Quick Hits: Miley, Kirk, Giants, Posey, McGee
The Reds have gotten some unfortunate injury news over the last few days, but it appears as though southpaw Wade Miley won’t miss any time after a hamstring strain forced him out of his last Spring Training outing. As per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link), Miley threw close to 35 pitches in a bullpen session yesterday and is now slated to start for the Reds tomorrow. After signing a two-year, $15MM contract with the Reds in the 2019-20 offseason, Miley’s first season in Cincinnati was a veritable wash, as he posted a 5.65 ERA and was limited to only 14 1/3 innings due to groin and shoulder injuries. Miley and the Reds are certainly hoping for a return to form, as Miley is expected to eat innings and provide some veteran experience at the back of the rotation.
More from around the league…
- Between Alejandro Kirk‘s impressive 25-PA big league debut last season and his huge numbers this spring, the catcher is forcing the Blue Jays into a decision, The Toronto Star’s Gregor Chisholm writes. Kirk looks to have more upside both in the present and future than incumbent backup Reese McGuire, but McGuire is out of minor league options, and thus can’t be sent down to the minors without being exposed to waivers. Chisholm makes the argument that adding Kirk to the MLB roster “seems like a no-brainer,” all things considered. The Jays have enough other minor league catching depth to arguably afford losing McGuire, and Kirk is a better fit for a win-now team like the Blue Jays, even to the point of sharing playing time with Danny Jansen rather than being just a backup catcher.
- A number of Giants-related topics are covered by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser as part of a reader mailbag, including a question about Buster Posey‘s future. This is the final guaranteed year of Posey’s contract, but Slusser doesn’t think Posey is considering retirement following the 2021 campaign. If anything, Posey “looks rejuvenated this spring after” opting out of the 2020 season, “and goodness knows, he’s very competitive. I don’t think he’s lost an ounce of that fire.” Whether 2021 could be Posey’s last season in San Francisco is another matter, as the Giants don’t seem likely to exercise their $22MM club option on Posey for 2022, but may look to re-sign him to a less-expensive short-term deal with an eye towards transitioning him into an eventual post-playing role within the organization.
- From that same piece, Slusser feels Jake McGee looks like the Giants‘ top choice for save situations, though the team probably won’t officially anoint McGee as the closer out of a preference to be as flexible as possible with reliever usage situations. The left-hander signed a two-year deal worth $5MM in guaranteed money back in February, and while McGee has closing experience in the past, he has mostly worked in a setup role over the last four seasons.
Shogo Akiyama To Begin Season On Injured List
Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama will be sidelined for “a few weeks” due to a left hamstring injury, manager David Bell told The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans (Twitter link) and other reporters. Akiyama suffered the injury on Saturday when trying to beat out a grounder at first base, and he was removed from the game prior to the Reds’ next turn in the field.
The timing means that Akiyama will begin the season on the 10-day injured list, and depending on the severity of the injury and the rehab/prep time Akiyama will have to put in at the alternate training site, it’s possible the Reds could be without the outfielder until around the middle of April.
After nine seasons as a standout with the Seibu Lions, Akiyama signed a three-year, $21MM deal with Cincinnati in January 2020. Given all of the unique difficulties of the 2020 season, it is rather hard to properly judge Akiyama’s first season in Major League Baseball, though he did show some positive signs. Akiyama’s overall .245/.357/.297 slash line in 183 plate appearances was marred by a very slow start, as he recovered to hit .333/.474/.383 over his final 76 PA of the regular season.
With a more normal offseason and some MLB experience now under his belt, there is reason to believe Akiyama can continue to be a productive player for the Reds, though the team wasn’t relying on him as an everyday option. Cincinnati’s first-choice starting outfield of Jesse Winker, Nick Senzel, and Nicholas Castellanos means that Akiyama was slated to be a well-paid fourth outfielder, though he was likely to get a lot of action as a defensive sub and as a fill-in for Senzel in center field against some right-handed pitchers.
In Akiyama’s absence, Aristides Aquino and Scott Heineman now stand better chances of winning Opening Day roster spots as Cincinnati’s top backup outfielder. Minor league signing Dee Strange-Gordon can also fill in as a center fielder in a pinch, when he isn’t needed in the infield.
AL West Notes: Mariners, Fiers, Adell, Whitley, Astros
The December 2018 trade that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets was a transformational moment in Mariners history, as it allowed Seattle to both escape a major salary commitment to Cano and also re-stock its farm system with some prime minor league talent in Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn. Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto recently discussed the trade with The Athletic’s Corey Brock, looking back at how talks with the Mets developed, and how concurrent discussions with the Phillies about a Diaz trade helped make the Mets even more aggressive about swinging a deal to one-up their NL East rival.
More from around the AL West…
- An MRI revealed hip inflammation for Athletics righty Mike Fiers, and manager Bob Melvin told Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links) that Fiers will receive an injection and be rested for a couple of days. Fiers making the Opening Day roster is “a little bit of a long shot” for now, Melvin said. The manager said yesterday that A.J. Puk or Daulton Jefferies are candidates to fill in for Fiers if an IL trip is required, with Puk the favorite if he is able to get enough innings under his belt during Spring Training.
- Jo Adell is day-to-day with a knee contusion and will work out today, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group (via Twitter). Adell had to leave Saturday’s game after a collision with the outfield wall, but the star Angels prospect doesn’t appear to have suffered any major injury setback.
- Top Astros pitching prospect Forrest Whitley will miss the 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery, but he won’t be moved from the 40-man roster to the 60-day injured list due to a roster rule, as The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan explains. Because Whitley doesn’t have any MLB service time and because he was optioned to the minors before March 16, the Astros can simply place him on the minor league IL. This means Houston will have to use a 40-man roster spot on Whitley all season, but the Astros are unlikely to burn a season of Whitley’s service time by moving him from the 40-man to the 60-day Major League injured list.
Rays Reassign Wander Franco To Minor League Camp
The Rays officially started working out Wander Franco at third base yesterday, though manager Kevin Cash insists it’s no more a reaction to the Ji-Man Choi injury than it is a sign that Franco needs to (or will) make the move, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Yandy Diaz and Yoshi Tsutsugo could move from third to first most days while Choi is out, and Joey Wendle will be the third baseman in that case with Mike Brosseau reprising his role from the postseason to take on southpaws.
Lest there be any doubt, the Rays reassigned their top prospect to minor league camp today, per Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com (via Twitter). It appears as if Franco will start the season at Triple-A. Franco was never really expected to be on the opening day roster, despite his enormous potential. He just turned 20 years old on March 1st, and he has yet to appear in a pro game above High-A. Though the minor league seasons won’t start on time, Franco will still be able to work out and train with those in the organization.
In regards to a potential move to third base, that decision will be kicked down the line for now. Whether or not Franco’s best-case future is at short or elsewhere on the infield is one question, but there’s also the Willy Adames issue which will continue to inform the Rays in their decision-making process. Whereas Franco’s bat should have no trouble playing at third, Adames brings the most value with his glove at short, especially if the 25-year-old continues to improve his glovework. Adames, however, will go through arbitration for the first time before next season, and the Rays aren’t shy about flipping talent well before their sell-by date.
Astros Notes: Bregman, Álvarez, Greinke, Javier
The Houston Astros will enter 2021 more vulnerable than ever atop the American League West. And yet, they remain atop the division. Or do they? Yesterday, our own Mark Polishuk asked MLBTR readers to predict the division winner, and so far, the Astros have fallen from their perch. Readers are currently projecting the A’s to win the division – though the Astros aren’t far behind.
Astros’ fever may spike as their stars return to health. Alex Bregman and Yordan Álvarez will both make their Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday, per MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart (via Twitter), which should provide a lift for manager Dusty Baker and company. Álvarez will be closely monitored for most of the season after offseason knee surgery. He’ll be limited to designated hitter duties in 2021. His bat, of course, can be a real difference maker. The 23-year-old owns an absurd .343 ISO though 378 plate appearances.
Bregman’s return to the lineup is no less crucial. Though he was the last arriving of the Astros’ original position player core, he’s grown into the best performer of the bunch. Back-to-back MVP-consideration seasons have launched Bregman into the first tier of MLB superstar. Especially with a roster that’s thinner that in year’s past, the Astros will need Bregman to ramp up to regular season form quickly.
When the season does open, it will be Zack Greinke on the hill. To no one’s surprise, Baker named Greinke their opening day starter, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Though he was a rotation luxury behind Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander when he was acquired, Greinke has grown in importance over the past year and a half, not only on the hill, but in the clubhouse and in front of reporters as well. The veteran has a 3.54 ERA/3.02 FIP in 129 2/3 innings over two seasons since joining the Astros.
Elsewhere in the rotation, the Astros are already without Framber Valdez, and his replacement Jake Odorizzi won’t be ready by opening day. Cristian Javier, however, say he will be ready to go, per Sports Director at Fox 26 Mark Berman (via Twitter).
Quick Hits: In-Game Video, Calhoun, Reyes
It was on this day in 1932 that the Reds made one of the best trades in franchise history, acquiring future Hall-of-Fame catcher Ernie Lombardi as part of a seven-player trade with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Lombardi was coming off a solid rookie season, but since Brooklyn already had Al Lopez behind the plate, Lombardi became an expendable trade chip. The Reds reaped the benefits as Lombardi rose to stardom over 10 seasons in Cincinnati, hitting .311/.359/.469 with 120 homers over 4288 plate appearances in a Reds uniform. His tenure in Cincy included the 1938 NL MVP Award, five All-Star appearances, and a starring role in the Reds’ World Series victory in 1940.
Some items from the modern game…
- Players will once again be able to access in-game video clips this season, with the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writing that Major League Baseball’s central office will be controlling the video footage available to teams. Players and coaches will be able to access footage of a past at-bat or pitching sequence during a game, via dugout iPads, with the league editing the footage to ensure that teams can’t use video for underhanded purposes — like stealing signals, for instance. Prior to 2020, it had become common practice for a hitter to visit a clubhouse computer terminal to review footage from his previous plate appearance, but clubhouse terminals were banned due to COVID-19 concerns last year. This certainly played a role in some hitters suddenly struggling at the plate, since they had gotten to used to making video-aided adjustments.
- Willie Calhoun has been bothered by a groin injury during Spring Training, and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) believes the Rangers could be cautious and place Calhoun on the injured list to begin the year. An IL stint certainly wouldn’t be welcome for Calhoun considering his injury-shortened and unproductive 2020 campaign, though it might be necessary to ensure that the young slugger is both fully healthy and fully prepared for the season. A former top-100 prospect, Calhoun seemed to taking a step forward with a solid .269/.323/.524 slash line over 337 PA in 2019.
- Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has already said that the team will use Alex Reyes out of the bullpen this season, but with Miles Mikolas and Kwang Hyun Kim both facing injury problems, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders if the team should reverse course and install Reyes into the rotation. While it makes sense that the Cards want to carefully manage Reyes’ workload given his own lengthy injury history, Frederickson argues that the most optimal usage of Reyes’ projected 80-100 innings would be to use him as a starter until the rotation gets healthy, and then shift him to the pen.
MLBTR Poll: Who Will Win The AL West?
George Springer, Marcus Semien, Liam Hendriks, Lance Lynn….it seemed that for much of the offseason, the news out of the AL West focused on what stars were leaving the division, rather than joining. It has made for an intriguing divisional race as we approach Opening Day, so let’s run down the contenders as per Fangraphs’ projected standings.
The Astros are judged to be the best of the bunch, projected for an 89-73 record despite losing Springer, potentially losing other still-unsigned free agents (i.e. Josh Reddick, Roberto Osuna), and losing Justin Verlander last season to Tommy John surgery. On the plus side, the Astros brought a couple of key offensive players back into the mix by re-signing Michael Brantley and Yuli Gurriel, and they added Jake Odorizzi to a bolster an injury-hampered rotation. There are certainly some question marks on Houston’s roster, but the core group of talent might be enough to capture the division.
Clocking in with an 84-78 projection, matching this record would give the Angels their fourth-highest win total since 2012 — Mike Trout‘s first full season in the big leagues. The Halos’ inability to build a winner around their superstar has been a sore point for both Orange County fans and perhaps the baseball world at large, but comparatively speaking, the Angels also didn’t suffer as many major personnel losses this winter as their division rivals did. While the Angels didn’t make any blockbuster acquisitions, they did aim to get better, adding such second-tier veterans as Raisel Iglesias, Jose Quintana, Alex Cobb, Jose Iglesias, Dexter Fowler, and Kurt Suzuki. With Trout and Anthony Rendon anchoring the lineup and Shohei Ohtani perhaps healthy again, do the Angels have enough to finally get back to the postseason?
The reigning AL West champion Athletics are projected for a modest 83-79 mark, as Oakland lost some significant veteran talent in Semien, Hendriks, Robbie Grossman, Joakim Soria, and Tommy La Stella. Of course, the A’s have made a habit of overachieving in the Billy Beane era, and they do have a lot of promising young arms. If the pitching staff can healthy and even a couple of hurlers make the proverbial leap, the A’s might have one of the sport’s better rotations. On the offensive side, Oakland is hoping Elvis Andrus thrives with a change of scenery, and that Matt Chapman and Matt Olson hit a bit more like their usual selves.
If the three front-runners all have their weak spots, is there an opportunity for an underdog to emerge? Fangraphs doesn’t thinks so, as both the Mariners (74-88) and Rangers (72-90) are projected to fall well back of the pack, yet it isn’t as if either team is bereft of talent. Seattle has a lot of promising young players that could possibly break out early and help Marco Gonzales, Kyle Seager, and bounce-back candidate James Paxton steal some wins. The Rangers made some interesting additions in Dane Dunning, Nate Lowe, and David Dahl, plus you figure Texas is due for some better offensive luck considering virtually the entire team (even star Joey Gallo) had down years at the plate in 2020.
So, the question remains, who will end up as AL West champions? (Poll link for app users)
Who will win the AL West?
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Athletics 32% (3,980)
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Astros 28% (3,517)
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Angels 27% (3,361)
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Mariners 9% (1,160)
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Rangers 3% (420)
Total votes: 12,438
Brewers Notes: Shaw, Fisher, Houser, Cain, Black
Travis Shaw can opt out of his minor league contract with the Brewers tomorrow but it seems very likely that the team will include Shaw on its Opening Day roster, according to Tom Haudricourt and Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Officially selecting Shaw’s contract would guarantee the veteran a $1.5MM salary for the coming season, and the Brewers would have to make another corresponding move to open up a 40-man roster spot. The left-handed hitting Shaw is expected to get the bulk of playing time at third base when a right-hander is on the mound, with Orlando Arcia, Daniel Robertson, and (if not at shortstop) Luis Urias all getting at-bats against southpaws.
More from the city of Giannis, Liberace, Laverne and Shirley…
- Today’s Cactus League game with the Mariners saw both Derek Fisher and Adrian Houser leave early due to injury. According to the Brewers’ official announcement, “left hamstring discomfort” forced Fisher from the game after he scored from first base on a double, and manager Craig Counsell told Haudricourt and other reporters that Fisher will be out of action for a while. The out-of-options Fisher was already facing some tough competition to win a roster job, and this injury setback could further hamper if not ruin his chances. As for Houser, he left the game with right thumb discomfort, but both the hurler and Counsell felt it was a minor issue that shouldn’t much interrupt Houser’s preseason preparations.
- In other injury news, Lorenzo Cain is expected to make his Spring Training debut by the weekend, Counsell told The Athletic’s Will Sammon and other reporters. After opting out of much of the 2020 season, Cain’s return to the field has been slowed by a quad injury. It remains to be seen how much time Cain will need to ramp up for the season, so an injured list placement probably still isn’t out of the question for at least the first week of the schedule.
- Right-hander Ray Black will begin throwing off a mound by the end of the week, Counsell said, as Black will return to work after being shut down due to elbow inflammation. The hard-throwing Black tossed only three innings over three games in 2020, missing much of the season due to a strain in his right rotator cuff. Given his recent injury history, Black could very well be an IL candidate for Opening Day.
Sonny Gray Likely To Begin Season On Injured List
Sonny Gray was scratched from a scheduled Cactus League outing today due to a recurring back issue that will likely put the right-handed on the injured list to begin the season. Gray told The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale and other reporters that he has been dealing with back spasms for the past month, and since he’ll need time to ramp back up after being shut down for a few days, he will probably miss the season’s first week.
“The way we’ve all kind of thought about it was, do we take five or six days right now and completely try to knock it out so you’re a week behind to start the season or eight days or whatever it ends up being? Or do you just keep going and maybe it turns into a larger issue and then maybe you miss 10 starts,” Gray said.
Since IL placements can be backdated by three days, a minimum 10-day injured list visit would result in Gray missing the Reds’ first six games, thanks to an off-day in the schedule. Since the Reds are also off on April 8, it would theoretically line Gray up for his season debut April 9 against the Diamondbacks if his injury recovery goes as planned.
As Gray noted, both he and the Reds surely want to be as cautious as possible, though Gray’s absence does create a larger void in Cincinnati’s rotation that has taken some hits in recent days. Fifth starter candidate Tejay Antone left today’s game with a minor groin strain, while Wade Miley left a game earlier this week due to a hamstring injury. While there has yet to be word the seriousness of these injuries, should IL placements also be required, the Reds would be starting the year with a provisional rotation of Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle, Michael Lorenzen, Jeff Hoffman, and Jose De Leon. Cincy picked up another arm today by claiming Carson Fulmer off waivers from the Pirates.
Rangers Prospect Bayron Lora In Car Accident
MARCH 14: Lora has been released from the hospital, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). An investigation into the accident is ongoing.
MARCH 13: Rangers outfield prospect Bayron Lora is in hospital after a recent car accident in his native Dominican Republic, Hector Gomez of Deportivo Z 101 (Twitter links) reports. One of the passengers in Lora’s car was killed in the collision. Lora and the other passengers are in serious condition, though in a follow-up tweet, Gomez writes that Lora “has been recovering satisfactorily.”
The Rangers released a statement, saying “We are aware of the accident involving Bayron Lora and several other individuals today in the Dominican Republic. We are working to gather more information at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the individuals who were involved in this accident and with their families. We have will have no further comment until we have more information on the accident. Thank you for your understanding.”
The 18-year-old Lora signed with Texas during the 2019-20 international signing window, inking a deal that contained a $3.9MM bonus. Lora was considered one of the top hitting prospects of the 2019-20 int’l class, with MLB Pipeline’s scouting report citing his “prodigious bat speed and strength.” Pipeline ranks Lora 20th on its list of the Rangers’ top 30 prospects, and gave Texas fans a noteworthy comp in saying that Lora is “looks like Joey Gallo‘s tag-team partner and produces similar exit velocities.”