East Notes: Colon, Bourn, Judge
Ageless righty Bartolo Colon helped pitched the Mets to a Wild Card berth with a five-inning, six-strikeout performance today, and he’s been a big asset to an injury-riddled Mets rotation thanks in large part to the movement on his two-seam fastball, as James Wagner of the New York Times writes in a fascinating look at the 43-year-old enigma’s repertoire. Colon learned his current grip on the pitch from Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, then perfected it over time so that he can aim for a left-handed batter’s ribs, only to have the ball break back toward the plate. “He’s got such hand, finger and wrist strength that he’s able to manipulate the ball,” says Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud. “It’s an art that not that many people have.” Here’s more from the East divisions.
- Veteran outfielder Michael Bourn is open to returning to the Orioles in 2017, although he says he says his mind is currently on the team’s playoff chase, Rich Dubroff of CSNmidatlantic.com writes. “I’ll keep that in the cards, no doubt. I like the organization, good team to be a part of,” Bourn says. Nonetheless, he adds, “We’re in the pennant race right now. By now, that’s my main focus.” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said yesterday (again via Dubroff) that he’d like to keep Bourn and that Bourn was “more than a fourth outfielder.” Next year, Bourn will no longer be receiving checks from the four-year, $48MM contract he signed with the Indians prior to the 2013 season. That deal has mostly been a disaster, but Bourn has been effective down the stretch in Baltimore, batting .275/.333/.450 in 47 plate appearances heading into today, when he’s had a single and two walks.
- Yankees slugger Aaron Judge made 95 plate appearances in his first taste of big-league action and batted .179/.263/.345 before hitting the DL with an oblique strain. Now, he’s looking forward to 2017, as MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes. “It’s the same thing as last year; I got a little taste of Triple-A and got used to it, and same thing here,” says Judge. “I got a couple games up here and saw what it’s like. It’ll help me prepare coming in here, not in the unknown.” Judge says he expects to have to compete for a starting role in the big leagues next year. Manager Joe Girardi sensibly points out that Judge needs to work on hitting for contact — Judge struck out 42 times in his short stay in the Majors this year. As Judge implies, though, he struggled in his first stint in Triple-A last year, only to bat .270/.366/.489 with 20 homers there this year. Perhaps he can improve the second time around against big-league pitching as well.
NL Notes: Flores, Phillies, Jackson
Mets infielder Wilmer Flores will be out the rest of the season, Mike Puma of the New York Post writes. Flores injured his wrist in a home-plate collision three weeks ago. “I’ve been trying for a few weeks, but the bottom line is I can’t swing,” Flores said. “I’m frustrated. I can’t go out there like that.” Even if the Mets were to advance as far as the World Series, they would probably be reluctant to use Flores after so much time away from game action. Flores has hit .267/.319/.469 this season, including a terrific .340/.383/.710 against lefties. He’s played all four infield positions this season. In particular, he gave the Mets a strong option at first base against left-handed pitching, as Puma notes. Both the Mets’ current first basemen, Lucas Duda and James Loney, are left-handed. Here’s more from the NL.
- Manager Pete Mackanin met with various members of the Phillies‘ front office Friday to discuss the team’s plans for the offseason, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com writes. Afterwards, Mackanin reiterated his desire for the organization to acquire a veteran bat or two, although he sounded realistic about how far the rebuilding Phils might be willing to go to find additional hitting talent. “I would like to get a good solid proven hitter somewhere on the field,” Mackanin said. “Where that is right now will be determined by who is available and what kind of a deal, if any, they could make. And if not we’ll try to find something from within that we think can help us or somebody could make a great impression in the spring. There’s so many ways to do that.” As Zolecki points out, the Phillies are likely more than one or two players away from being contenders, and so, as previous reporting has indicated, the Phillies might not want to spend heavily on moves designed to improve the 2017 team.
- Veteran righty Edwin Jackson is set for free agency at the end of the season, but he’s interested in returning to the Padres, as MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes. “It’s definitely a place I’d like to come back to,” says Jackson. “A lot of positives and a lot of upside to the future of the organization. It’d be fun to be a part of it toward the end of my career.” Whether the Padres would have interest in Jackson is unclear, but he’s unlikely to be a sought-after free agent this winter after posting a 5.89 ERA, 6.5 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 84 innings with San Diego and Miami.
Steven Matz To Undergo Surgery To Remove Bone Spur From Elbow
Steven Matz‘s season is over, as Newsday’s Marc Carig reports that the excellent Mets left-hander will undergo surgery to remove the bone spur in his left elbow that has been plaguing him for the majority of the summer (Twitter link). Carig does tweet that Matz won’t require surgery to address the shoulder issue that has also been bothering him for the past couple of months, though that’s a small silver lining for Mets fans who were hoping that Matz could potentially return to the club in some capacity during the postseason.
While Matz, 25, announced his presence in the Majors last summer with an excellent debut, he didn’t pitch enough innings for his rookie status to expire. The 2016 campaign has technically been his rookie year, and it’ll come to a close with a 3.40 earned run average and a 129-to-31 K/BB ratio that was compiled over the life of 132 1/3 innings out of the New York rotation. Matz becomes the third Mets starer to require season-ending surgery, joining rotation-mates Matt Harvey (thoracic outlet syndrome) and Jacob deGrom (ulnar nerve in right elbow) in that category. Meanwhile, right-hander Zack Wheeler was never able to return to a Major League mound this season after suffering setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John surgery last spring.
If the Mets are able to hang onto the Wild Card spot they currently possess, they’ll likely turn to Noah Syndergaard in said Wild Card matchup and, if they make it past that point, entrust Bartolo Colon and one of their young right-handers — Seth Lugo or Robert Gsellman — to fill out the rotation in the National League Division Series.
Wilmer Flores Done For Season?
If the reigning National League champion Mets are going to maintain their spot atop the wild-card race, they might have to do it without infielder Wilmer Flores. The 25-year-old hasn’t seen action since Sept. 10 because of a right wrist injury he suffered in a collision with Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski, and Flores isn’t sure if he’ll be able to return this season.
“I am worried,” Flores told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “But I’m very positive that I’ll feel good.”
Flores, who has a right bone bruise, has received a pair of cortisone shots over the past two weeks. One of the Mets’ team doctors recommended more rest for him Friday. With time running out this year, that could be problematic, notes DiComo. Still, Flores recently began taking aggressive swings in an indoor cage and hopes to progress to full batting practice next week.
If Flores is able to return, his presence would likely benefit a Mets offense that has scored the third-fewest runs in the NL this season. Flores has done his part, having batted .267/.319/.469 this year with 16 home runs in 335 plate appearances – including .281/.322/.496 in 149 second-half PAs. Most of the damage has come versus left-handed pitchers, against whom Flores has slashed .340/.383/.710 line in 107 trips to the plate.
The right-handed Flores’ prowess against southpaws could make him a platoon option at first base with the recently activated Lucas Duda, a lefty, or he could vie for playing time at second base with Kelly Johnson and T.J. Rivera. In addition to first and second, Flores has logged extensive time at third base this year, but the Mets are in fine shape there with midseason signing Jose Reyes, who has hit .263/.322/.451 and swatted eight homers in 245 PAs since returning from a domestic violence suspension.
Regardless of whether Flores comes back this season, he’ll be eligible for arbitration for the time during the upcoming winter. The 32 homers Flores has hit in 845 PAs since last season should set him up for a nice raise over his 2016 salary of $526,000-plus.
Poll: Should The Mets Issue Neil Walker A Qualifying Offer?
Certainly, the Mets have more pressing matters at the moment than deciding whether to issue a $16.7MM qualifying offer to second baseman Neil Walker. Keeping pace in the Wild Card race takes priority over keeping Walker in town for 2017.
That being said, the team doesn’t have much time until it’ll make a tough call on Walker, who’ll qualify for free agency just after turning 31. The QO was all but a given before Walker’s recent back surgery — he provided New York with 458 plate appearances of .282/.347/.476 production and 23 home runs before going down — but that procedure throws some uncertainty into the matter.
Let’s look at the scary side first. Walker’s back surgery addressed a herniated disk that was causing numbness in his toes and carried a risk of worsening problems. Any back issues are obviously concerning for a big league player of any kind, especially when teams haven’t had a chance to see how the player looks upon his return.
On the other hand, Walker says he’s already progressing nicely and is pain-free for the first time in quite a while. It’ll be three months until he can participate in baseball activities, but that’s plenty of time to allow him to prepare for a full Spring Training. Indeed, he seemingly suggests that it should be viewed as a net positive, as he’ll no longer be saddled by the pain. Plus, it’s hard to ignore Walker’s straight seasons of above-average offensive production from an up-the-middle position — one that he fielded at an average (per DRS) to above-average (per UZR) level in 2016 despite posting below-average metrics in prior years.
Certainly, the Mets are privy to much more detailed information about Walker’s health than we are. But the question seems to boil down to one of financial risk versus the evident upside, which could come in one of two ways. If Walker declines the QO, then the Mets would stand to recoup draft compensation if he signs elsewhere. And if he accepts, but returns to health, he could well represent an appealing investment — even at that high rate — on just a single season commitment. That’s all the more true given that New York would arguably we well-served to retain an additional veteran infielder given the ongoing back and neck-related questions surrounding David Wright and the still-undetermined tender status of first baseman Lucas Duda (who just returned in part-time duty from his own back troubles).
While Sandy Alderson and co. bat things around, let’s see where the MLBTR readership stands (link for app users):
Should The Mets Issue Neil Walker A Qualifying Offer?
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Yes 70% (3,308)
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No 30% (1,423)
Total votes: 4,731
Latest On Twins’ Front Office Search
9:34pm: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports (via Twitter) that while Mets assistant GM John Ricco has recently been linked to the Twins’ job, Ricco is no longer in the running at this point. Berardino adds to that report, tweeting that Ricco was never under heavy consideration.
9:28am: The Twins appear to be homing in on a handful of possibilities for their open president of baseball operations position, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports. Though the team could still conduct interviews with additional executives, it may be that the slate of candidates is already set, he adds on Twitter.
One outside option who has impressed, per Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Twitter link), is Cubs vice president of player development and amateur scouting Jason McLeod. He is “well-regarded” and “well-positioned” in the Twins’ search after impressing in his early interactions with Minnesota’s top brass, according to the report.
McLeod obviously isn’t the only highly-regarded young executive under consideration. Prior reports have suggested that Rays AGM Chaim Bloom, Indians AGM Derek Falvey, and Royals AGM J.J. Picollo are also in the discussion.
Then, there’s sitting Twins interim GM Rob Antony, who rounds out the five names known to be in the hunt. Per Berardino, he’s the only internal candidate who will receive an interview. The club did consider VP of player personnel Mike Radcliff, scouting director Deron Johnson, and special assistant (and former Reds GM) Wayne Krivsky, but elected not to hold meetings with them.
Steven Matz Scratched Due To Shoulder Discomfort, Unlikely To Start Again In 2016
Not long after declaring Steven Matz ready to go for Friday’s start, the tables have turned, as the Mets have scratched the left-hander due to lingering discomfort in his left shoulder, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (links to Sherman on Twitter). Furthermore, general manager Sandy Alderson stated that with so few games remaining on the schedule, it’s unlikely that Matz will be able to take the hill for another regular season start, per Sherman.
It’s now been nearly six weeks since Matz took the mound on Aug. 14, making it difficult to envision a scenario where he’d be able to ramp back up in time to make any kind of impact on the Mets’ postseason roster — if the Mets are able to hang on in the National League Wild Card race. The flare-up in Matz’s shoulder means that the Mets will be without him, Jacob deGrom (elbow surgery) and Matt Harvey (thoracic outlet syndrome surgery) in the event that the team reaches the postseason. Right-hander Gabriel Ynoa is set to step into Matz’s spot in the rotation tomorrow, but the postseason rotation, if necessary, would now seemingly consist of Noah Syndergaard, Bartolo Colon and one of Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman or Ynoa. Of that bunch, Lugo has been the most effective and would represent the leading candidate to join the rotation in a theoretical NLDS appearance.
Alderson indicated to Sherman that surgery doesn’t appear to be necessary on Matz’s shoulder, though it’s been a foregone conclusion for months that he’ll need to go under the knife in order to remove a bone spur from his left elbow following the season. If, as Alderson indicated, this ends the season for Matz, the 25-year-old southpaw will finish with a 3.40 ERA, 8.8 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 132 1/3 innings. Certainly, he’ll hope to be able to take on a greater workload in 2017, though concerns about Matz’s durability are nothing new. The 141 innings he threw between the minors and Majors last season represent a career-high for Matz.
Pitcher Injury Notes: Wendelken, Matz, Kazmir, Salazar, Wright, Solis
Athletics righty J.B. Wendelken is likely to undergo Tommy John surgery, as Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com reports. The 23-year-old, who came over as part of last winter’s Brett Lawrie trade, had received scattered major league work in Oakland, allowing 14 earned runs with a dozen strikeouts and nine walks over 12 2/3 innings. He showed more promise at Triple-A, with a 4.11 ERA and 12.7 K/9 in his 46 frames, but he also experienced control problems (5.1 BB/9) for the first time in his professional career.
Here are some more pitching health notes:
- The Mets plan to put lefty Steven Matz on the hill tomorrow after he showed well in a bullpen session yesterday, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets. “He looked very good,” said manager Terry Collins. “He looked nice and easy.” New York’s most recent attempt to ease a starter back into the rotation did not end well, and the team is certainly hoping for a smoother transition this time around. If he can stay healthy, Matz would represent a key asset over the final ten days of the regular season as well as a hopeful postseason berth beyond that.
- While their own rotation health situation is generally on the upswing, the Dodgers will be looking to see whether southpaw Scott Kazmir can hold up in a major league start, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick tweets. The 32-year-old last appeared a month ago and carries a 4.59 ERA in 135 1/3 innings on the year. He’ll follow Brett Anderson, who goes today, as the team looks to assess its options for the playoffs.
- Also facing postseason roster decisions with a key arm are the Indians, who are hoping that righty Danny Salazar can return — albeit as a reliever, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. Salazar is still not ready for mound work, but has begun rebuilding arm strength in hopes that he can be ready for a possible relief role in the ALDS. For now, it’s still a measured process. “If he starts to feel real good, they can speed it up,” said manager Terry Francona.
- It’s unclear whether the Red Sox will give serious consideration to using right-hander Steven Wright in the postseason, if he’s able to return, but there’s some hope that he’ll soon present that option. As Scott Lauber of ESPN.com tweets, Wright is set to meet up with the team and may be ready for a pen session as he continues to test his balky shoulder.
- It’s also not apparent what plans the Nationals may have for left-handed reliever Sammy Solis, who has been sidelined with his own shoulder troubles. But it seems he’s now making forward progress, as Dan Kolko of MASN tweets that Solis felt good after a 25-pitch session on the mound. He could soon face hitters, which might pave the way for a return to the majors right at the end of the regular season, conceivably making him a playoff option.
Jacob deGrom To Undergo Elbow Surgery
TODAY: deGrom’s procedure was completed successfully today, the Mets announced. His ulnar nerve was “reposition[ed]” during the surgery, and the expectation remains that he’ll be ready to go next spring.
YESTERDAY: Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom will undergo surgery on the ulnar nerve issue in his right elbow later this week, reports ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. The operation, which will move the nerve to alleviate the discomfort deGrom has been feeling, comes with a three-month recovery, Rubin adds.
Obviously, the operation will bring deGrom’s season to a close and rule him out of the Mets’ postseason rotation picture (if New York is able to hang onto the Wild Card spot it currently holds). The 28-year-old former NL Rookie of the Year (2014) was able to start just 24 games for the Mets in 2016 but was quite productive when on the mound even in spite of the nerve issue in his arm. DeGrom totaled 148 innings of 3.03 ERA ball this season, averaging 8.7 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 to go along with a 45.6 percent ground-ball rate. He entered the season with one year, 139 days of Major League service time, making him a very likely Super Two candidate following the season.
DeGrom becomes the latest Mets starter to go down with an arm injury in what has been a difficult year for New York’s vaunted young rotation. Zack Wheeler was never able to make it back to a big league mound as he recovered from 2015 Tommy John surgery but incurred numerous setbacks along the way. Matt Harvey, meanwhile, underwent surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome after struggling through the first half of the regular season. Both Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard are pitching through bone spurs in their throwing elbows as well, though Syndergaard’s is considered much more minor in nature. And if the bone spur wasn’t enough, Matz has also been battling tightness in his left shoulder, which has sidelined him for the past month, though he’s nearing a return from the disabled list.
NL East Notes: Morris, Reed, Phillies, Swanson
The Marlins made the somewhat surprising decision to designate right-hander Bryan Morris for assignment earlier today, three months after the previously reliable bullpen arm underwent back surgery. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, the Fish simply felt they needed Morris’ roster spot (presumably meaning this winter, as he was on the 60-day DL but activated in order to be designated). However, Morris’ agent, Jim Kuzmich, tells Jackson that president of baseball ops Michael Hill told him to “keep [the Marlins] in mind” if Morris goes unclaimed and hits free agency this winter. That would indicate that the Marlins are open to bringing Morris back into the fold on a minor league contract, though based on his history, many teams would figure to show interest in Morris as a free agent. While he’s not a big-time strikeout arm, the 29-year-old Morris pitched to a 2.30 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in parts of three seasons with Miami. And, on top of that, he has a hefty 58.6 percent ground-ball rate in 215 career innings between the Pirates and Marlins.
Here’s more from the NL East…
- The exploits of Mets reliever Addison Reed are increasingly notable, as James Wagner of the New York Times and August Fagerstrom of Fangraphs each explore. He has changed his mechanics and approach since coming over to New York last August, and the results have been spectacular. Wagner looks into a seeming oddity: Reed has thrived despite — if not because — he puts the ball over the middle of the plate more than other pitchers. Fagerstrom breaks down the mechanical changes in detail and points out that no pitcher in baseball has fired more first-pitch strikes than Reed while also illustrating the difference in the location of Reed’s slider since his transformation.
- Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com looks back at the Phillies‘ 2016 season and highlights some positive takeaways, focusing on improvements from Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez, Odubel Herrera, Freddy Galvis and Cesar Hernandez. Lawrence also writes that A.J. Ellis has been such a positive influence in terms of not only his receiving but his skills as a teacher/mentor for the youthful roster that the Phils could have interest in re-signing him. As a follow-up, he wonders if the Phillies might, then, be willing to trade from their catching depth — the team has Cameron Rupp starting with Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp on the way — to acquire help for another area on the roster. Lawrence briefly speculates on the possibility of re-signing Ellis then dealing Rupp this offseason.
- While the Braves won’t formally say that Dansby Swanson is here to stay in the Majors, the praise that GM John Coppolella and interim manager Brian Snitker offered for Swanson when talking to MLB.com’s Danny Knobler certainly implies that there’s a belief that Swanson is done with the minor leagues for good. “This is a winning player, a special player,” said Coppolella of the 2015 No. 1 overall pick. Snitker explained that Swanson was promoted this season to prepare him for the 2017 campaign. “That’s the whole idea of why we wanted him here,” said Snitker, who also likened Swanson’s demeanor to that of John Smoltz and Tom Glavine early in their careers. “Now, going to Spring Training, he’s not going to be in awe of anything. He’s getting a jump-start on guys he’ll face next year.”