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David Wright To Undergo Shoulder Surgery; T.J. Rivera To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

By Steve Adams | September 4, 2017 at 9:59am CDT

The Mets made another series of medical updates today, with the most significant news of the bunch being that infielders David Wright and T.J. Rivera will undergo surgery. Wright will have his right rotator cuff repaired, while Rivera will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow (with which he was diagnosed in late July). Additionally, left-hander Josh Edgin will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, and the Mets confirmed that Michael Conforto will undergo surgery to repair the posterior capsule in his left shoulder this week.

In more non-surgical updates, the Mets announced that Noah Syndergaard will make another rehab appearance on Thursday, while Wilmer Flores has sustained a broken nose and Amed Rosario has a contusion on his right index finger.

For Wright, the shoulder procedure in the latest of a seemingly ceaseless cavalcade of setbacks as he attempts to get back onto the field. The Mets’ captain hasn’t appeared in a big league game since May 1 of last season, and he has already undergone surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck over what is now shaping up to be a potential two-year layoff from Major League activity. Despite his considerable health issues, Wright is reportedly not considering retirement (as the Post’s Mike Puma wrote last week).

As for Rivera, it’s critical to note that the recovery process for position players that undergo Tommy John surgery is significantly shorter than it is for pitchers. Rather than the standard recovery of 12-plus months for pitchers, Rivera could conceivably be ready for action at some point early in the 2018 campaign. The Mets, however, have yet to provide any sort of timeline and likely won’t do so until the operation has been performed.

That holds true of Conforto as well, though there’s been no shortage of ink dedicated to the ominous nature of his injury. Capsule tears are significant and uncommon injuries, creating the possibility that Conforto will be sidelined for a notable chunk of the 2018 campaign.

As far as Edgin is concerned, the knee issue could mark the end of his tenure with the organization. The 30-year-old had already been outrighted off the 40-man roster, and this injury means that the Mets won’t select his contract and bring him back to the Majors. Edgin has enough service time to elect free agency following the campaign if not on the 40-man, and while he could always re-sign to return to the organization, he’ll now be able to field interest from all 29 other clubs as well.

Notable September Call-Ups

By Steve Adams | September 1, 2017 at 10:00pm CDT

September 1 marks the date on which regular-season rosters expand from 25 to 40 in Major League Baseball. While the merit of that rule and its impact on games are a source of debate — MLB games tend to increase considerably in length in September as managers can more freely make pitching changes with deeper bullpens — the fact remains that there could be more than 100 players promoted to the big leagues today as the first wave of call-ups arrives.

Many September call-ups are players that have experience already under their belt. Journeyman big leaguers with exceptionally specific roles (e.g. pinch-running and defensive specialists) become a luxury that teams can now afford, and many teams will bring up a third catcher or additional bullpen arms for depth, even if a long-term MLB role isn’t likely for said players.

Some promotions, though, are more notable than others. Big league teams will often use the month of September to get a look at their top organizational prospects, and in some instances September can provide a potential audition for former stars seeking to reestablish themselves. (The Orioles, for instance, were reported last night to be bringing slugger Pedro Alvarez up from Triple-A for the season’s final month.)

All that said, here are some of this year’s more notable September promotions (we’ll update throughout the day as more moves are announced)…

Four new youngsters are joining the Cardinals, the team announced. Outfielder Harrison Bader and infielder Alex Mejia were already on the 40-man, but the team has also gone ahead and added righty Sandy Alcantara and backstop Alberto Rosario. Alcantara is an interesting pitcher to keep an eye on, as he reputedly comes with a big arm and could contribute from the bullpen — though he’s still ironing things out as a starter after spending the year pitching to a 4.31 ERA at Double-A.
The Indians announced that they’ve recalled top catching prospect Francisco Mejia from Double-A Akron and selected the contract of outfielder Greg Allen from Akron, thus adding him to the 40-man roster. The 21-year-old Mejia is commonly regarded as one of the top 25 prospects in all of Major League Baseball and was reportedly the would-be centerpiece to the Jonathan Lucroy trade that Lucroy vetoed in 2016. Allen, too, was set to be a part of that trade but has instead remained in the Indians organization and will now join Mejia in donning a big league jersey for the first time this month.
Right-hander Fernando Salas will return to the Angels, who announced last night that his contract has been selected from Triple-A Salt Lake. Salas spent parts of three seasons as a useful bullpen arm for the Angels before a trade to the Mets last August. While he dominated for New York down the stretch, Salas was torched for a 6.00 ERA this year after re-signing with the Mets. He tossed three scoreless innings in Salt Lake City and will hope for a strong finish to bolster offseason interest.
The Blue Jays, too, will be getting another look at an old friend. Outfielder Michael Saunders is joining the Jays as a September call-up, tweets MLB.com’s Greg Johns. While Saunders is merely looking to show well in his return to the Majors after struggling badly with the Phillies earlier this season, another outfielder is looking to carve out a long-term role in Toronto; trade acquisition Teoscar Hernandez is also on his way to the Majors, per Johns. The 24-year-old Hernandez was acquired in the Francisco Liriano swap and has posted a combined .265/.351/.490 batting line in 456 Triple-A plate appearances this season.
The Mets are promoting right-handers Jacob Rhame and Jamie Callahan, tweets MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. While neither reliever is considered to be among the game’s best prospects — they rank 23rd and 30th, respectively, on MLB.com’s list of the Mets’ top 30 prospects — both were recently acquired on the trade market. Rhame came to the Mets from the Dodgers as the return for Curtis Granderson, while Callahan arrived in Queens by way of the Addison Reed trade with the Red Sox. Both will be looking to make a strong impression as they seek to secure a long-term spot in the Mets’ bullpen.
The Tigers are getting their first look at left-handed reliever Jairo Labourt, per a team announcement. The 23-year-old was acquired alongside Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd in exchange fo David Price back in 2015. He’s turned in an excellent 2.17 ERA across three minor league levels this season and averaged better than 10 strikeouts per nine innings, albeit with some shaky control (4.5 BB/9).

Follow @pfrumors (Pro Football Rumors) on Twitter For The Latest NFL News

By Zachary Links | September 1, 2017 at 5:46pm CDT

The NFL is starting to feel like MLB with all of the trades that have gone down over the last week. On Friday, we saw a whopper of a deal take place as the Jets shipped standout defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson to the Seahawks.

In years past, the NFL has mandated that teams trim their rosters from 90 men to 75, then from 75 to 53 days later. This year, the league eliminated the middle step, meaning that teams must go from 90 to 53 by Saturday afternoon. This has spurred unprecedented trade activity as GMs look to shore up their rosters before the impending frenzy. All in all, we’ll see 1,184 players removed from rosters between now and the buzzer.

This weekend will be huge for hardcore and casual fans alike. To keep up with all of the major cuts and trades – some of which will affect your fantasy team – we encourage you to follow @pfrumors on Twitter and bookmark ProFootballRumors.com.

Astros Acquire Justin Verlander

By Jeff Todd | September 1, 2017 at 11:05am CDT

11:05am: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that Verlander will retain full no-trade protection now as a member of the Astros (Twitter links). Additionally, the Astros have agreed to waive his vesting option for the 2020 season. Verlander would’ve needed a top five finish in the 2019 Cy Young voting to see that $22MM option vest, though it stands to reason that if he were to finish in the top five that season, he’d be able to earn more on the open market in free agency.

Nightengale also confirms that Houston will receive a PTBNL in the deal as opposed to further cash considerations. (Houston will still receive the $16MM from the Tigers to help pay down some of Verlander’s salary.)

12:30am: In a stunning reversal, after a deal seemingly collapsed, the Tigers have officially sent long-time ace Justin Verlander to the Astros. Prospects Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron, and Jake Rogers will go to Detroit in the deal. Houston is also slated to receive $16MM from Detroit to cover a portion of Verlander’s remaining salary, along with a player to be named later or cash considerations.

The August trade period has never been so loaded with blockbusters. This year, the Tigers pulled off not one but two major swaps on August 31st — the last day for teams to deal players who’d be eligible to appear in the postseason with their new organizations. After shipping outfielder Justin Upton to the Angels earlier today, Detroit GM Al Avila hammered out a yet-more-significant trade by parting with one of the franchise’s icons tonight.

While dealing Upton came with some complications, the path to the Verlander trade was riddled with roadblocks. Starts and stops in talks over recent months left immense uncertainty as to his future. His full no-trade rights loomed as a barrier, while the $56MM left on his contract after this season (for the 2018 and 2019 campaigns) seemed steep. Indeed, he cleared revocable waivers, with no clubs putting in a claim to take over his entire deal.

The chatter picked up, then sputtered, approaching the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline, then ebbed and flowed in August after Verlander had cleared revocable trade waivers. Throughout it all, Verlander turned in gem after gem, increasing his appeal as a trade target all the while.

Ultimately, Houston couldn’t pass on the chance to add the hard-throwing workhorse, parting with three talented young players to get him. The Tigers couldn’t miss on this opportunity to deal him at a relative high point, especially after Verlander struggled early in the 2017 campaign. And though Verlander waited until the last minute to approve the trade — MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets that he held out for a chance to land with the Cubs — he ultimately decided to depart a franchise that is obviously launching a significant rebuilding process for one that owns the best record in the American League.

The dealmaking took place even as the Astros prepare to return to their home city for the first time since Hurricane Harvey pummeled the Texas cost. As the city and its brave citizens continue to battle flood waters, the Astros will play a dramatic doubleheader tomorrow while preparing to welcome one of the most accomplished pitchers of the past 40 years.

It will be tempting for some Astros fans to see Verlander as something of a savior. He is one of the game’s highest-profile players — due not only to his excellence, but also his relationship with supermodel Kate Upton — and the team has struggled of late even as it comfortably paces the AL West.

But Verlander is already 34 years of age and has quite a lot of mileage on his arm — durable though it may be — after 380 regular season MLB outings. While he owns a 3.49 ERA through more than 2,500 innings on the Major League hill, it’s fair to wonder when he’ll slow down. Indeed, those concerns rose to the fore as Verlander labored to a 4.96 ERA through his first 17 starts this season.

Of late, though, Verlander has been outstanding. Since a dud to open the month of July, Verlander has pitched to a 2.31 ERA with 84 strikeouts against 20 walks over 74 innings. He’s throwing as hard as ever and could still crack 200 innings for the tenth time in the past 11 seasons.

Clearly, Verlander represents a significant upgrade for an Astros staff that has had its ups and downs this year even as the team runs away with a division crown. While Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. are big talents, both have had injury problems; the latter has also had some hiccups of late and is currently on the DL. Other hurlers — including Charlie Morton, Brad Peacock, and Mike Fiers — have certainly had their moments in 2017, but there was room for the Astros to add a postseason starter to the mix.

The addition is especially notable given that the ’Stros missed on Zach Britton and another as-yet-unknown pitcher at the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline. Verlander will bump some other arms into the bullpen, especially during the postseason, helping to deepen the overall staff while also giving the team a pitcher that is no stranger to working late into playoff games. Of particular note for an Astros team that has only burst into competitiveness in recent seasons, Verlander a 3.39 ERA through 98 1/3 innings in 16 postseason contests == the most recent of which came in 2014.

Unsurprisingly, the addition comes at a cost. While Verlander’s salary held down his value, Detroit still managed to secure some high-end talent in this deal, all while clearing the bulk of Verlander’s contract from the books. In combination with the Upton trade, the Tigers have saved something on the order of $136MM in salary commitments. (That estimate includes the remainder of those players’ salaries for the current season, less the money the team has agreed to retain in both deals. It also assumes Upton would not opt out after the current season, which remains to be seen.)

While Cameron is perhaps the best-known youngster moving in this deal, Perez is undoubtedly the headliner. The 19-year-old righty entered the year on top-100 prospect charts, with the potential of developing a quality four-pitch arsenal, and has delivered on the hype. Through 86 1/3 innings at the High-A and Double-A levels, Perez carries a 3.02 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.

Cameron was one of the highest-rated players in the 2015 draft, and Houston structured its strategy that day around landing him with a big bonus at pick No. 37. The son of long-time major leaguer Mike Cameron, the 20-year-old has bounced back from a tough 2016 campaign. Over 506 plate appearances this year at A ball, he’s slashing .271/.347/.567 with 14 home runs and 32 stolen bases. Notably, too, he has drastically pared back the strikeouts that plagued him last year, carrying a 21.1% rate thus far in 2017.

Detroit also lands a potential future catcher in Rogers, who is a highly regarded defensive backstop that has shown some hitting skills as well. While he’s already 22 years of age, the 2016 third-rounder from Tulane succeeded at the plate at both the Class A and High-A levels this year. Over 479 total plate appearances, he’s slashing .265/.353/.476 with 18 long balls, and he’s also recorded 52 walks against 100 strikeouts.

The dramatic tale of this trade isn’t yet over. Verlander promises to be one of the most closely watched players in this year’s postseason and will be expected to anchor the staff over the final two years of his deal. And the Tigers will hope that the three players acquired will help form the team’s next core of stars — though it will likely be some time before any test their merit at the game’s highest level.

Chris McCosky of the Detroit News covered the late-breaking negotiations (links to Twitter). Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press first reported (via Twitter) that a deal was done. Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter) reported the return, which McCosky had previously noted, while Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) and Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link) had the financial elements.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cubs Acquire Leonys Martin

By Steve Adams | August 31, 2017 at 11:05pm CDT

The Cubs announced to reporters just before tonight’s deadline for postseason roster eligibility that they’ve acquired outfielder Leonys Martin and cash from the Mariners in exchange for a player to be named later or cash (Twitter link via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times).

The addition of Martin will give the Cubs a fleet-footed reserve outfielder to serve as a pinch-runner and/or late-inning defensive upgrade, at the very least, over the season’s final month. While such players aren’t rostered throughout the bulk of the regular season, the month of September is its own animal; rosters expand to 40 beginning Sept. 1, allowing teams the luxury of having this type of highly specialized player on board.

Of course, Martin isn’t that far removed from being regarded in considerably better fashion. He logged a .247/.306/.378 batting line with 15 homers and 24 steals as Seattle’s primary center fielder in 2016. While that line checks in below the league average, Martin’s glove and baserunning prowess still allowed him to check in at 2.2 wins above replacement, per Fangraphs. And from 2013-14, Martin contributed more than six total WAR thanks largely to his speed and defense.

While those heights appear likely to be squarely in the past for Martin, he’s posted a strong .307/.348/.494 batting line with 11 homers and 25 steals in 87 Triple-A contests this season. He’s earning $4.85MM this year after avoiding arbitration last offseason, but the inclusion of cash from the Mariners surely indicates that they’re picking up the majority of the tab on that salary. Martin seems a likely candidate to join the Cubs’ big league roster in the very near future, where he’ll look to improve on the dismal .174/.221/.287 slash he’s posted through 122 plate appearances in the Majors this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Angels Acquire Brandon Phillips

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams | August 31, 2017 at 10:59pm CDT

10:59pm: The Braves have now formally announced the trade.

10:17pm: Braves GM John Coppolella has acknowledged the deal to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (Twitter links). While there’s been no formal press release announcing the swap, Coppolella tells O’Brien that the Angels were the ones who approached the Braves on the deal. Atlanta felt it was a chance to reward Phillips by allowing him to receive the $500K trade assign bonus in his contract and also get a chance to play in the postseason.

10:08pm: Phillips’ contract calls for a $500K assignment bonus in the event that he is traded, and the Angels will be responsible for paying that sum, Bowman tweets.

9:55pm: The Angels have swung a deal to acquire infielder Brandon Phillips from the Braves, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). Reports earlier today indicated the sides were close to a swap, with the only hang-up being whether Phillips would accept the deal. (He could block a trade to the Halos and eleven other teams by the terms of his contract.) According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, the Angels are sending former big league catcher Tony Sanchez to the Braves in return (Twitter link).

Phillips recently shifted from second base to third base in Atlanta to accommodate the promotion of presumptive second baseman of the future Ozzie Albies, but he figures to slide back to his natural position of second base in Anaheim. While he’s no longer the offensive force that he once was, Phillips and his .291/.329/.423 slash line will be a marked upgrade for an Angel club that has seen its second baseman post a collectively abysmal .196/.271/.318 batting line in 2017.

While Phillips represents an immediate upgrade to the Angels’ Wild Card chances in the American League, he’s as pure a rental as they come; the three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glover will hit free agency following the 2017 season. However, by acquiring Phillips on Aug. 31, the Halos have ensured that he’ll be eligible for their postseason roster in the event that they do ultimately secure a Wild Card berth. At present, they’re 1.5 games behind the Twins for the second slot in the American League and 2.5 games back of the Yankees for the top Wild Card slot.

That Sanchez, a former top pick who has now been relegated to journeyman status, is the return for Phillips speaks to the fact that the veteran infielder did not carry significant trade value. The Reds shipped Phillips to Atlanta this offseason and picked up all but $1MM of his remaining salary, and the Braves will presumably shed that commitment while giving the 36-year-old Phillips a chance to return to postseason play — an opportunity he wouldn’t have been afforded in Atlanta this season.

Sanchez has posted a .272/.355/.374 slash in Triple-A this season, and while he could conceivably be a September call-up, it seems unlikely that the Braves would carry him on the 40-man roster all winter. In all likelihood, his time with the organization will be limited.

For the Braves, shedding Phillips provides a relatively nominal amount of cost-savings but also opens regular at-bats for younger options to prove themselves capable pieces of the future in the season’s final month. Albies was already penciled in at second base, while Dansby Swanson has demonstrated immense improvements at shortstop upon his recent recall from Triple-A. Johan Camargo, another young infielder who has taken a step forward with a successful, albeit BABIP-driven rookie campaign, could be in line for at-bats at the hot corner down the stretch.

Atlanta could also use the now-vacated at-bats to take a second look at Rio Ruiz — a former fourth-round pick of the Astros that signed a huge bonus out of the draft and came to the Braves alongside Mike Foltynewicz as part of the Evan Gattis trade. While Ruiz underwhelmed in his first taste of big league action, he only turned 23 years old in late May and has shown a bit of pop in Triple-A this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rangers Acquire Miguel Gonzalez

By Jeff Todd | August 31, 2017 at 10:05pm CDT

The Rangers have struck a deal to add righty Miguel Gonzalez from the White Sox, as Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun first reported (Twitter link). Per the report, the Orioles were also attempting to bring back the veteran starter, but weren’t willing to meet the asking price. Infielder Ti’Quan Forbes will go to Chicago in return. The Rangers have designated righty Anthony Bass to open a roster spot.

Though Texas isn’t exactly in prime position to snag a Wild Card berth — the team entered play today three games out and dropped its contest — it seems the club is at least interested in keeping that possibility open. Gonzalez will help bolster a rotation that no longer features Yu Darvish and has seen numerous other pitchers struggle. If they can crack the postseason, the Rangers will be able to utilize Gonzalez on their roster.

The White Sox have been quite aggressive in moving veterans, and Gonzalez now becomes the latest to go. The 33-year-old has been a steady presence since coming to Chicago after a four-year run in Baltimore. He’s earning $5.9MM this year — about $1MM of which remains to be paid — and will be a free agent at season’s end.

On the season, Gonzalez owns a 4.30 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 to go with a 38.1% groundball rate over 127 2/3 innings. He has been quite good since returning from a mid-summer DL stint, spinning 49 frames of 2.94 ERA ball — albeit still with just 35 strikeouts against 19 walks.

Despite the underwhelming peripherals, Gonzalez has typically managed to limit hard contact and suppress batting average on balls in play; opposing hitters carry a .278 BABIP against him over his six-year career. He doesn’t work with much velocity, but mixes five pitches and has managed to post a lifetime 3.88 ERA over 843 MLB frames.

Forbes only just turned 21 and was a second-round pick in 2014. But he has not really shown much yet as a professional. While playing mostly at third base this season, which he has split between the Class A and High-A levels, Forbes carries a meager .234/.281/.344 batting line with 11 home runs through 517 plate appearances.

The 29-year-old Bass has seen action in six MLB campaigns, but was bombed in two appearances this year with Texas. He has pitched to a 4.17 ERA in 84 1/3 Triple-A innings, though, with 10.2 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Angels, Braves Discussing Brandon Phillips Swap

By Jeff Todd | August 31, 2017 at 7:00pm CDT

9:01pm: While awaiting a decision from Phillips, the teams are still “working to finalize details,” ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. Still, though, it seems the matter hinges on Phillips’s own decisionmaking, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted earlier.

7:00pm: The Angels and Braves are attempting to work out a deal that would send infielder Brandon Phillips to Los Angeles, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (Twitter link). Phillips, who was a late scratch from the lineup tonight, is considering right now whether to accept a deal, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets. He can block trades to a dozen clubs; presumably, the Halos are one of them.

Since cutting ties with Danny Espinosa earlier in the year, the Angels have relied heavily upon Kaleb Cowart at second base. But Cowart is slashing just .233/.289/.411 over 99 plate appearances on the year and has struggled badly of late. Having already added Justin Upton earlier today, the Halos are understandably looking to further bolster their lineup by targeting an area where they can make a relatively significant improvement at a marginal cost.

Phillips, 36, came to Atlanta from the Reds over the winter. He’s earning $14MM this year, but Cincinnati is covering all but a million of that sum. With less than $200K left on the Braves’ share of the bill, Phillips is an affordable option — though he also would stand to take home a $500K assignment bonus under a clause negotiated when he approved the trade to the Braves.

There’s also now some added versatility for the long-time second baseman, who has seen action at the hot corner for the first time this year. While he’s no longer a premium defender at second, Phillips is still a sturdy gloveman there and has drawn good reviews during his limited action at third.

With his typical low-walk, high-contact approach, Phillips has posted a .291/.329/.423 batting line over 499 plate appearances, with 11 home runs and 10 steals. That’s right around the league average in terms of overall offensive productivity, just where Phillips has landed in each of the prior five campaigns.

All told, though Phillips is far from a top-end second baseman, he has been a steadily useful player. For a team like the Angels, who have quite an evident need at second base, he could be quite a handy addition down the stretch and into the postseason.

Angels Acquire Justin Upton

By Steve Adams | August 31, 2017 at 2:46pm CDT

In a stunning development, the Angels and Tigers have agreed to a deal sending outfielder Justin Upton to Anaheim in exchange for minor league right-hander Grayson Long and a player to be named later or cash, per an announcement from the Tigers. The Angels are reportedly responsible for the four years and $88.5MM on Upton’s contract beyond the current season (if he does not exercise an opt-out clause) as well as most of his remaining 2017 salary. (Detroit is said to be paying less than $1MM of the approximately $3.5MM left of Upton’s $22.125MM annual salary for this season.)

The trade represents a massive boon to an Angels lineup that is firmly in the mix for an American League Wild Card spot. While Upton’s first couple of months as a Tiger made his six-year deal look like a regrettable misstep, he’s been nothing short of one of the best hitters on the planet for the past 14 months. Dating back to July 1 of last year, Upton has raked at a .273/.351/.551 pace with 51 homers in 831 plate appearances. That line includes an even more magnificent .282/.368/.578 slash over the past calendar year. Over his past 631 plate appearances, Upton has clubbed 41 home runs.

Upton has performed so well, in fact, that his contractual opt-out clause following the 2017 season went from looking like like an easy call to remain in Detroit to a distinct possibility of being exercised. Upton has four years and $88.5MM remaining on his contract following the season, but he’d need only to match the money Boston guaranteed to Hanley Ramirez to eclipse that total. One direct comparable, Yoenis Cespedes, received a four-year, $110MM contract last winter in free agency when he was a year older than Upton will be this winter.

MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reports (on Twitter) that Upton had decided that he was likely to opt out of his contract following the season due to the Tigers’ rebuild. When he informed the team of that plan, trade talks quickly picked up. As noted below, the Tigers would’ve stood to lose Upton for nothing (outside of tremendous salary relief, which they’ve achieved anyway), as he cannot receive a second qualifying offer under the new collective bargaining agreement. ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that Upton gave the Angels no assurances one way or the other about whether he’ll opt out of the contract at season’s end.

Angels left fielders, on the whole, have been among the least productive groups at their position in all of 2017. Anaheim left fielders are batting a woeful .244/.315/.341 thanks to underwhelming contributions from both Cameron Maybin, who has reportedly been traded to the Astros to facilitate the acquisition of Upton, and Ben Revere, who has been hot as of late but has posted generally underwhelming numbers since the onset of the 2016 season with the Nationals.

Long, 23, was the Angels’ third-round pick in 2015 and rates as the No. 9 prospect in Anaheim’s thin farm system, per Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com. He spent the beginning of the 2017 season pitching for Class-A Advanced but quickly progressed to Double-A, where he’s pitched quite well in 23 starts. In 133 2/3 innings combined between those two levels, Long has a 2.69 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. He’s more of a fly-ball pitcher, as evidenced by his 33.1 percent grounder rate in Double-A. Callis and Mayo suggest that the 6’5″, 230-pound Long has the ceiling of a “solid” big league starter. Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen tweets that Long has exceeded expectations in 2017 and projects as a possible back-of-the-rotation arm.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the two sides were nearing a deal (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted that the agreement was in place, while ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported that the agreement was still pending medical review (Twitter link). Crasnick also reported Long’s inclusion in the trade (Twitter link). Sherman tweeted that a PTBNL was also in the deal, while USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted the financial details of the swap. Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweeted the Tigers’ salary contribution.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cardinals Designate Kevin Siegrist For Assignment

By Steve Adams | August 31, 2017 at 2:18pm CDT

The Cardinals announced on Thursday that they’ve activated left-handed reliever Kevin Siegrist from the 10-day disabled list and designated him for assignment. The 28-year-old had been on the disabled list due to a bout of left forearm tendinitis.

The 28-year-old Siegrist was one of the Cardinals’ top setup options in 2015-16 and appeared in a league-leading 81 games out of the St. Louis ’pen back in 2015. Over the 2015-16 seasons, he worked to a combined 2.44 ERA with 10.3 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 over the life of 136 1/3 innings.

The 2017 campaign, though, has been another story entirely. Siegrist has been bothered by some health issues this year, and he’s posted a generally unappealing 4.98 ERA with a deteriorated (but still strong) 9.4 K/9 against 5.2 BB/9. Siegrist averaged 94 mph on his heater in that excellent 2015 season, but that average dipped down to 92 mph this season as he’s struggled to stay healthy.

That said, there’s a possibility that Siegrist could draw some quick trade interest if he’s deemed healthy. He’s earning a reasonable $1.635MM in 2017 and is controlled for another two years beyond the current campaign via arbitration. His sub-par results this year should act to suppress any raise he’d earn via that arbitration process, so he could be a perfectly affordable bullpen piece for a team next season, if not for the final month of the 2017 campaign.

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