Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Twins Rumors

Twins Sign Bartolo Colon

By | at

The Twins have signed veteran righty Bartolo Colon to a minors deal, per a club announcement. He’ll head to the organization’s top affiliate.

It’s not tough to see the fit. Minnesota has struggled to find reliable innings from its rotation, outside of top starters Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios, and also has depth issues in the bullpen. With the club still holding onto hopes of competing for the postseason, but not interested in punting too much future value for immediate improvements, it’ll take a shot on the veteran castaway just three weeks before the trade deadline.

Minnesota will only be responsible to pay Colon at the league-minimum rate during any time he spends in the majors, with the Braves covering the remainder of his $12.5MM annual salary. Evidently, the Twins offered a more appealing situation — whether in terms of opportunity, competitiveness, or otherwise — than did the Mets, who were among the other teams pursuing Colon.

Colon, 44, had thrived for the Mets over the past three seasons, capping off his time there with 191 2/3 innings of 2.43 ERA ball in 2016. But he has been rocked through 13 starts in the current season, allowing 57 earned runs on 92 hits through 63 innings. The Twins will hope that Colon can regain his pinpoint control while also returning to the good graces of the BABIP gods, who cursed him with a .360 batting average on balls in play and 48.2% strand rate during his time in Atlanta.

AL Central Notes: Royals, Verlander, Norris, Twins

By | at

While manager Ned Yost won’t be the one ultimately calling the shots prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, the Royals’ skipper didn’t mince words in a recent appearance with Casey Stern on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link). Yost said the Royals are fully planning to function as buyers and not sellers over the next several weeks. “We’re going for this thing,” said Yost, whose Royals currently sit at 44-40 — a half-game back from the division-leading Indians. The Royals still have another 19 games before the non-waiver deadline, but they’ve certainly positioned themselves well over the past month or so, playing at a 22-10 pace since early June.

More from the division…

  • Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander has seen his name pop up more and more on the rumor circuit, but the former AL Cy Young winner told reporters that he’s not at all focused on that possibility (via George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press). Moreover, Verlander’s comments suggest that, to this point, he has not been approached about the possibility of waiving his no-trade clause. “[GM Al Avila] has been very forthcoming with myself,” said Verlander. “He said don’t listen to everything that’s out there. If there’s anything that comes to fruition I’ll be the first to talk to you about it. Until or if that point comes, there’s nothing to think about really.”
  • The Tigers announced today that left-hander Daniel Norris has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a left groin strain. Fellow lefty Blaine Hardy is up from Triple-A Toledo to take his spot on the active roster. Norris started yesterday’s game for Detroit and wouldn’t have been called upon again in the first half, so his first half would’ve been done anyway. Viewed through that lens, the move could be a procedural tactic, though MLB.com’s Jason Beck tweets that Norris is undergoing an MRI this morning to determine the injury’s severity, so there’s perhaps more at play here than simply getting an extra reliever on the roster for a few days on either end of the break.
  • Though Twins players had a strong relationship with former GM Terry Ryan, Brian Dozier tells ESPN’s Scott Lauber that the club has quickly taken to chief baseball officer Derek Favley and GM Thad Levine. “They were always upfront with me, honest, and that’s one thing I respect more than anything,” said Dozier, one of this offseason’s most oft-discussed trade candidates. “…They’re always bouncing ideas off of us, from the biggest of things to the smallest of things, like not taking BP. They have a collaborative effort and find every possible solution to what’s going to make this thing work. That’s their best trait, I think.” Falvey spoke with Lauber about the team’s blend of scouting and a rapidly growing analytics practice. And, as Lauber writes, Falvey also isn’t taking the team’s status as contenders for granted. Echoing Levine’s recent comments about being open to adding long-term assets, Falvey told Lauber: “If we can find ways to add to that group that builds toward the future, that’s what we’ll look for.”

Injury Notes: Orioles, Angels, Twins, Braves

By | at

The Orioles activated closer Zach Britton on Wednesday, when he was first eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list. The left-hander had been on the shelf since early May with a forearm strain. Britton has been on the DL twice this year on account of forearm issues, which has limited him to just nine appearances. He took the mound Wednesday for the first time since May 4, working around a single and a walk to toss a scoreless inning.

More of the latest injury updates from around the majors:

  • Angels center fielder Mike Trout began a Single-A rehab assignment Wednesday, Maria Guardado of MLB.com was among those to report (on Twitter). The 25-year-old superstar has been out since he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb at the end of May, forcing him to undergo surgery. The Trout-less Angels have only gone 17-18, but that has been enough to keep them in the wild-card picture in the American League. They’re just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot, and Trout should return right after the All-Star break.
  • One of Trout’s Angels teammates, reliever Huston Street, joined him on the 10-day DL on Wednesday (retroactive to Monday) with a right adductor/groin strain. The Angels recalled righty Eduardo Paredes to take his place. The Halos just activated Street from the DL on June 22, which came after he missed the first two-plus months of the season with a strained right lat muscle. Street, 33, fared nicely during his short-lived healthy period, throwing four scoreless innings and allowing two hits and a walk, though another DL trip won’t do him any favors in what’s likely a contract year. The former closer has a $10MM club option for 2018, but the Angels are sure to pay him a $1MM buyout instead.
  • Righty Matt Shoemaker, yet another member of the Angels, has suffered a setback in his recovery from a forearm strain, writes Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times. Shoemaker, out since mid-June, experienced soreness during a rehab start Tuesday. Now, Shoemaker will have to undergo more tests on his forearm. “He had some of the same symptoms crop back up,” said manager Mike Scioscia. Shoemaker has recorded a 4.52 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and a 3.24 BB/9 across 77 2/3 innings this season.
  • The Twins sent left-hander Hector Santiago to the 10-day DL on Wednesday for the second time in a month and recalled righty Alan Busenitz, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Santiago, who’s dealing with upper back pain, first went on the DL on June 7 with a shoulder strain. He returned to make two starts, the latest of which came Sunday. Overall, Santiago has struggled to a 5.63 ERA, with 6.53 K/9, 3.97 BB/9 and a 30.2 percent ground-ball rate, over 70 1/3 frames.
  • The Braves have placed reliever Arodys Vizcaino on the 10-day DL with a strained right index finger, per Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  Atlanta recalled righty Matt Wisler to take the spot of Vizcaino, who has produced excellent results this season. The 26-year-old has posted a 2.38 ERA, 10.32 K/9 and 3.18 BB/9 in 34 innings.

Twins To Sign Jelfry Marte

By | at

The Twins and 16-year-old Jelfry Marte have reached agreement on a deal that will pay the Dominican shortstop a $3MM bonus, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (Twitter link).

Marte was ranked as the third-best prospect in the 2017-18 international signing class by MLB.com, with Baseball America slotting him 13th in their top 50 ranking.  Scouting reports from both outlets praise Marte’s defense, tabbing him as a potential everyday shortstop at the big league level with good range and a good throwing arm.

The difference of opinion seems to come with Marte’s hitting, as while MLB.com feels Marte has some raw hitting potential that could improve under regular tutelage from minor league coaching, BA’s subscriber-only scouting report notes that many scouts see Marte as a hitter best suited near the bottom of a batting order.  Marte has little power right now, though at 5’10” and just 140 pounds, more pop could come as he matures and adds some more weight.  On the plus side offensively, Marte is seen as a good baserunner with potential to be a good base-stealer.

Minnesota entered the 2017-18 July 2nd period with $5.25MM available in bonus pool money, though the Twins and other teams are allowed to acquire more bonus pool space.

Pitching Notes: Rangers, A’s, Yanks, Padres, Twins

By | at

Matt Bush hasn’t been a shutdown closer for the Rangers, so they’ve stripped him of the job and will deploy a ninth-inning committee, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. “We’ll use multiple pitchers based on who is available and the set of hitters coming up,” said manager Jeff Banister. “We are not set on one single guy.” Each of Keone Kela, Alex Claudio and Jose Leclerc could get save opportunities, notes Sullivan. All three have outperformed Bush, who had a nightmarish June in which he blew three of seven save chances and allowed 10 earned runs on 21 hits in 9 1/3 innings. He’s the second Rangers closer to struggle mightily this season, joining predecessor and now-Giant Sam Dyson. (To keep tabs on all teams’ ninth-inning situations, follow MLBTR’s affiliate Twitter site, @CloserNews.)

  • Athletics right-hander Andrew Triggs could undergo season-ending surgery if his ailing left hip doesn’t respond to treatment by the end of the month, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Triggs received a cortisone shot two weeks ago, but there hasn’t been much progress in his recovery since then. The 28-year-old is optimistic he’ll avoid surgery, but he’ll face a six-month recovery if he does go under the knife. Triggs has been on the disabled list since June 10, before which he posted a 4.27 ERA, 6.89 K/9, 2.62 BB/9  and a 49.8 percent ground-ball rate across 65 1/3 innings.
  • Left-hander C.C. Sabathia is on track to return to the Yankees’ rotation Tuesday, per Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com. Sabathia hasn’t pitched since suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain in mid-June. Before that, the impending free agent helped his stock, not to mention New York’s playoff chances, with a 3.46 ERA and a 49.8 percent ground-ball rate over 75 1/3 frames.
  • Meanwhile, righty Trevor Cahill will slot back into the Padres’ starting staff Tuesday, tweets Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. With the trade deadline approaching, Cahill’s return will come at a good time for the rebuilding Padres. Cahill, out since mid-May with a shoulder strain, pitched like a front-line starter over 41 1/3 innings in the early going, logging a 3.27 ERA, 11.1 K/9 and a 60.2 percent ground-ball rate.
  • One of the Twins’ top prospects, Double-A lefty Tyler Jay, is likely headed for season-ending surgery, according to Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. Jay is being evaluated for thoracic outlet syndrome, which is not an easy injury from which to return (as the Twins’ Phil Hughes and the Mets’ Matt Harvey have shown). Jay, whom the Twins chose sixth overall in 2015, battled neck issues as a Double-A last season and entered 2017 as a reliever. His latest ailment has limited him to two innings this year.

Central Notes: Jorge, Diaz, Montero, Petricka

By | at

With the Twins set to play 20 games in a 19-day span heading into the All-Star break, including four games against the Royals this weekend, they’ll dip into the minors and call on prospect Felix Jorge to make his MLB debut tomorrow, reports Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The 23-year-old Jorge currently sits eighth among Minnesota farmhands, per Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, and also ranked eighth among Twins prospects entering the season, per Baseball America. The right-hander doesn’t overpower opponents but has walked just 1.7 hitters per nine innings dating back to 2015. He currently has a 3.26 ERA with 6.4 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 50.4 percent ground-ball rate through 85 2/3 Double-A frames. Both scouting reports peg Jorge as a fourth or fifth starter, noting that he’s added some bulk to his slender frame and sits in the low 90s with a bit of sink on his heater while also offering an above-average changeup. Jorge is already on the 40-man roster, so there won’t be a DFA or 60-day DL move required to add him.

More on the game’s Central divisions…

  • Aledmys Diaz was caught off-guard by the Cardinals’ decision to option him to Triple-A, writes Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. However, the 26-year-old offered a professional attitude to the media following the move’s announcement, telling reporters that he’s happy to do whatever is best for the Cardinals in the long run. General manager John Mozeliak also weighed in on what he labeled a difficult decision, telling the media: “What we really want to see is that he’s able to take a deep breath and go down and work on some things offensively, as well as his whole game. … (Diaz) hasn’t been picking the ball up (at the plate) and he’s been chasing a lot of balls outside the zone.” Mozeliak also noted that injured second baseman Kolten Wong won’t be back with the team until after the All-Star break.
  • Cubs manager Joe Maddon spoke candidly about the organization’s decision to designate Miguel Montero for assignment following the catcher’s blasting of Jake Arrieta and the Cubs’ pitching staff, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune writes. “(There are) too many young guys in (the clubhouse) who are impressionable,” said Maddon. “…With this young impressionable group, to me, and a really good group that’s going to be together for a long time, you don’t want to foster, nurture, condone (Montero’s) kind of message.” President of baseball operations Theo Epstein was alerted to Montero’s comments by GM Jed Hoyer on Tuesday night this week, per Gonzales, and the two reached the decision to move on from Montero after speaking with Maddon late that night. Epstein stresses that Montero shouldn’t be viewed as any kind of scapegoat for the team’s overall struggles, though he said they felt Montero was “not being a good teammate” and demonstrated a lack of accountability in such a public manner that they were forced to act.
  • The White Sox announced yesterday that righty Jake Petricka has been placed back on the disabled list due to a right elbow strain. Fellow righty Juan Minaya was summoned back from Triple-A just a day after being sent there. The elbow issue is the latest in a slew of injuries for Petricka, who has missed time due to a forearm strain, hip surgery and a lat strain in recent years. The 29-year-old’s hard sinker has led to a sizable 63 percent ground-ball rate, though Petricka has averaged just 6.5 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 as a big leaguer. Nonetheless, that huge ground-ball rate has helped him post a 3.70 ERA through 163 innings in the Majors. No timetable was given for a return to the mound.

Levine: Twins Could Pursue Long-Term Assets At Deadline

By | at

With the Twins sitting just a half-game out of the AL Central lead as June draws to a close, the team’s place in the standings has at least partially modified its approach to the trade deadline, GM Thad Levine tells MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. While the focus remains on the future, Minnesota is also taking account of the fact that there’s a real possibility of reaching the postseason in 2017.

Though the club’s general assessment of its roster and timeline hasn’t changed substantially, Levine suggests, the performance — and perhaps also the opportunity created by a tightly-bunched American League — has impacted the calculus. “I think it leaves us contemplating buying, and that’s how the season has impacted our decision-making.”

That said, fans shouldn’t expect significant win-now moves. As Levine explains, the Twins’ imperative of sustainable contention could potentially dovetail with an effort to improve the current roster. “We’re probably not going to be inclined to spend lavishly on short-term assets,” he says, “but we would be very open to spending aggressively on assets that we could use to propel our team forward this year and for years to come.”

Lower-cost rental pieces could be considered, of course, but it makes sense that the club isn’t interested in paying top dollar for such assets. “I don’t think we view it as we’re just one piece away and we’re not looking to finish off this club,” says Levin. “We’re looking to continue to build this club. We have a lot of core pieces that have a chance to be part of something special in the future, but we’re cognizant that we’re going to need to add to that core.”

Looking at the Twins’ depth chart, there likely isn’t a lot of room for major changes on the position-player side of the equation. Minnesota has received mostly solid production out of its regulars and reserves, and is rather committed to most of those players.

The pitching, though, is another story. Outside of veteran Ervin Santana and youngster Jose Berrios, the rotation has produced middling results and ugly peripherals. And though there are a few relievers throwing well — closer Brandon Kintzler, in particular — there’s surely room to upgrade there as well.

It’ll obviously be quite interesting to see what kinds of options Levine and chief baseball officer Derek Falvey pursue. Speculation on particular players would be just that at this point, but most of the conceivable possibilities can be found in our latest ranking of the top 50 trade deadline candidates (and the many other players listed there). No doubt their level of aggressiveness will depend upon how the standings look at the end of the month. Payroll — both this year and in the future — will also be a consideration; the Twins entered the season with about $108MM on the books, close to the highest rate the organization has carried.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/28/17

By | at

Here are the day’s minor moves…

  • The Twins announced that left-hander Mason Melotakis has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A. The 26-year-old lefty was designated for assignment last week in somewhat of a surprise move, as he’s long rated as one of their better bullpen prospects and had delivered strong results between Double-A and Triple-A this season. However, the former second-rounder’s velocity is also reportedly down in recent outings, which may have contributed to the decision to designate him and the lack of a claim. Through 27 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season, Melotakis has a 2.28 ERA with 10.4 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a ground-ball rate north of 50 percent. He’ll head back to Triple-A Rochester and hope to work his way back into Minnesota’s plans later this year.
  • The D-backs announced last night that catcher Oscar Hernandez, who was designated for assignment over the weekend, has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Double-A Jackson. The former Rule 5 pick (out of the Rays’ system in 2014) has posted a woeful .197/.263/.352 slash line through 156 Double-A plate appearances this year. Hernandez is still just 23, though, and he’s considered a strong defensive backstop. He’s shut down 43 percent of attempted stolen bases against him and has received strong framing grades from Baseball Prospectus in each of the past couple of seasons.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/27/17

By | at

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.

Knocking Down The Door: Burnes, Granite, Mahle, Moya, Smith

By | at

“Knocking Down the Door” is a weekly feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.

Corbin Burnes, SP, Milwaukee Brewers (Double-A Biloxi)

The Brewers’ starting rotation has been much better than expected and, arguably, the biggest reason why they’re sitting atop the NL Central with a 41-37 record. But while their five starters are healthy and performing well at the moment, the team’s rotation depth has taken a hit as of late. Top prospect Josh Hader was moved to a relief role in order to balance out a right-handed heavy bullpen, and Brandon Woodruff landed on the disabled list when he suffered a strained hamstring just before his MLB debut. All of a sudden, Burnes is not only rocketing up the prospect lists with his impressive performance in 2017, he could actually help a playoff-contending Brewers team at some point.

A fourth-round pick in last year’s draft, Burnes posted a 1.05 ERA in 10 High-A starts before a June promotion to Double-A. The 22-year-old right-hander hasn’t slowed down one bit, allowing two earned runs and 10 hits over 23 2/3innings in his four Southern League starts. He threw close to 140 innings in 2016 between the NCAA and the Minor Leagues, so it’s realistic that he can exceed 150 innings this year—he’s currently at 83 2/3—and that some of those innings might actually be thrown at the Major League level.

Brewers Depth Chart

—

Zack Granite, OF, Minnesota Twins (Triple-A Rochester)

The Twins’ patience with Byron Buxton paid off as he was productive over a 146 plate appearance stretch (.746 OPS from April 21-June 14) after a slow start. But he’s gone ice cold again—he’s 5 for his last 38 with no extra bases and 13 strikeouts—while the Twins have been one of the worst offenses in baseball this month. If they’re looking for a spark, and a player who can at least spell Buxton occasionally in center field, it’s becoming clear that Granite could be a solution.

After his third consecutive two-hit game on Monday, the 24-year-old has a Triple-A slash line of .365/.419/513 in 48 games. His 17 walk-to-22 strikeout ratio might be his most enticing stat considering that Buxton and left fielder Eddie Rosario have combined for 34 walks and 127 strikeouts.

Twins Depth Chart

—

Tyler Mahle, SP, Cincinnati Reds (Triple-A Louisville)

Mahle is the first player to earn “Knocking Down The Door” honors for a second time in 2017, although he was dominating at the Double-A level when I pegged him as a potential call-up in early May. This time around, he’s coming off of an impressive Triple-A debut in which he pitched four-hit ball over six innings with no earned runs allowed and nine strikeouts.

A struggling Reds’ rotation was hoping for a shot in the arm with Homer Bailey and Brandon Finnegan both back from the disabled list. But Bailey’s 2017 debut was disastrous (1 2/3 IP, 8 ER) and Finnegan is headed back to the DL with a shoulder injury. The Reds have already used an NL-leading 12 starting pitchers and are certain to dip into their farm for reinforcements again at some point. Will the 22-year-old Mahle be the 13th?

Reds Depth Chart

—

Gabriel Moya, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks (Double-A Jackson)

Fernando Rodney and Archie Bradley have been the keys to solidifying what appeared to be a very suspect Diamondbacks bullpen heading into the season. But, will it hold up down the stretch as they try to lock down their first playoff berth since 2011? It would be a surprise if general manager Mike Hazen didn’t acquire some late-inning help prior to July 31st, but they could also take a look at some potential in-house options prior to the deadline. Moya, a 22-year-old who has been close to unhittable as the Double-A closer, should be considered.

The left-hander out of Venezuela has allowed a run in only two of his 26 appearances while holding opponents to a .139 batting average and walking only 12 hitters with 52 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings. Right-handed hitters have a .107 batting average against him, which is at least an indication that he could be more than a situational reliever.

Diamondbacks Depth Chart

—

Caleb Smith, SP, New York Yankees (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)

With Chance Adams still waiting for a much-deserved and much-anticipated MLB call-up, Smith’s work in Triple-A has gone relatively unnoticed. The 25-year-old lefty has made 14 starts in 2017 and has allowed two earned runs or less twelve times, including back-to-back gems (13 IP, 0 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 13 K) to lower his ERA to 2.84 with impressive peripherals across the board (6.5 H/9, 2.3 BB/9, 8.5 K/9).

Yankees Depth Chart

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top