Baseball Blogs Weigh In: D’Backs, Rays, Markakis
On this date in 2005, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor George Pataki, and team officials to announce plans for a new ballpark in the Bronx. Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Redbird Rants spoke with the authors of “Hits and Misses in the Baseball Draft.”
- Inside The Zona looks at potential trade targets for the D’Backs.
- Rays Colored Glasses looks at Tampa Bay’s entire draft class.
- Camden Depot tries to figure out what to do with Nick Markakis.
- Blue Jays Plus looks at a showdown between Trevor Plouffe & Dustin McGowan.
- Call To The Pen examines David Wright‘s power outage.
- Red Sox Ramblings isn’t wild about Andres Torres.
- NatsGM sat down with Brian Bannister.
- NL Theory breaks down the work of Dodgers GM Ned Colletti.
- Sports Rumor Alert has an aggressive idea for the Cubs.
- Grading On The Curve talks Steven Souza.
- Royals Blue remembers the time that KC drafted two legendary quarterbacks.
- Yanks Beat Blog appreciates Chase Whitley.
- FanDuel looks at fantasy stud Masahiro Tanaka.
Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Yankees Sign Jacob Lindgren
The Yankees have signed second-round pick Jacob Lindgren, Chad Jennings of LoHud.com tweets. This morning, George A. King III of the New York Post wrote that Lindgren’s signing was expected, and that he would receive the bonus pool amount, which is around $1.02MM for the No. 55 overall pick.
Baseball America ranked Lindgren the No. 50 prospect in the draft, and MLB.com ranked him No. 51. The Mississippi State junior throws a low-90s fastball and a very good slider, and appears likely to pitch as a reliever, although MLB.com notes the possibility that he could start.
Brewers Sign Kodi Medeiros
The Brewers have signed No. 12 overall draft pick Kodi Medeiros, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo tweets. Medeiros receives a signing bonus of $2.5MM, plus $240K to pay for college. The Hawaii high school lefty had a commitment to Pepperdine.
MLB.com ranked Medeiros the No. 29 prospect in the draft, and Baseball America placed him at No. 32. He wins praise for his fastball, which has good life and can reach into the mid-90s, and his slider, although he is somewhat small and pitches from a low arm slot, which has led some within the game to believe he may eventually be a reliever.
The bonus pool value of the No. 12 pick is around $2.81MM, so the Brewers save about $310K of room against their bonus pool. The Brewers went over their bonus pool allotments to sign Comp Round A selection Jacob Gatewood and second-rounder Monte Harrison, but between their savings on Medeiros and on later rounds (where they picked several college seniors), they are still within their bonus pool, as MLB.com’s Jim Callis notes.
Marlins Sign Justin Twine
The Marlins have signed second-round pick Justin Twine for the bonus pool value of $1.316MM, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets. Miami selected Twine, a Texas high school shortstop (and also an outstanding high school running back), with the No. 43 overall pick. He was committed to TCU.
Baseball America ranked Twine the No. 138 prospect in the draft, while MLB.com placed him at No. 161. They note he has excellent speed (which is no surprise, given his background), but scouts aren’t sold on his hitting ability, particularly his ability to hit secondary pitches. He also may eventually have to move to center field.
The Marlins also recently reportedly agreed to a $6MM bonus with first-round pick Tyler Kolek, saving $821K against their bonus pool. They also saved about $400K on Comp Round A pick Blake Anderson and about $137K on third-rounder Brian Anderson. As MLB.com’s Jim Callis pointed out earlier today (on Twitter), that meant the Marlins had saved about $1.36MM against their bonus pool. The Marlins gave back $250K of that amount as part of a $350K bonus for 11th-round pick Nick White, but that still left about $1.11MM in savings. Callis guessed that Twine might be the beneficiary of some of that money, but it appears that isn’t the case.
Jason Kubel Clears Waivers, To Refuse Outright Assignment
2:16pm: Kubel will refuse the outright assignment, according to an update from Zach (Twitter link). Minnesota is likely to release him, leaving the club on the hook for the rest of his $2MM salary.
Kubel also earned $300K in roster bonuses under the minor league deal he signed over the offseason.
FRIDAY, 1:23pm: MLBTR’s Zach Links reports that Kubel has cleared waivers (Twitter link). Reports earlier in the week indicated that Kubel would not accept an assignment to Triple-A Rochester in the event that he cleared waivers, so it seems likely that he will instead elect free agency.
SUNDAY: The Twins have designated Jason Kubel for assignment, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). The move will help create room on the 40-man roster for the newly-acquired Kendrys Morales.
Kubel, 32, signed a minor league deal with Minnesota in December and made the big league club out of Spring Training. Unfortunately, Kubel hasn’t been able to regain the form he displayed for much of his original stint with the Twins. In 176 plate appearances this season, Kubel has slashed .224/.313/.295 with one homer.
For his career, Kubel owns a .262/.330/.448 slash line across ten seasons for the Twins, D’Backs, and Indians. Kubel is represented by Joel Wolfe of Wasserman Media Group, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database.
Rays Claim Angel Sanchez From Marlins
The Rays have claimed right-hander Angel Sanchez off waivers from the Marlins, tweets Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Marlins have announced that the move will clear a 40-man roster spot for Rafael Furcal to be activated from the DL and reinstated to the big league roster. Sanchez will head to Double-A Montgomery for the Rays.
Sanchez, not to be confused with the infielder of the same name who inked a minor league deal with the Dodgers earlier today, is a 24-year-old right-hander out of the Dominican Republic. He is one of three pitchers that the Marlins acquired from the Dodgers in exchange for Ricky Nolasco and cash last season (the roughly $6MM of salary relief was the bigger concern for Miami in that transaction). In 12 starts at Double-A Jacksonville this season, Sanchez posted a 6.88 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 52 1/3 innings.
Furcal, who signed a one-year Major League deal with the Fish this offseason, will bat leadoff in tonight’s game for the Marlins — his first big league action since 2012 with the Cardinals. He batted .264/.325/.346 in 531 plate appearances for St. Louis that season. A three-time All-Star and former NL Rookie of the Year (2000), Furcal is a career .281/.346/.403 hitter in parts of 13 Major League seasons with the Braves, Dodgers and Cardinals.
Padres Could Make Organizational Changes Soon
The Padres are currently 10 games below .500 and 14.5 games behind in the NL West despite a pitching staff that ranks eighth in the Majors in ERA, and ownership is losing patience with the club, according to multiple reports. In an appearance with Darren Smith of Mighty 1090 radio in San Diego yesterday (audio link), Padres CEO Mike Dee said called the team’s current standing “unacceptable.” Dee notes that as an organization, “we’re all accountable,” but he made little effort to hide the fact that changes could be on the horizon.
“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I was not looking at everything and everybody in this organization from top to bottom … We increased payroll 25 percent. We got an enormous commitment by ownership to do that, and it’s not getting done. And when it’s not getting done, everybody and everything gets put under the microscope, and if changes are appropriate, changes will be made.”
While Dee declined to “put a shot clock” on when moves will be made (if at all), he went on to say, “Stay tuned. If it doesn’t turn around, invariably, we’re going to have to make some tough decisions.” Specifically, he was critical of the team’s offensive struggles. When asked if manager Bud Black was getting the most out of the roster, Dee replied by saying that even Black himself would answer “no” to that question, though he declined to place any significant amount of blame on the longtime San Diego skipper, stating “It’s not on Buddy, singularly, it’s on the organization. All of us are disappointed. All of us are accountable. The fanbase deserves more.”
This morning, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports exchanged emails with chairman Ron Fowler, who told him:
“At this time, we will not be discussing our situation with any parties outside of our senior management circle. That said, we are terribly disappointed in the team’s offense this year and staying the course (waiting for a turnaround) is becoming less appealing as the ugly losses continue.”
Rosenthal speculates that hitting coach Phil Plantier might be the one who is in the most immediate danger. The Padres are, after all, last in the Majors in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, having batted just .216/.275/.344 as a team. Petco Park’s pitcher-friendly setting can’t even be blamed, as the Padres rank last in the Majors with a wRC+ of just 75, and that stat is both park- and league-adjusted. (In other words, Padres hitters have been, as a whole, 25 percent less effective than a league-average hitter, even when adjusting their hitting to account for a pitcher-friendly environment.)
Rosenthal points back to an article from the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee last month, in which Acee suggested that ownership was becoming impatient with Black. Within that piece, Acee noted that while the lack of offense isn’t necessarily Black’s fault, it is his problem. He went on to write that if the team doesn’t look better by season’s end, GM Josh Byrnes would also be a candidate to be replaced.
Rosenthal writes that Black is still among the game’s most respected managers when talking to rival executives, and he could land another managerial job in short order were he to be dismissed in San Diego. Beyond that, Rosenthal writes that roster changes could be on the horizon as well, noting that the team is expected to move multiple veteran pieces prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. He lists Seth Smith, Huston Street, Ian Kennedy and Chris Denorfia as candidates to be shipped out.
Diamondbacks Designate Nick Evans For Assignment
The Diamondbacks have designated utilityman Nick Evans for assignment, the club announced via press release. Evans’ roster spot will go to Jordan Pacheco, who (the club confirmed) was claimed from the Rockies.
The 28-year-old Evans received only 11 plate appearances this year for the D’backs, making his first appearance on an active MLB roster since a stretch of time with the Mets over 2008-11. He has been quite effective at Triple-A, however, slashing .335/.393/.641 with 11 home runs through 191 plate appearances in 2014.
D’backs Option Trevor Cahill
JUNE 12: Cahill has been optioned to the Diamondbacks’ Single-A Advanced affiliate, the club announced on Twitter. He will take the ball as the starter for Visalia tonight, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, which confirms both that he has accepted the assignment and that he will look to stretch out again as a starter.
JUNE 10: The club has secured optional waivers on Cahill, tweets Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona, meaning that he can be sent to the minors if he consents to the assignment.
JUNE 9, 7:48pm: Cahill has indicated that he would be amenable to taking a minor league assignment, tweets MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert.
5:58pm: The Diamondbacks announced today that they have designated right-hander Trevor Cahill for assignment as part of a series of transactions (Twitter links). The club also reinstated J.J. Putz from the 15-day disabled list, recalled Will Harris from Triple-A Reno, and placed Eric Chavez on the 15-day DL.
Now 26, Cahill came to Arizona from the Athletics (along with Craig Breslow) back in December of 2011. The Diamondbacks gave up a significant haul to acquire his rights, parting with Jarrod Parker, Collin Cowgill, and Ryan Cook. While Cowgill has moved on from Oakland, both Parker and Cook are key parts of the club’s staff (though the former is out for the year for Tommy John surgery and the latter has been limited with his own arm troubles).
Less than a year before he was dealt, Cahill had signed a five-year, $30.5MM pact with Oakland. That contract, no doubt, was part of his appeal, especially as he owned a 3.91 ERA through 583 career innings at the point of the trade. Though he was coming off of a less impressive 2011 campaign, the then-23-year-old had tossed 196 2/3 innings of sub-3.00 ERA ball in 2010.
Now, of course, most if not all of the remainder of that contract is likely to stay on Arizona’s books — and it no longer looks like a bargain. While Cahill combined for 346 2/3 innings of 3.87 ERA ball in his first two seasons with his new club, he missed time last year with a hip injury and has struggled to a 5.66 ERA through 41 1/3 frames in 2014. Though he is striking out batters at a 9.6 K/9 rate that is far and away the best in his career, he is also surrendering a career-low 5.4 BB/9 while dropping below a 50% groundball rate for the first time since his rookie year.
On the other hand, since shifting to the pen, Cahill has worked to a 3.04 ERA while holding the opposition to a .681 OPS. And on the whole, advanced metrics see Cahill as being much the same pitcher now as he has always been. For instance, since his first year in the bigs, his SIERA has never been above 4.11 or below 3.84 (and stands at 3.96 for 2014).
The contract, which includes successive club options for 2016-17, guarantees Cahill the rest of his $7.7MM salary this year as well as $12.3MM for 2015 and a buyout. The question becomes whether not only those obligations, but also Cahill himself, will stay in Arizona. GM Kevin Towers says that the “hope is to retain him,” as the team “still think[s] there is value there,” reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (via Twitter).
Though he has options available, as a veteran with over five years of service time to his name, Cahill would need to agree to any assignment from the D’backs — and would not sacrifice future salary if he declines. Towers implied that he has agreed to do just that, says Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (links to Twitter): “There’s a game plan in place for what we’re ultimately going to do, but as of right now he’s just designated.” Presumably, the club would allow Cahill to try to work out his issues while stretching back out as a starter.
Jeff Todd contributed to this post.
Diamondbacks Claim Jordan Pacheco From Rockies
The Diamondbacks have claimed infielder/catcher Jordan Pacheco off waivers from the Rockies, reports Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (via Twitter). Pacheco, 28, was designated and then placed on outright waivers recently by Colorado.
Pacheco is best known for his defensive versatility and contact skills. He has seen significant time at catcher, third, and first with the Rockies over recent seasons. And in 2012, he posted a sturdy .309/.341/.421 triple-slash over 505 plate appearances. Those numbers have turned south recently, however, as Pacheco owns only a .238/.282/.320 line over the last two seasons.
As MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes reported back in March, Pacheco is out of options. Arizona is currently relying on Tuffy Gosewisch as the primary backup to Miguel Montero behind the dish, though the 30-year-old has seen only 37 plate appearances (slashing an underwhelming .194/.216/.306).