- Another reliever, the Mets’ Addison Reed, could also end up on the move. Odds are, though, that he won’t head to the Nationals, writes Cafardo. The Mets apparently aren’t open to helping the NL East rival Nats fix their bullpen issues.
[SOURCE LINK]
Mets Rumors
Mets Place Michael Conforto On Disabled List
- The latest member of the Mets to hit the disabled list is outfielder Michael Conforto, who’s now on the shelf (retroactive to June 28) with a bruised left hand, per a team announcement. Conforto suffered the injury on a hit by pitch last Sunday and hasn’t played since, thus depriving the Mets of a player who has slashed an excellent .285/.405/.548 in 269 plate appearances this season. Right-hander Zack Wheeler took Conforto’s vacant roster spot. Wheeler’s back after going on the DL on June 21 with biceps tendinitis.
David Wright At Least 3-5 Weeks From Beginning Baseball Activities
- Mets third baseman David Wright is at least three to five weeks away from beginning baseball activities, GM Sandy Alderson told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and other reporters Friday. A setback would likely end the 34-year-old Wright’s chances of playing this season, observes DiComo, which is the latest discouraging update regarding the longtime franchise cornerstone. Wright, who’s dealing with neck, shoulder and back issues, has appeared in just 75 games dating back to 2015 and hasn’t played since May of last year.
- A first baseman throughout his professional career, the Dodgers are considering turning Ike Davis into a pitcher, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Pitching isn’t foreign to the 30-year-old Davis, who was an accomplished hurler in high school and went on to strike out 78 hitters in as many innings at Arizona State. Now struggling offensively at Triple-A this season (.206/.257/.381 in 70 plate appearances), Davis threw a bullpen session Friday, tweets Oklahoma City broadcaster Alex Freedman. Dodgers director of player development Gabe Kapler then commented, “We all know he’s an athlete, and we believe he might be able to provide value in many different areas.” Davis is best known for his 32-home run season with the Mets in 2012, though he hasn’t made much of an offensive impact in the majors or minors since then. Davis isn’t the first Triple-A position player the Dodgers have experimented with on the mound this year, as they’ve also tried outfielder Brett Eibner in that role. Unfortunately, though, the club had to shut down Eibner on account of a sore arm, according to Gurnick.
NL East Notes: Bartolo, Kendrick, Nationals
The Mets will at least consider a reunion with 44-year-old righty Bartolo Colon following yesterday’s DFA by the Braves, reports MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (Twitter link). They are, however, understandably wary of his poor performance in Atlanta. Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News spoke to one Mets person who expressed some intrigue regarding the possibility of once again pairing Colon with pitching coach Dan Warthen to see if Colon could succeed in a bullpen role in New York. And, as Ackert points out, the additional depth would hardly be a bad thing for a Mets pitching staff that has been decimated by injury.
Elsewhere in the NL East…
- The Phillies could be facing a trip to the disabled list for Howie Kendrick, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury. Kendrick has been bothered lately by a sore hamstring, and while he was in the lineup as a DH on Tuesday this week, he told manager Pete Mackanin that he didn’t feel good enough to go on Wednesday. Mackanin acknowledged that the Phils have to consider a DL stint for Kendrick, which would be a disappointing development for the organization, as Kendrick’s hot bat has elevated his trade candidacy since returning from a lengthy six-week stint on the DL earlier this year. Salisbury wonders whether the Phils would bring up a prospect such as Nick Williams or Dylan Cozens and give him regular playing time in lieu of Kendrick, though that suggestion appears to be made somewhat speculatively.
- Although the Nationals have a well-documented need for bullpen upgrades, sorting out the roster in the wake of a move won’t be as easy as one would imagine, writes Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Ownership typically doesn’t love the notion of adding significant contracts midseason in the first place, she writes, and the concept of adding a reliever and then cutting a player already on a relatively significant deal (e.g. Joe Blanton) may not be appealing to the Lerner family — especially if it meant acquiring another significant contract. Janes runs down a list of virtually every relief option on the roster, noting that the team’s best-performing relievers (Matt Albers, Enny Romero) are among the most affordable options. Despite Shawn Kelley’s struggles, Janes writes, he’s a well-liked clubhouse presence that is under contract through 2018, and it’s unlikely that the Nats would simply eat the rest of his contract to free up a roster spot.
Deadline Notes: Red Sox, Giants, Relievers, Torres, Verlander, Cozart, Cabrera
The Red Sox do not need to stay under the luxury tax line in making their deadline moves, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in an appearance today on WEEI (h/t to Rob Bradford, on Twitter). Recent estimates put Boston about $9MM shy of the threshold, which has added implications under the new CBA since the tax escalates when it is owed in consecutive seasons. While the Sox will no doubt weigh that factor in assessing possible trades, it’s notable that the organization doesn’t feel compelled to stay within those limits. Boston is likely to be involved in the market for third basemen — I looked at possible targets recently — and could also add pitching.
Here’s more …
- The Giants are clearly in position to deal a few veterans, but it’s not yet known just how significant the moves will be. Signs are, though, that San Francisco is willing to listen to offers on just about any player, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi writes. The Giants are not interested in moving Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, and Brandon Crawford, per the report. That could leave some other interesting names available, with Morosi even suggesting that first baseman Brandon Belt could be available. He calls the Angels a potentially “intriguing fit” — though it’s not clear whether there’s any firm interest from Los Angeles — while noting that several other buyers will be looking at a variety of left-handed-hitting first basemen on what seems still to be a wide-open market.
- Unsurprisingly, interest in relief pitching will be robust at this year’s deadline, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com writes. Executives suggest that there’ll be a premium on pen arms, as usual, though the expectation remains that none will fetch the kind of immense returns that Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller commanded last year.
- The Padres have inquired with the Yankees about elite shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. That said, there’s no indication the Yanks have any interest in parting with the talented youngster — even though he is expected to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That injury doesn’t really change his long-term value, of course, and it’s not altogether clear what Padres players the Yankees might target that could command that kind of trade value. Lefty Brad Hand and former New York infielder Yangervis Solarte may well be of interest, as Heyman notes, but it’s tough to imagine the Yankees parting with such an elite prospect for either or both of them.
- Heyman also weighs in on veteran Tigers hurler Justin Verlander, who has seen his name begin to come up in trade rumors. At this point, a deal seems less than likely, a source tells Heyman, but there is a real possibility that the righty (and his contract — which promises $56MM over 2018 and 2019) could end up on the move. Three or four teams are said to have participated in exploratory talks on Verlander, per the report, though any deal would require Verlander to waive his no-trade protection.
- Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, a clear trade candidate with his strong play and expiring contract, tells Heyman that his preference would be to remain in Cincinnati. While he says he understands and accepts that a deal “is more than likely to happen,” Cozart noted that he has informed the front office that he’d be amenable to exploring a long-term contract instead. It’s not terribly surprising, particularly given their internal options, that the Reds haven’t yet made an offer to the 31-year-old.
- Mets infielder Asdrubal Cabrera is walking back his recent call to be traded after being moved from short to second, as Dan Martin of the New York Post writes. Cabrera explains: “In that moment when I said that, I wasn’t saying I want to get traded. I was just saying it didn’t seem like they had a plan for me. … If they’ve got a plan, they should tell me.” He went on to say that he is “fine with playing second base,” saying that his complaint related more to a lack of communication. In any event, it remains unclear just how much demand there’ll be for the veteran, and also how inclined the Mets are to bring him back next year at a $8.5MM price tag (versus a $2MM buyout).
Mets Place Robert Gsellman On DIsabled List
- The Mets will be without Robert Gsellman for a few weeks, writes Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. Gsellman landed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring, becoming the seventh Mets starting pitcher to land on the DL this year. Gsellman is the 17th Mets player to land on the DL this season, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo notes. Rafael Montero will assume Gsellman’s spot in the rotation, though Ackert notes that the Mets were already considering that move due to Montero’s strong results as of late. Gsellman, meanwhile, has a 6.16 ERA in 76 innings this year, though that mark is partially skewed by a pair of outings this month in which Gsellman allowed a combined 14 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings.
Trade Rumblings: A’s, Prado, Marlins, Verlander, Hand
Here’s the latest trade chatter from around the league:
- The Athletics do not feel a need to wait until the deadline to begin moving veterans, sources tell MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. That may be true even (or especially) in the case of Sonny Gray. While he’s controllable, and doesn’t have to be traded, a rival exec says he thinks Oakland will be interested in dealing him early to avoid a month of injury risk. Possible rentals Yonder Alonso and Jed Lowrie are both said to be on the block as well, unsurprisingly.
- Other teams beginning to explore sell-side moves, per Feinsand, are the Braves, Marlins, Mets, and Reds. Those clubs are all obvious suspects given their placement in the standings. Atlanta could be an interesting team, though, since the organization seems to be prioritizing improvement in the on-field results and doesn’t have a lot of clearly valuable trade pieces.
- The Yankees and Red Sox are both looking over the Marlins roster and have asked about a few players, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Both New York and Boston have inquired on veteran third baseman Martin Prado, who is not terribly cheap and has spent a good chunk of the year on the DL. The Yanks are also expressing some interest in Miami first baseman Justin Bour, per the report; he’d offer a quality left-handed bat, though his affordable control will likely come with a fairly high asking price. The Fish are also said to have indicated an openness to dealing “anyone with a multi-year contract,” Nightengale adds. That would obviously free up quite a few intriguing potential trade candidates, including the club’s three quality young outfielders.
- Rival executives feel that the Tigers will market veteran righty Justin Verlander, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports writes, though Detroit’s intentions (and asking price) remain unclear. He’d be an easy product to pitch were this 2016, when Verlander was in vintage form. But he hasn’t followed that up with any degree of consistency thus far in 2017. Still, the $56MM he’s owed in 2018 and 2019 seems fairly reasonable, and it’s hard to ignore the top-line upside that still seems to reside in Verlander’s powerful right arm.
- The Padres, meanwhile, are apparently setting their sights high in talks involving southpaw Brad Hand, with one source telling Passan that GM AJ Preller hopes to achieve a return commensurate with that achieved last year by the Yankees for Aroldis Chapman. As Passan notes, that does seem steep — despite the fact that Hand does come with two more years of cheap arb control — but it likely won’t hurt to aim big at this stage of the proceedings.
- There, are, of course, some other talented relievers available. Two Marlins hurlers are also drawing interest from “multiple teams,” per Passan. AJ Ramos and David Phelps appear to be solid (albeit hardly perfect) late-inning pen options for contenders; indeed, MLBTR ranked them in a tie for 11th in the most recent list of the top fifty trade targets leaguewide. Both hurlers are reasonably expensive ($6.55MM and $4.6MM, respectively), so the salary-conscious Fish may see an opportunity to avoid some obligations. They each also can be controlled for an additional season via arbitration.
Taking Inventory: New York Mets
This is the 11th entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory Series. Click for entries on the White Sox, Royals, Phillies, Pirates, Giants, Padres, Reds, Braves, Tigers, and Marlins.
The Mets never expected to be in a selling position this year, but underperformance and a spate of significant injuries have destroyed any hopes of contention. Were it not for the runaway NL Wild Card race, New York might still have hope of staying in the hunt, but as things stand it seems quite likely they’ll move a few veterans.
Let’s see what’s in the cupboard for the Mets:
Rentals
Addison Reed, RH Reliever | Salary: $7.75MM
Reed has completely turned his career around since landing in New York in 2015. He has given up a few more home runs this season than he did in his dominant 2016 campaign, but otherwise has been much the same pitcher. With 9.2 K/9 (13.9% swinging-strike rate) and just 1.2 BB/9, Reed is thriving even as he has lost half a tick on his average fastball velocity. It probably doesn’t hurt that he’s back to working in the closer’s role, too. All things considered, Reed is quite possibly the club’s biggest trade chip.
Jay Bruce, OF | Salary: $13MM
Bruce only just turned 30 and is posting a strong .270/.339/.543 slash on the season, with twenty long balls already in the bank through just seventy games. He doesn’t run like he used to, but Bruce has received positive defensive grades this year after several seasons of questionable glovework.
Curtis Granderson, OF | Salary: $15MM
That’s quite a lot of coin for a 36-year-old corner outfielder who’s only hitting near the league average. But Granderson can also still play some center and has gotten hotter and hotter at the plate as the season has progressed. The respected veteran could be quite a useful piece for the right team.
Lucas Duda, 1B | Salary: $7.25MM
If there’s enough demand, Duda could potentially bring back something interesting. He has returned to posting strong on-base and slugging numbers after a lost 2016 season, and would represent a middle-of-the-order bat for a contender.
Neil Walker, 2B | Salary: $17.2MM
If he can make it back from a hamstring tear before the deadline, Walker could draw real interest. The veteran remains a quality hitter and was on a tear when he got hurt. That said, demand doesn’t figure to be strong at second base, and the big salary will present an obstacle.
Fernando Salas, RH Reliever | Salary: $3MM
He seemed like a solid value after a strong finish last year with the Mets, but Salas has struggled badly in 2017. Teams may still take a shot since he’s generating strikeouts (9.9 per nine) with a 12.5% swinging-strike rate. While his walks are way up, Salas has been unfortunate to carry a 5.88 ERA; he’s being tagged for a .357 BABIP and has stranded just 64% of the runners to reach base against him.
Jose Reyes, INF | Salary: $535K
The meager salary is nice, but Reyes just isn’t producing. After turning in a solid part-year with the stick in 2016, Reyes currently owns a meager .191/.266/.323 batting line — due in some part, at least, to a .202 batting average on balls in play. Though he runs well, his defense is a bit shaky. With the stain of a domestic violence suspension also potentially a factor, it’s not clear that there’ll be any real market here.
Rene Rivera, C | Salary: $1.75MM
The 33-year-old is a respected defender who is slashing a respectable .268/.305/.423 over his 131 plate appearances on the year. While he’s obviously not the sort of player who’s going to draw a major return, he could hold appeal to a contending team in need of some depth behind the dish.
Controlled Through 2018
Jerry Blevins, LH Reliever | Salary: $5.5MM; $7MM club option ($1MM buyout) for 2018
Like Reed, the 33-year-old has never looked better than he has when pitching out of the Mets’ pen. He’s currently setting down 13.0 batters per nine via strikeout with a 14.1% swinging-strike rate that’s easily his personal best. Blevins is also hitting the zone much less frequently than usual while battling through a league-leading 39 appearances. His value is enhanced quite a bit by the reasonably priced option year; the Mets have plenty of leverage, too, since they’d no doubt like to have him at that rate.
Asdrubal Cabrera, INF | Salary: $8.25MM; $8.5MM club option ($2MM buyout) for 2018
After publicly requesting a trade and airing some complaints about the team’s handling of his move off of shortstop, it’s no longer clear that Cabrera is in the Mets’ 2018 plans. At the same time, he’s not exactly at the height of his appeal as a trade chip. While he’s still hitting in range of his typically slightly-above-average rate, Cabrera isn’t a great baserunner or defender.
Longer-Term Assets
It seems rather unlikely that the Mets will really go out looking for deals for any longer-term pieces, at least for core players such as Yoenis Cespedes and Jacob deGrom. Pitchers Josh Edgin, Hansel Robles, and Rafael Montero could conceivably end up changing hands, though none seem likely to be targeted by contenders. Juan Lagares could hold some appeal, but he’s probably slated for some kind of timeshare in center at Citi Field next season. It’s anyone’s guess just how things will turn out with Matt Harvey in the long run, but he’s on the DL at present with another fairly significant arm injury.
What Will The Mets Do With Matt Harvey?
- Olney looks at the Mets’ situation heading into the deadline, as the team is open to moving veterans with an eye to creating payroll and roster space to reload for another run at contention next year. Another big-picture question is what the Mets will do with Matt Harvey, as the former ace has continued to struggle with injuries, performance, and off-the-field controversy. It seems like Harvey won’t be in a Mets uniform once his contract is up after the 2018 season, so Olney feels New York could try to move him in a trade or perhaps even non-tender Harvey after the year.
[SOURCE LINK]
Michael Conforto Day-To-Day With Hand Contusion
- X-rays were negative on the left hand of Michael Conforto after the Mets outfielder was hit by a Matt Moore pitch today (the SNY MetsBlog has the details). Conforto remained in the game after being hit but was replaced in the field during the next half-inning. Conforto is day-to-day with a hand contusion and he said he feels he’ll be able to play by Tuesday, when the Mets next play. Needless to say, losing Conforto the DL would be yet another major blow to the injury-riddled Mets, as Conforto is in the midst of a big breakout year, entering today with 14 homers and a .288/.406/.553 slash line in 266 PA.
