East Notes: Kelly, Ozuna, Harper, Inciarte, Sox
Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly left tonight’s start in the first inning after walking two of the first four men he faced. As Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald writes, Kelly has been diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement, though little else beyond that point is known. Boston has already been without left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who had been expected to fill one of the spots at the back of the rotation but suffered a patellar subluxation during Spring Training. It remains to be seen if Kelly will require a DL stint, though it’s worth noting that Rodriguez is slated to throw 70 to 75 pitches in an extended Spring Training game this weekend, as Scott Lauber of ESPN Boston tweets, and he could progress to a rehab stint if all goes well in that outing.
More from Major League Baseball’s Eastern divisions…
- Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna drew trade interest from the Reds, Indians, Mariners, Rangers and Orioles this offseason, reports Jim Bowden of ESPN in listing 10 players that stand out as change-of-scenery candidates. The Marlins sought big-league-ready starting pitching to insert into their rotation in any deal, though, and when no one offered up a pitcher that met their desires, the club instead turned to the free-agent market and signed left-hander Wei-Yin Chen to a five-year deal (with an opt-out clause). Bowden also notes that both manager Don Mattingly and hitting coach Barry Bonds were interested in holding onto Ozuna, believing that they could help him rebound to his 2014 levels.
- Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post opines that the time is now for the Lerner family, who own the Nationals, to step up and make a record-setting extension offer to Bryce Harper. Boswell notes that in addition to proving himself on the field with last season’s dominant MVP campaign, Harper has proven to have matured as well, taking the initiative to bury the hatchet with Jonathan Papelbon even after Papelbon took the blame for last season’s dugout altercation with Harper. Boswell acknowledges that Harper and agent Scott Boras, of course, may not be amenable to a long-term deal. However, a “career contract” that shatters Giancarlo Stanton‘s record $325MM pact with the Marlins could potentially grab his attention. The Post scribe adds that the Nats right now have about as much leverage as they’ll ever have, as Harper’s current MLB earnings are still relatively minimal, the club is contending and he’s nearly three full seasons from free agency.
- The Braves could be without center fielder Ender Inciarte for another two weeks, writes David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Manager Fredi Gonzalez tells O’Brien that an “optimistic” timeline for Inciarte would be late April or early May, though Gonzalez says he’s not certain how much the club will push its newly acquired center fielder and lineup catalyst. Rookie Mallex Smith and veteran Drew Stubbs have been patrolling center field in Inciarte’s absence, though neither has hit much.
- WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford spoke to Red Sox manager John Farrell about his working relationship with new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. Farrell said that while he’s aware of some front offices that play a larger role in daily lineup decisions, Dombrowski isn’t involved at that level (nor did Alex Anthopoulos when Farrell managed in Toronto or Dombrowski’s predecessor, Ben Cherington, in Boston, he added). Farrell said that he doesn’t consider his relationship with Dombrowski to be drastically different than with his previous bosses, though he did note that his conversations with Dombrowski are in-person more often due to Dombrowski’s larger travel schedule.
Marlins Designate Dustin McGowan For Assignment
The Marlins have designated right-handed reliever Dustin McGowan for assignment and recalled fellow righty Kyle Barraclough to take his place on the roster, the team announced.
McGowan, whom the Marlins signed in December, had already racked up six appearances out of their bullpen this year. The 34-year-old totaled 5 1/3 innings, gave up two earned runs and added a pair of strikeouts and walks. In 178 career appearances as a starter and reliever, McGowan owns a 4.67 ERA to go along with a 7.31 K/9 and 3.89 BB/9.
Barraclough was lights-out in Triple-A to begin the campaign, undoubtedly leading to his promotion to the majors. The 25-year-old threw six innings of 1.50 ERA ball for New Orleans and compiled a 13.50 K/9 and 1.50 BB/9. He showed similar strikeout ability for the Marlins in 24 1/3 innings last season (11.1 K/9), but his control wasn’t nearly as pinpoint (6.66 BB/9). Nevertheless, he averaged 95.5 mph on his fastball while putting up an impressive 2.59 ERA and a solid 3.42 FIP. Barraclough was particularly tough on right-handed hitters, who amassed a horrid .143/.263/.234 line against him. MLBPipeline.com rates Barraclough as the Marlins’ 20th-best prospect.
Orioles Claim Scott McGough From Marlins
The Orioles have claimed right-hander Scott McGough off waivers from the Marlins, the club announced (on Twitter). The 26-year-old McGough was designated for assignment yesterday after Miami claimed lefty Eric Jokisch from the Cubs.
The 2015 season marked McGough’s big league debut, during which he tallied 6 2/3 innings of work but allowed seven runs. Miami originally picked up McGough alongside right-hander Nathan Eovaldi in the 2012 trade that sent Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers. In addition to his brief MLB debut last season, McGough pitched across three different minor league levels in what was a return campaign from 2014 Tommy John surgery. Splitting time between Class-A Advanced, Double-A and Triple-A, he posted a 1.93 ERA with 5.3 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 50.8 percent ground-ball rate in 37 1/3 innings of work. McGough has made just one start in the minors (plus two in the Arizona Fall League), so he’s presumably viewed strictly as bullpen depth by the Orioles, who now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.
Via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, Orioles GM Dan Duquette offered the following take on his organization’s newest right-hander (Twitter link): “McGough is a good competitor and should be able to support our major league bullpen if needed this year.”
Marlins Claim Eric Jokisch From Cubs, Designate Scott McGough
The Marlins announced this morning that they have claimed left-hander Eric Jokisch off waivers from the Cubs and optioned him to Triple-A New Orleans. In order to clear a spot for Jokisch on the 40-man roster, the Marlins have designated right-hander Scott McGough for assignment.
Jokisch, 26, was the Cubs’ 11th-round pick back in 2010 and made a brief appearance in the Majors in 2014, tallying 14 1/3 innings with a 1.88 ERA and a 10-to-4 K/BB ratio. Baseball America rated Jokisch as Chicago’s No. 22 prospect following that 2014 campaign, though he fell off that list this past offseason following a 4.37 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 70 Triple-A innings. The Marlins currently have veterans Craig Breslow and Chris Narveson as the left-handed options in manager Don Mattingly’s bullpen, as workhorse lefty Mike Dunn is battling a forearm issue and recently suffered a setback. Jokisch gives the club another option on the 40-man roster should the need for more left-handed relief arise.
As for McGough, the 26-year-old debuted with the Marlins last season but yielded seven runs in 6 2/3 innings of work. Miami originally acquired him alongside right-hander Nathan Eovaldi in the 2012 trade that sent Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate to the Dodgers. McGough missed the 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery and returned to the mound last season, working to a combined 1.93 ERA across Class-A Advanced, Double-A and Triple-A in the minors. He averaged 5.3 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9 in that time to go along with a 50.75 percent ground-ball rate, via MLBfarm.com.
NL East Notes: Dunn, deGrom, Winkler, Nationals
Marlins left-hander Mike Dunn has had a setback in his recovery from tightness in his left forearm, writes MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. The Marlins are bracing themselves to be without Dunn — their most reliable reliever across the past five seasons — for longer than they initially expected. “He didn’t come out very good from his ‘[bullpen session],” manager Don Mattingly said. “He felt a little grab in there again. So, we’re going to slow him down, and I think he’s going to talk with [team physician Dr. Lee Kaplan] again and see where it goes.” As Frisaro writes, the initial MRI on Dunn didn’t reveal any structural damage, but there’s no timetable for his return at the moment until he has the injury reexamined. Dunn, 31 in May, has posted a 3.62 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 285 2/3 innings with the Marlins. He’s set to become a free agent at season’s end.
More from the NL East…
- The Mets are bracing for the possibility that Jacob deGrom will require a stint on the disabled list, writes MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. That possibility, DiComo writes, is the reason that New York didn’t place deGrom on the paternity list for the birth of his son. Had deGrom gone on the paternity list, the Mets would’ve given up the ability to backdate a DL stint to the date of his most recent start. As such, if deGrom is placed on the disabled list, the move could be made retroactive to April 9.
- Braves right-hander Daniel Winkler, who fractured his right elbow over the weekend, will see Dr. James Andrews tomorrow, tweets Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Bowman notes that the early indication is that Winkler’s surgically repaired ulnar collateral ligament was not damaged in the injury, though he’ll meet with the renowned Dr. Andrews to ascertain that fact. Even if his UCL is intact, Winkler seems likely to be facing another prolonged absence in the wake of the new injury.
- The Nationals‘ hiring of Davey Lopes has already begun to pay dividends, writes James Wagner of the Washington Post. New manager Dusty Baker came to the Nats with the goal of making the club more aggressive on the basepaths and improving the club’s stolen base numbers and overall running efficiency. Lopes has already been working with Bryce Harper to improve his stolen base acumen in an effort to punish opponents who pitch around him. “There’s something you can take advantage of [every opponent],” Baker tells Wagner. “And Davey Lopes is the best at picking that up. He’s the best. Davey sees things that very few people see [in] the young players. He’s been around a long time. He was one of the best at his craft when he was playing. So coaching does come into play.”
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/8/16
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- The Marlins have outrighted outfielder Cole Gillespie after he cleared waivers, per a club announcement. Gillespie, 31, has received only sporadic playing time over the last several years, but had his most productive campaign in 2015 for Miami, slashing .290/.333/.428 in 157 plate appearances. But with five names ahead of him in the outfield mix, Gillespie found himself in DFA limbo to open the year.
- Long-time big league infielder Josh Wilson has inked with the indy league York Revolution, the club announced (h/t Jason Bristol, CBS 21 News, via Twitter). Wilson, 35, has seen action in eight major league seasons, most recently with the Tigers, though he hasn’t topped 100 turns at bat in a season since his 2010 stint with the Mariners. All told, Wilson has compiled a .229/.280/.319 batting line in 1,190 plate appearances at the major league level, though obviously he’s valued mostly for his quality glovework.
Padres Claim Brad Hand From Marlins
The Padres have claimed lefty Brad Hand off waivers from the Marlins, as MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell reports on Twitter. Hand was designated for assignment on Sunday.
San Diego seemed to be looking for swingmen to stash with the acquisition and subsequent waiving of Dan Straily, who ended up being claimed by the Reds. It’s possible we’ll see the same attempted with Hand, though he could go right onto the active roster with southpaw reliever Matt Thornton hitting the DL. (He’s being replaced, for now, by Robbie Erlin.)
The 26-year-old Hand has split his major league appearances roughly evenly between starting and relief roles. He owns a 4.71 career ERA, with 5.9 K/9 vs. 3.7 BB/9, over 288 2/3 frames spread across five campaigns. Unsurprisingly, Hand has been much more effectively when facing left-handed hitters (.614 OPS-against) and when working out of the pen (.652 OPS-against).
NL East Notes: Wheeler, Teheran, Kolek, Phillies
Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler, who is recovering from 2015 Tommy John surgery, will have a minor surgical procedure to remove an undissolved stitch that remains in his elbow, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. The minor surgery will slow Wheeler’s recovery by about two weeks, Rubin notes, but it is not considered serious in nature. The lingering stitch was the lone issue that appeared on a recent MRI that Wheeler underwent as a checkup, and the test was otherwise “super clean,” per Rubin’s source. Wheeler’s target date for a big league return is July 1.
Here’s more from the division…
- The Braves have sought a pre-arbitration bat that they can insert into the middle portion of their lineup in trade talks for right-hander Julio Teheran, writes ESPN’s Jim Bowden in an early rundown of some potential 2016 trade candidates. The Cubs were an oft-cited potential trade partner for the Braves this offseason, and Bowden again lists them as a speculative fit, noting that either Jorge Soler or Javier Baez could hold appear. Of course, in addition to the fact that it’s extremely rare for trades of that magnitude to occur in April, the Cubs are also still waiting to learn the full extent of Kyle Schwarber‘s left leg injury. (A prolonged absence for Schwarber would make it more difficult for Chicago to part with Soler.) Nonetheless, it’s worth keeping in mind as the season wears on; Teheran is controlled through 2019 for a total of $29.6MM, and his contract includes a $12MM club option for the 2020 season.
- Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill confirmed top prospect Tyler Kolek‘s Tommy John surgery and elaborated on the injury a bit, as MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports. “It was a complete tear of the [ulnar collateral] ligament,” Hill said. “They said there were no issues, that surgery went well, and now he’s on the road to recovery.” Kolek had been tabbed to open the season at Class-A Greensboro before eventually moving up to the Class-A Advanced Florida State League, but he’ll now be on the shelf for 12 to 18 months as he recovers, Frisaro writes.
- After David Hernandez and Dalier Hinojosa each blew their first save opportunities of the season for the Phillies, manager Pete Mackanin tells reporters, including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, that fellow righty Jeanmar Gomez is next in line for a save opportunity. “We’re auditioning,” said Mackanin, who is in his first full season as Philadelphia’s skipper. “We’ve got to find out. It’s a daily question. Why not Gomez? Let’s see what he can do.” Hernandez was signed with the idea that he could potentially fill the ninth-inning role for the Phils, and it’s worth noting that his second appearance was a clean inning with much-improved velocity. However, for the time being, there’s little clarity in the Phillies’ ninth-inning scene. (On a related note: fantasy players looking to monitor the situation and other ninth-inning scenarios around the league can follow MLBTR’s @closernews Twitter account for daily updates on saves-related news.)
Betts, Schoop, Ray, Others Move To The Legacy Agency
Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts has changed agencies, staying with his representative — Steve Veltman — as he moved to The Legacy Agency, as Robert Murray of Baseball Essential was first to report (via Twitter). He’s not alone, as players including Jonathan Schoop of the Orioles and Robbie Ray of the Diamondbacks are also making the move, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports, with player rep Ed Cerulo accompanying Veltman to a new home.
Betts, still just 23, has emerged as one of the game’s most exciting young talents. He followed up a highly promising partial season in 2014 with an outstanding campaign last year in which he put up a .291/.341/.479 slash over 654 plate appearances with 18 home runs and 21 steals. Of course, Betts is also a high-quality and versatile fielder and excellent baserunner.
Boston has plenty of cheap control remaining, as Betts won’t even reach arbitration eligibility until 2018 and doesn’t stand to hit the open market until 2021. He certainly profiles as an extension candidate, though, and his new agency will quite possibly field interest from the Sox.
Other quality 1+ outfielders have signed lengthy deals — including, recently, Gregory Polanco ($35MM) and Christian Yelich ($49.57MM) — but it seems fair to expect that Betts would command a good bit more given the floor and ceiling he’s shown to this point. And the price will likely only rise, as his service clock continues to run and he pads the stat sheet.
Schoop and Ray also rate as promising young players, but have more to prove at this stage than Betts. Other big leaguers joining The Legacy Agency, per Rosenthal, include Cody Anderson and Rajai Davis (Indians), Trevor May (Twins), Kevin Siegrist (Cardinals), Carter Capps (Marlins), Jerad Eickhoff (Phillies), and Tony Wolters (Rockies). Several unnamed prospects are also changing agencies.
As always, you can find reported player representation in MLBTR’s Agency Database.
Marlins’ Tyler Kolek Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
Marlins top prospect Tyler Kolek underwent Tommy John surgery today, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo reports (via Twitter). Kolek was said in late March to have been sidelined with an elbow issue after a strong Spring Training. Miami made the big right-hander the second pick in the 2014 draft (behind Brady Aiken and directly ahead of Carlos Rodon and Kyle Schwarber), but his career hasn’t taken off as the Marlins had hoped.
Kolek wasn’t considered a reach by any means when the Marlins took him, as the high school righty drew rave reviews for his 100 mph fastball and landed among the top three on the pre-draft rankings of Baseball America, ESPN and MLB.com. Miami gave Kolek a hefty $6MM signing bonus — the third-largest ever for a high school pitcher.
Now 20 years of age, Kolek has battled his control in his pro career so far; he’s pitched for the Marlins Gulf Coast League and Class-A affiliates, working to a combined 4.55 ERA with a 99-to-74 K/BB ratio in 130 2/3 innings. Kolek rated firmly within the game’s Top 100 prospects prior to the 2015 season, but he lost that distinction in the eyes of BA, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus this year. ESPN’s Keith Law slipped him just inside the Top 100 prospects on his list, rating Kolek 97th.
Widely regarded as the organization’s top prospect, Kolek was three years younger than the average competition he faced at Class-A last season, so he’s certainly young enough to bounce back and restore his prospect status if he makes a full recovery. However, a season on the shelf will clearly slow his development, and his injury further depletes a Marlins farm system that both Law and BA rated 29th in all of Major League Baseball.