Tigers GM Al Avila Discusses Deadline
Chris McCosky of The Detroit News recently spoke with Tigers’ general manager Al Avila about the trade deadline. Avila discussed the circumstances that led to a relatively quiet deadline for the club. The only move they made was sending lefty Daniel Norris to the Brewers in exchange for righty Reese Olson.
Players like Jonathan Schoop and Michael Fulmer received some interest, but not enough to get a deal done. Avila credited the relatively quiet deadline to injuries, such as those to Fulmer, Matthew Boyd and Spencer Turnbull. “We had a couple of guys who would’ve been of interest,” Avila said. “But as always, the injuries that we’ve suffered played into us not being able to do a whole lot.”
Despite four consecutive dismal seasons with a winning percentage below .400, the Tigers seem to have turned a corner this year, sitting at 51-57, a much more palatable .472 winning percentage. The club’s exciting crop of starting pitching draftees have now reached the majors and started forming into a fascinating core. Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning and Tyler Alexander have all joined the big league club and could potentially be mainstays of the rotation for years to come. Spencer Turnbull was also having a great season before the unfortunate news that he will have to undergo Tommy John surgery. But even if he were to miss the entirety of the 2022 campaign, Detroit would still control him for two more seasons after that.
Young and controllable players have also made encouraging contributions on the offensive side of things. Akil Baddoo, Jeimer Candelario, Eric Haase and Jake Rogers have all been worth more than a win, according to fWAR. Candelario is a free agent after 2023 but the rest of the guys on that list are controlled through at least 2026.
The Tigers also have some more guys on the farm who could be making their way to the big leagues sooner rather than later. Three of the club’s top prospects– Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene and Dillon Dingler— are in Double-A.
And though the White Sox seem built to be a juggernaut for years to come, there’s a clear path for the Tigers to sneak up on them. Cleveland has done more selling than building in recent years. The Royals hoped to push into contention this year but are lagging behind Detroit in the standings. The Twins are hoping for a quick turnaround after this down year but just made it difficult for themselves by trading away Jose Berrios.
“You have to always remember that we want to add,” manager AJ Hinch says. “I hope when we are talking a year from now, we’re talking about adding talent.”
Orioles GM Mike Elias On Deadline, Future
Orioles general manager Mike Elias spoke with reporters (including Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com) just after their relatively inactive deadline. Baltimore are firmly entrenched in the “seller” category, with the worst record in the American League and only the Diamondbacks keeping them from being worst in all of MLB. But despite that, the club only made a pair of minor trades as the deadline approached, sending Freddy Galvis to the Phillies for Tyler Burch, and Shawn Armstrong to Tampa for cash considerations.
As Elias sees it, the reason for the lack of moves is because their players with the most trade appeal are actually building blocks. “We were very mindful that a lot of our best players that were in demand were players that are not pending free agents with the Orioles,” Elias said. “They’re players that are young and talented and we like and have future years with this club and project to be a part of this club when we hope to be a playoff contender.”
When asked specifically about John Means and Cedric Mullins, Elias said he was “pretty confident that we weren’t going to get very serious in talks with those players. We’re very, very impressed by what those guys are doing, and they’re here for a long time, and they play positions that are not easy to find guys to do what they do. It’s not a priority for us to look at those opportunities.”
Means will cross three years’ service time by the end of this season, setting him up for his first of three arbitration years. He won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2024 season. Mullins on the other hand, has one extra year of control beyond that, slated to hit free agency in late 2025.
Getting back into contention within the next three to four years will be a challenge for the club, as they share a division with four very strong teams. Although Baltimore has a solid farm system, that doesn’t necessarily give them a leg up on their division mates. The Orioles came in seventh on Baseball America’s most recent organizational talent rankings. But two of the other AL East clubs, Tampa and Toronto, are ahead of them. And both of those clubs already have lots of young, controllable talent at the major league level. The Red Sox and Yankees have weaker systems on that list but are currently strong at the major league level and always have higher payrolls than Baltimore to attract and retain talent. Holding on to players like Means and Mullins also carries the risk that they may get hurt or not maintain their performance.
Elias did say that they were “pretty close” to trading away one of their relievers, but didn’t specify which one. Paul Fry and Tanner Scott are two lefties that seen their names surface in recent rumors, alongside righties Cole Sulser and Dillon Tate. All of those hurlers are controlled through at least 2024. And it seems in that the thinking with those arms was the same as with Means and Mullins, that it’s better to hold and try to build around those players before they reach free agency.
One player slated to reach free agency much sooner is Trey Mancini. But despite having just over a year of team control remaining, the idea of a Mancini trade seems unlikely for different reasons. Since missing the 2020 season dealing with colon cancer, Mancini has become a fan favorite in Baltimore and around the league. And trading him would certainly be a difficult sell to the Baltimore fans, who have had few things to feel good about in recent years. As Elias puts it, “I hope he’s here as long as possible and, ultimately, we’re going to take things as we come like baseball teams do in the major leagues and look at stuff and keep talking. He’s a very special part of this team, and he’s going to continue to be so, and we’re happy about that.”
Brandon Workman Elects Free Agency
Brandon Workman has been outrighted off the Red Sox roster and elected free agency, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Workman has recently been designated for assignment to create roster space after Boston traded for Kyle Schwarber.
After being a mainstay of the Red Sox bullpen for years, Workman was traded to Philadelphia before the 2020 trade deadline. After that season, Workman became a free agent, eventually signing with the Cubs. But the 32-year-old lasted less than a month into the season, being designated for assignment by the Cubs in late April. About a month later, Workman returned to the Red Sox organization on a minor league deal, eventually having his contract selected in early June.
The righty has worked 20 innings out of Boston’s bullpen since then, posting a 4.95 ERA and identical strikeout and walk rates of 15.1%, both of which are uninspiring. But Workman will now head back to the open market and see if he can latch onto another club.
Injury Updates: Guillorme, Rendon, Trout, Walsh, Ohtani, Schwarber, Lamet
The Mets placed Luis Guillorme on the IL today with a left hamstring strain, according to Mike Puma of The New York Post. RHP Geoff Hartlieb was added to the roster in a corresponding move. Guillorme has been a solid contributor on a Mets team that has dealt with its fair share of injuries this year. Across 57 games, Guillorme has racked up a wRC+ of 116 while filling in at second base, third base and shortstop. The timing isn’t so bad for the Mets, as they just strengthened their infield by adding Javier Baez in a deadline deal with the Cubs. As for Hartlieb, he’s produced solid results at Triple-A this year. Despite a walk rate of 10.5%, he has an ERA of 1.86, thanks to a hefty strikeout rate of 34.2%. His numbers at the major league level aren’t as good, but in a very small sample size of six innings.
Other injury updates from around the league…
- Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register provides some updates from manager Joe Maddon on various injured Angels. Anthony Rendon “still isn’t doing any baseball activity,” since going on the IL almost a month ago. “I spoke with him yesterday and he wasn’t highly optimistic about things,” Maddon is quoted as saying. This seems to be yet another in a series of disappointments for Rendon this year. He’s been injured multiple times and, even when healthy, played well below his usual level from recent years. There’s also a murky update on Mike Trout and his injured calf. Doctors have told him he’s “free to do more work when he no longer feels discomfort,” which seems to imply that the discomfort remains. The update on Jared Walsh, out with a right intercostal strain, is slightly better. The first baseman “has been able to hit and throw.” As for Shohei Ohtani, who was recently hit on his thumb by a foul ball while in the dugout, Maddon says they expect him to start again on Thursday or Friday.
- The Red Sox swung a trade before the deadline to add Kyle Schwarber, even though he was on the IL at the time with a hamstring injury. But it doesn’t seem like he’s too far removed from making his Boston debut. Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe spoke to Alex Cora, who said that Schwarber is “close” to a rehab assignment. The plan is for Schwarber to get work at first base, since the Red Sox already have their outfield and DH slots filled by Alex Verdugo, Jarren Duran, Hunter Renfroe and J.D. Martinez. The first base playing time has largely been going to Bobby Dalbec and his wRC+ of 74. Before going on the IL, Schwarber’s wRC+ was sitting at 137. Assuming he can play passable defense, that would be a tremendous upgrade for the team. But he’s played only one major league game at first, which was back in 2017.
- Dinelson Lamet is going to begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. The plan seems to be to prepare Lamet for a bullpen role, since there’s not much time remaining in the season to build him back up for a full workload, and because he’s struggled to stay healthy this year. The righty was utterly dominant in 2020’s shortened season, throwing 69 innings with an ERA of 2.09 and a superb strikeout rate of 34.8%. This year, in between stints on the IL, his numbers have faded to an ERA of 3.67 and 25.5% strikeout rate. The club will be hoping that a smaller workload will help Lamet bridge some of that gap.
Astros Notes: Garza Jr., James, Bregman, Báez, Brantley
The Astros have designated Ralph Garza Jr. for assignment, according to Chandler Rome of The Houston Chronicle. Rome speculates that this move is to facilitate the activation of Josh James. Before today’s game, general manager James Click told reporters, including Fox 26’s Mark Berman, that James was close to returning. James has shown flashes of excellent for the club over the past few years, especially his 2018 debut, wherein he threw 23 innings with an ERA of 2.35. But since that time, he’s struggled with both inconsistency and injuries, most notably undergoing hip surgery in October of 2020. The Astros made some additions to their bullpen before Friday’s trade deadline, bringing in Kendall Graveman, Yimi Garcia, Rafael Montero and Phil Maton. Getting James back into the fold could further bolster the relief corps as the team gears up for a pennant race. The club is currently atop the AL West, 5 1/2 games ahead of the Athletics.
As for Garza, he made his major league debut earlier this year and has thrown 11 innings out of Houston’s bullpen, with an ERA of 4.09 and a solid strikeout rate of 28.6%, but a poor walk rate of 14.3%. Although those numbers aren’t excellent, Garza is 27 years old and can be optioned to the minors, meaning he could be of interest to a club that just created some vacancies at the deadline.
More from Houston…
- As noted in Mark Berman’s tweet above, Click is hoping that Alex Bregman and Pedro Báez could return by “this homestand, but we’re still assessing.” The Astros are currently on the road, meaning that Click was likely referring to the upcoming homestand from August 5th to 11th. Báez had been a mainstay of the Dodgers’ bullpen until reaching free agency after the 2020 season and signing with Houston. But he’s yet to make his debut for the Astros, largely because of a shoulder injury. Getting him healthy would be helpful for the bullpen, but nowhere near as impactful as the return of Bregman. The third baseman has been one of the best players in baseball in recent years but has missed more than a month with a quad injury. Before being placed on the IL, Bregman had a wRC+ of 120, which is actually his lowest mark since his 2016 debut.
- Michael Brantley left today’s game with “right ankle discomfort”, according to Rome. The 34-year-old outfielder is having an excellent season at the plate, hitting .330/.384/.477, for a wRC+ of 143, which would be the second-best of his career, after putting up a wRC+ of 151 in 2014. After the game, manager Dusty Baker said x-rays were negative and that he didn’t expect Brantley to hit the IL.
Draft Deadline Notes: Rocker, Ulloa, Zavala
The 4PM CT deadline for teams to sign their draft picks has now passed. The biggest storyline is that the Mets and first-round pick Kumar Rocker could not come to an agreement. Reports indicate that there was a dispute between the team and Rocker’s camp about a health issue, though the exact nature of any supposed injury is not known for sure.
Mike Puma of The New York Post says the Mets didn’t make Rocker an offer. Speculatively speaking, that would indicate that the difference of opinion about the alleged medical issue was wide enough that they were nowhere near finding common ground.
Draft notes from elsewhere…
- Ian Browne of MLB.com passes on some words from Chaim Bloom about team’s inability to sign second-round pick Jud Fabian. “We knew that if we were unable to sign him, we would be able to get the pick again next year. That made it worth the risk in our minds.” The Red Sox will receive the 41st draft pick in next year’s draft as compensation.
Earlier Updates
- The Astros failed to sign fourth-round selection Alex Ulloa, according to a team announcement. Since the Astros were not allowed to make a selection in the first or second round as punishment for 2017’s sign stealing scandal, this is perhaps even more of a disappointment than it would appear on its surface. Ulloa is an 18-year-old shortstop out of Florida’s Calvary Christian Academy.
- The Rangers agreed to terms with second-round selection Aaron Zavala, according to Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline. In a later tweet, Callis provided further context. The outfielder signed for $830K, less than half of the $1.95MM slot value for his pick. Callis adds that, similar to the Rocker situation, there was a post-draft medical issue. But unlike with Rocker, the two parties were able to put pen to paper in this instance.
Rays Notes: Springs, Johnson, McHugh, Archer
The Rays have placed Jeffrey Springs on the IL with a knee sprain, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Topkin also says Springs is relieved that it’s just a sprain and not something involving structural damage. Springs gives his own recovery timeline as 2-4 weeks. Acquired in an offseason deal with the Red Sox, the lefty has become a key contributor in the Rays’ bullpen this year, throwing 44 2/3 innings with an ERA of 3.43 with an excellent strikeout rate of 35.2%, though his walk rate is a tad high at 7.8%. Getting him back within that injury timeline will allow him to rejoin the club for what figures to be a tight pennant race. The Rays are now sitting atop the AL East, but just half a game ahead of the Red Sox, whom they are hosting tonight.
More from the Trop…
- Taking Springs’ spot on the active roster is DJ Johnson. He was sent over to Tampa from Cleveland alongside Jordan Luplow in the hours before Friday’s trade deadline. Johnson has a small and scattered major league track record, throwing 33 innings since debuting in 2018. But in 21 2/3 Triple-A innings this year, his strikeout rate is 34%, but with an inflated walk rate of 10.7%, with an ERA of 3.32. If he can duplicate those numbers at the big league level, that could almost match Springs’ production.
- Topkin also provides an update on Collin McHugh, who was placed on the IL July 25th with arm fatigue. McHugh’s recent bullpen session went well and he hopes to be back as soon as Friday. McHugh was been a superb multi-inning contributor for the Rays this year. Over 23 games, he’s pitched 41 2/3 innings, with a miniscule 1.51 ERA, along with excellent strikeout and walk rates of 36.6% and 5%.
- Topkin also has some unfortunate news about Chris Archer. The righty has been rehabbing and trying to build up to a starter’s workload but suffered a setback today. Instead of the planned 75 pitches, he was removed after just 31 because of “left hip soreness.” Archer signed a deal this offseason to return to Tampa but has only been healthy enough to throw 4 1/3 innings at the big league level thus far.
Mets, Kumar Rocker Do Not Reach Agreement Before Draft Signing Deadline
4:06PM: As earlier reporting indicated, Rocker and the Mets have not come to an agreement, according to the team. They will now received an extra pick in the first round of next year’s draft at #11 overall. Rocker’s agent, Scott Boras, released a statement to various reporters, including ESPN’s Jeff Passan. In it, he declares that “Rocker is healthy according to independent medical review by multiple prominent baseball orthopedic surgeons.”
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com quotes general manager Zack Scott as saying “This is clearly not the outcome we had hoped for and wish Kumar nothing but success moving forward.”
Jon Heyman of MLB Network says that it’s expected that Rocker won’t return to college but will “work out on his own” and re-enter next year’s draft.
AUG 1, 11:26AM: Rocker and the Mets aren’t expected to reach an agreement before today’s 4pm CT signing deadline, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel. While not all hope has been abandoned that the two sides might still work something out, it would take “a drastic change” for a late agreement.
JULY 27: The Mets and Kumar Rocker had an agreement seemingly in place just hours after the Vanderbilt right-hander was selected with the 10th overall pick of the draft, but it now isn’t clear if the deal will be finalized. Metsmerized’s Jack Ramsey reported earlier this week that an issue had emerged from Rocker’s physical with the team, and now according to Ken Davidoff of The New York Post, the Mets are concerned about Rocker’s right elbow.
The exact nature of this elbow issue isn’t known, or even if there is an elbow issue, as Davidoff writes that “Rocker’s camp disagrees with [the Mets’] concerns.” Rocker did not voluntarily submit an MRI before the draft, though his advisor Scott Boras has been known to preemptively alert teams about physical problems involving prospects before the players are selected. Davidoff notes that Boras provided such an early heads-up to the Mets for Matthew Allan before New York picked the right-hander in 2019, and Allan later underwent Tommy John surgery.
Rocker somewhat surprisingly fell to the Mets after being one of the more hyped prospects of the 2021 class, though his initial deal reportedly contained an overslot bonus — the righty was set to receive a $6MM bonus, well above the $4,739,900 assigned slot price for the 10th overall pick. It stands to reason that the Mets are looking to reduce that $6MM figure, though it isn’t yet known whether the dispute between the two sides could result in Rocket not being signed whatsoever.
Teams have until 4pm CT on Sunday to sign all 2021 draft picks, so there is still plenty of time for an agreement to be reached. If a deal wasn’t worked out, Rocker still has two years of college eligibility remaining and he could re-enter the draft next year. The Mets would receive a compensatory first-round pick that would fall 11th overall in the 2022 draft order, though the draft’s rules could potentially change in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and the players (the current CBA expires in December).
Red Sox Notes: Bloom, Scherzer, Sale, Fabian
Acquiring one of the game’s better power hitters in Kyle Schwarber doesn’t exactly make for a quiet deadline season, though compared to what other AL contenders did in July, the Red Sox were comparatively modest in picking up Schwarber and relievers Hansel Robles and Austin Davis. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told MLB.com’s Ian Browne and other reporters that the Sox looked into several trade possibilities, but teams put a very high price tag on pitchers in particular, leaving Bloom’s front office unwilling to sacrifice too much of the future for a short-term gain.
“There were a lot of things that were put to us where we just felt we’re not doing our jobs and ultimately we’re going to let our fans down, whether it be tomorrow or whether it be next year or the year after or all of the above if we did some of things we could’ve done to make more of a splash,” Bloom said. The $210MM luxury tax threshold “was never a hard line” that prevented the Sox from making a trade, and Bloom said the team indeed considered some moves that would put them in excess of the $210MM figure. However, “we just didn’t feel like it was worth the cost in talent, let alone the additional effects of going over the line.”
Bloom also denied a report that ownership put pressure on the front office to land Max Scherzer. The Sox were known to have interest in the former Nationals ace, and Scherzer was reportedly open to the idea of waiving his no-trade protection to come to Boston, before he eventually agreed to be dealt to the Dodgers.
More from Fenway Park…
- Chris Sale threw 81 pitches over five innings in a Triple-A rehab start yesterday, the longest stint to date of his four minor league rehab outings. Working a more standard game appeared to Sale, who told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier and other reporters that “I’m starting to get into more of a normal routine and more of fighting the same fight everyone else is fighting, instead of having an injured elbow, fighting back, rehabbing. I don’t feel that way. That’s big.” Sale mostly threw his fastball in the 91-93mph range but occasionally reared back to touch the 96mph mark, while striking out seven and allowing one run (on five hits and a walk) over his five innings. The left-hander is scheduled for one more Triple-A rehab start this week, and he could then potentially make his long-awaited return to the Red Sox rotation.
- Second-round pick Jud Fabian won’t be signing with the Red Sox, as a tweet from his personal account more or less (with an assist from Eminem) officially stated he will return to the University of Florida for his senior year. A $1,856,700 slot price is attached to the 40th overall selection, and rumors have circulated that the two sides were a good distance apart in negotiations — The Athletic’s Peter Gammons reported that Fabian could have landed $3MM from two teams that picked later than the Sox in the second round. Due to remaining pool space, MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis writes that the Sox couldn’t give Fabian more than a $2,100,680 bonus without having to surrender a future first-round pick as punishment for exceeding their pool spending by more than five percent. The Red Sox will receive the 41st overall selection in next year’s draft as compensation for not signing Fabian.
Dee Strange-Gordon Elects Free Agency
Infielder Dee Strange-Gordon has decided to opt out of his minor league deal with the Pirates, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter). The veteran signed with Pittsburgh in early July.
Strange-Gordon is still looking for his first MLB game of the 2021 campaign, which would make it 11 seasons in the Show for the 33-year-old. Since the Mariners declined their club option on Strange-Gordon last fall, he has inked minors contracts around the NL Central, signing with the Reds, Brewers, Cubs, and now the Pirates without getting an opportunity to return to the big leagues.
Though Strange-Gordon had a few strong hitting seasons with the Dodgers and Marlins, the veteran has been best known for his speed, with 333 stolen bases (from 433 attempts) over his career. Strange-Gordon is the active leader in stolen bases, and he swiped 22 bags as recently as the 2019 season. He also offers versatility as an outfielder and middle infielder for any future teams that are looking for veteran depth.