White Sox Maintain High Asking Price On Quintana
The White Sox remain undeterred in seeking to obtain a big haul for sturdy lefty Jose Quintana, according to a report from Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. With three years of affordable control remaining after the current season, the rebuilding organization probably doesn’t need to deal Quintana this summer.
To this point, the team has stood on that notable piece of leverage, continuing to ask for “two very top prospects” in its conversations with interested rivals. The South Siders have pressed the Astros for Francis Martes and Kyle Tucker, while asking the Yankees to headline a deal with either Gleyber Torres or Clint Frazier.
That strategy seemed in danger of backfiring earlier this year, as Quintana stumbled out of the gates. But the 28-year-old has righted the ship of late, perhaps restoring any lost shine.
Quintana has thrown only 104 1/3 frames over 18 starts, putting him shy of a 200-inning pace, though he has yet to exhibit any health issues. (More broadly, durability is one of the lefty’s chief attributes.) His 15.5% K%-BB% is a near-exact match for the numbers he carried over the prior three campaigns. A rise in home runs allowed (1.21 per nine) is perhaps the largest single factor differentiating Quintana’s current campaign from the five strong seasons that came before.
If teams buy into the improved form Quintana has shown since the start of June — 45 strikeouts and just 12 earned runs over forty frames — then perhaps they’ll be willing to meet the steep asking price. Then again, his less-than-dominant form over the course of the current season raises yet more questions about just how hard contenders should push to get him.
For the Astros, Heyman notes, Quintana may not really be as impactful an arm as the team would prefer to acquire. That makes sense: Houston is running off with the AL West and has many quality rotation options, but would love to add a true lock-down starter to the top of its staff.
In fact, the ‘Stros have gone so far as to ask the Mets about star righty Jacob deGrom, per the report. (Tom Verducci of SI.com had previously reported some level of interest.) He’d likely be a more impactful addition, though there’s still no reason to think the Mets have any interest in even considering a deal.
As it stands, teams like the Astros and Yankees are continuing to “look around for alternatives,” per the report. But the lack of obviously available pitchers of comparable or better quality — with the exception, it seems, of Sonny Gray — represents another key element of the White Sox’ bargaining position. Just how things will turn out remains to be seen, but to this point the long standoff continues.
Cashman On Yankees’ Trade Deadline Approach
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman sat down the YES Network’s Michael Kay prior to yesterday’s first-half finale to discuss his team’s philosophy with the non-waiver trade deadline just three weeks away (video link). Cashman labeled the Yankees as “careful buyers,” with the implication being that the team will strive to improve its playoff hopes in 2017 without significantly mortgaging its future by trading away its very best minor leaguers.
“We have a long-term plan that I think people are seeing the excitement from, and we’re definitely not going to deviate from that,” said Cashman. “…Part of that long-term plan is in the short term — winning now and putting out the best effort possible, but not at the expense of what we feel can lead us to more championships, plural. … If we can find that balancing act and retain the players we desperately need to retain … I think that’s the walk we’re trying to walk.”
Cashman specifically lamented the fact that the team has had to scramble to piece together its relief corps in recent weeks, noting that scenarios like relief prospect Ronald Herrera flying cross-country to Anaheim and making his MLB debut in the eighth inning that same night is far from ideal. The New York GM also flatly called his team’s output from first base in 2017 “horrific.” That’s due largely to injuries to Greg Bird and Tyler Austin, and it remains to be seen if Bird will get back on the field and contribute at all in the season’s second half.
Per Cashman, Bird is receiving further opinions on his ankle today, so it’s possible that there’ll be an update on him in the near future. The Yankees, it seems, are waiting to gather a bit more information on that front before taking any type of action. What seems clear based on Cashman’s comments, though, is that even if it’s determined that a first-base upgrade is needed in 2017, it’s likely to be short-term help.
“[Bird] is the best scenario,” said Cashman. “This guy is a hell of a ballplayer when right and when healthy. He’s been unhealthy, obviously, for the first half. That was unexpected. It’s gone on for an extended period of time. … At the end of the day, our personal preference is that this guy should be manning first base for years to come. We’re doing everything we can with him, his agency, to find the answers to the questions that currently ail him. If not, we’ll try to fix it while keeping in mind that Greg Bird is still the future first baseman.”
MLBTR’s Connor Byrne recently ran down a number of plausible first base options for the Yankees. While several of those potentially available first basemen are longer-term assets that clash with Cashman’s comments, others such as Yonder Alonso and Lucas Duda are impending free agents that align more closely with that long-term plan (depending on the asking price, of course). White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier, too, is another free-agent-to-be that comes with a fairly significant amount of experience at first base.
Ultimately, Cashman was straightforward in suggesting that his aim is to be active on this year’s trade market, telling Kay: We hope to do something, but I’m not going to guarantee anything’s going to happen.” The team, in fact, has already been active in talks for several weeks, though Cashman referenced lofty “sticker prices” from selling clubs, adding that he believes fans would be thankful that he’s turned away the offers that have been presented to him thus far due to the extreme asking prices in terms of prospect capital.
Marlins’ President Hill On Team’s Trade Talks
The Marlins have been perhaps the most oft-discussed teams in baseball with MLB’s non-waiver trade deadline just three weeks away, but president of baseball operations Michael Hill threw some cold water on rumors surrounding some of the team’s most appealing assets. Speaking to FanRag’s Jon Heyman, Hill stated that the Marlins “aren’t talking about” controllable stars Christian Yelich, J.T. Realmuto and Marcell Ozuna in trade discussions.
[Related: Taking Inventory — Miami Marlins | Marlins Depth Chart]
Asked specifically about first baseman Justin Bour and right-hander Dan Straily, Hill offered similar sentiments, stating that Bour “goes into the same basket” and that Straily’s status as a successful, pre-arbitration pitcher lands him in that same category. The recently extended Miami president stopped short of suggesting that Giancarlo Stanton was off limits, though Hill does say that the Marlins haven’t put his name out to other teams. And, of course, Stanton has a full no-trade clause and an enormous sum remaining on his 13-year contract, making it tough for another team to take on his contract anyway.
Hill’s comments mesh with yesterday’s report from the New York Post’s Joel Sherman suggesting that Miami’s primary focus is on dealing away its more expensive relievers (e.g. Brad Ziegler, AJ Ramos, David Phelps) and other veterans on the roster, with names like Martin Prado and Edinson Volquez both popping up as of late. Of course, any developments in the apparently ceaseless negotiations of a sale of the Marlins could impact deadline maneuverings. (Heyman has a separate update on the latest developments on that front.) But, it’s nonetheless notable to see Miami’s head of baseball ops firmly suggest that the team’s most appealing assets are likely to remain in house, as things stand.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale recently reported that the Fish have had talks with three clubs about second baseman Dee Gordon as well, and a Marlins source confirmed to Heyman that his name has at least been mentioned in talks, though there’s nothing in either report to indicate that talks are serious. (I’ll note that I respectfully disagree with Heyman when it comes to Gordon’s contract being a “vast overpay”; the 29-year-old remains a quality defender and one of MLB’s top baserunners in addition to a solid .295/.342/.358 batting line, helping to mask his lack of pop.) Heyman adds that it’s a similar story with Prado, who has been connected to both the Yankees and Red Sox but isn’t high on either club’s list.
Even with the team’s top names unlikely to be marketed, Miami could still fetch varying levels of interest in Ramos, Phelps, Kyle Barraclough, Dustin McGowan, Volquez, Derek Dietrich and Tom Koehler, so there could still be plenty of action for the Marlins on the trade market.
Furthermore, it stands to reason that the Marlins will be more open to parting with larger names once this week’s All-Star festivities have passed. In addition to the fact that the league generally frowns on trades during this time, urging teams not to take focus off the Midsummer Classic and its surrounding festivities, Miami is hosting this year’s event. Embarking on a significant fire sale before the All-Star Game rolls through town isn’t a good look for any franchise’s fans.
Quick Hits: Prospects, Bruce, Ramos, Phelps, Yankees, Marlins, Weaver
Yoan Moncada sits atop both the midseason top 100 prospect rankings from Baseball America and the top 50 list from Baseball Prospectus. The two lists have different methodologies in compiling the rankings (for instance, BA includes 2017 draft picks while BP doesn’t) but obviously are in agreement about the value of several top minor leaguers, with Moncada as the consensus choice. The White Sox prospect has a very solid but not dominant .282/.380/.451 slash line over 334 plate appearances at Triple-A this season, and with 93 strikeouts on his record, plate discipline is still something of a question mark. Of course, Moncada struck out in 12 of his 20 big league plate appearances last season during his first taste of MLB action. Though the White Sox have been somewhat non-committal about when Moncada will get called up, the 22-year-old is likely to make his debut in a White Sox uniform at some point late this season.
Here’s some more from around baseball…
- Jay Bruce‘s contract contains partial no-trade protection against eight teams, and the octet on Bruce’s list hasn’t changed since the offseason, James Wagner of the New York Times writes. The eight teams in question are the Athletics, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Phillies, Rays, Twins, and Yankees. The Mets outfielder isn’t likely to be targeted by many of those teams anyway, be it for financial reasons, fit reasons or because at least three of those clubs are looking like deadline sellers themselves.
- The Yankees are one of the many teams interested in Marlins relievers AJ Ramos and David Phelps, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
- Also from Sherman’s piece, the Marlins have gotten “a few nibbles” on Edinson Volquez and Brad Ziegler. Miami appears to be concentrating on dealing relievers and veterans under multi-year contracts like Volquez and Ziegler, and the club’s biggest names seem to be staying put for now, though “the situation is fluid,” according to both Marlins officials and officials on rival teams. Sherman includes right-hander Dan Straily on the list of Miami’s untouchable-for-now core players, which makes sense given that Straily is enjoying a strong season and is controllable for three more seasons. The Marlins are scouting over 20 different farm systems for potential trade pieces.
- It’s unclear if Padres righty Jered Weaver will ever pitch again, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. If Weaver does resume his career, Lin doesn’t expect it to happen in San Diego (Twitter link). The 34-year-old Weaver, who has been on the disabled list with left hip inflammation in late May, is working on his health in San Diego, according to manager Andy Green. The club has given Weaver “latitude to explore some things,” and there’s no timetable for his return, per Green. Before Weaver landed on the shelf, the former Angels ace recorded unsightly numbers (7.44 ERA, 7.99 FIP) over nine starts and 42 1/3 innings.
Sherman’s Latest: Matz, Padres, Maurer, Yankees, Rangers, Smith, Mariners
Officials from several teams tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that this year’s deadline market is lacking in top-tier starting pitching. Jose Quintana and Sonny Gray are the top names available, though both have their share of flaws; Quintana’s rather shaky performance this year and Gray’s long-term health are concerns. With the market thin on aces, Sherman wonder if the Cardinals and Tigers would consider shopping controllable young stars Carlos Martinez or Michael Fulmer, each of whom would score an enormous return at the deadline. The Cards and Tigers could get more than the prospect package the White Sox landed for Chris Sale last winter since so many teams would be vying for those stars. It should be noted, however, that “there is no indication whatsoever” that either St. Louis or Detroit would even consider moving either pitcher.
Here’s more from Sherman in the previously-linked article and in two other pieces (first link, second link)…
- Mets officials dismissed any notion of trading Steven Matz, in relation to Sherman’s consideration of teams trading controllable young arms. Elbow problems kept Matz from debuting until June, and he has a 2.12 ERA through five starts, though advanced metrics paint a much less impressive view of Matz’s performance. While the lefty would be a big trade chip if made available, it’s also certainly understandable why the Mets see him as a future building block, especially since Matz hasn’t even reached arbitration eligibility yet.
- The Padres have received interest in starters Trevor Cahill, Jhoulys Chacin and Clayton Richard, as well as relievers Craig Stammen and Jose Torres.
- The Yankees have already been linked to Padres reliever Brad Hand, but Sherman reports that closer Brandon Maurer‘s name has also come up in talks between the two teams. Maurer has a 5.60 ERA over 35 1/3 IP for San Diego this year but he has been victimized by a inordinately low 52.9% strand rate. ERA indicators (2.95 FIP, 3.56 xFIP, 3.31 SIERA) and his peripheral numbers (8.92 K/9, 5.00 K/BB rate) paint a much more positive view of his 2017 performance. San Diego had interest in Gleyber Torres prior to his Tommy John surgery, though officials from the Padres and other teams believe that the Yankees’ farm system is deep enough that they’ll be able to make deals without moving any of their top prospects.
- Control may be more of a commodity than pure talent in the reliever market, according to one NL executive. “My sense is that if you have a reliever who is under control through at least next year, you can expect more interest and a greater return than for a slightly better reliever who is a free agent after this season,” the executive said.
- One team is looking to add controllable pieces both its bullpen and in general is the Rangers, in a return to their strategy from the 2015 deadline. One AL official feels Texas will add one or two relievers, and whomever the Rangers may add, “I would be shocked if that player did not have control through at least next season.”
- The Red Sox are still waiting to see if Carson Smith can be a bullpen asset for them this season before fully exploring the relief market. Smith is expected to start mound work this week as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery, though his process was already delayed when he was shut down from throwing for a spell last month. Given that it would surprising to see Smith even return to action before July 31, one would think Boston will end up looking at relief help and counting on Smith only as a potential bonus down the stretch.
- The Mariners are one of only a few teams open to adding payroll in deadline trades, which one official describes as not “as good as having prospects, but it is an asset.” The M’s began 2017 with a record payroll of more than $155.2MM, so with such a major financial investment already made, it makes sense that GM Jerry Dipoto and company are willing to spend a bit more to get the team over the hump. Dipoto recently stated that the team is still planning to add at the deadline, though Seattle ends the first half with a 43-47 record (albeit four games out of a wild card spot).
AL Notes: Quintana, Royals, Vargas, Rays
Scouts from the Yankees, Orioles, Royals, Angels, Blue Jays and Cardinals were in Colorado watching White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana pitch on Saturday, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Some of those teams likely don’t have the prospect capital to assemble a package for the on-the-block Quintana, so observing his outing may have been due diligence in certain cases (or those clubs could’ve been on hand to scout other players). Regardless, Quintana didn’t disappoint, striking out 10 over 5 1/3 innings, after which he indicated that his preference is to remain with the White Sox. At the same time, Quintana acknowledged that the decision is up to team brass. “Absolutely. I want to stay here,” he said.“But they know what’s the best for us, so I just try to do my job and that’s it.”
More from the American League:
- Royals right-handed pitching prospect Ashe Russell, 20, “is going through some personal things” and has taken a “mental break” from baseball, assistant general manager J.J. Picollo told Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star earlier this week. Russell’s agent, Steve Canter, addressed his client’s status Saturday, telling FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that the 2015 first-round pick “absolutely loves the game” and will return to it. “Ashe Russell hasn’t quit baseball,” said Canter. “He’s having trouble with his pitching mechanics. He’s made tons of progress but needed a change of scenery away from the complex in Surprise.”
- At the major league level, the Royals have gotten stunning production this season from soft-tossing left-hander Jason Vargas, who has managed an AL-best 2.62 ERA over 106 1/3 frames in his age-34 campaign. The first-time All-Star hadn’t eclipsed the 100-inning mark since 2014, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2015 after accruing just 43 IP that year and only racked up 12 frames in his return last season. As Dodd details, it seems Vargas is actually benefiting from having suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. While Vargas was rehabbing, Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland noticed that his release point had dropped roughly 2 inches. That arm slot adjustment has helped the impending free agent’s change-up go from good to dominant, writes Dodd, who notes that FanGraphs ranks Vargas’ change as the most valuable in the league this year. “They don’t see it,” Eiland said of hitters. “The arm speed. The delivery. They can’t pick it up.”
- GM Erik Neader spoke with Mark Feinsand of MLB.com about the Rays’ 2017 success and suggested that the playoff contenders will attempt to upgrade around the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. “I think it’s important to never take situations where you’re in it competitively for granted,” stated Neander, whose 46-43 team is tied with Minnesota for the AL’s second wild-card spot. “The way the standings are right now, we’re definitely in the mix. You always have to balance; there’s always a premium to adding immediate contributions to your Major League team, and that typically comes at a cost to the future of your organization beyond the current year.” While it doesn’t seem as if a significant move is coming, the Rays will look to address their bullpen, reports Feinsand. Rays relievers rank toward the bottom of the majors in both ERA (22nd) and fWAR (18th), though Brad Boxberger‘s recent return from injury should help their cause.
Yankees May Have Interest In Brad Hand
The Padres’ David Post, who’s a special assistant to general manager A.J. Preller, has been following the Yankees’ Triple-A team in Scranton Wilkes/Barre, reports George A. King III of the New York Post. There’s a sense in the industry that Post is doing so because the Yankees are interested in coveted Padres reliever Brad Hand, according to King.
This isn’t the first recent connection between these teams, as the Padres contacted the Yankees about their No. 1 prospect, Triple-A infielder Gleyber Torres, in June. It remains difficult to imagine the Yankees moving the highly regarded Torres, though, despite the fact that he underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on his left elbow last month.
While Torres is unable to take the field and other touted youngsters in outfielder Clint Frazier and utilityman Tyler Wade are currently in the majors, the Yankees still have a couple intriguing pieces at the Triple-A level. Right-hander Chance Adams, Baseball America’s 56th-ranked prospect, and third baseman Miguel Andujar jump to the fore. The 22-year-old Andujar, who got a brief taste of major league action last month, is the Yankees’ ninth-best prospect, per MLB Pipeline.
The Yankees also have enticing prospects at lower levels, so it’s possible the Padres could ask for youth from both Triple-A and elsewhere if the two discuss Hand. While that’s merely speculation, it is easy to see why the Yankees would want to upgrade their bullpen. Their relievers rank an impressive sixth in the majors in ERA and seventh in fWAR, but the group has been instrumental in a 7-17 skid that has seen the Yankees drop from first place in the AL East to 3.5 games back in the division and only a game up in the wild-card race.
Longtime relief aces Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances haven’t been their usual lights-out selves, and fellow established veteran Tyler Clippard has pitched more like a DFA candidate than someone capable of handling high-leverage innings. Hand looks worthy of taking the ball in key situations, though, considering he’s in the midst of his second straight excellent season. The 27-year-old southpaw ranks fourth among relievers in innings (47) and has registered a 2.30 ERA, 11.49 K/9, 2.49 BB/9 and a 48.6 percent ground-ball rate. Hand, a first-time All-Star, has also dominated hitters from either side of the plate, having held lefties to a .192/.300/.365 line and righties to an even weaker .203/.262/.293.
Hand’s production indicates his presence would be a boon to any contender’s bullpen this season, and with two more years of arbitration eligibility remaining, he’d be more than a Band-Aid. Of course, those factors – not to mention his cheap salary ($1.375MM) – will make Hand one of the majors’ most in-demand players around the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Given that they’re in a full rebuild, the Padres will probably cash in Hand for prospects in the coming weeks, but it’s not so easy to believe that the Yankees will end up with him. General manager Brian Cashman is only a year removed from giving up the since-re-signed Chapman and arguably the best left-handed reliever in baseball, Andrew Miller, in deals to boost his farm system. As effective as Hand has been, the idea of Cashman reversing course 12 months later and surrendering high-end youth for a reliever seems improbable.
Cafardo’s Latest: Neshek, Royals, BoSox, Yanks, Cobb, Prado
The latest pre-trade deadline rumblings from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:
- The Royals, Red Sox and Yankees are among the teams that have scouted Phillies reliever Pat Neshek, according to Cafardo. They join the Nationals as clubs with known interest in the right-handed Neshek, who is likely on other bullpen-needy teams’ radars, too. The 36-year-old Neshek joined the Phillies last offseason in a salary-dumping deal with the Astros, but the $6.5MM man should warrant a much stronger return at the deadline. An impending free agent, Neshek is in the midst of his second All-Star season, having logged a 1.31 ERA, 8.91 K/9 and 1.31 BB/9 over 34 1/3 innings.
- With the Rays in the thick of the American League playoff race, it appears soon-to-be free agent righty Alex Cobb will finish the season in Tampa Bay. “If we’re in it, I don’t think Alex Cobb is going anywhere,” a Rays official told Cafardo. The Rays will likely lose Cobb for nothing at season’s end, then, though moving him this summer would seemingly be a blow to their playoff hopes. In Cobb’s first extensive action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2015, the 29-year-old has put up a 3.75 ERA (4.13 FIP), 5.93 K/9, 2.34 BB/9 and a 45.4 percent ground-ball rate across 115 1/3 frames.
- The Red Sox and Yankees have checked in on Marlins third baseman Martin Prado, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today previously reported, but Cafardo relays that Boston and New York have concerns over the 33-year-old’s contract. Prado is due roughly $34MM through 2019, which is problematic for both teams because they’re trying to stay under the $197MM luxury tax threshold. As such, the Red Sox and Yankees have asked the Marlins to eat some of the money on Prado’s deal. Injuries have limited Prado to just 123 plate appearances this season, and he has hit a meager .282/.309/.402. Nevertheless, both the Sox and Yankees admire his “leadership, hustle, and devotion to the game,” writes Cafardo. The Bombers are already quite familiar with Prado, of course, as he spent the second half of the 2014 campaign in the Bronx.
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/6/17
Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the game…
- The Yankees announced that outfielder Mason Williams has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Williams, 25, has seen brief MLB action in each of the past three seasons. But he was struggling badly on the year at Triple-A, posting a .252/.298/.296 batting line over 251 plate appearances.
- Outfielder Michael Reed has been outrighted off the Brewers‘ 40-man roster to Double-A, per a club announcement. Milwaukee did not announce a corresponding roster move. The 24-year-old Reed has played in 15 major league ballgames since the start of the 2015 season, but now loses his 40-man spot. While the NL Central-leading Brewers haven’t yet filled it, they’ll be hunting for additions at the deadline and are already loaded with other young outfielders. Reed will remain at Biloxi, where he owns a .209/.347/.356 slash in 199 trips to the plate.
Marlins Notes: Trade Targets, Volquez, Sale Progress
Here’s the latest out of Miami:
- With the team set to be sold at some point in the near future, the Marlins appear to be lining up for some significant moves at the deadline. As Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports, the Fish appear to be targeting a few organizations in particular as they look to shop their biggest contracts. Marlins scouts are taking a hard look at the systems of the Yankees, Red Sox, Brewers, Rockies, and Cubs, per the report. Whether that’s based upon demand coming from those organizations or instead Miami’s own interest in certain prospects isn’t entirely clear; obviously, plenty of other teams will likely end up engaging with the Marlins in what is shaping up to be an interesting deadline period.
- Miami is not concerned about righty Edinson Volquez, Spencer also notes. Though he experienced left-knee discomfort in his most recent start, skipper Don Mattingly suggested the veteran will be ready to go after the All-Star break. He could well be one of the players dangled in trade talks over the next few weeks.
- The less-than-straightforward Marlins sale process remains in flux as the organization prepares to host the All-Star Game. Bidding groups led by Tagg Romney, on the one hand, and Derek Jeter, on the other, have each run into issues, according to a report from Claire Atinson, Ken Davidoff, and Josh Kosman of the New York Post. In fact, the Romney group may even have pulled out of the process altogether, per the report. Jeter’s group, meanwhile, no longer has the backing of one key investor. That could place a third bidder, Jorge Mas, in position to make a deal. But it’s also possible that Jeter could try to “convince MLB to push back a decision date … possibly to the end of the season in October,” sources tell the Post.
- Mas has attempted to get the Marlins to agree to an exclusive negotiating window, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag, but that has yet to occur. Still, the report suggests, the process could be only weeks away from completion. While Mas is said to be in the driver’s seat, Heyman hears that the Romney-led group may still be involved.