Mets Activate Noah Syndergaard
The Mets announced today that they’ve activated right-hander Noah Syndergaard from the 10-day disabled list. Left-hander P.J. Conlon was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas in order to open a spot on the active roster.
Syndergaard, 25, has been out since late May with a ligament injury in his right index finger, but he’ll now rejoin the rotation just weeks before the non-waiver trade deadline. In his absence, the Mets have declared themselves to be sellers and will reportedly at least entertain trade offers on both Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom, though the asking price on either hurler is assured to be staggering. Syndergaard, after all, is controlled through the 2021 season and is still plenty affordable, earning $2.975MM this season after avoiding arbitration as a Super Two player in the offseason.
Though he’s missed ample time due to a lat tear and the aforementioned finger injury over the past two seasons, Syndergaard has been nothing short of dominant when healthy enough to take the hill. He boasts a 3.06 ERA with 10.6 K/9, 1.8 BB/9, 0.7 HR/9 and a 47.7 percent ground-ball rate through 64 2/3 innings so far in 2018. Dating back to his debut season in 2015 (when he finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting), Syndergaard has a career 2.92 ERA with 10.4 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, a 13.6 percent swinging-strike rate and an average fastball velocity of 97.6 mph through 428 2/3 innings.
D-backs, Reds, Yankees Have Varying Levels Of Interest In Zack Wheeler
July 13: The Yankees’ interest in Wheeler, at this point, is considered to be “mild,” Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports in a deeper look at the right-hander’s market. Scouts from at least eight teams watched Wheeler’s most recent start, and of that group, Ackert lists the Diamondbacks as a club that came away from the outing with interest in the righty. The Reds, despite their rebuilding status, are planning to watch him again this weekend.
The D-backs’ interest is easy to parse. Arizona has lost Taijuan Walker for the season and is now once again concerned over the right elbow of Shelby Miller, who only recently returned from Tommy John. The resurgent Clay Buchholz is currently on the disabled list as well. Beyond that, Arizona could lose Patrick Corbin to free agency this winter, and Miller’s future is currently anything but certain. Wheeler, controlled through 2019, would give them an affordable arm to add not just for this season but also next year.
As for the Reds, their inclusion is a bit more surprising. Cincinnati has played considerably better in recent months, but their rotation picture still looks to be largely a mess. President of baseball ops Dick Williams said recently, though, that the team plans to up its payroll in 2019. Adding Wheeler now could amount to doing a bit of their offseason shopping in advance, and his modest price tag would allow the team to pursue more costly rotation upgrades this winter, with the goal of pairing those arms with an increasingly encouraging core of position players.
July 12: Though Yankees fans might prefer a different target from the Mets’ rotation, the Bronx Bombers have “recently inquired” into the availability of right-hander Zack Wheeler, according to Marc Carig of The Athletic (via Twitter). While Carig cautions that the contact may mostly be a matter of conducting due diligence, it’s still a notable potential connection between these infrequent trade partners.
The thought long has been that the Yankees would pursue starters, but the level of quality they’ll ultimately end up achieving is still in doubt. Many would argue that the team needs to chase a top-end arm to pair with Luis Severino at the top of its staff in order to take down the rival Red Sox and make a lengthy postseason run.
With no rental arms available that meet that description — unless buyers are fully ready to believe in Nathan Eovaldi, at least — the attention has been on more controllable pitchers. That may suit the Yanks just fine, as they could well end up considering rotation upgrades at season’s end regardless.
That said, the asking prices for the very best assets figure to be astronomical. That’s no doubt the case for Wheeler’s teammate, Jacob deGrom, whose name has already made the rounds in the rumor mill as a crosstown trade candidate. His complete dominance — 1.68 ERA in 123 1/3 innings — and two remaining seasons of arbitration control make deGrom arguably the very top deadline pitching target in the game. Though indications are that the Mets will at least be open-minded, they’ll understandably be holding out for a truly compelling trade package.
Under the circumstances, it’s not surprising to learn that the Yankees are at least taking a closer look at Wheeler. True, Wheeler owns only a modest 4.42 ERA over his 99 2/3 innings on the year. But he’s carrying a solid 8.9 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 and, more importantly, has shown some other interesting trends.
Wheeler is working at the top of his career velocity levels (96.2 mph average fastball), getting more swings and strikes (11.0%) than ever, and permitting an average exit velocity lower than all but seven other pitchers in baseball. And the results have improved quite a bit of late, coinciding with a rise in Wheeler’s velocity and a steady reduction of his fastball usage in favor of his slider.
The 28-year-old would not necessarily be an instant upgrade to the team’s anticipated playoff rotation, though perhaps there’d be some hope that he’d further establish himself down the stretch. Regardless, there would clearly be value in having him on hand to help a tough AL East battle. And even if he doesn’t currently project to be a postseason ace, Wheeler might be an interesting arm to deploy creatively — say, in a pairing with veteran lefty CC Sabathia, to offer one hypothetical possibility.
There’s added value in Wheeler’s contract rights, though that’s also countered by his spotty health history. He’s earning just $1.9MM this season before qualifying for arbitration a final time this coming offseason. The low cost may also be a factor as the Yankees contemplate other upgrades — including, perhaps, other hurlers — as it’d leave plenty of room left to work with under the luxury tax line.
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/13/18
We’ll track Friday’s minor moves from around the league here…
- Right-hander Chris Beck cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Mets and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Las Vegas, Erin Fish of MLB.com reports (via Twitter). Claimed off waivers out of the White Sox organization earlier this year, Beck tossed 10 1/3 innings for the Mets and allowed six runs on 10 hits (three homers) and more walks issued (nine) than strikeouts recorded (five). The former second-rounder once rated as one of the more promising arms in the White Sox’ system, but he’s struggled to a 5.88 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 5.1 BB/9, 1.87 HR/9 and a 43.1 percent ground-ball rate in 130 Major League innings.
Trade Chatter: Britton, Merrifield, Mets, Beltre, Braves
Zach Britton‘s most recent outing was an encouraging one for scouts, writes Jon Heyman of Fancred in his latest notes column. One scout tells Heyman that the Orioles‘ closer was finally beginning to look like himself in a recent save against the Yankees. Heyman notes that Britton was throwing 96-98 mph, although data from both Fangraphs and Brooks Baseball isn’t quite as bullish as that scout’s radar gun was. Certainly, though, Britton’s past few outings have been encouraging. In five scoreless frames, he’s averaged a slightly improved 95 mph on his heater and posted a strong 66.7 percent grounder rate with four strikeouts against one walk. Britton has thrown a first-pitch strike to just 41 percent of the hitters he’s faced in that time, and his ground-ball rate, velocity and swinging-strike rate are all still shy of his peak levels. Nonetheless, he’s certainly trending in the right direction — a welcome sight for the Orioles. Heyman notes that the Astros are believed to once again have interest in Britton after the Orioles backed out of a trade involving him last season, which would’ve sent Colin Moran and a Double-A outfielder to Baltimore.
Some more Thursday night trade rumblings…
- Heyman also notes that he’s heard the Red Sox mentioned in connection with Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield. The 29-year-old has reportedly drawn interest from the Phillies and from the Brewers already, and the Sox would be a logical addition to that market, depending on the status of Dustin Pedroia. As Heyman notes, Merrifield is particularly enticing for the Sox given his minimal salary and their proximity to the top tier of luxury tax penalization. He’s shown, too, that he can play a number of positions, which would make him ideal for a utility role if the Sox get everyone healthy. That said, there’s no characterization of particularly strong interest in the report, the Sox have a thin farm system, and the Royals are under no urgency to trade Merrifield, who is controlled through 2022. Bullpen help has been rumored to be Boston’s primary focus on the trade market so far.
- One more from Heyman, who notes that the Mets aren’t especially anxious to listen to offers on lefty Steven Matz. New York will certainly entertain offers on its entire roster, as they’re at least listening on Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, but it sounds like Matz is closer to that pair than to the more available Zack Wheeler. The report also indicates that offers for Asdrubal Cabrera, to this point, have been underwhelming and that the Mets have actually received some inquiries about Jose Bautista, who was hitting .230/.389/.425 in 144 PAs for the Mets before homering in tonight’s contest.
- Sticking with the Mets, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that the team actually hasn’t received much in the way of inquiries on eiher deGrom or Syndergaard as of late (Twitter link). The general sense that the asking price would be overwhelming could be a factor; as Puma terms it, some teams may have sticker shock “without even seeing the sticker.” Puma also tweets, though, that the Mets are “confident” they’ll find a trade partner for Cabrera. That, he adds, would open a spot for 26-year-old Jeff McNeil — a potentially late-blooming prospect who has batted a combined .346/.417/.634 with 18 homers in 336 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A.
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at the situation in which the Rangers find themselves with Adrian Beltre. The third baseman has full no-trade rights and has not yet given indication about whether he’d prefer to play out the season with a contender, though he has said he wants to play with the Rangers again in 2019. “His value to the organization is above how we would normally consider trade acquisitions,” GM Jo Daniels tells Grant. “For us to consider anything, it’s got to be mutually beneficial, good for all parties involved.” Beltre, 39, hasn’t shown much pop but is hitting .288/.349/.401 on the season. He’s been DHing more of late in an effort to keep his legs healthy.
- Though the Braves have a number of wants on the trade market — specifically upgrades to the pitching staff — they’re reluctant to trade any prospects of note for a rental piece, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic within his latest notes column (subscription required). Rosenthal also notes that a right-handed-hitting center field option to pair with Ender Inciarte would be appealing, though Inciarte’s glovework is so good that it lessens the blow of his 2018 struggles against lefties.
Mets Release Marcos Molina
The Mets have released right-hander Marcos Molina in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for the previously announced selection of outfielder Matt den Dekker, tweets Tim Britton of The Athletic. He’d recently been placed on the disabled list in Double-A, which prevents the Mets from placing him on outright waivers or designating him. The organization could yet try to re-sign Molina to a new minor league pact to keep him in the organization while clearing some 40-man space; such moves are fairly common practice throughout the league.
Molina, 23, has battled arm injuries throughout his career, most notably missing the bulk of the 2015-16 seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He returned with a solid effort in 2017, pitching to a 3.21 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and 0.5 HR/9 to go along with a 46 percent ground-ball rate through 106 2/3 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A.
Heading into the 2018 season, in fact, Molina ranked seventh among Mets farmhands, per Baseball America, and eighth per MLB.com. But he’s struggled through a disastrous year between Double-A and Triple-A, as opponents have hammered him for a combined 6.94 ERA (with the vast majority of that work coming at the lower of those two levels). Molina had never averaged higher than 2.4 BB/9 prior to the 2018 season, but he’s issuing 3.7 walks per nine frames in the minors in 2018 (15) than he had in his entire professional career combined prior to this season (13). There’s been no announcement as to exactly what injury had landed Molina on the DL, though his results are certainly indicative of a pitcher who hasn’t been fully healthy.
Mets Select Matt den Dekker
The Mets have selected the contract of outfielder Matt den Dekker, per a club announcement. The club also recalled righty Jacob Rhame while optioning outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski and righty Drew Gagnon.
It’s a homecoming for den Dekker, who’ll soon turn 31 years of age. A 2010 fifth-round pick, den Dekker broke into the majors with the Mets in 2013. He was shipped out in the early-2015 deal that brought Jerry Blevins to New York but rejoined the organization on a minor-league deal this winter.
Thus far on the season, through 249 plate appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas, den Dekker has turned in a .286/.336/.524 slash line with 11 long balls. He’ll line up in center field and bat sixth for the Mets tonight.
Market Notes: Hand, Snell, Ziegler, Dietrich, Cubs, Mets
In a piece in which he discusses several players whose All-Star participation will be colored by trade rumors, Bob Nightengale of USA Today holds a particularly interesting chat with Padres closer Brad Hand. The lefty has been through the rumor mill before, of course, so he knows what to expect. This time, though, he’s in the first season of a new deal he struck with the organization over the winter. That doesn’t mean that Hand is certain to remain in San Diego, however, and he gave a realistic appraisal of the implications of his extension from a broader perspective. “You can look at it from both sides,” Hand said. “It’s like you signed a long-term deal to stay in San Diego or you just increased your trade value by adding more years of control. Obviously, I have more value now, because instead of teams having control of me for one year, now it’s possibly for three years.” Though he expressed interest in remaining with the Friars, that’s ultimately not in Hand’s control, as his deal does not include trade protection.
Here’s more from the market:
- With relatively few truly compelling rental starters available this summer, we’ve heard a variety of young hurlers mentioned as possible targets. Among them is emerging Rays lefty Blake Snell, who carries a sparkling 2.09 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 through 116 frames this year. It seems, though, that fans pining for Snell will need to adjust their expectations. A National League executive tells Peter Gammons (Twitter link) that there’s no reason whatsoever to think the southpaw is available. The unnamed front office member says his or her club was left with the impression that there’s “no chance” of making a deal for Snell, so much so that any suggestions put out about a possible deal are little more than “fictional garbage.” It always seemed it’d take a major haul to land Snell, who is just 25 years of age and won’t be a free agent until 2023, but this report indicates that even a bold effort may be fruitless to attempt. Frankly, that’s not terribly surprising: though the Rays have spun off many quality pitchers over the years, they have typically done so when those hurlers began to get expensive and close in on free agency.
- The Dodgers have shown some interest in Marlins reliever Brad Ziegler, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred (via Twitter). As Heyman notes, Ziegler has turned things around of late; indeed, since the calendar flipped to June, he has allowed just two earned runs on ten hits while recording a 19:3 K/BB ratio over 21 innings. The wily 38-year-old is earning $9MM this year before hitting the open market, and had struggled previously in a Marlins uniform, so there are some obvious limits to his value. Still, he’s showing now that he can still be effective and could well end up on the move to a contender this summer. Whether it’ll be the Dodges that get him remains to be seen. The Los Angeles club seemingly has opened quite a few potential trade avenues of late, but will likely also be judicious in taking on salary with the luxury tax line representing an important ongoing consideration.
- In other news from Miami, the Marlins are getting some hits on utilityman Derek Dietrich, Heyman also tweets. Soon to turn 29, and controllable for two more years via arbitration after earning $2.9MM this season, the left-handed-hitting Dietrich is another interesting asset for the Fish. He’s slashing a sturdy .287/.353/.452 and can play in the infield or corner outfield. Of course, his defensive flexibility doesn’t really come with a positive reputation for glovework. Among the teams that “could” have interest, per the report, are the Brewers and Cubs. Both of those organizations seem to have more pressing needs and better potential fits elsewhere, though it’s always possible they could make Dietrich a priority if they really believe in his bat.
- Speaking of less-than-perfect fits for the Cubs, Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark of The Athletic report (subscription link) that the organization is also considering some other potential outfielders. He cites Adam Jones of the Orioles and Curtis Granderson of the Blue Jays as players that have come up in internal discussions, at least, though neither really seems to be a priority. This report indicates that the driving force is less about roster need than adding a respected veteran, though the above-noted interest in Dietrich perhaps puts a slightly different spin on things. As The Athletic reporters note, bringing in a position player likely wouldn’t happen unless an existing asset is moved in a deal for a quality starter. Whether or not that takes place will surely be the primary factor in whether the Cubs do ultimately add another piece to the lineup.
- In that same post, Rosenthal dedicates significant space to the Mets‘ situation. He advises not to be distracted by reports suggesting shifting winds on the team’s stance regarding controllable aces Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. The organization, Rosenthal suggests, must be and is willing to consider offers on either hurler. Of course, there’s also no need to strike a deal and the Mets have little cause to discount hefty sticker prices on both pitchers. This assessment of the circumstances aligns with common sense. After all, if a rival organization dangles a truly compelling trade package, the Mets could certainly face some tough choices. But there’s no reason to forego the opportunity to make those determinations before they’re even presented.
Dodgers Looking Into Multiple Potential Infield Targets
The Dodgers are widely rumored to be a major suitor for Orioles star Manny Machado. But they are also looking at multiple other possibilities for improving their lineup, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
Per the report, the Los Angeles organization has not only “stepped up” its efforts to boost its infield mix, but has inquired into at least three specific options beyond Machado. Passan links the Dodgers to the Reds’ Scooter Gennett, the Twins’ Brian Dozier, and the Mets’ Asdrubal Cabrera. And Josh Harrison of the Pirates is also of some interest, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (Twitter link). (He also notes that the Dodgers are interested in some of Minnesota’s veteran relievers.)
The precise interest level in each of those players isn’t clear. Needless to say, the Dodgers are not limiting themselves to a single option — or, really, even a single type of player. While Machado has spent his entire career on the left side of the infield, the other players now reportedly in the mix could fit in at second base.
Indeed, both Gennett and Dozier have more or less exclusively played at second in the majors. Though the latter did break in as a shortstop, he hasn’t lined up there since 2012. Cabrera has more extensive time at short and third, while Harrison has also played all over. Gennett swings from the left side, Dozier and Harrison the right. Cabrera is a switch-hitter. Both Dozier and Cabrera will be free agents after the season, while Gennett and Harrison can be controlled for one and two additional years, respectively.
This slate of candidates includes quite a lot of MLB experience, of course. All are relatively low-strikeout, contact-oriented hitters. Gennett and Cabrera have outproduced the others offensively this year, but there are other things for the L.A. brass to consider. Dozier has an excellent track record, a history of second-half productivity, and an explanation (.247 BABIP) for some of his woes. Harrison is surely the least-accomplished hitter of the bunch, but adds more value on the bases and in the field.
All things considered, it’s not strictly evident just what the Dodgers are most interested in finding beyond adding a player they like to their infield mix. The team has not received much from Logan Forsythe and Chase Utley, but those two have combined to take the lion’s share of time at second. Adding Machado might well mean bumping Chris Taylor to the other side of the bag, or to the outfield. If that fails, a different addition intended to address second base more directly could instead be pursued.
Of course, it’s somewhat debatable whether this is even an area the Dodgers really ought to be focused, even with Corey Seager gone for the year. Forsythe and Utley haven’t been great, true, but the entire rest of the lineup (excepting backup catcher Austin Barnes) has been excellent. Ensuring there’s a place for Max Muncy‘s bat to play is perhaps the more pressing need. Most recently, he has slotted in at second, though perhaps that’s not the club’s ultimate preference. In any event, it seems the L.A. front office is interested not only in maximizing depth, but also in guarding against any downturns in its potent lineup.
Mets To Designate Chris Beck
The Mets have designated righty Chris Beck for assignment, Tim Healey of Newsday reports on Twitter. That creates a roster opening for the activation of lefty Jerry Blevins, who had been on the bereavement list.
Beck, 27, landed with New York in a mid-season waiver claim after opening the year with the White Sox. He has worked to a cumulative 4.50 ERA in 34 MLB frames on the season, his fourth-straight campaign with some time in the bigs.
Though the bottom-line results have been better this year than in prior efforts — Beck entered the season with a 6.38 ERA in 96 career innings — the 2018 showing has not really been all that promising. He has allowed eight long balls already on the year while handing out twenty walks against just 21 strikeouts.
Mets Place Todd Frazier On DL Amid Series Of Roster Moves
The Mets announced a series of roster moves today, most notably placing third baseman Todd Frazier on the disabled list due to a left rib cage strain. Additionally, the Mets recalled left-hander P.J. Conlon and right-hander Ty Kelly from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned righty Chris Flexen to Vegas. Right-hander Jacob Rhame is also up with the team as the 26th man for today’s twin bill, and Tim Britton of The Athletic further reports that right-hander Drew Gagnon will have his contract selected tomorrow and start Tuesday night’s game.
It’s the second DL stint of the season for Frazier, 32, who previously missed nearly a month due to a hamstring strain. It’s not clear just how long he’ll miss at present, but the injury certainly won’t do any favors for Frazier’s already limited trade stock. Through 260 plate appearances on the season, Frazier is hitting .217/.300/.385 with 10 homers. As James Wagner of the New York Times points out (via Twitter), Frazier’s second trip to the DL in 2018 comes after a previous seven-year run in which he avoided the DL entirely.
Frazier has played solid defense at third base, per both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating, but Frazier’s walk rate has dropped from 14.4 percent in 2017 to 10.4 percent in 2018, leading to sub-par OBP contributions despite his still-strong power output (.239 ISO). He’s in the first season of a two-year, $17MM contract with the Mets.
The 28-year-old Gagnon will be making his MLB debut when he takes the mound for the Mets on Tuesday. The longtime Brewers farmhand is in his first season with the Mets organization and has pitched to a 4.40 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 with a ground-ball rate just shy of 50 percent. Gagnon’s K/BB numbers and ground-ball tendencies are encouraging, but he’s been plagued by the long ball — perhaps not entirely surprising given the hitter-friendly nature of both the Pacific Coast League in general and his home environment.