Latest On Phillies, Chase Utley
Chase Utley wants to join a contender on the West Coast and preferably in his native Southern California, two executives involved in the discussions told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The second baseman holds full no-trade rights, so he’ll have say over where he goes or whether he leaves Philly at all.
The Angels and Giants are said to have interest, but Rosenthal writes that the right fit might never arise for the Phillies and the 36-year-old. Utley has never asked the Phillies for a trade and would only leave the organization reluctantly, sources tell the FOX Sports scribe. Also, while teams are interested, they are reluctant to give up much for a seven-week rental who is owed $6MM+, including a $2MM buyout on his 2016 option.
On the flipside, Utley could have incentive to green light a trade since going to a contender could enhance his value this winter. The Phillies could also sweeten the pot with some cash to get a suitable return and make a deal happen.
The Cubs are still in the mix for the veteran, but given his California preference, they are not his first choice. The Cubs also might not want to disrupt a team that has won 15 of its last 16 games heading into today’s contest against the White Sox, Rosenthal writes. The Yankees could offer more playing time than any other suitor, but they’re on the wrong coast for the veteran. The Dodgers, in theory, fit the bill as a Cali contender with a need at second base, but Howie Kendrick could return in two weeks and Kiké Hernandez has been doing well in that spot so far.
A.J. Pollock Interested In Extension With D-backs
Outfielder A.J. Pollock is interested in pursuing an extension with the Diamondbacks, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. “I like my teammates. I like the coaches. The front office has been awesome,” says Pollock. “If they talk to me, I’ll obviously talk to them back.”
Yesterday, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman wrote that the D-backs could consider extending Pollock. “He’s a big, big piece of what we’re trying to do,” GM Dave Stewart told Heyman.
The 27-year-old Pollock will have over three years of service time by the end of the season, making him eligible for arbitration for the first time, and putting him on pace to become a free agent after 2018. As Piecoro suggests, the only recent extension for an outfielder with between three and four years of service time is that of Michael Brantley, who signed a four-year, $25MM deal with one option prior to the 2014 season.
That deal is now almost two years old, though, and as nicely as it has turned out for the Indians, Pollock’s current track record is significantly better than Brantley’s was at the time. Pollock is currently hitting an excellent .312/.365/.474 with 28 stolen bases, and he’s a much better defensive outfielder than Brantley. Pollock’s 4.9 fWAR ranks 10th among big-league position players, ahead of top-performing stars like Anthony Rizzo, Yoenis Cespedes and Andrew McCutchen. Pollock doesn’t have a lengthy track record (due in part to a hand injury that cost him half his 2014 season), and his defense-heavy skill set isn’t ideally suited for getting paid in arbitration, but he’s an excellent extension candidate who should seek a significant payout in exchange for forgoing the arbitration process and delaying free agency.
Pollock’s camp would likely aim much higher than Brantley’s $25MM in extension discussions, then, perhaps pointing to recent deals for infielders Jason Kipnis ($52.5MM) and Matt Carpenter ($52MM) as starting points. Unlike Pollock, however, Kipnis and Carpenter had between two and three years of service at the times of their deals.
Latest On Chase Utley Trade Talks
We heard earlier today that the Angels are looking into a trade for Phillies second baseman Chase Utley. While there are some barriers to a deal there, as there are with other possible destinations, it seems to be one of several viable landings spots. Here’s the latest on the long-time star:
- There is “credible buzz” that the Astros are also involved in pursuing Utley, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com tweets. Obviously Houston has Jose Altuve entrenched at second and can play both Jed Lowrie and Luis Valbuena at third. But Salisbury says that the team could utilize Utley at first and/or the DH slot, where the club is currently struggling to find consistent production. The Astros join five other previously-reported teams with interest, including their primary competition in the AL West.
- Executives involved in the discussions say they expect Utley will end up deciding whether to waive his no-trade protection for the Cubs or Angels, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. It’s not entirely clear whether those two clubs are most appealing to the team or to Utley, let alone what kind of process is being pursued to arrive at a decision.
- The Giants join the Cubs and Angels atop Utley’s preference list, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. As he notes, one major question with San Francisco is the status of Joe Panik, who will presumably slot back in as the regular second baseman when he returns from injury.
Jose Valverde Receives 80-Game Suspension
Righty Jose Valverde has been suspended for eighty games, the league announced today. He was punished for testing positive for stanozolol, a banned performance-enhancing substance.
Valverde played most recently at the Triple-A level in the Nationals organization, throwing 26 1/3 innings of 2.39 ERA ball. He struck out 7.2 and walked 1.0 batters per nine in that span, but ultimately exercised an opt-out clause and took his release. Valverde spent the spring with the Padres but elected free agency when he wasn’t added to the active roster to start the season.
Once the Tigers’ closer, Valverde lost the gig during a rough 2013 season. He opened 2014 with the Mets, but was again cut loose after struggling. All told, Valverde has only thrown forty innings, putting up a 5.63 ERA, since the end of the 2012 campaign.
It already seemed that the 12-year big league veteran could be near the end of the line, particularly given that he had yet to sign since being released nearly a month ago. Certainly, the suspension will make it much more difficult for him to find another opportunity.
John Farrell Diagnosed With Lymphoma; Torey Lovullo To Manage Red Sox For Rest Of Season
Red Sox manager John Farrell announced to reporters today that he has been diagnosed with Stage 1 lymphoma and will begin chemotherapy next week (Twitter link via Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald). Bench coach Torey Lovullo will manage the Sox for the rest of the season in light of this terrible news.
Farrell says that his chemotherapy will last for nine weeks, and there’s “no alternative” to that measure (Twitter links from Lauber). He’s maintaining a positive attitude, though, telling the media, “There’s going to be a good outcome to this.” Tim Britton tweets that the cancer was found earlier this week when Farrell was undergoing surgery to repair a hernia. Farrell added that he has “every intention of coming back” to the Red Sox.
The 53-year-old Farrell has served as the team’s manager dating back to 2013 — a season that saw the former Red Sox pitching coach win a World Series title in his return to Boston. He’s compiled a 218-220 record in the regular season while serving as Boston’s skipper and has also managed the Blue Jays at the Major League level. MLBTR offers our best wishes to Farrell, his family and friends, and the Red Sox organization as he battles the illness.
Braves Sign Edwin Jackson To Major League Deal
The Braves announced that they have signed right-hander Edwin Jackson. The Legacy Agency client will receive a Major League contract, and MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that he will step directly into the big league bullpen. The Cubs released Jackson earlier this year.
Jackson, 31, was released midway through the third season of a four-year, $52MM contract signed prior to the 2013 campaign. The contract went south for the Cubs almost immediately, as Jackson’s first year with Chicago resulted in a 4.98 ERA over 175 1/3 innings. Things worsened for Jackson in 2014, when he finished the season with a sky-high 6.33 ERA in 140 2/3 innings.
Jackson spent the 2015 season as a reliever with the Cubs, working to a solid 3.19 ERA with 6.7 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 45.3 percent ground-ball rate. A good deal of that work came in low-leverage situations, but the results were positive nonetheless, and his fastball velocity remained very solid, averaging 94.2 mph upon moving to a relief role.
Angels “Exploring Possibility” Of Chase Utley Trade
The Angels are “exploring the possibility” of a trade for Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, reports Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (All Twitter links). However, as Gonzalez notes, the Angels don’t feel they have a great deal of roster flexibility, as they don’t see an easy call to option or designate for assignment in order to clear room. Gonzalez adds that the extent of the Angels’ interest isn’t clear, especially with Johnny Giavotella hitting well this month, although Utley could see some reps at first base in Anaheim as well.
Utley’s still owed about $4.43MM this season, plus a $2MM buyout on a club option that will not automatically vest, as he’ll fall shy of 500 plate appearances required for that guarantee to trigger. The 36-year-old has already cleared waivers, making him eligible to be dealt to any team, but his 10-and-5 rights are still in effect, giving him the power to veto any trade of which he does not approve. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported yesterday that Utley was seeking a guarantee of playing time in any trade.
The 28-year-old Giavotella has somewhat surprisingly held down the Angels’ second base gig all season, hitting .271/.320/.359 along the way. Defensive metrics peg him as sub-par at second base, however, leading both rWAR and fWAR to value him as little more than a replacement-level option when combined with his slightly below-average bat. Of course, there’s no guarantee that Utley would provide a superior alternative, as he hit poorly all season before landing on the DL for more than a month. He’s 7-for-17 since being activated, but that does little to nothing to erase his earlier woes.
Some may question the aforementioned lack of roster flexibility on the Angels, but the team clearly feels committed to keeping Rule 5 pick Taylor Featherston on the roster despite the absence of offensive production (.126/.181/.195). Shane Victorino hasn’t hit since his acquisition, but he does have just 27 plate appearances with the Halos and would figure to have a lengthier leash than that. Matt Joyce has struggled at the plate all season long, but he’s on the disabled list due to concussion symptoms as opposed to occupying a spot on the active roster.
Jose Reyes Clears Waivers
Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has cleared waivers, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, making him eligible to be traded to any team. Heyman hears that “at least a couple of teams” have been “poking around” regarding Reyes, but the Rockies aren’t necessarily shopping him around.
There’s been at least some contact with the Yankees about a possible Reyes matchup, Heyman reports, though it’s not known how serious their interest is. Didi Gregorius has been outstanding for much of the summer, hitting .290/.329/.383 dating back to June 1 to go along with his strong defensive work. Reyes could be viewed as a second base option by the Yankees, who have received little from their primary option at the position, Stephen Drew.
Reyes, 32, was hitting reasonably well at the time of the stunner that sent him and three pitching prospects from Toronto to Denver in exchange for Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins, but he’s struggled greatly in his new environs. Reyes is hitting just .216/.241/.275 with the Rox — a sharp decline from the .285/.322/.385 he was slashing with the Blue Jays. From a defensive standpoint, Reyes has declined over the past two seasons, so it’s possible that some clubs would think of him more as a second base option than a shortstop anyhow. (Although, getting off the turf in Toronto could revitalize his legs and back to some extent.)
Given the substantial financial commitment still remaining on Reyes contract, it’s unsurprising to see him go unclaimed. He’s still owed about $6.37MM of this year’s $22MM salary, and he’ll earn $22MM in both 2016 and 2017, plus a $4MM buyout of a $22MM option for the 2018 season. All told, that’s about $54.37MM owed to Reyes through the 2017 season.
For what it’s worth, Heyman hears that while Reyes spoke highly of the Mets this weekend and seems to be amenable to a return to New York City, the Mets did not show any interest in reacquiring him following his move to Colorado.
Reyes becomes the third known player to have cleared revocable waivers. We’ll be keeping an update-to-date list of players that have cleared waivers, and you can always find a link to that list on the MLBTR Features sidebar on the right-hand side of the desktop version of MLBTR. (Mobile users may want to bookmark the post for easy reference.)
Giants, Others Have Made Offers To Phillies For Chase Utley
TODAY, 9:55pm: Other clubs have also made offers to the Phillies for Utley, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports, though he notes that it does not appear any trade is imminent. It’s not yet known which other specific clubs have formally offered up packages for the second baseman.
8:21pm: San Francisco has made an offer for Utley and is “just waiting to hear” whether it will be accepted, GM Bobby Evans tells Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). Evans said that he doubts a deal will be completed tonight.
We heard earlier this evening that Utley wants certain assurances regarding playing time before he’ll waive his no-trade rights. It’s not clear what Utley is seeking or what the Giants would be willing to do in that regard, though Evans has seemingly suggested that he is looking more for a part-time addition.
YESTERDAY: The Phillies and Giants are discussing a trade that would send Chase Utley to San Francisco, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi reports (on Twitter). The two teams are discussing specific names of prospects, which is an indication that the talks are at least fairly advanced.
Utley cleared waivers yesterday, and can now be freely traded to any club he wishes, provided he okays the move by waiving his no-trade protection. It has been suggested that Utley could be particularly open to coming to San Francisco given that his family’s offseason home is in the Bay Area, not to mention the more obvious fact that he’d be joining the defending World Series champions in a pennant race.
The Giants’ interest in Utley surfaced when Joe Panik hit the DL with an ongoing back problem. Utley could fill in at second and then, once Panik returns, shift into either a bench role or a part-time role at first base (though since both Utley and Brandon Belt are left-handed hitters, it wouldn’t be a perfect fit).
While a very small sample size, Utley has hit .412/.389/.588 over 18 plate appearances since his return from the disabled list. Despite the very poor numbers Utley posted over the season’s first few months, the longtime Phillie’s apparent health and his career track record has generated trade interest from the Giants, Yankees, Cubs and Angels.
C.J. Wilson To Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
As expected, Angels starter C.J. Wilson has decided to undergo elbow surgery and will miss the rest of the season, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. Wilson is expected to be ready for the spring.
Wilson was reportedly weighing whether or not to go under the knife after dealing with multiple bone spurs all season long. He’s previously had clean-up operations with good results, and was able to toss over two hundred innings in 2013 after having bone spurs removed over the prior offseason.
Wilson topped that inning mark in four straight seasons, including his first two with the Angels, but fell shy last year and will do so again in 2015. He’ll wrap up his season with 132 frames of 3.89 ERA pitching, with 7.5 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9. The Halos owe Wilson $20MM next year, the final season of his contract.
At this point, it’s no surprise to the Angels that they’ll be without Wilson, and an outside addition seems unlikely. But it certainly hurts to lose depth, and the injury (plus his large salary) will make it rather difficult for the team to consider trading Wilson over the winter.