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Yankees Promote Clarke Schmidt

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The Yankees have selected right-hander Clarke Schmidt’s contract, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News was among those to report. They optioned righty Ben Heller in a corresponding move.

The 24-year-old Schmidt, whom the Yankees chose 16th overall in the 2017 draft, has become one of their highest-regarded prospects, owing in part to impressive minor league production. He divided last season between High-A and Double-A, combining for a 3.47 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 90 2/3 innings.

In the wake of his 2019 performance, Schmidt earned top 100 prospect rankings at The Athletic (No. 51), Baseball America (No. 64), ESPN.com (82), and MLB.com (94). Keith Law of The Athletic wrote that the former Tommy John patient has a chance to turn into a No. 3-4 starter in the majors.

If Schmidt’s able to provide mid-rotation type of production immediately, it would be a boost to the playoff-contending Yankees, whose starting staff hasn’t lived up to expectations in 2020. Gerrit Cole hasn’t given the club the elite production it anticipated when it signed him to a nine-year, $324MM contract last winter; James Paxton has dealt with injuries and struggled when healthy; and J.A. Happ and Jordan Montgomery have fallen flat. The Yankees’ best starter has been Masahiro Tanaka, who has logged a 3.38 ERA/3.85 FIP over 26 2/3 innings.

Yankees Place Gio Urshela, Jonathan Loaisiga On Injured List

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The Yankees announced Friday that third baseman Gio Urshela and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga have been placed on the 10-day injured list. Urshela is dealing with a bone spur in his right elbow, while Loasigia has “a medical condition that prevents him from playing and necessitates placement on the injured list,” per the team’s release. Manager Aaron Boone tells reporters (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler) that Loaisiga’s condition is not Covid-19 related. Infielder/outfielder Miguel Andujar and righty Miguel Yajure are up from the team’s alternate site.

Urshela, 28, has continued last year’s breakout showing in 2020, getting out to a very strong .272/.358/.515 start at the plate and swatting six homers in his first 120 plate appearances. He heads to the injured list, alongside shortstop Gleyber Torres, less than a week after DJ LeMahieu returned from the injured list. The Yankees are also without key sluggers Aaron Judge (strained calf) and Giancarlo Stanton (strained hamstring).

There’s no further information on Loaisiga at this point. It’s a rather ominous update on the 25-year-old righty, who has pitched quite well in 17 frames with the Yankees in 2020. Loaisiga has a 20-to-4 K/BB ratio and a 3.18 ERA in that short time, and he’s also induced grounders at a solid 48.8 percent clip. His absence will be felt by the Yankee pitching staff, but the greater concern is his overall well-being. Best wishes to the young right-hander on a full recovery.

Jordy Mercer Accepts Outright Assignment

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The Yankees announced that veteran infielder Jordy Mercer has accepted an outright assignment to the team’s alternate training site. He was designated for assignment Tuesday, just days after having his contract selected on Aug. 28. Mercer has enough service time that he could’ve rejected the assignment in favor of free agency, but he’ll instead head to the Yankees’ alternate site. As a result, he’ll remain in New York’s 60-man player pool and be eligible to return later in the season should the team wish to re-add him to the 40-man roster.

Mercer, 34, went 2-for-11 with a pair of walks in six games and 13 total plate appearances with the Yankees. The nine-year MLB veteran was Pittsburgh’s everyday shortstop from 2013-18, hitting .257/.317/.383 in 779 games along the way.

Mercer spent last year with the Tigers — his first anywhere other than the Pirates — and salvaged what was shaping up to be a dismal season with an excellent .312/.343/.512 slash in his final 48 games. He returned to the Tigers in 2020 but was cut loose early in the year when they opted to give younger talent a look as their rebuild progresses. He can play all over the infield, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see Mercer return later this month should an injury pop up in the Yankees’ infield.

Suspensions Issued To Yankees, Rays

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3:33pm: Chapman will appeal his suspension, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com was among those to report.

3:01pm: Major League Baseball has issued suspensions to Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman and manager Aaron Boone for their conduct during Tuesday’s win over Tampa Bay. Rays manager Kevin Cash also received a short ban. Chapman will sit for three games, while the two managers will be suspended for a game apiece. Boone and Cash will serve those penalties in the clubs’ matchup Wednesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Whether Chapman will actually miss three games remains to be seen, as he could appeal his ban in an effort to reduce it. However, MLB noted in its statement that Chapman “intentionally” threw at the head of the Rays’ Mike Brosseau in the teams’ game Tuesday, which could make it harder to land a reduced ban. Chapman uncorked a 101 mph fastball at Brosseau at a time when the Yankees were nursing a two-run lead with two outs in the ninth inning of an important game. With their victory, the Yankees moved to within 3 1/2 games of Tampa Bay in the American League East.

Chapman went on to strike out Brosseau to finish the game, but it got heated afterward. Both benches cleared, and the two division rivals continued taking shots at one another during postgame interviews. Cash fired back at the Yankees, saying the Rays have “a whole damn stable full of guys that throw 98 mph,” which seemed to suggest they wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate against the Bronx Bombers. Boone called Cash’s comment “pretty scary,” meanwhile, and Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier admitted that neither side likes one another. The two teams’ disdain toward one another could make a September division race and perhaps a playoff series even more interesting.

Yankees Activate Zack Britton, Kyle Higashioka; Designate Jordy Mercer

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The Yankees have activated left-hander Zack Britton and catcher Kyle Higashioka off the 10-day injured list, the team announced.  Right-hander Miguel Yajure was optioned to the team’s alternate training site last night, and another roster spot was opened up when infielder Jordy Mercer was designated for assignment.

Britton’s back after landing on the IL on Aug. 20 with a strained left hamstring. As has been the case for most of his career, Britton pitched well before then, throwing nine innings of two-earned run ball with six hits and four walks allowed (nine strikeouts). He’ll now resume his role as the top setup man for closer Aroldis Chapman on a Yankees team that has been reeling of late.

Mercer had a brief run on the 40-man for the Yankees, who selected him Aug. 28 as they dealt with injured to middle infielders DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres (LeMahieu has since returned).  Previously a regular with the Pirates and Tigers, Mercer went 2-for-11 as a Yankee with a pair of singles before they booted him from their roster.

AL East Trade Deadline Recap

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With the deadline in the rearview mirror, we’ll look back at each AL East team’s trade activity over the past month.

Baltimore Orioles

Boston Red Sox

New York Yankees

Tampa Bay Rays

Toronto Blue Jays

Latest On Lance Lynn Trade Talks

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The Rangers have already shipped out starter Mike Minor to the A’s, so now all eyes are on righty Lance Lynn.  The 33-year-old righty sports a 3.33 ERA in 41 starts for the Rangers since they signed him prior to the 2019 season, and he’s under contract for just $8MM in 2021.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the Rangers may be motivated to avoid repeating the mistake they made with Minor, holding him last summer when he was at peak value with control remaining.

  • The Braves, who picked up lefty Tommy Milone in a deal with the Orioles yesterday, have been in contact with the Rangers regarding Lynn within the last 48 hours, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
  • The Yankees have also been involved in Lynn’s market during that time, tweets Morosi.  Lynn’s resurgence began with his two-month stint with the Yankees back in 2018.  MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan notes that the Rangers “would love RHP Deivi Garcia from the Yankees but he is likely out of reach.”  On a similar note, Sherman hears the Yankees don’t have an appetite to move Garcia, to date.
  • The Padres “explored separate trades” with the Rangers for Lynn and outfielder Joey Gallo before acquiring Mike Clevinger from the Indians, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.  I would speculate that with Clevinger tow, it’s (relatively) safe to assume the Padres are out on Lynn.  Similarly, the A’s were previously connected to Lynn but have since landed Minor.
  • Previous connections to Lynn have been made for the Twins, Blue Jays, and White Sox, so those teams may still be in play.  According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca, the Jays had been linked to Minor before he was dealt to Oakland, and the Rangers “are intrigued by [the] Jays’ young catching.”

Latest On Mike Clevinger

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AUG. 31: The Blue Jays “don’t seem to be heavily involved on Clevinger,” according to Heyman, who lists the Padres, Braves and perhaps the White Sox as teams that appear to be in the mix.

AUG. 30, 9:48PM: The Blue Jays also have interest in Clevinger, Heyman tweets, but it isn’t known if Toronto is the “mystery team.”

8:07PM: Speculation continues to swirl about a possible Mike Clevinger trade, with multiple reports surfacing earlier tonight that the Padres had seemingly moved into the driver’s seat for the Indians righty.  The most recent word, however, is that other teams may have pulled ahead of San Diego, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter links) reports that the Tribe “have requested players’ physicals from at least two teams” but haven’t asked the Padres to submit such information. 

A mystery team has made a better offer for Clevinger than the Padres, Nightengale writes.  MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (Twitter links) reported earlier tonight that the Braves were still in the Clevinger sweepstakes even though the Padres were the “frontrunners” at the time, and two rival executives told Feinsand that Atlanta could very well be the team “making an aggressive play” to now top San Diego’s offer.  Top outfield prospect Drew Waters was reportedly part of the Indians’ trade ask from the Braves, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter).

The Padres don’t seem to be willing to move either Trent Grisham or Jake Cronenworth, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter links), which could be a roadblock in a potential Clevinger trade.  Also from Heyman, the Yankees don’t appear to be the mystery team in the Clevinger hunt, as there is “no belief anything’s close” between New York and Cleveland.

The White Sox and Dodgers were also rumored to be interested in Clevinger earlier today, and with this much buzz around the right-hander, one wonders how close Cleveland might get to someone meeting its reportedly “ridiculous” asking price in any Clevinger trade.

Central News & Rumors: Hader, Burnes, Twins, Norris, Romine, Tigers, Chatwood, Gio

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The Brewers are receiving a lot of interest on Josh Hader and Corbin Burnes, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (all links to Twitter), though there isn’t any sign that Milwaukee would consider moving either reliever for anything less than a major offer, particularly for Hader.  Brett Anderson or David Phelps are perhaps more realistic options to be dealt if the Brewers opt to move an arm.  The Yankees and Twins are two of the clubs who have been in touch with the Brew Crew about Hader, but there hasn’t been much indication that talks led anywhere.

Let’s dive into some news and trade buzz from around both the NL and AL Central divisions…

  • The Tigers are drawing interest in catcher Austin Romine and left-hander Daniel Norris, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports in both a tweet and a longer notes column.  The Rays are one team linked to Norris, who has impressed by posting a 2.40 ERA, 7.2 K/9, and 4.00 K/BB rate over 15 innings.  The former second-round draft pick has been plagued by injuries throughout his career and missed part of Summer Camp recovering from a positive COVID-19 test, though he has performed well as a multi-inning reliever for the Tigers this year.  Romine has also enjoyed a strong season with a .291/.309/.418 slash line over 81 PA, though his trade chip status could have a late wrinkle — the Tigers scratched him from today’s lineup due to right knee soreness.
  • Tyler Chatwood left today’s outing due to right elbow discomfort, according to the Cubs.  The righty bounced a pitch to the plate in the third inning, with manager David Ross telling ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers and other reporters that Chatwood initially felt a problem while throwing a breaking ball on the previous pitch.  Chatwood was making his second start back from the injured list after missing much of August with a back strain.  Elbow problems aren’t good news for any pitcher, though it is particularly concerning in Chatwood’s case since he already has a Tommy John surgery on his record.
  • The injury bug also struck on the south side of Chicago, as the White Sox placed left-hander Gio Gonzalez on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to August 27) with a right groin strain.  Gonzalez’s first year with the Sox hasn’t been a smooth one, as he has a 5.11 ERA over 24 2/3 innings and a 1.5 HR/9 that is almost twice his 0.8 career average.  His most recent outing was, intriguingly, 3 2/3 inning of shutout relief against the Cubs, which could hint at Gonzalez’s role for the White Sox when he returns from the IL.

Starling Marte, Archie Bradley Drawing Trade Interest

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10:58PM: The Diamondbacks informed teams earlier this month that they were open to discussing almost anyone on the roster, the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro reports.  Ketel Marte, Zac Gallen, and Christian Walker were among the club’s few untouchables.

6:14PM: With a 1-10 record over their last 11 games, the Diamondbacks are listening to offers heading into the trade deadline.  The Snakes are “open” to discussing such major names as Starling Marte and Archie Bradley, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link).  In a longer subscription-only notes post, Rosenthal reports that the Astros have shown interest in Bradley, while the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports that the Yankees have “checked in” on Marte’s availability.

While the Yankees are loaded with outfielders on paper, injuries to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have thinned the depth, and Aaron Hicks just left today’s game with a potential injury to his leg.  Marte would presumably immediately take over as the everyday center fielder, with Brett Gardner, Mike Tauchman, Clint Frazier, and Hicks if he’s healthy all handling corner outfield (and maybe DH alongside Mike Ford) duties until Judge and Stanton return.

Marte would also provide New York with potential longer-term help, as his contract contains a $12.5MM club option ($1MM buyout) for the 2021 season.  Barring something unforeseen, the Yankees would surely exercise that option rather than let Marte leave for nothing, though they could potentially pick up Marte’s option and then flip him in another trade.  Or, having Marte around to provide All-Star level production for at least one year could make the Yankees more open to moving Tauchman or Frazier in a deal this winter.  (Assuming, hypothetically, that neither would be included as part of a Marte trade with Arizona in the first place.)  Adding yet another outfielder with control could also spell the end of Gardner’s long tenure in the Bronx, as Gardner will himself be a free agent this winter if the Yankees decline their $10MM option on his services for 2021.

“The Yankees are believed to not want to add much, if any salary,” Sherman writes, which could be a complicating factor in a potential Marte trade.  The veteran is earning the prorated portion of an original $11.5MM salary, and is owed a little under $2MM for the remainder of the 2020 campaign.

It was a little more than seven months ago that Marte was part of another major swap, coming to the D’Backs from the Pirates in a trade that Arizona thought would bolster the lineup of a potential contender.  While Marte has done his part (entering today with a .322/.396/.458 slash line over 134 PA), the Diamondbacks as a whole have underachieved, leading to the team’s pivot to being deadline sellers.

The Astros were already known to be looking at Robbie Ray as a potential addition, and now have apparently cast their eyes towards another arm in Bradley.  Like Marte, Bradley is also controlled through 2021, as Bradley has one more year of arbitration eligibility and should be due for a nice raise on his $4.1MM salary for 2020.  The Astros could see Bradley as a boost to both their 2020 and 2021 teams, as Roberto Osuna’s uncertain injury situation might yet lead to Osuna missing 2021 due to Tommy John surgery.

The righty has performed well as Arizona’s closer, posting a 3.60 ERA, 10.8 K/9, and 4.00 K/BB rate over 10 innings entering today’s play.  While Bradley hasn’t surrendered any homers, Statcast indicates that Bradley has enjoyed some good luck (a .318 wOBA that is far beneath his .418 xwOBA) considering all the hard contact he allows.

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