Cafardo On Marlins, Burnett, Price, Cuddyer
In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe looks at the impact that hitting coach Kevin Seitzer has had on the Blue Jays thus far in 2014. Toronto used to be a swing-for-the-fences team, but even guys like Jose Bautista are hitting to all fields. With a new, more patient approach at the plate, Toronto is leading the league in runs, homers, and extra base hits. Here’s more from today’s column..
- A Marlins official told Cafardo there’s no reason they won’t add a player through a trade. The National League East seems wide open, and they believe that they can find their way to the playoffs, even without the services of Jose Fernandez. Miami has lots of pieces to offer, so they shouldn’t have trouble finding a match over the next couple of months.
- Phillies veteran A.J. Burnett is some contending teams are looking at, but as one AL scout tells Cafardo, “if he doesn’t pitch better he’ll be another guy the Phillies are stuck with. When he’s the A.J. we saw earlier in the year or last year, he’s a guy you want out there in a tough situation. Right now, you wouldn’t touch him.” In his last six starts he has a 7.25 ERA, after posting a 2.06 ERA in his first seven.
- The Rays will have to get at least three top players for left-hander David Price and if they don’t get that offer this summer, they’ll probably pull back and wait until the offseason. Price, of course, still has great stuff, but his velocity is down, which is always a red flag. There’s also no guarantee that he’ll re-sign with the team that trades for him, which could keep the Rays from getting the haul they want.
- Rockies veteran Michael Cuddyer didn’t appear to be one of the possibly available outfielders at the deadline a month ago, but he could be if Colorado’s slide continues. The 35-year-old is a great clubhouse presence and would draw trade interest along with Drew Stubbs. Cafardo mentions the Red Sox as a club that could have interest in Stubbs as they seek an outfielder with power.
- The Yankees, Rangers, Angels, Mariners, and Tigers (if they lose Max Scherzer) are among the teams who will line up if Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester hits the open market. On their end, Boston must decide whether to go beyond a fifth year because the other teams surely will.
- The A’s nearly traded right-hander Jim Johnson to the Marlins last week, so, they’re clearly willing to move him. Cafardo mentions the Orioles, Yankees, and Tigers as clubs that could have interest, but his rocky start and onerous contract make him a gamble.
Athletics Designate Kent Matthes For Assignment
The Athletics have designated outfielder Kent Matthes for assignment, according to the team’s transactions page. Matthes’ DFA creates room on the 40-man roster for the recently acquired Justin Marks.
Matthes, 27, was claimed off waivers from the Rockies back in March. Injuries have slowed three seasons of an otherwise promising career prior to 2014. Matthes was a frequent member of Baseball America’s Top 30 prospect rankings and has a career .269/.326/.490 batting line in the minors. However, he’s struggled to a .217/.275/.370 triple-slash through his first 200 plate appearances between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Sacramento.
Athletics Acquire Justin Marks
The Athletics announced (on Twitter) that they’ve acquired lefty Justin Marks from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations and optioned him to Triple-A Sacramento. As the Bay Area News Group’s John Hickey tweets, Oakland’s 40-man roster is full, meaning they’ll have to make a move to accommodate Marks.
For Marks, this is a return to the organization that selected him out of Louisville in the third round of the 2009 draft. Oakland shipped him to Kansas City along with Vin Mazzaro (who accepted an outright with the Pirates earlier today) in exchange for David DeJesus back in 2009.
Marks was designated for assignment earlier this week to clear a 40-man spot for right-hander Wilking Rodriguez. He was solid in his time at Class-A Advanced and Double-A in the minors, but he’s struggled to a 5.23 ERA in 161 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level. Marks averaged 8.6 strikeouts and 3.7 walks per nine innings in his minor league career and held opposing lefties to a .568 OPS in 2013.
AL West Notes: Ogando, Moss, Butler, Carbonell
It almost doesn’t seem fathomable, but the Rangers received even more bad news on the injury front today, as MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes that Alexi Ogando will be shut down for three weeks and could miss up to two months with inflammation and some minor ligament damage in his right elbow. An MRI showed “wear and tear” on the ligament, but not enough to require surgery, he adds. Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest tweets that the Rangers are officially terming the injury “acute inflammation.”
Here’s more from the American League West…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes an excellent in-depth look at Athletics slugger Brandon Moss, who admits that he almost quit the game on multiple occasions before latching on with the A’s. Moss tells Rosenthal that he initially chose to sign with Oakland because he knew he’d be hitting in the Pacific Coast League at Triple-A after his minor league deal, and he thought that league’s notoriously hitter-friendly environments would boost his power numbers and draw some interest from Japanese teams. Moss adds that he was preparing to become a firefighter in his native Georgia, should his last attempt with the A’s not pan out.
- The Mariners could be a potential landing spot for Billy Butler if the Royals end up moving him, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. The team has long coveted Butler but would need to be convinced that his season-long slump is just that — a slump — rather than the beginning of a decline. Some scouts have told Dutton they don’t see diminished bat speed for Butler, which is a good sign. He adds that Kansas City has shown interest in Nick Franklin, though clearly a Butler-for-Franklin 1-for-1 swap isn’t realistic.
- Dutton adds that Mariners officials dismissed previous reports that have connected the team to Cuban outfielder Daniel Carbonell. It’s been reported previously that Seattle is one of two finalists for Carbonell’s services. Dutton does note that the Seattle front office’s denial could merely be gamesmanship.
AL Notes: Zimmer, Fowler, Castro, Johnson, Coliseum
The baseball world suffered a notable loss today with the passing of Rays senior advisor Don Zimmer. It would be impossible to honor Zimmer’s legacy adequately in a brief note, but suffice it to say that he has been said to have “come as close to seeing it all as a baseball man can possibly come.” And that was over a decade ago.
Here’s the latest out of the American League:
- The Astros formally completed their acquisition of Dexter Fowler from the Rockies by picking up an additional $25K, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reported yesterday via Twitter. While that sum is obviously of marginal import, the results of that swap remain fascinating to follow. Fowler has put up a fairly typical (if less powerful than usual) .257/.375/.356 line as Houston’s everyday center fielder. Meanwhile, Jordan Lyles (3.46 ERA through 69 innings) and Brandon Barnes (.295/.339/.390 through 116 plate appearances) have both been productive, but have cooled of late.
- Astros backstop Jason Castro said today that he has only had preliminary talks regarding an extension, none of which have been recent, reports Drellich. “It’s something you try not to think about obviously during the season, but you know, I would love to be a part of the Astros moving forward,” he said. “Obviously it’s an exciting tie, and we’ll see what happens moving forward.” Castro has cooled dowwn from his .835 OPS 2013, posting a .230/.306/.383 triple-slash through 206 plate appearances this season. He is earning $2.45MM in his first year of arbitration eligibility.
- It was reported earlier today that the Athletics nearly shipped deposed closer Jim Johnson to the Marlins. Conflicting reports later emerged about the nature of Oakland’s intentions going forward, both via Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). While a rival rival executive told Rosenthal that the A’s were willing to eat all of Johnson’s remaining salary and had offered him to multiple clubs, an Oakland source later called that statement “a lie” and denied that Johnson was being shopped. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle later reported that the club would indeed be interested in moving Johnson “in the right deal,” and that the A’s might consider picking up most of the $6.5MM tab still owed on the 30-year-old righty.
- Athletics co-owner Lew Wolff said recently that the club is close to inking a ten-year lease that would keep the team at the O.co Coliseum, Carolyn Jones of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. What that actually means is somewhat more difficult to assess, and Mark Purdy of the Mercury News breaks down what is known and what is yet to come. There is too much to cover to treat it sufficiently here, but the bottom line, according to Purdy, is that it is much too early to say that a new contract would put an end to the team’s efforts to find a new ballpark deal (let alone the possibility of that stadium landing in San Jose). Purdy further detailed the exceedingly complex situation in an earlier piece.
Marlins, A’s Nearly Completed Jim Johnson Trade Last Week
The Marlins raised some eyebrows by trading their Competitive Balance draft pick (No. 39 overall) to the Pirates last week in exchange for right-hander Bryan Morris and using the extra cash to sign Kevin Gregg. However, the team almost made an even larger acquisition, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, who reports that Miami nearly sent the pick to the A’s in exchange for fallen closer Jim Johnson.
Oakland was willing to make the deal, according to Rosenthal, and they were also willing to pay a chunk of the nearly $6.5MM remaining on Johnson’s salary, with Miami including another player and remaining on the hook for at least the $1.4MM total of the draft slot. Ultimately, however, the Marlins went a different route.
Rosenthal notes that the A’s aren’t shopping Johnson but were willing to move the right-hander when approached by the Marlins, who were “aggressively” pursuing bullpen help. The 30-year-old Johnson has disappointed in his first season with the A’s, who acquired him from the Orioles in the offseason.
After back-to-back 50-save seasons, Johnson has pitched to a 6.55 ERA in 22 innings and lost the closer’s job to Sean Doolittle. Johnson has seen his walk and strikeout rates trend in the wrong direction, but he’s also been plagued by a .390 BABIP. His ground-ball rate remains elite, and his velocity hasn’t declined, so the Marlins likely figured that he could rebound to something closer to his previous form with the O’s. Indeed, sabermetric ERA estimators such as FIP (3.65), xFIP (4.42) and SIERA (4.10) all feel that he’s been vastly better than his ERA indicates. A move to the National League likely would be of benefit as well.
Perhaps the Marlins felt that they’d prefer to save some money and take a chance on two relievers rather than one. They may have thought the player going back to Oakland in the proposed deal was too steep a price to pay in the end. Their ultimate line of thinking isn’t clear, but Rosenthal’s report does suggest that the 30-28 Marlins do feel they can compete even without the likes of Jose Fernandez in the rotation.
AL Notes: Royals, Yankees, Athletics
The Royals have once again shuffled their coaching staff in hopes of sparking a dormant offense, reports Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). Dale Sveum will take over for Pedro Grifol as the hitting coach, with Grifol becoming the catching instructor and Mike Jirschele taking over at third. Oddly, the news comes just one day shy of the anniversary of the club’s shake-up last year, in which Hall of Famer George Brett temporarily took over as the batting instructor. (For what it’s worth, the Royals had a 21-29 record when they tapped Brett — who held the role for about two months — and ended up finishing the year ten games over .500.)
Here’s more from the American League:
- Contrary to popular opinion, the Yankees have the prospect pieces necessary to pull off one or more significant trades, rival GMs tell ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden (Insider subscription required). Bowden says he expects the team to be most interested in adding rotation help, and lists a few hypothetical targets. On the other side of the ledger, says Bowden, New York can offer up young power arms like Dellin Betances and Adam Warren, though those players are obviously useful at the MLB level. Otherwise, potential trade pieces include catchers Gary Sanchez and Peter O’Brien, 20-year-old righty Luis Severino, and the team’s three first-round picks from last year’s draft.
- The Athletics have essentially done the opposite of the prevailing turnaround model of collecting and developing prospects, then selling them off when they get expensive, writes R.J. Anderson for FOX Sports. Since the end of 2012, Oakland GM Billy Beane has repeatedly swapped top prospects for useful, non-star big leaguers who generally did not come with extended team control. While that could lead to a talent deficit in future years, Anderson says that the club should be applauded for aggressively seeking to build a winner rather than waiting and hoping that its young talent pans out.
Padres Acquire Ronald Herrera To Complete Kyle Blanks Trade
The Athletics announced (on Twitter) that they have traded right-hander Ronald Herrera to the Padres as the player to be named later in the Kyle Blanks trade. That deal, which was reached on May 15 this month, also sent outfielder Jake Goebbert to San Diego.
Herrera, 19, has spent the season in the rotation for Oakland’s Class-A affiliate in Beloit, pitching to a 3.38 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 50 2/3 innings of work. The Venezuelan hurler ranked 16th in the A’s farm system, according to MLB.com. Baseball America ranked Herrera 17th among A’s prospects prior to the 2014 campaign.
The A’s signed Herrera for just $20K out of Venezuela back in 2011 (as MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo notes in his free scouting report on Herrera). Mayo writes that Herrera is exceptionally polished for his age and features three pitches, including a fastball that touches 94 mph despite his small frame (he is listed at 5’10” and 168 pounds). Mayo also writes that Herrera’s changeup shows more promise than his curveball, and his fastball features some nice sink. Baseball America agreed in their 2014 Prospect Handbook, noting that Herrera has outstanding command and “has the makings of a solid big league starter” down the line.
West Notes: Arenado, Rangers, Giants, Astros, A’s
Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado left this evening’s game with a left mallet finger fracture, the club announced on Twitter. The injury occurred to his left middle finger, tweets David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Team trainer Keith Duggers said that the best case is a four to six week layoff, though he’d be out longer if surgery is necessary, tweets Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Last year, Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro was able to play through a similar injury after missing just six games, but his featured only tendon damage and was not accompanied by a fracture. (Moreover, as Alex Pavlovic of the Mercury News notes on Twitter, Scutaro still required surgery, and playing through the pain contributed to an injury to another finger.) For now, at least, Colorado will call up Josh Rutledge to take Arenado’s place on the active roster.
Here’s more out of the game’s western divisions …
- The Rangers‘ incredible injury difficulties are no reason to panic, argues MLB.com’s Richard Justice. While the Athletics are well out in front of the division, Texas is hovering around .500 and is far from out of the Wild Card race. The team is fortunate to have an obvious replacement on the open market in Kendrys Morales, says Justice, and should seriously consider signing him. Otherwise, the club can still look for help from a series of young players — Justice mentions Luke Jackson, Alec Asher, and Alex Gonzalez — who can be asked to make the jump to the bigs earlier than expected.
- That opinion is not shared by a pair of ESPN.com writers. Keith Law (Insider piece) says that the club should be able to acquire Morales for a song, but would be better suited by cutting their losses on the year. In addition to pending free agent relievers Joakim Soria, Neal Cotts, and Jason Frasor, Law says that the club could consider shopping Alex Rios and even star third baseman Adrian Beltre. Buster Olney joins with that general sentiment, writing (via Insider) that deciding to retool for next year would give the club a chance to free up some payroll space and add some young talent back into the system.
- In the same piece, Olney suggests that the Giants could potentially make sense as a trade partner with the Cubs for pitcher Jeff Samardzija. San Francisco has been aggressive in dealing prospects for veterans in the past, notes Olney, and could add Samardzija with the hoping of eventually extending him (much as they did with Hunter Pence).
- In a lengthy piece on the Astros‘ front office, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle provides details on the contract discussions that took place with third baseman Matt Dominguez and outfielder Robbie Grossman. The club offered Dominguez $14.5MM over five years in a contract that would have given the team two option years. Meanwhile, Grossman was made an offer of $13.5MM over six years, again with two options tacked on.
- The key to the Athletics‘ success this year has been achieving true depth, assistant GM Farhan Zaidi said in an interview with Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. “Whether it’s fatalistic or not you always think two injuries ahead,” said Zaidi. “You have a five-man rotation, but we always like to have seven or eight starting pitchers that we feel we could put in the mix if we needed to and still be able to compete.” The club builds in injury risk into its internal projection model, says Zaidi, who notes that manager Bob Melvin plays a role by maintaining contact with players at Triple-A throughout the season. Discussing the team’s propensity for exchanging players, Zaidi said that Oakland “tend[s] to be pretty targeted in players that we go out and try to trade for.” That means the club must also be willing to see a player find success in his new destination. “When you’re really targeting specific guys, rather than having teams approach you about players, you have to be willing to be aggressive and maybe overpay talent-wise to get the guy that fits your specific need,” he explained. Be sure to read the piece for plenty more great information.
West Links: Guerrero, Dodgers, A’s, Arencibia
Dodgers infield prospect Alex Guerrero could miss up to five weeks after having part of his ear bitten off in an altercation with Triple-A teammate Miguel Olivo, reports Danny Knobler of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Agent Scott Boras told Knobler that Guerrero was taken to a hospital and had plastic surgery on the ear. GM Ned Colletti wouldn’t comment on potentially disciplining either player, though he expressed disappointment in the situation. Colletti said Guerrero is close to Major League ready, though the team wants him to continue to improve defensively. Obviously, that development will be on hold for awhile. As we process one of the most bizarre storylines in recent memory, here’s more from the game’s Western divisions…
- The timing of the Guerrero/Olivo scuffle couldn’t be much worse for Guerrero or the Dodgers, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick writes that Juan Uribe could be headed to the DL. Gurnick looks at alternatives on the 40-man roster but also notes that with the Dodgers needing a roster spot for Hyun-jin Ryu, the team may not call up an infielder right away.
- MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince points out that the Athletics‘ only two homegrown (i.e. drafted and developed) players on the current active roster are Sonny Gray and Sean Doolittle. The team signed Yoenis Cespedes after he defected from Cuba, every other player was acquired via trade or signed as a free agent from another club. Castrovince looks at the team’s offense and their usage of platoons, which led rival skipper Terry Francona to sing the praises of manager Bob Melvin.
- Rangers catcher J.P. Arencibia has been optioned to Triple-A Round Rock, and the team has purchased the contract of veteran Chris Gimenez, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweeted last night. Arencibia signed a one-year deal with Texas after being non-tendered by Toronto last winter, but he batted just .133/.182/.233 in 66 PA. No team has gotten less offense from the catcher position than Texas this season, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them pursue upgrades on the trade market.