Red Sox Acquire Rajai Davis
The Red Sox have struck a deal to acquire fleet-footed outfielder Rajai Davis from the Athletics, the teams announced on Tuesday night. Minor league outfielder Rafael Rincones is going back to the A’s in exchange, and Boston has designated first baseman/outfielder Steve Selsky to clear a 40-man roster spot. Davis had previously ranked eighth on MLBTR’s most recent list of the top August trade candidates.
The 36-year-old Davis had a slow first half to the season but has been on fire since the All-Star break, hitting .303/.361/.487 with three homers and 11 steals (in 13 attempts). Overall, he’s stolen 26 bases in 32 attempts. Davis will give Boston a huge boost in terms of speed in the season’s final month as well as in the postseason — both times when clubs are more likely to carry pinch-running specialists.
Of course, Davis’ second-half production and his respectable .255/.319/.396 slash against left-handed pitching illustrate that he brings far more to the table than just his wheels. He’ll also give the Sox a veteran outfield option capable of playing all three spots while Jackie Bradley sits out for the next week-plus due to a sprained thumb.
Davis brings to the Red Sox a history of speed and performing well against left-handed pitching. The veteran outfielder has five seasons of 40-plus steals under his belt, including a 43-steal campaign in 2016 that paced the American League. He’s also a career .285/.341/.434 hitter when holding the platoon advantage; His most memorable hit against a lefty provided one of the most dramatic moments in recent postseason history, when he took Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman deep in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.
Davis signed a one-year deal worth $6MM to return to Oakland for his second stint with the A’s this past offseason, and he’s still owed the balance of that salary — a sum of approximately $1.28MM.
Rincones turned 18 on July 1 and has spent the first two seasons of his professional career playing for the Red Sox’ affiliate in the Dominican Summer League. Through 380 plate appearances, the switch-hitting Rincones has batted .267/.386/.368 with a pair of homers, 18 doubles, four triples and 14 steals (in 19 attempts).
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic had both previously reported that the Red Sox were nearing a trade or waiver claim, and Rosenthal added that Selsky had been designated for assignment. CSN New England’s Evan Drellich first reported that Davis was going to Boston (on Twitter). Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted that it was a trade, not a waiver claim, and she was also the first to report that the A’s were acquiring Rincones (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Lowrie, Ramirez, Wood, Holland
It seems increasingly plausible that the Athletics may not only keep second baseman Jed Lowrie for the remainder of the season, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle suggests, but also for the 2018 campaign. It seems a foregone conclusion that the club will exercise the veteran’s $6MM club option, though he could still be traded over the winter. Assuming that Lowrie remains in Oakland when the calendar flips to September, the focus will turn to assessing the desirability of retaining him as opposed to turning the reins over to youngster Franklin Barreto. Slusser notes that, despite the team’s general youth movement, there’s a feeling that Barreto could stand to receive a fair bit more developmental time at Triple-A before he is fully exposed to MLB pitching.
Here’s more from out west:
- The Angels aren’t sure when they’ll get righty J.C. Ramirez back from an elbow injury, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes. Ramirez has been shut down with what has been diagnosed as a strain. “He’s in a no-throw situation as we assess his strength,” says GM Billy Eppler. Ramirez, 29, has been quite the pick-up for the Halos. Since joining the organization last year, he has provided 193 2/3 innings of 3.86 ERA pitching — a distinct turnaround from the marginal results he had produced previously.
- It’s likely that Dodgers lefty Alex Wood will skip at least one start, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times was among those to report (Twitter links). Wood showed a downtick in velocity and coughed up three home runs in his outing yesterday, though he was able to complete six innings. After the game, manager Dave Roberts said that Wood had experienced a recurrence of inflammation in his SC joint. Given the Dodgers’ place in the standings, there’s little reason to take a risk.
- Struggling Rockies closer Greg Holland says he’s just not throwing enough “quality pitches,” as Nick Groke of the Denver Post writes. Manager Bud Black suggested there’s no cause for broader concern, while Holland noted that he has “been getting beat with mistakes in the middle of the plate.” The veteran righty was carrying a 1.56 ERA entering play on August 6th, but that number has more than doubled over his last five appearances. Assuming he can figure things out, Holland figures to be a key part of the Rockies’ hopeful run to and through October — and quite an interesting free agent to watch once the season ends.
Minor MLB Transactions: White Sox, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Mariners
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.
- The White Sox have announced that they’ve placed righty Reynaldo Lopez on the 10-day DL with a strained back. To take his place on the active roster, they’ve selected the contract of veteran righty Danny Farquhar. The extent of Lopez’s injury is unclear, although he left Thursday’s game with soreness in his ribcage, as MLB.com’s Scott Merkin notes. Farquhar pitched 35 innings in Tampa Bay’s bullpen earlier this season, posting a 4.11 ERA, 8.5 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9 before being released.
- The Blue Jays have announced that they’ve selected the contract of lefty T.J. House, optioning lefty Tim Mayza to Triple-A Buffalo to clear space. The 27-year-old House had pitched 130 2/3 innings in Buffalo’s rotation, posting a 4.27 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9, though he’s expected to pitch in relief in this stint in the big leagues. He appeared in the Majors with Cleveland each of the last three seasons, making 18 big-league starts in 2014.
- The Jays also announced that they outrighted catcher Mike Ohlman to Buffalo. Ohlman was pressed into duty after a series of injuries to Jays catchers (including Russell Martin, Miguel Montero and Luke Maile) but was designated for assignment when Montero returned last week. The 26-year-old Ohlman collected 13 plate appearances with the Jays this year.
- The Cardinals have announced that they’ve selected the contract of righty Josh Lucas, optioning fellow righty Mike Mayers (who allowed five runs against Pittsburgh yesterday) to Triple-A Memphis to clear space. The 26-year-old Lucas is a former 21st-round pick and took a slow path through the minors, but he’s generally fared well since converting to relief in 2014, and this year he’s posted a 3.34 ERA, 10.3 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 56 2/3 innings with Memphis.
- The Mariners have signed lefty Ashur Tolliver to a minor-league deal, according to an announcement from the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, to whom he’s been assigned. This will be Tolliver’s second stint with the Travelers — he briefly pitched for them last season, when they were an Angels affiliate. The Astros released Tolliver last week after he posted a 7.13 ERA, 7.1 K/9 and an alarming 8.4 BB/9 in 35 1/3 innings of relief with Triple-A Fresno. The 29-year-old has pitched brief big-league stints for Baltimore and Houston the past two seasons.
- The Phillies have announced that they’ve outrighted righty Pedro Beato to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. They designated Beato for assignment when they selected Pedro Florimon‘s contract last week. Beato pitched just once for the Phillies before heading to the DL with a hamstring strain. He’s posted a 3.65 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 49 1/3 innings in Lehigh Valley’s bullpen this year.
- The Athletics have outrighted righty Zach Neal, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The A’s designated Neal on Wednesday when they added lefty Sam Moll to their roster. The 28-year-old Neal struggled in 14 2/3 innings with the big club, posting a 7.98 ERA and five home runs allowed, albeit with ten strikeouts and just one walk. He has pitched 74 innings this year for Triple-A Nashville (including making 12 starts), with a 4.99 ERA and just 4.3 K/9, although with a very good 1.0 BB/9.
Injury Notes: Tanaka, Angels, Diekman, Wahl, Lugo, Nats
Masahiro Tanaka is on the disabled list due to some inflammation in his shoulder, but he could be back with the Yankees as soon as next week, per WFAN’s Sweeny Murti (Twitter link). Murti also notes that lefty CC Sabathia is slated to come off the DL on Saturday. Tanaka will throw a bullpen session tomorrow, and if that goes well, he’ll return to the rotation next week against the Tigers. Demonstrating that this is a minor issue will be key for Tanaka and the Yankees; Tanaka has pitched quite well over his past nine starts and been solid dating back to late May, perhaps positioning him to opt out of the remaining three years on his contract. And the Yankees, of course, are currently in possession of an AL Wild Card spot and are also 4.5 games back of the Red Sox in the AL East.
A few more injury updates of note from around the league…
- The Angels have received some good news on the rotation front, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Left-hander Andrew Heaney will return to the mound on Friday in Baltimore — his first big league appearance in roughly 16 months. Heaney underwent Tommy John surgery last year — one of many blows to what had looked on paper to be a promising Angels pitching staff. Now 26 years of age, Heaney turned in 105 2/3 innings of 3.49 ERA ball with 6.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in his first season with the Halos back in 2015. A healthy Heaney would be a boost to a surging Angels club that now finds itself in the thick of the AL Wild Card race. Fletcher also tweeted yesterday that, per manager Mike Scioscia, right-hander Garrett Richards will face hitters later this week, though it’s not yet clear when Richards could return to a big league mound.
- Left-hander Jake Diekman is getting closer to returning to the Rangers‘ bullpen. Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that Diekman will begin a rehab assignment with the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate on Thursday, during which he’s slated to throw 15 pitches. The 30-year-old southpaw was a key piece of the Texas bullpen in 2015-16 after coming over from the Phillies alongside Cole Hamels, but he’s yet to pitch this season due to a trio of surgeries he’s undergone to combat ulcerative colitis.
- The Athletics announced yesterday that right-hander Bobby Wahl‘s season is over after he underwent surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome. TOS surgery has become increasingly popular in recent seasons, though the success rate on it doesn’t appear to be as high as other common surgeries for pitchers. The 25-year-old Wahl posted terrific numbers in Double-A and Triple-A last season, and he made his big league debut with Oakland earlier in 2017. In 7 2/3 frames, he allowed four runs on eight hits and four walks with eight strikeouts.
- The Mets placed right-hander Seth Lugo on the 10-day DL yesterday with an impingement in his right shoulder, and Lugo emphasized today that he doesn’t feel surgery is required for either his previously injured elbow or his shoulder, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo writes. Lugo is hopeful of missing just one or two starts with his current issue. “The doctors said this is an inoperable situation,” said Lugo. “…Surgery’s not even a though.” Lugo missed the first two months of the season after being diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
- Nationals manager Dusty Baker gave some quick updates on a number of ailing players, writes Byron Kerr of MASNsports.com. Outfielder Jayson Werth is still going through a running program and isn’t yet ready for a rehab assignment, per Baker. Werth will need to play consecutive nine-inning games before being activated. Baker also revealed that while he initially thought right-hander Ryan Madson was dealing with a blister issue on his finger, it appears that is not the case. Madson has “something in his finger” that the Nats are currently analyzing. Bryce Harper, meanwhile, is traveling with the team as he gets treatment on his injured left knee.
Athletics Designate Zach Neal
The Athletics have designated righty Zach Neal for assignment, according to MLB.com’s Jane Lee (via Twitter). Presumably, the move was made to open a 40-man spot for the just-added Sam Moll.
Neal, 28, has functioned as an optionable swingman for Oakland over the past two years, with an unusual blend of elite control and (at least in the minors) a demonstrated ability to induce infield pop-ups. He was outrighted last year, but added back to the 40-man when he was called up earlier in 2017.
All said, Neal owns a 4.89 ERA through 84 2/3 MLB innings, with just 37 strikeouts to go with only 7 walks. He has struggled in the upper minors, too, with only a 4.99 ERA and 4.3 K/9 against 1.0 BB/9 over 74 frames.
Athletics Acquire Sam Moll
The Athletics have acquired lefty Sam Moll from the Rockies, per an announcement from the Colorado organization. Cash considerations or a player to be named later will make up the return for Moll, who had been designated for assignment recently.
Moll, a 2013 third-rounder, showed enough to earn a 40-man spot but had yet to receive a major league promotion. He carries a 4.18 ERA over 47 1/3 innings on the year at Triple-A, with 7.4 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 along with a healthy 50.3% groundball rate.
Those numbers don’t tell the full story on Moll, who was generally regarded as one of the organization’s top thirty or better prospects entering the season. He brings mid-nineties heat from the left side with a slider and even a change that can be effective at times.
Athletics Acquire Chris Hatcher
The Athletics announced that they’ve acquired right-hander Chris Hatcher from the Dodgers in exchange for $500K in international bonus money. Hatcher’s roster spot will go to infielder/outfielder Rob Segedin, who has been activated from the 60-day disabled list, the Dodgers announced.
The 32-year-old Hatcher has struggled in each of the past two seasons with the Dodgers. However, the converted catcher had success in 2014-15 and also comes with some peripheral stats that are more promising than the 5.12 ERA he’s posted since Opening Day 2016.
Since last season began, Hatcher has averaged 10.1 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9 with a fastball that has averaged 95.2 miles per hour. That velocity is down in 2017, as is his ground-ball rate, but Hatcher has also improved his control after an uncharacteristic 4.7 BB/9 rate in 2016.
Hatcher won’t cost the Athletics much, as Oakland is one of several teams that is prohibited from spending more than $300K on any single international amateur after drastically exceeding its pool last year (or the year prior). He’ll give the A’s a reliever with a fair bit of late-inning experience that can be controlled cheaply through the 2019 season. Hatcher avoided arbitration last winter by agreeing to a one-year, $1.25MM contract and will be eligible for arbitration once again in each of the next two offseasons before reaching free agency in 2019-20.
The Dodgers likely deemed Hatcher expendable not only due to his struggles but also due to the manner in which right-hander Brandon Morrow has stepped up and enjoyed a rebound campaign in Los Angeles (2.70 ERA, 11.1 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 in 26 2/3 innings). The Dodgers also deepened their bullpen at the trade deadline by acquiring lefties Tony Watson and Tony Cingrani — further crowding a bullpen mix in which Hatcher proved to be the odd man out.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AL West Notes: Astros, Felix, Phelps, A’s, Rangers
The Astros acquired Tyler Clippard last night and swung a deal to acquire Francisco Liriano prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, but they’re still on the lookout for relief upgrades, tweets MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal. Specifically, Houston hopes to add another left-handed reliever. Of course, with the best record in the American League, Houston won’t have a wide swath of quality relief arms from which to choose. The Astros’ stellar 72-45 record means they’re currently 14th in line for American League players that are placed on revocable waivers and dead last in line for National League players that are put through the same process. Desirable assets like Brad Hand, for instance, have no chance of making it to Houston via the waiver circuit.
From a purely speculative standpoint, the Astros could once again look at left-handed starters that have fared well against southpaws this season. Houston tried that route with the Liriano acquisition, though the early returns haven’t been pretty. Nonetheless, such an acquisition would come with a minimal or negligible cost. Derek Holland, for instance, has been effective against lefties but torched by righties this year and could likely be had for little more than salary relief. Alternatively, Houston could roll the dice on a struggling change-of-scenery reliever such as Ian Krol.
A bit more from the AL West…
- Six days after landing on the disabled list due to bursitis in his right shoulder, Felix Hernandez is still at the strength-building stage of his recovery, Mariners manager Scott Servais tells Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Hernandez is currently on anti-inflammatory medication but has yet to begin throwing. His initial three- to four-week recovery timeline appears unchanged. There’s better news on David Phelps, though, Dutton writes. He’s progressing through a throwing program and could be activated as soon as this weekend against the Rays.
- Athletics manager Bob Melvin said today in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that Matt Olson and Matt Chapman are “definitely” the team’s corner infielders of the future (audio link via Twitter). The skipper exuded confidence in the duo’s defensive abilities, though each has also shown promise at the plate in his first extended look in the Majors. Olson is hitting just .211 but has a 10 percent walk rate and seven homers through his first 80 plate appearances. He’ll need to improve on his 36 percent strikeout clip, though his 24 percent mark in Triple-A offers some optimism in that regard. Chapman, meanwhile, is hitting a similar .228/.305/.507 with eight homers and a 9.7 percent walk rate through 154 plate appearances. He’s regarded as a superlative defender and has posted an outrageous +12 Defensive Runs Saved in just 351 innings.
- Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram spoke to Adrian Beltre about the Rangers‘ Wild Card hopes even after trading Yu Darvish prior to the non-waiver deadline. “I think we were a little disappointed trading one of the best pitchers in the last five years,” said Beltre. “…It was a little gloomy, but we had a little talk. … In this clubhouse, we are still grinding and believe we can get back in this.”
- The Rangers have reached a pivotal point in their schedule as they hope to position themselves for a Wild Card berth, writes Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News. With a four-game series against a depleted Tigers roster and three games against the rebuilding White Sox, the Rangers have a favorable slate of games on the horizon. Texas is currently just 3.5 games out of the American League’s second Wild Card spot and is coming off a series victory over the division-leading Astros this weekend. The majority of the American League still has some degree of Wild Card hope remaining, and the final two weeks of August figure to play a large role in what August moves (if any) fringe Wild Card clubs will make before month’s end.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Blue Jays, White Sox, Brewers, Gray
Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada drew “virtually no interest” in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Estrada has been at top form since then, however, making it likely someone will claim the impending free agent on revocable waivers this month, a rival executive told Rosenthal (Twitter link). The Jays placed Estrada on waivers Friday, per Rosenthal, though he adds that they’re not bent on trading the 34-year-old unless a solid offer comes along. Because Toronto still has a shred of playoff hope and is averaging almost 40,000 fans per home game, it’s not ready to wave the white flag.
More from Rosenthal:
- The rebuilding White Sox are still deciding on the futures of first baseman Jose Abreu and outfielder Avisail Garcia, says Rosenthal. As a bat-first type who doesn’t play a premium position and will turn 31 in January, Abreu would be the harder of the two to trade, observes Rosenthal, who also points out that he’s not cheap ($11MM salary in 2017 with two arbitration trips left). With that in mind, the White Sox could end up keeping the veteran around as a lineup anchor and a mentor to their younger players, including fellow Cubans Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert. Garcia, meanwhile, is amid a career year and still fairly young (26), so he could be an extension candidate if the White Sox don’t “trade him at peak value,” suggests Rosenthal. Garcia’s making a reasonable $3MM this season and, like Abreu, has two arb-eligible years remaining.
- Contrary to a report last month, the Brewers’ unwillingness to part with high-end outfield prospect Lewis Brinson did not kill their chances of landing righty Sonny Gray from the Athletics, according to Rosenthal. The A’s would have accepted a package of other prospects from the Brewers’ talented farm system, relays Rosenthal, but the two sides still couldn’t work out a deal leading up to July 31. Oakland ultimately sent Gray to the Yankees for a trio of prospects on deadline day, officially ending any chance of the Brewers acquiring him.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/8/17
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the game…
- The Athletics announced that catcher Ryan Lavarnway has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Nashville after being designated for assignment. The 30-year-old veteran has showed nicely in a tiny sample of 13 PAs with Oakland this season and has also posted a solid .262/.346/.385 slash through 255 PAs with the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Nashville. He’s been outrighted on multiple occasions in the past, giving him the option to reject the assignment in favor of free agency if he chooses. Lavarnway, though, has already accepted one outright from the A’s earlier this season.
- Right-hander Ricardo Rodriguez‘s contract has been formally selected by the Rangers, per a team announcement. He’ll fill the 25-man roster spot of Keone Kela, who hit the DL today due to shoulder soreness. Soon to turn 25, Rodriguez will be making his MLB debut when he first takes the mound for the Rangers, who signed him as an international free agent out of Venezuela back in 2010. Rodriguez missed the 2016 season after Tommy John surgery but has returned strong in 2017. As Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper wrote back in late June, Rodriguez blitzed through a span of 15 perfect innings out of the bullpen earlier this year, prompting Texas to move him from Class-A Advanced to Double-A. Through 47 innings this year, Rodriguez has a ridiculous 1.34 ERA with 11.7 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9 (albeit against much younger competition least back in Class-A).
- Veteran right-hander Javy Guerra is back in the Majors, as the Marlins announced that they’ve selected his contract to fill the spot of lefty Chris O’Grady, who is going on the DL due to a strained oblique. Guerra hasn’t been especially impressive in Triple-A this year (4.99 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 in 48 2/3 innings), but he’ll provide some depth for a Miami pitching staff that has been depleted by trades (David Phelps, AJ Ramos) and injuries.