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Newsstand

Nationals Acquire David Carpenter From Yankees

By Steve Adams | June 11, 2015 at 9:43am CDT

The Yankees announced that they have traded recently designated right-hander David Carpenter to the Nationals in exchange for minor league second baseman Tony Renda. Outfielder Nate McLouth has been placed on the 60-day DL to accommodate Carpenter on the 40-man roster.

New York acquired Carpenter from the Braves this offseason on the heels of a pair of excellent seasons working as a setup man for Craig Kimbrel in the Atlanta bullpen. (That trade sent the previously vaunted Manny Banuelos to Atlanta and also netted the Yankees southpaw Chasen Shreve.) However, after posting a 2.63 ERA over 126 2/3 innings with 10.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 from 2013-14, Carpenter struggled quite a bit in his brief time with New York. As a member of the Yankees, the 29-year-old worked to a 4.82 ERA in 18 2/3 innings, striking out just 11 hitters against seven walks.

Carpenter maintained very strong fastball velocity with the Yankees, averaging 94.9 mph on his heater. He also posted a career-best 42.4 percent ground-ball rate and struggled with home runs, so perhaps the Nationals feel that a move back to a larger stadium in the National League will help to alleviate his troubles with the long ball. Of course, there will be additional work needed to sort out the righty’s control and restore his significantly diminished strikeout rate.

Carpenter is earning $1.275MM after avoiding arbitration this offseason, and the remaining $815K or so of that sum will be picked up by the Nats. If Carpenter is able to turn it around in D.C., the Nationals will have control of him through the 2017 season — his age-31 campaign.

The 24-year-old Renda, a second-round pick of the Nats in 2012, ranked as Washington’s No. 12 prospect this offseason according to Baseball America and currently ranks 22nd on MLB.com’s Top 30 list. BA praised his compact swing and line-drive stroke, noting that his bat has a chance to be above-average, and he’s tough to strike out. Both scouting reports agree that Renda lacks plus tools across the board but has outstanding makeup and work ethic. He’s not said to be a plus runner but has potentially average speed and is a “solid defender, capable of making the routine plays well,” per Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, though the duo does refer to him as an “offensive-minded” second baseman. Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel didn’t rate Renda among his top Nats prospects this offseason, but he did mention that the infielder has a good approach and advanced bat control despite a lack of power. In 228 plate appearances at the Double-A level this season, Renda has batted .267/.330/.340 with a homer and 13 steals.

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New York Yankees Newsstand Transactions Washington Nationals David Carpenter

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Phillies Have Had Recent Papelbon Talks With Blue Jays, Cubs

By Steve Adams | June 10, 2015 at 8:58pm CDT

8:58pm: The Blue Jays had a scout in Cincinnati to watch the Phillies’ series against the Reds, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury. According to Salisbury, that scout may have also been checking out right-hander Aaron Harang and lefty Cole Hamels. (Salisbury adds that Hamels will not approve a trade to Toronto, however, as has been previously reported.) Salisbury adds that multiple sources have told him that the Blue Jays and Phillies have indeed been discussing Papelbon quite recently.

5:57pm: The Phillies “are ready” to trade Jonathan Papelbon and have had recent discussions with the Cubs and Blue Jays regarding the five-time All-Star, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. However, there’s currently nothing close, and talks between the Phillies and both of those teams are at an impasse, per Rosenthal.

The Phillies are willing to pay a significant portion of Papelbon’s contract if it means receiving better prospects, and since speaking with the Blue Jays last week, they’ve increased their scouting of Toronto’s minor league affiliates. The Blue Jays are on Papelbon’s no-trade list, though Papelbon said months ago that he would have interest in pitching for Toronto. The Jays are currently one game above .500 and just three games back in the AL East, despite the fact that they’ve endured bullpen struggles nearly all season.

As for the Cubs, their front office knows Papelbon well. Both president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer worked for the Red Sox when Papelbon was drafted, and each has a respect for his work ethic despite his somewhat abrasive personality. The Cubs aren’t committed to Hector Rondon as the team’s closer and are trying to add multiple late-inning alternatives, hence their recent signing of Rafael Soriano.

Rosenthal hears that the Phillies prefer to deal with the Blue Jays as opposed to the Cubs. I’d imagine that moving Papelbon to Toronto could require the Phils to eat more cash, as Toronto has more budgetary constraints. They’re said to have between $5MM and $8MM to make in-season additions, though Papelbon is earning $13MM this season, of which $8.3MM remains. It seems unlikely that the Blue Jays would want to place all their eggs in this one basket by spending all of the money they have left on Papelbon’s salary. Additionally, Papelbon’s $13MM vesting option has to be a consideration, as if he were inserted into the ninth inning in Toronto, he’d almost certainly reach the 48 games finished needed to lock in that final year.

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Chicago Cubs Newsstand Philadelphia Phillies Toronto Blue Jays Aaron Harang Cole Hamels Jonathan Papelbon

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Diamondbacks Draft Dansby Swanson First Overall

By Steve Adams | June 8, 2015 at 6:13pm CDT

The Diamondbacks have selected Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson with the first overall pick in the 2015 Rule 4 amateur draft. Swanson ranked atop the draft prospect leaderboard compiled by Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel, also ranking second among draft prospects according to MLB.com and Baseball America, while placing third on the Top 100 of ESPN’s Keith Law. Despite the fact that he was not seen as the consensus No. 1 talent by each of those outlets, Swanson was projected to go first overall by each, as the D-Backs are believed to have had their eye on him for quite some time.

Scouting reports peg Swanson as a strong candidate to remain at shortstop and praise both his speed and on-base skills, making him a candidate to hit at the top of a Major League batting order. While he doesn’t currently project as a major home run threat, Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis at MLB.com note that he presently has gap power and outstanding makeup. BA writes that Swanson can hit the ball to all fields, and the main question about him defensively is whether or not he has a plus arm. (Regardless, BA notes that most expect him to stay at shortstop.)

Law notes that Swanson has more power than collegiate shortstop peers Alex Bregman (LSU) and Kevin Newman (Arizona), both of whom also project as first-round picks. His colleagues Eric Longenhagen and Chris Crawford wrote a lengthier scouting report opining that Swanson could eventually develop 15 to 20 home run power to go along with his speed. Back in April, McDaniel called him a plus runner with 10- to 13-homer power that is also a plus runner — a nice No. 6-10 pick in most drafts but a more appealing commodity in this, a thin draft class.

The No. 1 overall selection in this year’s draft comes with a slot value of $8,616,900, though the Diamondbacks don’t have to spend the entirety of that sum on Swanson. In fact, based on most reports, it seems unlikely that they will. Swanson will add a top-tier prospect to a D-Backs farm system that is fronted by right-handed pitchers Braden Shipley, Aaron Blair, Touki Toussaint and Yoan Lopez. His addition gives the team a high-ceiling position player to join that quartet of promising pitchers. It is of further significance, because Swanson represents the first selection made under general manager Dave Stewart, senior vice president of baseball operations De Jon Watson and scouting director Deric Ladnier, each of whom is new to their position and to the D-Backs organization.

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2015 Amateur Draft Arizona Diamondbacks Newsstand Transactions Dansby Swanson

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Phillies Sign Kevin Correia To Major League Deal

By Steve Adams | June 8, 2015 at 2:35pm CDT

2:35pm: Correia will receive a $650K base salary and can earn up to $400K via incentives, tweets ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick. The prorated amount of that salary comes out to about $427K from here through season’s end.

1:53pm: The Phillies announced that they have signed right-hander Kevin Correia to a Major League deal. Correia, a client of Damon Lapa and Scott Leventhal’s All Bases Covered Sports Management, will join the team for its series in Cincinnati.

Correia, 34, wrapped up a two-year $10MM last season that was originally issued by the Twins (though he finished the deal as a member of the Dodgers). The veteran hurler was a serviceable source of league-average innings for the 2013 Twins, totaling 185 1/3 frames with a 4.18 ERA, 4.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 44 percent ground-ball rate. He was hit hard in 2014, though, finishing with a 5.44 ERA and a .301/.345/.473 opponents’ batting line.

That rough year led to a minor league deal with the Mariners for Correia, but he went the free agent route late in Spring Training upon learning that he wouldn’t make Seattle’s 25-man roster. Correia returned to the Giants — the organization that originally selected him in the fourth round of the 2002 draft — and pitched quite well for their Triple-A affiliate. In 37 2/3 innings there, Correia notched a 3.58 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.

In the press release announcing this move, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said: “Kevin fills a need by adding depth, durability and experience to our pitching staff. We hope that he can give us quality innings to take some heat off the bullpen.” That seems to indicate that Correia will be given a shot to hold down a spot in the starting rotation — a fact that is also evidenced by the fact that that the team optioned young righty Severino Gonzalez to Triple-A Lehigh Valley yesterday.

Correia will join Cole Hamels, Aaron Harang, Jerome Williams and Sean O’Sullivan in the rotation, though it’s fair to speculate that the starting five could look markedly different in a few months’ time. Hamels and Harang are prime trade candidates, and Correia himself could even be moved if he is throwing well at the deadline. Prospects such as Aaron Nola, Zach Eflin and Ben Lively are in the mix to get a look in the Majors this season, so Correia’s role will be to help bridge the gap to a group that the Phillies hope can help to compose their rotation for years to com.

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Newsstand Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Kevin Correia

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Astros Designate Matt Dominguez For Assignment

By Steve Adams | June 8, 2015 at 11:53am CDT

The Astros announced that they have designated third baseman Matt Dominguez for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for top prospect Carlos Correa, whose promotion is now official.

It’s been a swift fall for Dominguez, who just one year ago was rumored to have been offered an extension worth roughly $14.5MM over five years (plus two option years for the Astros). He’s spent the entire season in Triple-A so far after serving as Houston’s regular third baseman for all of 2013-14 and much of the 2012 season as well.

Dominguez’s best season came in 2013 when he batted .241/.286/.403 with 21 homers in 152 games. Despite the lackluster OBP, Dominguez rated out well in terms of Defensive Runs Saved, leading to a 2.2 rWAR season. (Fangraphs’ version of WAR, which uses UZR in its equation, rated him at just shy of one WAR.) Dominguez’s glove has long drawn positive reviews from scouts, and he clearly has some power in his bat, as evidenced by the .168 isolated power (slugging minus batting average) mark that he posted from 2012-13.

Dominguez hit 16 home runs last year, but he saw his walk rate dip even further while his strikeout rate climbed to almost 21 percent. The resulting .215/.256/.330 batting line was enough that the Astros saw fit to acquire Luis Valbuena and sign Jed Lowrie to serve as upgrades on the left side of the infield. So far in Triple, Dominguez is batting .251/.289/.371.

Despite the struggles, Dominguez is still just 25 years of age. The former first-round pick won’t turn 26 until late August, and if a light were to turn on with another club, Dominguez could be controlled through at least the 2018 season. In fact, that number will soon jump to 2019. Dominguez entered the year with two years, 62 days of service, meaning he’d have needed 110 days of service this year to reach the three-year mark. However, there are just 119 days of the regular season remaining, so it seems unlikely that he’ll end up reaching that mark.

Because of his youth, big league track record, remaining remaining minor league options and upside, I’d personally be surprised to see Dominguez clear waivers. More likely, it seems that the Astros may try to trade him to a team in need of some help at the hot corner. The Giants have had some struggles at third base this season, as have the Tigers, White Sox and Brewers. The Indians just demoted Lonnie Chisenhall to Triple-A, though they may prefer to give Giovanny Urshela a tryout before moving on to other options.

Speculating a bit further, the Angels were said to be seeking a controllable young third baseman this winter, and while they acquired Kyle Kubitza from the Braves to give them an option, it’s at least possible that Dominguez intrigues them. And, in last year’s leak of trade notes from the Astros, the Marlins were said to have expressed interest in a trade for Dominguez, though Miami does have Martin Prado at the position now.

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Houston Astros Newsstand Transactions Carlos Correa Matt Dominguez

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Astros Promote Carlos Correa

By Mark Polishuk | June 7, 2015 at 7:40pm CDT

The Astros have promoted top prospect Carlos Correa, according to a team press release.  Correa will join the team tomorrow in Chicago for the start of a three-game series against the White Sox.  Righty Jake Buchanan is being optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move, and another move is coming tomorrow to open up a 40-man roster spot.

“Carlos has performed extremely well at every level of our minor league system,” Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said in the release. “We feel he has earned this promotion and look forward to him joining our ballclub. Since he is just 20 years old, we do not have unrealistic expectations of Carlos. However, his performance on the field and his maturity indicate that he is ready to contribute on the Major League level.”

"FebCorrea was the first overall pick of the 2012 draft, a slightly controversial pick at the time given that Byron Buxton and Mark Appel were generally considered to be better picks.  Houston took Correa in part due to signability reasons, as he inked a below-slot contract and freed up more money for the Astros to spend on other prospects later in the draft.  In four pro seasons, however, Correa has made the Astros’ strategy look doubly wise, as he has hit .313/.392/.491 with 28 homers and 54 steals (out of 70 chances) over 1256 minor league plate appearances.  Preseason prospect lists saw the 6’4″, 190-pounder ranked as the third-best prospect in the sport by MLB.com and ESPN’s Keith Law, while Baseball America ranked him fourth.

The 2015 Baseball America Prospect Handbook describes Correa as “a plus hitter with plus raw power” who 30-homer potential in the big leagues, though he has yet to fully develop enough loft in his swing to fully unleash that pop.  One rival evaluator cited by BA compared Correa’s opposite-field hitting ability to that of Albert Pujols, though with less power.  Defensively, Correa was praised for almost everything (only his ability to turn double plays was considered average), particularly his “double-plus” throwing arm.  Off the field, Correa’s “makeup is off the charts, with a natural ability to lead and a goal-oriented mindset unseen in a player who just turned 20.”

Correa hadn’t even played above the high-A ball level before this season, yet a 1.185 OPS in 133 PA in Double-A quickly earned him another promotion to Triple-A, where he posted a .266/.336/.447 line over 107 PA.  While this Triple-A production isn’t quite dominant, Correa still projects as an upgrade for the Astros at shortstop.  Jed Lowrie will be out until after the All-Star break following thumb surgery, and Jonathan Villar and Marwin Gonzalez have combined for -0.2 fWAR this season.

Many predicted Correa would reach the majors at some point in 2015, though the Astros’ unexpected stint atop the AL West adds a different dimension to the promotion.  Correa will be expected to step in and contribute to a playoff hopeful, rather than the expected scenario of getting his feet wet in the bigs for a team most felt was still at least a season away from contending.  As Luhnow noted, the Astros aren’t expecting Correa to immediately become a superstar.  In fact, there’s not necessarily any guarantee that Correa will even spend the rest of the season in the majors, should he struggle and Lowrie returns as scheduled.  This is just my speculation, but if Correa is playing well when Lowrie gets back, Lowrie could replace Luis Valbuena at third base — Lowrie has appeared in 83 MLB games at third, though he hasn’t played the position since 2011.

From a service time perspective, Correa is likely to fall short of eventually earning Super Two status even if he spends the rest of the year in the majors, based on recent Super Two cutoff points.  Houston hasn’t been shy in calling up some of their top minor league prospects, as Lance McCullers, Preston Tucker and Michael Feliz have all made their MLB debuts in 2015.

Photo courtesy of Tommy Gilligan/USA Today Sports

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Houston Astros Newsstand Top Prospect Promotions Transactions Carlos Correa

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Royals Could Renegotiate Salvador Perez’s Deal, But Should They?

By charliewilmoth | June 6, 2015 at 1:33pm CDT

The Royals plan to approach Salvador Perez soon about a new contract at some point soon, Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan writes, citing a team source. Perez’s is currently in the midst of a five-year, $7MM deal that Passan aptly calls “the best bargain in the big leagues.”

The Royals signed Perez before the 2012 season, when Perez was still remarkably unproven and not the sort of player who would typically receive a multiyear deal. Via MLBTR’s Extension Tracker, at the time of the deal, just two players in recent history had received extensions while they had less service time than Perez did. Both those players, Evan Longoria and Matt Moore, were widely regarded as top young talents. Not only did Perez have just 158 big-league plate appearances to his name, but he also hadn’t been an outstanding minor-league hitter. Now, of course, Perez has made two All-Star teams and won two Gold Gloves, and he’s been a key part of the Royals’ last two successful seasons.

“When I signed my contract, I was 100 percent sure I wanted to sign it,” says Perez. “I didn’t want to feel like, ’Why am I doing that?” But I didn’t know what kind of player I was going to be like.”

At this point, there are plenty of valid reasons for the Royals not to negotiate a new deal with Perez, just as the Cardinals have not negotiated a new deal with John Lackey, another valuable player whose contract called for him to be wildly underpaid this year. Perez’s current deal calls for him to be paid $1.75MM in 2015, followed by $2MM in 2016. The Royals have options on his services for $3.75MM in 2017, $5MM in 2018 and $6MM in 2019, with the salaries in those three years increasing a total of $5MM based on awards bonuses. As Passan points out, those very low figures could allow the Royals to spend money elsewhere, money they might need as a variety of other players become eligible for free agency.

The Royals could, of course, renegotiate the deal as a gesture of goodwill. “I had nothing,” says Perez. “Where I’m coming from, they’re talking about a million dollars. And I don’t got nobody in that moment to explain to me how it’s going to be or how high it could be.”

Perez did have an agent, Gustavo Vasquez, however. And it wouldn’t be fair to the Royals to characterize the contract as the result of an opportunistic club taking advantage of a poor and naive young man, as Vahe Gregorian points out in the Kansas City Star. At the time of the deal, the Royals were taking a risk on a highly unproven young player, and it was a clear possibility that the Royals would get very little for their $7MM investment.

“I don’t think there was another catcher in the history of our game … that had been signed (to such a long-term contract) with that little amount of service time,” Royals GM Dayton Moore tells Gregorian.

Just as no one would have expected Perez to return a portion of his $7MM guarantee if he hadn’t turned out the way the Royals had hoped, then, the Royals do not seem morally obligated to give Perez more money now that the deal has worked in their favor. And from a baseball perspective, there are few reasons for them to do so. The possibility of controlling additional years is the only tangible benefit the Royals would likely gain from renegotiating Perez’s contract. But they already control Perez through his age-29 season, and there should be little motivation for them to try to control him beyond 2019, since projecting how a catcher might perform in five years and as he enters his thirties seems tricky at best. That’s particularly true in Perez’s case, given his size and his often heavy workloads.

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Kansas City Royals Newsstand Salvador Perez

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Braves Designate Eric Young Jr. For Assignment

By Steve Adams | June 5, 2015 at 2:16pm CDT

The Braves announced today that they have activated first baseman/outfielder Joey Terdoslavich from the 15-day disabled list and designated outfielder Eric Young Jr. for assignment in order to clear space on the roster.

Young, who turned 30 roughly two weeks ago, made the Braves’ roster out of Spring Training after being in camp as a non-roster invitee on a minor league contract. He was expected to see significant time in the outfield due to Melvin Upton’s foot injury, but the Braves’ late acquisition of Cameron Maybin in the trade that sent Upton and Craig Kimbrel to the Padres cut into his potential playing time. Maybin has been excellent in his first season in Atlanta, while Young has batted just .169/.229/.273 in 85 trips to the plate with the Braves.

As MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets, Terdoslavich hasn’t played much yet on his rehab assignment, but the Braves have been looking to bolster their bench for quite some time. In fact, Bowman further tweets that Young likely would have been designated in May had it not been for an oblique injury to Kelly Johnson — another veteran whose strong performance cut into Young’s expected playing time.

Terdoslavich, 26, hasn’t hit much in his limited Major League career to date, but he’s batted .261/.328/.419 in 1135 Triple-A plate appearances over parts of three seasons and had stronger numbers than that when cutting his teeth at the Double-A level.

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Atlanta Braves Newsstand Transactions Eric Young, Jr. Joey Terdoslavich

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Heyman’s Latest: Astros/Hamels, Reds, Matz, Zobrist, Ackley, Soriano

By Steve Adams | June 5, 2015 at 12:40pm CDT

In this week’s edition of his Inside Baseball column, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports begins by examining the possibility of the Astros making a run at the Phillies’ Cole Hamels. Houston is seeking a top-of-the-rotation starter, and Hamels is on their radar, Heyman hears, even though he’s something of a long shot. The Astros are seeking a No. 1 or No. 2 starter, one person told Heyman, though Houston GM Jeff Luhnow indicated they’d be interested in any arm that could start Games 1-3 of a playoff series. The Phillies are said to be intrigued by outfield prospects Preston Tucker and Brett Phillips, among others, Heyman notes. Houston won’t part with top prospect Carlos Correa or impressive rookie right-hander Lance McCullers Jr., and they’d prefer to keep righty Vincent Velasquez as well. Heyman adds that it’s uncertain whether or not Hamels would approve a trade to Houston, with one source indicating that they didn’t find the scenario likely. If Hamels were to approve the trade, he’d likely ask that his 2019 option be exercised, and the Phillies would almost certainly have to pay down some of the $24MM he is owed annually, per Heyman.

Some more highlights…

  • The Reds are currently reluctant to sell any pieces according to rivals who have reached out to the team. That may simply be due to the fact that the team is set to host the All-Star game this year and doesn’t want to begin a potential fire sale before that game. However, other execs have indicated to Heyman that owner Bob Castellini prefers to see how his big-money investments in Joey Votto and others will play out rather than commencing a rebuilding effort.
  • Both Dillon Gee and Jon Niese remain widely available, as the Mets would prefer to add promising lefty Steven Matz to their six-man rotation. One scout that spoke to Heyman said Matz is better than any pitcher in the rotation aside from Matt Harvey, which is high praise, particularly considering Jacob deGrom’s brilliant start to the season and the flashes of brilliance displayed by Noah Syndergaard.
  • The Yankees are interested in the Athletics’ Ben Zobrist as an option at second base and also still like Dustin Ackley despite his struggles with the Mariners. New York has been surprised by Jose Pirela’s troubles to this point, and they still have questions about Rob Refsnyder’s glove at second base. Heyman adds that the Yankees don’t expect to be big players on Cole Hamels this winter, and they were worried about Mark Teixeira enough this offseason that they checked in on Ryan Howard, though clearly those concerns have dissipated in light of Teixeira’s excellent resurgence.
  • The Cardinals, Blue Jays and Cubs are the three teams that Heyman mentions as most realistic options for right-hander Rafael Soriano. He calls the Cards “a surprise entry” into the Soriano mix, adding that the Jays have not given up the idea of signing him but will need to see what his price tag is now that he’s switched representatives.
  • The Mariners will probably see a need to add a veteran catcher after trading Welington Castillo to the D-Backs in order to land Mark Trumbo. Heyman spoke to someone close to the Mariners who described the team as “desperate” to add offense prior to the Trumbo deal, as they’ve received struggles from many of their outfielders and, surprisingly, Robinson Cano.
  • Red Sox higher-ups have an immense amount of respect for manager John Farrell, so while votes of confidence from ownership and executives often mean little, Heyman feels that Boston’s recent vote of confidence in Farrell has more weight behind it. However, Boston won’t be swayed by the fact that Farrell’s contract runs through 2017 if they do decide a change is needed down the line.
  • Both Dodgers right-hander Jose De Leon and Yankees shortstop Jorge Mateo have hired Scott Boras to represent them. The pair of prospects is well-regarded within each organization.
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Athletics Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Cincinnati Reds Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers New York Mets New York Yankees Newsstand Philadelphia Phillies Seattle Mariners St. Louis Cardinals Toronto Blue Jays Ben Zobrist Carlos Correa Cole Hamels Dillon Gee Dustin Ackley John Farrell Jon Niese Jose Pirela Preston Tucker Rafael Soriano Ryan Howard Steven Matz

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Marlon Byrd Suffers Fractured Wrist

By Steve Adams | June 5, 2015 at 7:25am CDT

JUNE 5: Manager Bryan Price told reporters prior to last night’s contest that Byrd will be in a soft cast for a week to 10 days and will be further evaluated once it is removed, per C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter).

JUNE 2: Reds left fielder Marlon Byrd exited Tuesday’s contest in the sixth inning after being hit by a pitch, and manager Bryan Price told reporters after the game that X-rays revealed a fracture in his right wrist (Twitter link via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). Further updates on Byrd will likely be available tomorrow.

Acquired from the Phillies this winter in exchange for pitching prospect Ben Lively, Byrd got off to a dreadful start with the Reds. However, after slashing just .169/.188/.273 in the month of April, Byrd came to life in May, batting a hefty .244/.353/.581 with eight homers. That production put to rest concern among some Reds fans that the 37-year-old didn’t have anything left in the tank, and it also increased the likelihood that even if Cincinnati fell out of the NL Central race, they’d have a reasonably desirable trade chip.

The severity and exact location of the fracture aren’t known, so at this point it’s difficult to know precisely how Byrd’s injury will impact the Reds’ summer plans. Even if he is back in relatively short order, though, hand/wrist injuries can sap the power production of a player upon his return. And with a severe enough fracture, it’s possible that he could be sidelined into the month of August. That wouldn’t preclude a trade — if the Reds had intentions to trade Byrd at all, of course — but it would certainly complicate the process.

Furthermore, the injury may have significant financial implications for Byrd, whose two-year, $16MM contract contains a vesting/club option. That option, valued at $8MM, becomes guaranteed if Byrd totals 1100 plate appearances between the 2014 and 2015 seasons, so long as at least half of those plate appearances come in 2015. In other words, he needed 550 plate appearances this year to guarantee himself an additional $8MM. Presently, Byrd has 184 plate appearances, leaving him 366 shy of that additional guaranteed money.

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Cincinnati Reds Newsstand Transactions Marlon Byrd

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