Blue Jays Notes: Jansen, Springer, Biggio, Hatch, Borucki
Catcher Danny Jansen suffered a right hamstring strain that forced him out of Sunday’s 6-3 Blue Jays loss to the Astros. Jansen was hurt running the bases trying to beat out a fielder’s choice in the third inning, and Reese McGuire took over at catcher for the top of the fourth. Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and other reporters that Jansen would receive tests both yesterday and today to determine the extent of the strain.
With Alejandro Kirk already on the 60-day injured list, losing Jansen to the IL would leave Toronto with a catching depth chart of McGuire and (in all likelihood) Riley Adams, who is hitting .250/.410/.600 over 78 plate appearances at Triple-A this season. Adams had never played at the Triple-A level prior to this season, and he doesn’t officially have any big league experience — the Blue Jays called Adams up for a three-day cup of coffee on the active roster in early May, though Adams didn’t appear in any games. While McGuire is the more experienced option, his struggles at the plate over the last two seasons would perhaps mean that McGuire and Adams would be deployed in a platoon, as the youngster’s Triple-A production certainly seems to warrant a look against Major League pitching.
More from the Jays…
- George Springer is making “extremely encouraging” progress in his recovery from a quad strain, GM Ross Atkins told reporters (including Matheson, TSN’s Scott Mitchell and Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling) as part of a series of updates on injured Blue Jays players. Springer has been performing running drills over the last two days, and Atkins implied that the outfielder is “very close” to heading out on a minor league rehab assignment. This is Springer’s second quad injury of the season, and combined with those injuries and an oblique issue, the prized free agent signing has appeared in only four games in 2021.
- Speaking of rehab assignments, Cavan Biggio began his assignment at Triple-A yesterday. A cervical spine ligament sprain sent Biggio to the 10-day IL on May 22, but it looks like he’ll be able to rejoin the Jays sometime this week. The injury absence has underlined an overall tough season for Biggio, who has a -0.3 fWAR through 39 games and 151 PA due to a lack of hitting (.205/.315/.315) and some defensive struggles as Toronto’s regular third baseman.
- Thomas Hatch threw two scoreless innings for Triple-A Buffalo yesterday, as the right-hander resumed a rehab assignment after missing two weeks with what Atkins described as “mild tightness in his side.” Hatch is working his way back from an elbow impingement suffered during Spring Training that has kept the righty out of any Major League action this season. Hatch worked 16 of 17 games as a reliever in his 2020 rookie season, but Atkins said the team is still planning to build Hatch up as a starter.
- Ryan Borucki is on the verge of beginning a throwing program, and is no longer feeling any pain in his forearm. A left flexor strain went Borucki to the injured list in mid-May, representing yet another injury setback for a southpaw who missed most of the 2019 due to elbow issues.
Diamondbacks Reportedly Listening To Trade Offers For David Peralta
The Diamondbacks are in last place in the NL West, and already seem to be one of the teams who are looking ahead to 2022. To this end, “David Peralta is among the players the Diamondbacks have already made available,” FanSided’s Robert Murray hears from rival executives.
Peralta has been mentioned in past trade rumors over the years as the D’Backs have fluctuated between building and rebuilding, though the outfielder is now in the midst of his eighth season with Arizona. Unfortunately for the Snakes, moving Peralta (who turns 34 in August) right now could count as a sell-low proposition given his underwhelming start to the season.
Peralta is hitting only .245/.302/.409 over 225 plate appearances, and all three of those slash line statistics would represent new career lows. There aren’t many positives on Peralta’s 2021 Statcast profile, and his .278 xwOBA (compared to a .305 wOBA) suggests that he is perhaps even a bit fortunate to have achieved this modest level of production. According to Fangraphs, Peralta is making hard contact only 28.4% of the time (the lowest of his career) and his 55.6% grounder rate is the highest of his career. Never very productive against southpaws, the left-handed hitting Peralta has batted only .251/.311/.406 against right-handed pitching this season.
Even defensively, Peralta has a -6.4 UZR/150 and -3 Defensive Runs Saved over 452 innings in left field. His glovework has tended to be a little inconsistent through the years, but at his peak Peralta has been a very strong defender, even winning a Gold Glove in 2019.
Despite all these warning signs, there is still a case to made that Peralta represents an upgrade for any number of contending teams. Peralta was a solidly above-average offensive player over his first seven seasons, and a change of scenery could very well get him back on track. Contract-wise, Peralta is owed $7.5MM in 2022 and has roughly $4.76MM remaining on his 2021 salary, so he wouldn’t be too expensive an option for low-payroll club or a bigger-market team looking to stay under the luxury tax threshold.
Speculatively, teams like the Padres, Yankees, Braves, and (as Murray mentions) the Cardinals could all make sense as trade suitors for Peralta. The White Sox could also be a fit with Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert still out of action, and since those two outfielders aren’t expected back for at least a couple more months, Chicago could be one of the teams that would benefit from the D’Backs taking an early plunge into the trade market.
Cubs Notes: Kimbrel, Baez, Pederson
The Cubs have been a frequent topic of conversation this year (and the last couple) when it comes to the trade market. If they continue to be competitive, it’s certainly difficult to imagine a sell-off of their big brand stars. One interesting suggestion making the rounds (most recently from Jesse Rogers on ESPN) is that Chicago could continue to walk-the-line between short-and-long-term planning by trading star closer Craig Kimbrel. With Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, and Tommy Nance providing good work out of the pen, the Cubs could conceivably back-fill the closer spot while adding to the farm system.
There would certainly be interest in Kimbrel, who appears back to his old self. The 33-year-old has locked down 14 saves in 24 appearances with a 0.75 ERA/1.27 FIP, stellar 45.1 percent strikeout rate, and much-improved 8.8 percent walk rate, his lowest such mark since 2017. He’ll be a name to watch, but for now, Kimbrel’s not going anywhere. The Cubs are more focused on getting healthy. On that front…
- Javier Baez buzzed his right hand hitting the ball off the end of the bat in San Francisco. His wrist, hand, and thumb were sore. He will be looked at further when the team arrives in San Diego, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian (via Twitter). It does not sound like a significant injury, which is good for the Cubs, as they’re already a little short-handed in the infield with David Bote, Nico Hoerner, and Matt Duffy on the injured list. Sergio Alcantara and Eric Sogard will have to stand in at shortstop if Baez misses any time.
- Joc Pederson is also day-to-day after tweaking his back, per MLB.com. Pederson left Saturday’s game in San Francisco after running into the wall on an Alex Dickerson home run. Rafael Ortega has been seeing playing time in the outfield for the past couple of days.
Quick Hits: Yankees, Pirates, Frazier, Reds, India
By all accounts, the Yankees will continue to treat the $210MM luxury tax line as a soft cap, per the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. That gives GM Brian Cashman just about $4MM of accessible payroll space. As Rosenthal notes, those limited financial resources could account for a perceived “lack of urgency” from the front office. The Yanks are now 2-8 in their last ten and just two games over the .500 mark. Of course, even if the Yankees were ready to spend, there aren’t necessarily pieces out there to buy. The market tends to move as one, and it’s tough to get much traction until selling teams feel they have heard from a large enough swath of potential buyers. In early June, there simply aren’t enough buyers at the auction.
But that doesn’t have to stop us from looking at the potential options. For example…
- Adam Frazier is generating trade interest, per Robert Murray of FanSided. The Pirates‘ second baseman is one of the surest bets to find a new squad this trade season, as the 29-year-old is one of few veterans on a last-place Pirates team that’s one of the game’s few sure-thing sellers. He’s affordable, making just $4.3MM this season, and with one more year of team control, it’s the optimal time for GM Ben Cherington to net a high-impact return. While his .332/.394/.472 line hardly seems sustainable – nor does a .368 BABIP – he’s a versatile veteran with enough team control to convince potential buyers of his short-and-long-term value. The Yankees are a team that would seem like a particular fit for Frazier, though Murray writes that New York isn’t “among the teams to express early interest.”
- Reds‘ rookie second baseman Jonathan India made a change at the plate recently that’s paying off. He has settled down his mechanics in the batter’s box, ditching a high leg kick and utilizing instead a toe tap as his loading action, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The early returns are encouraging: India torched the Cardinals this weekend, going 7-for-18 with two home runs, two doubles and four walks to just one strikeout. That output upped his overall line this year to a solid .261/.368/.423, 18 percent better than average with the bat.
Padres Remain “Particularly Interested” In Joey Gallo
If the Padres continue to scuffle offensively, they could turn to a familiar target from outside the organization: the Rangers’ Joey Gallo. The Padres are trying to weather a storm of injuries and cold bats, but while they wait for Austin Nola and Trent Grisham to return from the injured list, it’s easy to speculate about potential additions, and few would be as exciting as Gallo.
Remember, the Padres had interest in Gallo at last year’s trade deadline, but they balked at moving CJ Abrams or Luis Patino. That price may still be too high, but the Padres remain “particularly interested” in Gallo, writes the Athletic’s Dennis Lin. The trade market is still developing, however, and the Ranger’s aren’t likely to make Gallo a quick-strike target. Even with diminished power outputs the past two seasons – .197 ISO in 2020 and .181 ISO this season – Gallo would be one of the higher-end pieces available, should the Rangers make him so.
After all, even though his slugging percentage has fallen under .400 SLG the past two seasons, Gallo has begun to bounce back this year thanks to an above-average ability to get on base (18.7 percent walk rate). Through 241 plate appearances, he now has a 119 wRC+ with a batting line of .207/.365/.389. He has an improved .226 ISO/.435 SLG since May 15th.
For the Padres, Gallo’s ability to play all three outfield positions holds some value, mostly because of the injury concerns around their starting trio of Grisham, Tommy Pham, and Wil Myers. All three have spent time on the injured list this season. But it’s Gallo’s overall offensive ability that brings the most appeal for a team that has struggled to score runs of late. The Friars have just a 74 team wRC+ over the past two weeks, the third-lowest mark in the Majors in that time.
Report: Trevor Story Not Planning To Re-Sign With Rockies
Trevor Story is widely seen as one of the top trade candidates in baseball, and if the Rockies don’t move him prior to the July 30 trade deadline, they reportedly can’t count on him returning as a free agent for 2022 and beyond. Story doesn’t plans to re-sign with the Rox when he hits the open market this winter, sources tell Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post.
The two sides hadn’t discussed an extension as of February 23, according to Story, though it isn’t known if any negotiations took place during March or even beyond Opening Day. That said, given the amount of discussion that would go into working out a long-term deal worth well north of $200MM, the fact that the Rockies had yet to broach the subject even by late February of Story’s walk year could be seen as a sign that the team wasn’t counting on Story sticking around.
Frankly, it would be more surprising if Story did have designs on a return to Denver, considering that the Rockies are struggling through another losing season and seem closer to a rebuild than a return to contention. Interim GM Bill Schmidt told Saunders and other reporters that the team has been showing some improvement on the field, and felt that the Rockies were just a few clutch hits away from having a much better record than their current 24-36 mark. Even if Colorado was a few games closer to the second NL wild card slot than its current 10.5-game deficit, however, that still shouldn’t change the equation about how the Rockies seem overdue to reshuffle their roster.
Regardless, it’s clear that the Rockies haven’t publicly thrown in the towel on the 2021 season just yet, as Schmidt said that it’s “not necessarily” the case that Story or Jon Gray would be dealt. Trade discussion has yet to pick up in general, as Schmidt said that “some clubs have reached out and expressed (interest), if we get to that point. But there has not really been anything to talk about…There is nothing really to follow up on.”
Saunders doesn’t feel the team would move Story prior to the All-Star Game in Denver, so it will likely be over a month before trade speculation can really begin in earnest on Story, Gray, or any other Rockies. Plus, Story has to take the first step of just getting back on the field, as the shortstop has been on the 10-day injured list since May 28 (retroactively) due to right elbow inflammation. Colorado manager Bud Black told MLB.com’s Thomas Harding and other reporters that Story is expected to be ready for the start of the Rockies’ series with the Marlins on Tuesday.
When and if Story’s trade market picks up, both MLB Network’s Jon Morosi and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale expect the Athletics to be involved. Oakland is leading the AL West despite getting sub-replacement player value from Elvis Andrus at shortstop, as Andrus is hitting only .214/.259/.273 through 201 plate appearances. Most of those struggles were contained to the first month of the season, as Andrus has hit a more respectable .295/.337/.385 over 83 PA from May 7 to June 5, but there is little doubt Story would be a much bigger upgrade for an A’s team that has postseason aspirations.
Payroll would be a major factor in any potential Story/Oakland deal, as the shortstop is owed $17.5MM for the 2021 season and will still have approximately $5.92MM in remaining salary by late July. While it doesn’t seem like a huge splurge for an All-Star shortstop, it remains to be seen what the budget-conscious A’s have available to spend, or if they feel the value of having Story for a World Series push is worth both the salary outlay and the prospects the A’s would be sending to Colorado in a trade.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/6/21
A couple of minor moves from around the league:
- Marlins infielder Luis Marté has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, relays Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Marté was designated for assignment earlier this week when the club reinstated Elieser Hernández from the 60-day injured list. (Unfortunately, Hernández has subsequently gone back on the IL.) Marté officially debuted in the big leagues by appearing in one game with Miami, and he’ll now return to Triple-A, where he’s hitting .263/.279/.456 this season.
- The Giants acquired minor league catcher Bruce Maxwell from the Mets in exchange for cash considerations, the two clubs announced. He’ll be assigned to Double-A Richmond, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Maxwell spent parts of the 2016-18 seasons across the Bay, appearing in 127 games with the A’s and posting a .240/.314/.347 line over 412 plate appearances at the MLB level. Maxwell signed a minor league deal with the Mets over the offseason, so he won’t require a 40-man roster spot. He’d only picked up 31 plate appearances for the Mets Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
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Evan Longoria Out Four To Six Weeks With Shoulder Sprain
7:24PM: Longoria told The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly and other reporters that he isn’t feeling pain in the shoulder itself, as his injury is specifically a dislocated SC joint. Because of the somewhat odd nature of the injury, Longoria isn’t certain about a timetable.
1:39PM: The Giants announced that third baseman Evan Longoria has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left shoulder. He’s expected to miss four to six weeks, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle). Utilityman Thairo Estrada has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento in his place.
Longoria suffered the injury when he collided with shortstop Brandon Crawford during last night’s game against the Cubs. It’s a brutal development for a Giants team holding a two-game advantage in a highly competitive NL West. Longoria has been one of the most instrumental pieces of the club’s success, putting up a .280/.376/.516 line with nine home runs over 186 plate appearances. After adjusting for pitcher-friendly Oracle Park, Longoria’s 146 wRC+ places him among the top 25 qualified hitters in the sport this season. That kind of production is reminiscent of his peak days in Tampa Bay, when Longoria was one of the game’s most valuable players.
There’s virtually no way for the Giants to replace that kind of production, but San Francisco now seems likely to turn to some combination of Wilmer Flores, Jason Vosler and Mauricio Dubón at third base. Flores has generally been a decent hitter over the past few years. The 29-year-old is hitting a league-average .248/.328/.380 in 137 plate appearances this season.
On the plus side, San Francisco is at least set to welcome one of their other top bats in the next few days. First baseman Brandon Belt is expected to be reinstated from the injured list during the team’s upcoming road trip, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). Belt, out since May 26 with an oblique issue, has hit .228/.350/.474 over 137 trips to the plate.
NL Injury Notes: Voth, Naquin, Molina, Mets
Nationals pitcher Austin Voth suffered a broken nose after being hit in the face by a Vince Velasquez pitch. In the third inning of today’s 12-6 Nats loss to the Phillies, Voth squared to bunt but couldn’t avoid Velasquez’s off-target fastball in time. Voth did walk off the field under his own power, and Washington manager Davey Martinez told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com) that the right-hander would have his nose reset tonight.
Today was Voth’s first official start of the season, though it was intended as something of a glorified opener/piggyback outing since Voth has worked out of the bullpen all season. After inconsistent results as a starter over his first three seasons, Voth has delivered strong bottom-line results in the form of a 2.73 ERA over 29 2/3 innings in his multi-inning reliever role, though advanced metrics (like a 92.3% strand rate and a .239 BABIP) indicate some good fortune.
Martinez also related the incident to the league’s efforts to crack down on pitchers’ use of foreign substances on the ball, saying that “you’ll see more [hit by pitches] if we keep messing around with the stuff about the balls. I understand them trying to clean some stuff up. But it’s hot, it’s slippery, it’s sweaty. I know Velasquez didn’t throw in there intentionally, but I’m afraid that if we don’t come up with something unified for everybody, you’ll see a lot more of that. And that’s a scary feeling.”
More injury updates from the Senior Circuit…
- Tyler Naquin left Sunday’s 8-7 Reds victory over the Cardinals due to left hamstring tightness. Naquin took something of an awkward slide into second base in the first inning, and was replaced by a pinch-hitter for his next plate appearance in the top of the third. Naquin has cooled down after a scorching-hot opening month of the season, but the outfielder still has an impressive .257/.333/.509 slash line and 11 homers over 189 plate appearances while emerging as Cincinnati’s everyday center fielder. Reds manager David Bell told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and other reporters that the removal was precautionary in nature, and Naquin could be back as early as Tuesday for the Reds’ next game.
- Yadier Molina left yesterday’s game after taking a foul tip off his kneecap, and the veteran catcher wasn’t in today’s Cardinals lineup. However, manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including Stu Durando of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that “it looks like a little-bit-of-rest situation” and that Molina might have been able to play today in the event of an emergency. The Cards have off-days both tomorrow and Thursday, so Molina might not miss much time even if he does need more than a day to recover.
- There isn’t much new progress with the status of either Brandon Nimmo or J.D. Davis, as neither Mets regular seems close to a return. As Mets manager Luis Rojas told The New York Daily News’ Deesha Thosar and other reporters, Nimmo is taking swings but not off a tee or against actual pitches, as he continues to recover from a nerve problem in his left index finger. Davis isn’t swinging whatsoever, as his sprained left hand will be in a splint for the next few days. Jonathan Villar is battling a tight hamstring and wasn’t in today’s starting lineup, as Rojas said the team is being cautious with Villar after he was able to come off the bench on both Friday and Saturday.