team of investors in an effort to purchase the Marlins but has now instead joined the Romney team. Moreover, Nightengale writes that it is believed that Stewart would run the Marlins’ baseball operations department if Romney’s group ultimately succeeds in buying the team. Specific details of the arrangement aren’t yet known and may not even be firmly established just yet, however; for instance, FanRag’s Robert Murray tweets that Stewart would be an advisor but would not have a direct seat in the front office. It’s possible that there are various scenarios being bandied about, though further clarity will surely emerge with MLB’s owners meetings looming later this month.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported on Tuesday that Romney’s group upped its bid from $1.1 billion to top the reported $1.34 billion offer of the Bush-Jeter group, and Nightengale indicates that he’s heard the same thing.
The Romney-led group and the Bush-Jeter group are reportedly the two most serious suitors for the Marlins, though FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported earlier today that there could be at least one more serious group in the mix: a team of investors led by Dana Pawlicki of Stonington Capital Partners. Heyman also noted, though, that Pawlicki’s group could also be vying to join up with one of the two perceived front-runners.
It remains to be seen precisely what would happen with Stewart’s agency, Sports Management Partners, in the event that the Romney group is approved by Major League Baseball. Certainly, Stewart wouldn’t be allowed to continue on as the head of the agency and a partial owner of the club and a lead decision-maker for a franchise’s baseball operations department. When Stewart was named GM of the Diamondbacks, his agency was turned over to business partner Dave Henderson, so perhaps a similar arrangement would follow suit should he land with the Marlins.
Heyman’s Latest: Marlins, Rangers, Astros, Buyers, Extension Talks
The Marlins sale could yet be more wide open, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. It’s still a “fluid” situation, he says, and it might not just involve the Jeter/Bush and Glavine/Romney bidding groups we’ve read so much about. Per Heyman, at least one other possible team — led by Dana Pawlicki of Stonington Capital Partners — is looking into putting together an alternative (or, perhaps, just joining one of those other groups). That said, an agreement of some kind could still happen in short order, says Heyman, perhaps within two weeks.
Heyman also looks at a variety of notable transactional situations from around the game (broken out by National League and American League). Here are some highlights:
- Among organizations taking an early look at possible upgrades, the Rangers are said to be eyeing rotation help — if not also the addition of a bat. No doubt the loss of Cole Hamels for roughly two months will increase the urgency, though it’s also fair to wonder to what extent the team will end up buying at all. As Heyman and others have noted, if the Rangers’ struggles continue, that could free Texas to dangle Yu Darvish and Jonathan Lucroy at the deadline.
- The division-rival Astros, meanwhile, are said to still have interest in acquiring a “front-line starter” — not that there’s any reason to believe that could happen before the summer. Of course, Houston has re-discovered its own ace to some extent, with a resurgent Dallas Keuchel looking good thus far. Heyman notes that the southpaw was approached “last winter and spring” about an extension, with the sides seemingly making some progress before talks fizzed. The possible deal would’ve gone beyond Keuchel’s arbitration eligibility, per the report, though there was no consensus on the specifics surrounding a potential club option. Keuchel’s iffy and injury-filled 2016 season presumably quashed any possibility of a revival of the discussions this past winter, though perhaps that could again become a possibility in the future.
- There are other organizations taking a look around for assistance, though it’s not clear whether any are doing more than eyeing the waiver wire and veterans playing on minors contracts. The Red Sox are looking for rotation help while waiting for David Price, who is said to be nearing a rehab assignment. And the Tigers would like to bolster their beleaguered bullpen. The Diamondbacks will probably wait and see whether they can continue their hot start before deciding how to proceed, but Heyman notes that the club would likely “have some spending money” to work with if additions prove necessary and wise. On the sell side, the White Sox remain willing to deal despite their fairly solid start to the year. But the club isn’t backing down from its offseason asking prices, which is certainly no surprise given its prior stance and the promise of renewed demand at the trade deadline.
- In addition to kicking around some ideas with Kris Bryant, which didn’t seem to gain much traction, the Cubs held some talks over the winter with catcher Willson Contreras, according to Heyman. It seems that the backstop’s reps weren’t keen on Chicago’s ideas, which would’ve included “multiple options” — no surprise, given that Contreras has just 108 days of MLB service under his belt.
- Interestingly, Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is said to have raised the possibility of an extension with the ballclub. But there wasn’t any interest on the team’s part, per Heyman, with New York preferring to wait and see how things progress. The club already holds an $8.5MM option ($2MM buyout) over the 31-year-old. While that seems likely to be exercised, with Cabrera perhaps moving to second or third to make way for Amed Rosario, the organization understandably did not wish to make a commitment further into the future.
Marlins Place Edinson Volquez On 10-Day DL
The Marlins have placed righty Edinson Volquez on the 10-day DL, according to Andy Slater of 940-AM WINZ (via Twitter). Fellow righty Nick Wittgren is expected to replace him on the active roster, though that move won’t account for the open rotation spot.
Volquez departed his outing last night with a blister on his thumb that manager Don Mattingly labeled as significant after the game. Before departing, the right-hander managed to accumulate both eight walks and nine strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings — representing one of the strangest pitching lines you’ll ever see.
Getting Volquez back is of paramount importance to Miami, which promised him $22MM over two years to front a questionable starting staff. Through six starts, he has thrown 28 2/3 innings of 4.71 ERA ball. Both his strikeout (10.0 K/9) and walk (6.9 BB/9) rates ballooned after his strange appearance yesterday, though it seems reasonable to expect they’ll settle back in more typical ranges. (In recent years, Volquez has sat at just under seven strikeouts and just over three free passes per nine.)
The Marlins don’t exactly have enviable rotation depth behind the current starting five. Justin Nicolino could be the first man up, though he has managed just 3.5 K/9 over 153 1/3 MLB frames. Alternatively, the organization could go with current MLB relievers Jarlin Garcia or Jose Urena.
Pitching Injury Notes: Shields, Rodon, Hamels, Volquez, Kluber, Nats
The White Sox will put righty James Shields on ice for a bit after he experienced soreness while throwing, as Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago writes. Shields is on the 10-day DL with a lat strain that hasn’t improved as rapidly as had been hoped. While it would obviously be preferable to have the veteran in the rotation, it seems a slow and steady course will now be required.
Here’s more on some pitching health issues from around the game:
- It has been a long wait for the White Sox as young lefty Carlos Rodon, who hasn’t yet pitched in 2017 due to a biceps injury. Skipper Rick Renteria was somewhat coy when asked about the southpaw, as Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports on Twitter. While Renteria emphasized that the club was “very happy” with Rodon’s progress, he declined to say whether the 24-year-old has been cleared to work off of a mound.
- Southpaw Cole Hamels was scratched from his outing for the Rangers today, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweeted. Oblique tightness was given as the reason, though the severity isn’t yet clear. Texas can scarcely afford anything less than a healthy and effective Hamels as the team seeks to dig itself out of the AL West basement. The veteran has managed just 4.1 K/9 on the year, less than half his career average, with a 7.5% swinging-strike rate that’s well off his typical pace (12.3% lifetime). That said, he still carries a 3.03 ERA through 32 2/3 innings.
- Also leaving with an injury today was Marlins righty Edinson Volquez. As MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro writes, Volquez had an incredibly unusual stat line, compiling an unprecedented combination of eight walks and nine strikeouts through 4 1/3 innings before departing with a thumb blister. After the game, manager Don Mattingly said that Volquez could miss his next scheduled outing, as Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald tweets.
- Corey Kluber of the Indians failed to make it through his start, too, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports on Twitter. The righty was dealing with lower back issues that have been a nagging problem of late. He had struggled through three innings before being pulled. Kluber is off to an uncharacteristically slow start to the year, with a 5.06 ERA through 37 1/3 innings.
- The Nationals have thrived despite subpar work from their bullpen, but the team would no doubt prefer to see some improvement. It would surely help to get Koda Glover and Sammy Solis back from the DL, though as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports (Twitter links), the outlook seems better for the former than the latter. Glover, who’s out with a hip issue, says he expects to return after the minimum ten days on the DL. But Solis has yet to begin playing catch. While there’s still no reason to fear a significant injury, elbow nerve inflammation has yet to subside.
Romney Group Still Pursuing Marlins
Just when it seemed all the momentum was lining up toward a sale of the Marlins to a group led by Derek Jeter and Jeb Bush, things have taken another turn. The alternative bidding group, led by Tagg Romney and also including Tom Glavine, has upped its offer to exceed the $1.3B sale valuation offered by the Jeter/Bush team, according to Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel.
Confirming the general situation, commissioner Rob Manfred told the Sun Sentinel that there are “two very strong groups” still in play. While he obviously did not tip his hand in any way, it’s certainly possible the league’s preferences could tip the scales here. Importantly, at present, we know nothing about the deep-pocketed, background investors who’d participate in either ownership group.
To be sure, the competing offers could shift the calculus for Loria and the league, though it seems they aren’t drastically different. While the new price would beat the $1.3B offer of Jeter and Bush, sources tell Barry Jackson and Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald that it is still shy of $1.4B. With both the league and the team looking over the competing bids, a decision is said to be likely to come soon.
The report also provides some details on the earlier agreement struck between Loria and the Jeter/Bush group, which some characterized as a sale agreement but really falls well shy of that. In fact, it’s just a “handshake deal” that was to allow that group “first opportunity” to get the club if financing was found and a deal was signed quickly. But it did not provide exclusivity, per the report; whether it was an agreement that bound the parties in any manner at all isn’t even clear.
Since there’s still no sale agreement in place — and, according to the Herald, the financing has still yet to be proven — it’s all still an open situation. Indeed, Jeter and Bush are now said to be working to bring in Wayne Rothbaum — who had previously led a third bidding effort — to infuse cash needed for their efforts, per Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg (via Twitter).
New Details On Prospective Marlins Sale
We have heard some conflicting reports recently about just how likely it is that a Derek Jeter and Jeb Bush-led investment group will complete a purchase of the Marlins, but the latest signs point toward a deal. Most notably, the funding for the buyer’s group is now all lined up, according to Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal (via Twitter).
If the financials are indeed in order, that would represent quite a significant step. Last we heard, Jeter and Bush were looking for additional investors to join their team, but it seems that’ll no longer be an issue. Citibank is advising the would-be owners, Kaplan notes, and presumably will be involved in any financing that’s needed.
There’s also an important note on the reported $1.3B purchase price, which seems more accurately described as a valuation for purposes of the deal. Per Kaplan, that’ll be offset by the organization’s current debt and anticipated operating losses. Joel Sherman of the New York Post had previously noted that possibility while breaking down the significant numbers involved.
Such adjustments will also take a bite out of the share of the sale proceeds that Miami and Miami-Dade County could stand to earn, as Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald writes. So long as the deal closes by April of next year, five percent of the profits would be sent over to those municipalities — a clause in the deal in which the Marlins obtained massive public financial support for the construction of Marlins Park. But debt, closing costs, and taxes will all first be deducted, and the sale price will also be offset by the agreement’s valuation of the organization (per Hanks, that figures to stand at around $500MM). In other words, while it could still be a significant amount, there are some limits to how much the taxpayers can recoup.
Bush, meanwhile, had some very notable comments of his own, as Tim Healey of the Sun-Sentinel reports. Speaking for the first time, the former Florida governor — who’d be the official control person of the organization — discussed the groups vision. Most interestingly, perhaps, he suggested that Jeter might actually take over the baseball operations department, though certainly the details of just how that would work remain to be seen. Generally, he expressed an interest in “patiently” building a roster — no word yet on what that might mean at the outset of a new ownership — while pushing to take advantage of the Miami organization’s proximity to Latin America.
NL East Notes: Nats, Syndergaard, Marlins
Following the loss of Adam Eaton for what could be the remainder of the season, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan touched on the possibility of a Royals/Nationals trade in his latest Ten Degrees column. The Nationals, according to Passan, expressed interest in Lorenzo Cain this offseason before they acquired Eaton in the first place. While the two sides obviously didn’t line up on a deal at the time, Passan notes that the combination of Cain and closer Kelvin Herrera, whom FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tied to the Nationals over the weekend, could present the Nats with the ability to fill two needs with one trade. While multiple reports have suggested that the Royals aren’t yet ready to sell, Passan notes that Kansas City’s 7-15 record and -37 run differential are both the worst marks in baseball, which means that even a strong performance in May might not be enough to turn their season around entirely.
A bit more from the NL East…
- Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News spoke to a pair of sports orthopedists about the partial tear of Noah Syndergaard‘s right lat muscle, discussing the ways in which it can be treated and the potential absence Syndergaard could face. While all of those factors are dependent on the severity of the tear, neither medical expert suggested that surgery was likely. Ackert offers quotes from both Dr. Anthony Maddalo and Dr. Kenneth Mautner (the latter of whom is a team physician with the Braves), with each going into detail on the nature of lat injuries. While a platelet-rich plasma injection isn’t a standard treatment for a torn lat muscle, both said it could theoretically help accelerate the healing process. Rest, rehab and stretching were also suggested as possibilities, with a program along those lines taking potentially up to six weeks, Ackert notes. There’s still no official word on a timeline from the Mets, though Sandy Alderson will address reporters at 4pm ET.
- Syndergaard’s injury is obviously a severe problem for the Mets, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports opines that the injury is symbolic of a greater problem for baseball as a whole. The increased emphasis on velocity continues to put pitchers at risk, Rosenthal suggests, as young arms focus more on overpowering hitters than prioritizing durability. Rosenthal spoke extensively with Hall of Famer and current broadcaster John Smoltz on the matter. “(In the past), each pitcher was given the opportunity to learn what kind of pitcher they were going to be,” said Smoltz. “Now they’re all robots. … We’re getting dangerously close to every pitcher red-lining when he doesn’t really have to. They’re not preparing to learn how to pitch like it’s a six-gear car. They’re always in sixth gear. Never in fourth or fifth.”
- Marlins skipper Don Mattingly spoke to Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel about the importance of right-hander Jose Urena and lefty Jarlin Garcia to his bullpen. Mattingly suggested that even after Urena was roughed up in his most recent appearance on Friday, the righty has been vital in terms of keeping other relievers fresh (a point that righty David Phelps also emphasized to Healey). Asked if Urena could be a starting pitcher in the long run, as he was in the minors, Mattingly wouldn’t commit to a role for a long-term role for the 25-year-old. As for Garcia, Mattingly offered plenty of praise on the 24-year-old rookie, who made his MLB debut last month. “I think he thinks he’s ready to be here,” said Mattingly, “and that’s always really important for the younger guys. They believe that they can pitch here. Sometimes that takes a little while, gut Jarlin seems to think he belongs here.” Mattingly noted that having multiple southpaws would be preferable, though as Healey notes, the front office emphasized overall effectiveness over handedness this winter.
Latest On The Marlins’ Potential Sale
Here’s the latest surrounding the potential sale of the Miami Marlins…
- Derek Jeter and former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who are leading one of the groups bidding for the Marlins, believe the team “has been spreading misinformation including the terms of the bid,” Ken Davidoff and Josh Kosman of the New York Post report. Jeter and Bush “were exasperated” by apparently inaccurate reports from earlier this week saying they had reached a general agreement to buy the Marlins, as the Jeter/Bush group is still trying to line up investors. A source tells Davidoff and Kosman that Jeter and Bush may eventually decide to not bid altogether: “These are not guys who can afford a vanity acquisition. My guess is they will back out,” the source opines. The Jeter/Bush group has enlisted the help of New York hedge fund financier Anthony Scaramucci as an advisor to bring some new investors into the bid, though Scaramucci himself won’t be joining the ownership group.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post breaks down the economics behind the potential sale, which goes well beyond the $1 billion-plus price tag. Some in the game say the Marlins are $400MM in debt, and a new ownership faces losses in the range of $150-$200MM over its first few years of operations since the club lags behind in such revenue-generating streams as attendance, sponsorships, and a local TV contract. “Some creative bookkeeping” will be required to work out the sale price no matter which competing group ends up buying the Marlins, and current owner Jeffrey Loria “will accept the fastest deal that meets his requests and he believes will be approved by the other owners” in order to get out from under this financial burden.
- Given these costs involved in buying the Marlins, Sherman raises the possibility of another fire sale as a way that a new ownership group could cut costs. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe also raises the possibility, particularly in regards to trading Giancarlo Stanton. The slugger is owed $63MM through the 2019 season, and then, if he doesn’t exercise his opt-out clause following that year, a whopping $244MM through the 2027 season. Even though Miami would surely have to eat some of this contract in a trade, Cafardo still wonders if a deal could be reached given Stanton’s injury history and less-than-elite production in 2016.
- Also from Cafardo’s piece, he reports that the ownership group led by Tom Glavine and Tagg Romney appears to have all of the investors arranged behind its $1.1 billion bid. A source tells Cafardo that it doesn’t appear as though as of Glavine and Romney’s investors would leave the bid to join the Jeter/Bush group.
- Marlins manager Don Mattingly and catcher A.J. Ellis are no strangers to performing under an ownership change, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times writes, as both were with the Dodgers during that team’s perhaps even more tumultuous sale from Frank McCourt to the Guggenheim Baseball ownership group. “That uncertainty, at this stage, is definitely hanging,” Ellis said. “There’s so many guys here who have been with the Marlins their whole life. That’s all they’ve ever known. It could be a huge life change for them.”
Latest Details On Potential Sale Of Marlins
11:35pm: The group led by Tagg Romney, which reportedly also includes Hall of Fame left-hander Tom Glavine, is still alive in the bidding for the Marlins, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
Charles Gasparino and Brian Schwartz of FOX Business provide a slew of new information, reporting that Bush and Jeter are expected to invest “no more than $200 million combined,” leaving as much as $800-900MM to be raised to complete the purchase with what the league will term an acceptable level of debt. However, as the FOX Business duo notes, it will also be difficult for Jeter and Bush to rally that type of financial commitment while still maintaining principal ownership of the team.
Furthermore, Gasparino and Schwartz report that the Romney group — notably, they make no mention of Glavine — bid $1.1 billion for the Marlins, though that falls well shy of the $1.34 billion figure from Jeter and Bush. The Jeter/Bush group has an “exclusive negotiating window” to raise the requisite capital to complete their purchase, and that window is “expected to last at least until June,” per the report. Gasparino and Schwartz cite a “senior executive inside the commissioner’s office” in reporting that the Marlins have yet to formally approach Major League Baseball about the Jeter/Bush bid. Should that bid ultimately fall through, there are other bidders that will step in.
1:48pm: Commissioner Rob Manfred has cast doubt on certain reports that have framed the Jeter/Bush group as having a deal in place. As the Sun Sentinel reports, Manfred says “there are multiple bidders for the Marlins” at this point. Importantly, too, he made clear “there is no agreement in place” at present, with the league still “working with more than one group” of possible purchasers.
Manfred later made clear that there were two bidding groups currently involved in the pursuit of the franchise. Resolution is expected in short order. “The timeline is relatively short,” he said. “It would be measured in days, not months.”
11:35am: We learned recently that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria had elected to try to finalize a sale of the organization with a bidding group led by Derek Jeter and Jeb Bush. As noted at the time, though, that hardly means that a deal is inevitable.
Reporting continues to emerge regarding the still-developing situation. Jon Heyman of Fan Rag writes that the Jeter/Bush group’s emergence from other bidders came as a surprise — and may not yet be backed by the needed financial commitments. The would-be owners are said to be contacting a range of sources, including some connected with other bidding groups, to bolster the amount of equity that’ll be needed to obtain MLB approval. (The league typically requires at least three-fifths of the purchase price to come from cash.)
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears similarly, reporting that Bush has been on the horn with possible co-investors this week. The team, though, is apparently confident that the needed cash (and, presumably, debt financing as well) will be found in due time. As Jackson expounds further (Twitter links), that belief explains why the club struck an agreement for some form of exclusive negotiation rights — the details of which remain unknown — with the new group. Bush, who’d be the control person, will apparently sit down soon with league officials to discuss the money situation.
In the aggregate, there’s still a fair bit of uncertainty, even if the Jeter/Bush team have the inside track to move into Marlins Park. Per Heyman, a look at the books led the second-place bidders (a group led by Tagg Romney and headlined by Tom Glavine) to back down from their initial willingness to commit something on the order of $1.4B. For Jeter and Bush, convincing others to put their cash at stake will require a compelling financial argument. We have heard indication both that the league approval process ought not be a problem and that the Jeter/Bush duo can find the rest of the equity needed to lock up a deal. If not, says Jackson, Loria could circle back to other prospective buyers.