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Angels Moving Garrett Richards To 60-Day DL

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When a biceps strain forced Angels right-hander Garrett Richards to the 10-day disabled list April 7, there was optimism that he’d return quickly. Now, unfortunately for both Richards and the Halos, he’s in line to sit out at least into the summer. The Angels are moving him to the 60-day DL, per an an announcement from the team.

“His most recent assessment and exam showed mild improvement in biceps strength and also irritation of the cutaneous nerve which is contributing to his strength deficit,” stated the club.

This is the second serious arm injury for Richards since last year, when an elbow issue limited him to just 34 2/3 innings. Richards elected against Tommy John surgery, instead opting for stem-cell therapy treatment, which was successful enough that he was able to take the mound again during the first week of this season. Richards allowed no runs on three hits and a walk in his April 5 season debut against the Athletics, but his biceps strain forced him to exit after only 4 2/3 frames.

As was the case last year, Richards’ prolonged absence should be a serious blow to the Angels’ hopes of contending. The club won a mere 74 games last season and has begun 2017 an ugly 7-11. For the second straight year, the Halos’ Richards-less starting staff hasn’t fared well. Thus far, the group has posted the majors’ fifth-worst ERA (4.35) and eighth-worst FIP (4.18). Ricky Nolasco, Matt Shoemaker, Jesse Chavez, Tyler Skaggs and J.C. Ramirez have taken the mound for multiple starts, while Alex Meyer has made one.

Looking ahead, it’s possible the 28-year-old Richards’ latest issue will put his tenure with the Angels in jeopardy. The team kept Richards via arbitration at a $6.85MM cost this year, but if he’s unable to return in 2017 (or if he shows poorly upon his comeback), he could be a non-tender candidate during the offseason. Richards is due to make his fourth and final trip through arbitration next winter.

Tom Glavine Part Of Group Working To Purchase Marlins

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Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine may be part of the Marlins’ next ownership team. The former Brave and Met is a member of a faction that has put in a bid to purchase the franchise from owner Jeffrey Loria, reports Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg. Solamere Capital co-founder Tagg Romney, son of 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, is at the helm of the group. Notably, Mitt Romney is not involved in this venture.

The exact price of the Romney group’s bid isn’t known, though Soshnick relays that offers for the Marlins currently range between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion – an enormous increase over the $158MM Loria paid in 2002. Fifteen years later, Loria “wants to get out of it,” Glavine told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Glavine added that he feels “very good” about the Romney offer, though the 51-year-old declined to disclose whether he’s committed to putting forth any money (Glavine made just under $130MM as a player, per Baseball Reference). Glavine’s also unsure of how long a potential sale might take to go through, but he did reveal that his main purpose has been to woo investors to the Romney side.

The 305-game winner went into further detail in his discussion with Cafardo, saying: “It’s been a lengthy process. I was contacted a couple of years ago by some people to ask whether I’d have an interest in doing something along these lines, and I certainly did. This Marlins situation came about last summer. After casual conversations and kicking tires it became apparent we could put people together and raise money.”

If the Romney-led team does succeed in buying the Marlins, it’s unclear which role Glavine would take with the franchise, but he would “certainly want” some sort of position.

“I’m not going to say I’m the GM, but I know the game pretty well,” said Glavine. “I understand it. There’s a lot on the business side that I don’t understand, so I’m open-minded about what the best role for me would be and what I like to do the most.”

Glavine informed Cafardo that he believes at least three groups have made efforts to secure the Marlins. Quogue Capital founder Wayne P. Rothbaum is at the helm of one, per reports from both Soshnick and Douglas P. Hanks of the Miami Herald. However, Soshnick’s information differs from Hanks’ with respect to a couple of other prospective buyers, ex-Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Those two have teamed up to buy the Marlins, according to Hanks, but Soshnick notes that’s not yet the case. Instead, as of now, Jeter and Bush have only discussed working together, per Soshnick.

Giants Place Madison Bumgarner On 10-Day DL After Dirt Bike Accident

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8:20pm: There’s internal concern that a two-month estimated absence may be on the low side, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets.

6:03pm: From the club’s perspective, there’s no real timetable at present, manager Bruce Bochy tells reporters including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link).

4:00pm: The initial expectation is that Bumgarner will be sidelined for six to eight weeks, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). It’s not clear, though, whether that figure includes the time that the lefty will presumably require to ramp up and move through a rehab assignment.

3:39pm: Giants ace Madison Bumgarner is headed to the 10-day DL after injuring himself in a dirt bike accident, the team announced. He is said to have suffered bruised ribs along with “a grade one or two left shoulder AC sprain.”

Fortunately, it seems there’s no reason to worry for Bumgarner’s long-term well-being. He has already been released from the hospital. But from an on-field perspective, the news certainly looks to be concerning.

To be sure, there’s little in the way of detail as to just how the injury will impact Bumgarner. For now, it seems he’ll rest before being reevaluated next week.

The injury is not a common one for a pitcher, but it does happen to quarterbacks with regularity. Treatment and timing will obviously depend upon the final assessment of the severity, though it seems that surgery isn’t likely to be needed for a grade one or two sprain.

Obviously, the fact that the injury occurred to Bumgarner’s throwing arm will be a significant factor. That’ll not only increase the risks of rushing back, but will presumably call for a lengthier timeline — including, perhaps, a rehab stint.

Bumgarner had been himself on the hill in the early going, continuing his outstanding track record of production. (To date, Bumgarner owns a 2.99 ERA with 8.9 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 over 1,242 2/3 career innings.) Now, he’s headed to the DL for the first time in his career.

What makes the southpaw special, though, isn’t just his effectiveness. It’s the fact that he has had a flawless record of durability. Bumgarner has made at least 31 starts and thrown at least 200 innings in each of his first six full seasons in the majors. Now, it seems those streaks are at risk.

The Giants have options on hand to fill in, with Ty Blach seemingly likely to step into the rotation and Chris Stratton coming up to provide another arm. But there’s no replacing Bumgarner, who is already a legendary figure in the organization due to his incredible postseason efforts.

Francisco Lindor Reportedly Turned Down Roughly $100MM Extension

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4:57pm: Lindor says that he could imagine reaching a long-term deal at some point, but that the time wasn’t right to do so over the winter, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets. The talks that did occur are “in the past,” says Lindor.

9:18am: There were reports during Spring Training that the Indians had attempted to work out a multi-year extension with star shortstop Francisco Lindor, but details on the talks never surfaced. This morning, Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci reports that Lindor turned down an offer that would’ve paid him “around $100 million.” Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer adds that the Indians did indeed make a “substantial” offer to Lindor, though he wasn’t able to confirm the $100MM figure (Twitter links). Furthermore, Hoynes says that there are no active extension talks with Lindor or any other player at this time.

Lindor’s rejection of the reported $100MM figure — or anything even close to that figure, for that matter — means that the rising superstar turned down an extension that would’ve shattered the current record for a player in his service class. Lindor, 23, entered the year with just one year, 113 days of Major League service time. As MLBTR’s Extension Tracker shows, the previous record for an extension for any player in the one-plus years of service bracket is Andrelton Simmons’ seven-year, $58MM contract, signed with the Braves prior to the 2014 season.

It’s certainly possible that the $100MM figure wasn’t entirely guaranteed and is including the value of some option years, but it does seem all but certain that such an offer would’ve set a new record. Also of note is that the years of the extension offer aren’t included in the Verducci report; a $100MM offer over a term of eight years would be considerably different than $100MM over the next 10 seasons, for instance. The number of free-agent years involved in the deal as well as option years and no-trade provisions all come into play when negotiating extensions, meaning a rough value of the overall package doesn’t provide enough context to fully judge the offer.

And while it’s undoubtedly difficult for Indians fans to stomach the fact that Lindor wouldn’t take what would’ve been far and away the largest contract in franchise history, it’s also not entirely stunning to hear that he rebuffed the team. Lindor did, after all, receive a healthy $2.9MM bonus as the No. 8 overall pick in the 2011 draft, so he started his career in a considerably better place than most of his peers. Beyond that, as Verducci notes in the heart of his column, the free-agent market is moving forward and figures to do so substantially between now and the time that Lindor reaches free agency in the 2021-22 offseason.

The 2018-19 free agent class is stocked with premium talent and figures to be headlined by Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. The common consensus is that each of those players could command at least $300MM, and the possibility of a $400MM contract for either, given that their youth — each will be 26 when entering free agency — will lead to contract offers of extreme length. Lindor won’t be quite so young when he reaches the open market, but he’ll hit free agency at the age of 27 as he heads into his age-28 campaign. That’s still quite young for a player to reach the open market, and Lindor of course figures to do quite well for himself in arbitration over the five years between now and the open market, though he won’t qualify for that process until the completion of the 2018 season.

Notably, Verducci did speak to Lindor’s agent, David Meter, and while Meter understandably didn’t get into any specifics on what was or wasn’t offered, he didn’t take a firm stance against ever agreeing to a long-term deal. “It’s just one of those things we’ll look at on a year-by-year basis,” Meter tells Verducci. “I don’t think it’s very productive to draw a line in the sand.”

While that lends some mild optimism about the possibility of an extension further down the road, it also likely means that the Indians will be required to substantially increase their offer if they’re to have any chances of getting an agreement in place. By the time next offseason rolls around, Lindor will be just one year removed from arbitration eligibility. And though he’d already established himself as one of the game’s elite young talents with a .306/.356/.454 batting line through his first 1122 plate appearances (accompanied by premium baserunning and defense), there are still signs that the best is yet to come. Lindor has already homered four times in 2017 after hitting 15 all of last year, and he’s off to a .351/.415/.684 start to his season through 66 plate appearances. It’s unlikely that he sustains that pace, but any improvement in his production, paired with the increasing proximity to arbitration, will only serve to further escalate the price tag on a Lindor extension.

Rangers Release Josh Hamilton, Who Will Undergo Knee Surgery

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The Rangers announced today that they have released outfielder Josh Hamilton from the minor-league deal that the sides struck during the offseason. Per the club, Hamilton suffered another knee injury during his rehabilitation efforts and will again require surgery.

Hamilton’s most recent surgery was on his left knee, the latest in a long line of procedures performed on the joint. But his new injury — the details of which have not been reported — occurred to the opposite knee.

It’s not known what’s next for the 35-year-old, who was in the mix for a roster spot in Spring Training before going under the knife. Last he played in the majors, back in 2015, Hamilton still had above-average power but struggled to reach base with a declining walk rate.

You have to go further back to find a full season of action — 2013, with the Angels — and further still to find one in which he was a highly productive player. That’d be 2012, when Hamilton set himself up for a big free-agent payday by slashing .285/.354/.577 and swatting 43 home runs in Texas. The Angels are paying off the last of that deal (less $2MM still owed by the Rangers) this year.

Cubs “Got Nowhere” In Offseason Extension Talks With Kris Bryant

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The Cubs made an effort to lock up National League MVP Kris Bryant on a long-term extension this offseason but “got nowhere” in their efforts, Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated reports. Verducci notes that the Cubs made efforts to lock up several of their young players, in fact, though they weren’t able to push any of them over the finish line. Chicago’s lone offseason extension was a one-year extension for excellent setup man Pedro Strop — a nice move for the club but not the sort of franchise-altering move that a long-term pact for Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell or any of the team’s other young talents would have been.

Bryant’s agent, Scott Boras, has a reputation for eschewing contract extensions and pushing his clients toward free agency — long-term deals for Carlos Gonzalez with the Rockies and Stephen Strasburg with the Nationals notwithstanding — though he spoke to Verducci at length about that perception and about extensions in general.

“My first rule [on extension offers] is that I tell the player, ‘Do not look at the team as if they’re trying to steal you. They’ve made the decision that is the right decision. The question is, What is the investment worth? What is the value?'” Boras explains to Verducci. In the case of Bryant, Boras adds that he was on the same page with Cubs president of baseball operations in terms of Bryant’s fit on the team but not when it came to appropriately valuing that fit.

Perhaps most interesting in the column is that Boras paints Epstein as somewhat of a tough negotiator. While Boras doesn’t indicate any ill will toward the iconic executive, he suggests to Verducci that there was never much progress when discussing Jacoby Ellsbury during Epstein’s days as GM of the Red Sox, where Ellsbury starred for the first seven seasons of his career. Ellsbury went year-to-year through the arbitration process and ultimately signed with the Yankees on a seven-year, $153MM contract as a free agent.

“Theo does not settle on certain things,” says Boras. “He offers a very limited range. You’ve got to give up an option year, a free agent year and he can move you whenever he wants to move you.”

While it’s hard to argue with the results for Epstein, who in the past 15 years has broken two of the three longest World Series droughts in baseball (World Series wins with the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007 and, of course, with the Cubs last year), those words may nonetheless be discouraging for Cubs fans. That’s due not only to the fact that Boras represents Bryant but also due to the fact that his company represents Russell and Jake Arrieta. The lack of traction in Arrieta extension talks has been an oft-covered topic here at MLBTR, and Boras’ comments certainly don’t paint a promising picture when it comes to securing long-term deals with either Bryant or Russell. While Arrieta is a free agent at the end of the current season, both Bryant and Russell are controllable through the 2021 season.

That leaves ample time for the Cubs to strike a deal with either Bryant or Russell, but arbitration is also looming for each player. Both entered the season just days (or, in Bryant’s case, a singular day) shy of two years of Major League service time, meaning each will be eligible for arbitration as a Super Two player next offseason. And it’s worth noting that it’s almost certainly not an accident that the pair fell just days shy of qualifying for free agency a year earlier, though the Cubs are hardly the only team to leverage the current service time structure in order to delay free agency by a full year.

In Bryant’s case, the NL Rookie of the Year Award and NL MVP that are already under his belt could very well allow him to topple Ryan Howard’s longstanding record of $10MM for a first-time arbitration player. Howard, much like Bryant, had a Rookie of the Year and an MVP on his record when he received that staggering sum. Russell’s earning capacity is understandably lower, though as a shortstop that could hit arbitration with multiple 20-homer seasons already in his back pocket, he should be paid handsomely over his four years of eligibility.

As Verducci suggested in reporting that Indians star Francisco Lindor turned down an extension offer of “around $100 million” within this same column (more on that decision here), the increasingly strong market for top-tier free agents is likely to continue pushing forward the price for extending top-tier young players such as Bryant or Lindor. Verducci points out that the 2018-19 free agent class stands to be headlined by a pair of players (Bryce Harper and Manny Machado) that could sign contracts which eclipse Giancarlo Stanton’s current 13-year, $325MM record and could crack the $400MM barrier. And at this point, with Bryant just a year from reaching what could be a record-setting arbitration payday, I’d imagine that any offer that does not top Stanton would be a non-starter in extension talks.

Boras, unsurprisingly, had plenty to say on the notion of escalating free agent prices as well. After revealing that former client Alex Rodriguez turned down a $120MM extension offer from the Mariners before signing a then-record-setting $240MM contract with the Rangers all the way back in 2001, Boras tells Verducci:

“Rule number one in baseball is that no team has ever gone broke. Rule number two is that there’s never been an owner who didn’t make money when he sold the team. And rule number three is that there are no recessions in baseball.”

Suffice it to say, Verducci’s full column qualifies as a must-read not only for those who follow the Cubs and Indians but for all fans. The column is stuffed with quotes from Boras, other agents and executives about the rapidly escalating valuation of players and provides a good idea of what could be in store for baseball’s financial landscape.

Marcus Semien Undergoes Surgery For Fractured Wrist

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April 20: Semien has had the surgery and is in a cast for another five days, after which he’ll be placed in a splint, tweets MLB.com’s Jane Lee. While initial timeline suggestions were that he’d be reevaluated in six weeks, Lee relays a slightly more optimistic schedule, noting that his reevaluation will now come in four to six weeks.

April 17: Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien will require surgery to repair a fracture of the scaphoid bone in his right wrist, MLB.com’s Jane Lee was among those to report on Twitter. There’s no known timeline at present, but Semien won’t even be reevaluated until about six weeks after the procedure.

It’s tough news for the A’s, who were hoping the 26-year-old could continue to make strides and blossom into a high-quality regular in 2017. That’s still possible, of course, but first he’ll have to work back from this injury.

Semien broke out in the power department last year, but didn’t reach base very often while carrying a pedestrian walk rate. This year, he has already taken ten walks in 46 plate appearances, though he also has just two extra-base hits (both doubles) in the early going.

For the time being, Adam Rosales and Chad Pinder figure to share time at shortstop. Oakland won’t yet go to top young talent Franklin Barreto, who is embarking upon his first full season at Triple-A, though he could become a factor at some point too.

Logan Forsythe Diagnosed With Fractured Toe

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6:21pm: Fortunately, manager Dave Roberts says it’s only a “hairline” fracture for Forsythe, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets. The expectation is he’ll only be sidelined for a few weeks.

5:56pm: The Dodgers have announced that infielder Logan Forsythe has been placed on the 10-day DL after being diagnosed with a fractured right big toe. Also heading to the DL, in his case with a strain of his right big toe, is Rob Segedin.

To take the now-open roster spots, Los Angeles has promoted a pair of reserve options. Infielder Chris Taylor will be joined by outfielder Brett Eibner in the majors. Presumably, Taylor will join fellow right-handed hitter Enrique Hernandez as options at second base against lefties, with Chase Utley carrying the load when facing right-handed pitching.

[RELATED: Updated Dodgers Depth Chart]

Clearly, the big question here is how long Forsythe will be out. There’s no word at this point as to whether there’s a current timeline. It’s possible that we’ll need to await a determination of a course of treatment before learning of any preliminary expectations.

Forsythe, 30, became the biggest new addition to the Los Angeles roster over the winter when he was acquired in a swap for top pitching prospect Jose De Leon. Thus far, he has performed as hoped. While he hasn’t yet hit a home run or swiped a bag, and his strikeouts are up, Forsythe is slashing a strong (albeit unusual) .295/.407/.341 over 54 plate appearances.

Derek Jeter, Jeb Bush Reportedly Team Up In Effort To Purchase Marlins

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Future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and former Florida governor Jeb Bush have both been previously reported as potential buyers for the Marlins, but the two have now teamed up in their pursuit of the franchise, reports Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald. The primary competitor for the Bush-Jeter group appears to by New York financier Wayne Rothbaum, according to Hanks, though other groups could yet be involved in the pursuit.

Marlins president David Samson has been candid about the possibility of a sale this year, and owner Jeffrey Loria has acknowledged that there have been inquiries from potential buyers. Loria reportedly had a “handshake agreement” in place to sell the team for $1.6 billion to a group led by Joshua Kushner — the brother of Jared Kushner, who serves as a senior advisor to his father-in-law, president Donald Trump. However, Kushner reportedly did not have enough liquid assets to make the purchase at that price, and eventual rumors that Loria could be named the United States ambassador to France further complicated that potential sale. Kushner eventually issued a statement indicating that he would no longer pursue the deal.

It’s not known at this time exactly what price the Loria is eyeing in a potential sale, though some reports since the first word of the handshake agreement with Kushner have suggested that the team could sell for quite a bit less than that $1.6 billion figure. It stands to reason, though, that the Bush-Jeter group would need additional members in order to pool the requisite funds to make a purchase feasible. Jeter is one of the wealthiest stars in MLB history but still saw his career earnings end up around $265MM (though that figure does not include the undoubtedly sizable sum he has earned from endorsement deals over the past two-plus decades, to say nothing of other investments and ventures).

Charlie Gasparino and Brian Schwartz of FOX Business reported earlier this month that Jeter was working with former Morgan Stanley brokering chief Gregory Fleming (who is now with a small brokerage firm in New York, per AdvisorHub.com’s Mason Bradwell) in his effort to purchase the club. Bush, meanwhile, was said by the FOX Business duo to have enlisted Citigroup to help finance a potential bid. It’s possible that all of those parties have merged to form one cohesive effort at purchasing the Marlins organization, though concrete details on the matter have yet to emerge.

Starling Marte Suspended 80 Games For Positive PED Test

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Pirates outfielder Starling Marte has been suspended for 80 games due to a positive PED test, the league announced.  Marte tested positive for Nandrolone, an anabolic steroid.  As per Major League Baseball’s PED policy, Marte will receive the 80-game suspension assigned to first-time offenders, he won’t be paid during his suspension (which will cost Marte roughly $2.4MM of his $5MM salary for the season) and he’ll be ineligible for Pittsburgh’s postseason roster if the Bucs make the playoffs.

The shocking news leaves the Pirates (and MLB itself) without one of the game’s most well-rounded young stars.  Marte hit .292/.349/.448 with 53 homers and 148 steals over 2273 PA from 2013-16, his first four full seasons in the big leagues, amassing 16.7 fWAR in that stretch.  He made his first All-Star appearance last year and is a two-time Gold Glove winner for his outstanding left field defense.  Marte displayed such excellent glovework that the Pirates moved him into the starting center field job this season, with longtime face of the franchise Andrew McCutchen shifting to right field and Gregory Polanco going from right to left field.

Starling MarteThe Pirates clearly saw Marte as a long-term building block, signing him to a six-year, $31MM extension (with club options for 2020 and 2021) prior to the 2014 season.  Beyond his remaining post-suspension dollars this season, Marte is slated to earn $17.5MM in 2018-19, with a $11.5MM salary/$2MM buyout on the 2020 club option and $12.5MM salary/$1MM buyout for 2021.

[updated Pirates depth chart at Roster Resource]

There’s no good way for the Pirates to truly replace such an important player, and their outfield depth is further limited by Polanco missing time recently due to a minor groin injury.  The short-term answer would be to move McCutchen back to center, despite his declining glove, and giving more time to Adam Frazier, John Jaso, or even Josh Harrison in a corner outfield spot.  The move with longer-term implications for the Pirates would be to promote Austin Meadows, one of the game’s best prospects.  Meadows hasn’t hit well in Triple-A so far this season, however, and he has just 186 total PA at the Triple-A level.  The Pirates might want to hold off on promoting the 21-year-old both until they’re sure he is ready, and of course service time considerations are also likely a factor for the small-market team.

Marte released the following statement (hat tip to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports) to fans and media:

“I have been informed that I have tested positive in one of the tests that are regularly done in my job. In this very difficult moment I apologize to my family, the Pittsburgh Pirates, my teammates, my fans, and baseball in general. Neglect and lack of knowledge have led me to this mistake with the high price to pay of being away from the field that I enjoy and love so much. With much embarrassment and helplessness, I ask for forgiveness for unintentionally disrespecting so many people who have trusted in my work and have supported me so much. I promise to learn the lesson that this ordeal has left me. God bless you.”

Pirates club president Frank Coonelly also made a public statement in regards to Marte’s suspension:

“The Pittsburgh Pirates fully support MLB’s Joint Drug Agreement, including the very tough penalties for violations of its prohibitions. We are disappointed that Starling put himself, his teammates and the organization in this position. We will continue to fight for the division title with the men who are here and will look forward to getting Starling back after the All-Star break.”

The Pirates have called up Jose Osuna to take Marte’s spot on the 25-man roster.  Osuna, 24, is a first baseman/outfielder who is getting his first taste of the majors after eight years in Pittsburgh’s farm system.  Baseball America ranks Osuna as the 26th-best prospect in the Pirates’ system and describes him as a good defensive first baseman but a below-average corner outfielder, so this could hint that Jaso or even Josh Bell could be getting some time in the corners help replace Marte.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports Images

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