Central Notes: Royals, Cardinals, White Sox, Brewers
Five games back of a playoff spot, the Royals aren’t ready to sell yet, but contending clubs are eyeing their potential trade chips, reports Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. The changed qualifying offer system in the new collective bargaining agreement could impact the Royals’ decisions, per Dodd, who notes that draft-pick compensation isn’t as appealing as it was previously. Had the Royals been in this situation last year, they could have kept impending free agents such as Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas, issued them qualifying offers and landed first-round picks had they signed elsewhere. Now, in order to secure a first-rounder, KC would need to offer a QO, have the player reject it and then join another team for $50MM-plus. Otherwise, if a player signs someplace else for less than $50MM, the Royals will get a pick after the second round.
More from the Central divisions:
- The Cardinals will have to decide before the trade deadline whether their current lineup will suffice, observes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ranking 26th in the majors in runs and 21st in wRC+, the Cardinals’ offense lacks a hitter capable of inspiring fear in opposing teams, several talent evaluators told Goold. They’re unlikely to acquire that type of hitter if he’s only a short-term rental, though, as Goold relays that the Redbirds “remain reluctant” to sacrifice significant assets for a stopgap. Internally, St. Louis isn’t convinced it needs to make a notable upgrade offensively. Rather, the club could pin its hopes on Matt Carpenter, Dexter Fowler and Aledmys Diaz recovering from slow starts. All three, especially Carpenter, have been resoundingly successful offensive producers in recent seasons.
- Writing for MLB.com, Cuban outfield prospect Luis Robert acknowledges that the White Sox “probably were the team that offered more money” than anyone else, which was key in his decision to sign with the team for $26MM last weekend. It also helped the White Sox’s cause that they’ve never shied away from adding Cuban players. That includes first baseman Jose Abreu, who “can be a big help for me, because he is a veteran and has experience in this league,” posits Robert. The 19-year-old believes he’ll need a full year in the minors before he’s ready to contribute at the big league level.
- Third baseman Travis Shaw has been a steal thus far for the Brewers, opines Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. Shaw, whom the Brewers acquired in an offseason trade with Boston, has slashed .296/.341/.538 with 10 home runs and five steals across 214 plate appearances with his new team. The 27-year-old is relishing his time in Milwaukee, telling Kepner: “I miss the guys over there, but coming over here was a blessing for me,” Shaw said. “I get a chance to play every single day. They wanted me, the ballpark fits my strengths a little bit more, and so far everything’s gone very smoothly. I’m glad I’m over here.”
Quick Hits: Greinke, Hazen, D’Backs, Felix, Iwakuma, Royals
The trade that brought Zack Greinke to the Brewers from the Royals in December 2010 is still making an impact on multiple franchises over six years later, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. The players involved in that deal (Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt for Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi) have since been involved in several other blockbuster trades and transactions, such as the Royals sending Odorizzi to Tampa Bay as part of the package that sent James Shields and Wade Davis to K.C., or the Brewers parting ways with Greinke in 2012 and getting Jean Segura back from the Angels. It’s quite a remarkable list of trades linked to that original deal, with the Royals of course standing out as the big winner thanks to their 2015 World Series title.
Here’s some more from around the baseball world as we head into the new week…
- While some reports have suggested that the Diamondbacks would be open to trading Greinke, A.J. Pollock or Patrick Corbin even if the team is in contention, GM Mike Hazen told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that such a major trade wouldn’t make sense for a team in the playoff race. “If the opportunity has passed on trading one guy or two guys as opposed to the opportunity to win? To me, I’m going to take that tradeoff. That’s a tradeoff that I think we have to take,” Hazen said. None of the aforementioned three players are free agents this winter, Hazen noted, so the club doesn’t have any specific need to trade any of them immediately. Even after today’s loss to the Brewers, the D’Backs are still 31-21 on the year and they hold a 4.5 game lead on the second NL wild card slot.
- Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma are tentatively scheduled to return to the Mariners rotation in mid-to-late June, MLB.com’s Greg Johns writes, though both pitchers are still in the very early stages of their recovery process. Hernandez (righth shoulder bursitis) and Iwakuma (right shoulder inflammation) each threw their first bullpen sessions today, and still have multiple more bullpens and then minor league rehab outings to undertake before leaving the disabled list.
- Teams interested in the Royals‘ trade chips are being told that K.C. is still trying to contend, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes (subscription required). At 21-28, the Royals have the worst record in the American League but they sit just 4.5 games out of a wild card spot and 6.5 games behind the AL Central-leading Twins. Given the parity within the league and the Royals’ natural resistance to break up their longstanding core until they have to, it could still be some weeks before we know whether the Royals are clear buyers or sellers at the deadline.
- Several contenders have been boosted by players capable of playing multiple positions, and the next step could be players who can provide bench depth both on the field and on the mound, Peter Gammons writes in his latest GammonsDaily.com entry. The Dodgers are toying with the idea of using Brett Eibner as both an outfielder and reliever, and teams could consider grooming their own two-way players if Eibner succeeds in this role.
NL Notes: Pirates, Mets, Cubs, Brewers
In welcome news, the Pirates have announced that right-hander Jameson Taillon will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A on Sunday, which should put him in position to return to the majors by late June. The 25-year-old Taillon underwent surgery for testicular cancer on May 8 and was cleared to resume baseball activities less than two weeks later.
More from the National League:
- Mets ownership has given no indication that manager Terry Collins is in danger of losing his job, but the skipper does have critics within the front office, reports Marc Carig of Newsday. After back-to-back playoff seasons – including a World Series berth in 2015 – injury-plagued New York has gotten off to a 20-26 start this year and Collins’ bullpen management “has left some Mets officials fuming” along the way, writes Carig. However, Collins has the full support of owner Fred Wilpon, according to Carig, and could survive the season. The 68-year-old Collins became the longest-tenured manager in Mets history last week, having taken the reins back in 2011. He’s in the final year of his contract.
- The Cubs have relegated left fielder Kyle Schwarber to a platoon role for the time being, meaning the lefty-swinger won’t face southpaws, manager Joe Maddon told reporters Friday (via Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune). “If he’s not swinging the bat well against righties, it’s a bad assumption he’s going to do well against lefties,” said Maddon, who sat Schwarber against Dodgers lefty Alex Wood on Friday. “I’m just putting him in a deeper hole by throwing him out there just based on really bad logic.” The powerful Schwarber, 24, entered the season with no shortage of hype after missing nearly all of last year with torn knee ligaments, but he has stumbled to a .183/.303/.356 line in 188 plate appearances (.147/.310/.265 in 42 tries versus lefties).
- Brewers first baseman Eric Thames has already been tested for performance-enhancing drugs at least five times this year, but the league isn’t conspiring against the slugger, writes FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Rather, drug testing has gone up across the majors thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement, which likely explains Thames’ regular tests, posits Rosenthal. Thames was also tested “frequently” as a superstar with the Korea Baseball Organization from 2014-16, but there’s no account of a failed test there or with the Brewers, sources told Rosenthal.
Brewers Place Ryan Braun On 10-Day DL, Activate Junior Guerra
12:42pm: The Brewers have indeed placed Braun on the DL and activated Guerra, per a club announcement.
May 26, 8:30am: Braun will head back to the DL with the same calf issue from which he just returned, the outfielder tells Haudricourt. “I knew, obviously, when I came back I wasn’t at 100% but I was hoping it was good enough,” said Braun. “I was optimistic I’d be able to work through it.”
Haudricourt writes that given the recurrence of the original injury, Braun is likely facing a DL stint that’ll be lengthier than the 10-day minimum. However, there has not yet been any indication of an exact timeline on his recovery. As Haudricourt point out, the Brewers can simply swap out Braun for right-hander Junior Guerra, who is expected to be activated from a calf injury of his own. Of course, that could be a short-term move, as flipping Guerra and Braun would leave manager Craig Counsell a bit short-handed in terms of position players.
[Related: Updated Milwuakee Brewers depth chart]
May 25: The Brewers will place outfielder Ryan Braun on the 10-day DL, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Twitter links). The veteran left tonight’s action with left calf tightness.
Braun, 33, has been his typical self at the plate thus far, carrying a .265/.353/.529 batting line with seven long balls through 116 plate appearances. He has helped the Brewers to a surprisingly solid start, though the team still faces a big challenge to stay in contention all year long.
Clearly, his absence will tell. Though there’s no reason at present to think it’ll be an extended one, there is added concern here given that Braun was only just activated. Milwaukee will surely hope to allow him to recovery fully before bringing him back. Whether the injury could have any bearing on Braun’s potential summer trade candidacy isn’t apparent at this time.
There’s no word yet on a replacement, but it’ll be interesting to see whether Milwaukee gives the nod to top prospect Lewis Brinson. The exciting center fielder has compiled a .308/.396/.483 batting line over his 144 trips to the plate at Triple-A this year. Though he has fallen off a bit of late, it’s notable that Brinson has already managed 16 walks to go with thirty strikeouts — after drawing just 21 free passes (against 87 strikeouts) in 434 plate appearances in 2016.
Central Notes: Zambrano, Brewers, Robert, Gose
Long-time Cubs righty Carlos Zambrano will return to the hill, per Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). At this point, though, there’s no indication he has his sights set on a return to the majors; rather, the soon-to-be-36-year-old will suit up for Venezuelan Winter League action. Zambrano last pitched in the majors in 2012 and spent time in the minors in 2013 before hanging up his spikes. Before that, he threw 1,826 2/3 innings of 3.60 ERA ball for the Cubs from 2001 through 2012.
Let’s take a look at the latest from the game’s central divisions:
- Brewers GM David Stearns talked about his team’s promising start and what it might (or might not) mean for his deadline planning, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. Stearns is undeniably pleased with the fact that his club sits atop the NL Central standings, and didn’t shy away from the possibility that the wins could continue to come sooner than had been anticipated. But he also suggested that the imperative of sustainable building would largely remain the same. “The plan is to consistently win major league games over a period of years,” he said. “If that process begins a little bit sooner than people expected, that’s great. And we’ll react accordingly. But it doesn’t change our strategy; it doesn’t change our plan.”
- With the White Sox reportedly beating out the Cardinals to sign Cuban prospect Luis Robert, Bernie Miklasz of 101sports.com wonders whether St. Louis should have been more aggressive in its bidding. You’ll need to read through his entire argument to see how you feel, but the gist is the view that the organization ought to have been willing to stake a greater bet on a potential impact talent — particularly given the fact that it had a unique opportunity with many big spenders unable to go after Robert and plenty of available resources given the team’s meager draft assets this summer.
- The Tigers‘ efforts to transition Anthony Gose from outfielder to pitcher became official today, as he was activated at Class A Lakeland to work out of the pen. While he didn’t escape from his first inning of action unscathed, Gose did make quite an impression. Per Lakeland assistant GM Dan Lauer, on Twitter, Gose was clocked at 99 mph with his debut heater.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Mets, Royals, D-backs, Brewers
The Mets have not resumed contract extension talks with second baseman Neil Walker, and it’s doubtful they will before the offseason, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). New York would rather enter the winter with flexibility at various positions than commit to Walker, with whom it discussed a three-year deal in the $40MM range before tabling talks in February. Walker, 31, is on a $17.2MM salary after accepting a qualifying offer last fall, and has returned from a season-ending back injury in 2016 to post a decent .255/.327/.423 line in 168 plate appearances this year.
More from Rosenthal:
- Center fielder Lorenzo Cain might end up as the Royals’ most valuable trade asset in the coming months, posits Rosenthal, who relays that the team isn’t convinced first baseman Eric Hosmer would bring back a “sufficient return.” Hosmer’s hitting a solid .299/.362/.408 in 174 PAs, but that’s not great production relative to his position, and first base typically isn’t an in-demand area around the deadline, notes Rosenthal. The same goes for third base, which could make it difficult for the Royals to move Mike Moustakas – another of their high-profile impending free agents – for a sizable return. Meanwhile, pitchers Jason Vargas, Kelvin Herrera and Mike Minor are also names to watch as the Royals potentially prepare to sell.
- With a 25-18 record and a plus-43 run differential, the Diamondbacks don’t look like sellers in the making, admits Rosenthal. Nevertheless, the D-backs are going to have to replenish their barren farm system at some point, says Rosenthal, who reports they’re likely to entertain offers for center fielder A.J. Pollock and left-hander Patrick Corbin prior to the trade deadline and/or in the offseason. Both players are only signed for another year, putting their futures in question.
- As is the case with Arizona, Milwaukee has easily outperformed expectations thus far. The Brewers entered Saturday having posted the same record as Arizona (25-18, with a plus-34 run differential), and their success is a “potential nightmare” for general manager David Stearns, one executive told Rosenthal. It’s doubtful Stearns believes the franchise’s rebuild is complete, yet owner Mark Attanasio might push to add, not subtract, if Milwaukee hangs around the playoff race in the coming months, per Rosenthal. To their credit, the first-place Brewers currently rank among the majors’ top 10 teams in runs scored (second), wRC+ (eighth) and pitching fWAR (eighth).
Pirates Claim Jhan Marinez
The Pirates have claimed righty Jhan Marinez off waivers from the Brewers, per a club announcement (h/t MLB.com’s Adam Berry, on Twitter). He had been designated for assignment earlier in the week.
Marinez, an out-of-options reliever, has scuffled early in 2017, leading to his loss of a roster spot in Milwaukee. Over 16 2/3 frames, he owns a 5.40 ERA with 14 strikeouts and 11 walks.
That said, there are obviously some things to like about the 28-year-old. He was much better last year, with a 3.18 ERA over his 62 1/3 innings. And Marinez is also currently trending northward in both average fastball velocity (sitting over 95.4 with the four-seamer and 94.5 with the two-seamer) and groundball induction (57.4%).
Minor MLB Transactions: 5/19/17
Here are today’s minor moves from around the game…
- The Brewers announced before this afternoon’s game that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Paolo Espino from Triple-A Colorado Springs and optioned left Brent Suter to Triple-A. The 30-year-old Espino is making his Major League debut today against the Cubs after spending parts of 11 seasons in the minors. This year in a tough Colorado Springs environment, he’s pitched to a 2.54 ERA with a 40-to-5 K/BB ratio through 39 innings. Espino has a career 3.54 ERA with 7.9 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 in 465 2/3 Triple-A innings.
Earlier Moves
- The Marlins have announced that infielder Steve Lombardozzi cleared waivers and was sent outright to their Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans. The veteran could have rejected the outright assignment in favor of free agency but accepted and will continue on in New Orleans in hopes of earning another big league look. The 28-year-old Lombardozzi appeared in just two games with the Marlins and went hitless in eight at-bats. He’s a career .260/.292/.333 hitter in parts of six Major League seasons (this year included).
- MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports that the Brewers are wrapping up a deal with 17-year-old international free agent Ernesto Martinez Jr. (Twitter links). A first baseman/outfielder out of Cuba, Martinez will receive a fairly sizable $925K bonus when the deal is complete. Sanchez notes that Martinez Jr. is a left-handed hitter and thrower that is also capable of pitching. As MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy points out (also via Twitter), that bonus will be almost entirely covered by the $885K slot that the Brewers received when trading right-hander Damien Magnifico to the Orioles.
Brewers Designate Jhan Marinez For Assignment
The Brewers announced that they’ve designated right-hander Jhan Marinez for assignment and recalled lefty Brent Suter to take his place on the roster. The move makes the 27-year-old Suter the lone southpaw on what had been an entirely right-handed Brewers pitching staff.
[Related: Updated Milwaukee Brewers depth chart]
Marinez, 28, was acquired from the Rays in exchange for cash last season. The right-hander turned in a strong performance with the 2016 Brewers, logging a 3.22 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 in 58 2/3 innings, but he’s struggled to a 5.40 earned run average through his first 16 2/3 innings in 2017. More troubling, perhaps, is that after walking just 21 hitters all last season, Marinez has already issued 11 free passes.
Marinez does average nearly 95 mph on his fastball and has logged a 51.9 percent ground-ball rate across the past two seasons, so it’s possible that he could hold some intrigue to clubs in need of bullpen depth. However, he’s also out of minor league options (likely the primary factor behind Milwaukee designating him for assignment), so any club that picks him up will have to carry him on its 25-man roster.
Suter has seen action with the Brewers in each of the past two seasons, pitching a total of 29 innings with a 3.72 ERA, 6.2 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 42.2 percent ground-ball rate. However, he’s also been shelled by lefties in the Majors, as same-handed opponents have clobbered him at a .356/.408/.511 clip. That production has come in an admittedly minuscule sample of 49 plate appearances, but Suter has never dominated southpaw hitters in the upper-minors, either.
Brewers Place Ryan Braun On DL, Select Contract Of Eric Sogard
The Brewers announced on Friday that they’ve placed Ryan Braun on the 10-day disabled list due to a strained left calf muscle. In a corresponding move, the Brewers have selected the contract of former Athletics infielder Eric Sogard from Triple-A Colorado Springs. The Brewers had an open 40-man roster spot, so no additional move is needed to accommodate Sogard’s addition.
[Related: Updated Milwaukee Brewers Depth Chart]
The 33-year-old Braun is off to an excellent start in 2017, hitting .287/.374/.574 with seven homers, six doubles and four steals through 107 plate appearances. However, he’s also been slowed as of late by a balky calf muscle and has been dealing with a bit of forearm pain as well. His DL stint, which was made retroactive to yesterday, will theoretically give him time to rest up both of those seemingly minor maladies. The hope, per manager Craig Counsell (via MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM, on Twitter), is that Braun won’t be out long at all.
Braun has been in headlines recently due to the fact that he’s slated to gain 10-and-5 rights this weekend (10 years of MLB service time, the past five with the same team), which will afford him full veto power over any proposed trades that would send him to another team. Of course, Braun’s existing contract already came with significant no-trade protection, as it allowed him to block trades to 23 clubs. While he previously could’ve been shipped to any of the five California-based teams or the Marlins without his consent, he’ll now have a say in any potential trade.
Braun, however, has suggested that his impending 10-and-5 right don’t figure to change much about his potential trade candidacy. Braun has reportedly been most open to a deal to the Dodgers, and FanRag’s Jon Heyman wrote again yesterday that the Dodgers may be the only team to which Braun would approve a deal.
As for Sogard, he’ll return to the Majors after missing the entire 2016 season due to knee surgery. Considered a premium defender in the infield (with his best position being second base), Sogard was also off to a fast start in Colorado Springs, slashing .330/.421/.516 with three homers and a 5-for-5 showing in stolen base attempts. Of course, Colorado Springs (and the Pacific Coast League in general) is considered a very hitter-friendly atmosphere, and Sogard’s track record at the plate in the Majors is considerably more limited. In 1331 big league plate appearances, all of which have come with the A’s, the 30-year-old Sogard is a .239/.295/.313 hitter.