Rangers Not Ruling Out Mike Minor Trade
Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels indicated today that he is not willing to rule out a trade of top starter Mike Minor, as TR Sullivan of MLB.com was among those to cover on Twitter.
While Daniels also made clear he isn’t particularly inclined to move the organization’s best pitcher, it’s notable that he’s adopting such an open stance on the subject at this point of the season. With just over two weeks to go until the trade deadline, the Rangers are still sitting just 2.5 games out of Wild Card position. Though the eight-game gap in the division likely can’t be bridged, it’s not inconceivable that the Texas club will be in shouting distance by the end of the month.
All things considered, it’s a practical and realistic position to take for the Rangers’ top baseball decisionmaker. When he addressed the club’s deadline stance a month ago, Daniels said he intended to “stay true to our mind-set of trying to balance, continue to place a priority on the next few years.” He wouldn’t be swayed much by the standings, he further indicated, explaining: “overall we know which direction we’re going in.”
For an organization that hopes to reload with young talent while remaining competitive in the near-term, this has been a bit of a dream season. Not only has the club hit on several (but not all) free-agent investments, and seen strides from some (again, not all) key young players, it has put itself in position for a legitimate run at a playoff spot.
As for Minor … he fits somewhere in the middle on all fronts. Signed to a three-year deal before the 2018 season, he has outperformed all expectations. The $9.5MM salary he’s due this year and next seems to be a bargain now that Minor is through 117 innings of 2.54 ERA ball on the season. While the Rangers would like to continue enjoying Minor’s presence atop a rotation that still has quite a few questions, the chance of cashing in obviously tantalizes as well.
There’s one other possibility, of course: an extension. But Minor is 31 years of age and has a worrying history of arm maladies. Whether or not he’d be amenable to sorting out a new deal isn’t clear, but the Rangers would no doubt need to tread carefully for a contract to present a clear value proposition. At this point, it seems hard to view the possibility of an extension as a significant factor.
Ultimately, Daniels indicates more that he’s open to listening to offers than preparing to shop the veteran lefty. There’s a notable difference there, at least in theory. But the key question will arise at the point of decision. Will the Texas organization stand on a hefty asking price or will it ultimately take the best reasonable offer it’s able to procure?
Braves Activate Anthony Swarzak, Place Grant Dayton On 10-Day IL
The Braves have activated righty Anthony Swarzak from the injured list, per an announcement. To create an opening, the club placed southpaw Grant Dayton on the 10-day injured list with a fractured big toe.
It’s nice to see Swarzak returning quickly from a shoulder malady. After all, he has quickly become an important piece of the puzzle for a relief unit that still clamors for some mid-season additions.
That said, the loss of Dayton makes for an unwelcome development. The 31-year-old southpaw has shown some promise since returning to the majors for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery. Despite showing reduced velocity from his prior work in the bigs, Dayton has generated a 12.4% swinging-strike rate and compiled an 11:3 K/BB rate in 8 1/3 innings.
Dayton will be sidelined for at least a month, per David O’Brien of The Athletic (via Twitter). That will rob the club of a chance to take a closer look at him before finalizing its deadline plans. Regardless, the Atlanta front office seems to have a nice volume of internal pieces to work with. Depth isn’t a particular concern so much as is quality in high-leverage spots. The trick will be deciding how many and what kind of outside additions to make.
Astros Activate Joe Smith, Move Carlos Correa To 60-Day IL
The Astros have activated righty Joe Smith for the first time this season, per a club announcement. He’ll take the spot of Cy Sneed, who was optioned down.
To create 40-man space, shortstop Carlos Correa was bumped to the 60-day IL. Correa will not be eligible to return before the end of the month, though he was not expected to be ready by that point anyway. He’s said to be nearing a rehab assignment as his fractured rib recovers.
Smith has been sidelined all year after suffering an Achilles tear over the offseason. It’s anyone’s guess what he’ll be able to contribute, but the ‘Stros have good cause to find out. The 35-year-old sidearmer is due $8MM this season. He was a solid contributor in 2018, when he turned in 45 2/3 innings of 3.74 ERA ball with 9.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.
Angels Acquire Adam McCreery, Josh Thole From Dodgers
The Angels have added a pair of players out of the break, acquiring lefty Adam McCreery and catcher Josh Thole from the Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations.
The move will help bolster the Halos’ depth. It’ll also clear needed 40-man roster space for their cross-town rivals. The Dodgers activated outfielder A.J. Pollock today from the 60-day injured list. He’ll be joined by Corey Seager and David Freese in returning to the active roster.
Acquired last November, McCreery had yet to appear at the MLB level with the Dodgers but did hold a 40-man spot. In 35 2/3 upper-minors innings this season, he carries a 4.04 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9. The southpaw briefly cracked the majors last year with Atlanta but has yet to receive a full opportunity — due in no small part to the fact that he has not yet conquered persistent walk problems.
The 30-year-old Thole was once a consistent presence in the majors, functioning mostly as a reserve backstop with the Mets and Blue Jays from 2009 through 2016. He hasn’t cracked the bigs since, however, and has mostly carried marginal offensive numbers at Triple-A that befit his lifetime .242/.313/.306 slash through 1,499 plate appearances at the game’s highest level.
Marlins To Sign J.J. Bleday, Kameron Misner
JULY 12, 3:58pm: Misner has a buzzer-beating, $2.115MM deal, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter links). Mokma will forego his commitment to Michigan State by inking a $557K agreement.
3:18pm: Misner is undergoing a physical, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets, though it’s not clear yet that the sides are otherwise fully squared away on a deal. Heyman adds that 12th-rounder Chris Mokma will agree to terms with the Fish if they can get Misner under contract.
9:20am: Bleday’s bonus will check in at $6,670,000, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets. That checks in over his slot value by a narrow margin of $6,000.
JULY 10, 8:25pm: In addition to their deal with Bleday, the Marlins are close to an agreement with No. 35 pick Kameron Misner, tweets Craig Mish of SiriusXM. Before reaching a deal with Misner, Miami first needed to finish negotiations with Bleday so they could know how much it had left to offer Misner. While no deal is quite in place yet, Mish adds that Misner has already decided he will not return to Missouri.
In his junior season at Mizzou, Misner hit .286/.440/.481 with 10 homers, 10 doubles and 20 stolen bases (in 21 tries). Misner rated as the draft’s No. 26 prospect at BA, No. 30 at MLB.com, No. 31 at Fangraphs and No. 34 at ESPN. He’s regarded as a plus runner who can handle any outfield spot, and he draws praise for a potentially average hit tool and above-average pop. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com call him a potential 20-20 threat if his development progresses.
7:22pm: The Marlins have agreed to terms with No. 4 overall draft selection J.J. Bleday, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The star Vanderbilt outfielder was widely considered a top-five talent and one of the best power bats in the draft. His slot comes with a $6.66MM value.
Bleday, 21, will add a high-end offensive prospect to an improving Marlins system that is currently deeper in pitching than in bats. In his final season at Vanderbilt, Bleday posted a ridiculous .350/.464/.717 slash with 26 home runs, 13 doubles and a triple in 320 plate appearances — all while walking more often (54) than he struck out (53).
Prior to draft day, Bleday checked in as this year’s No. 3 prospect, per Fangraphs, where Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen praised the Division-I home run leader’s power and improved approach at the plate. MLB.com tabbed Bleday as the No. 5 prospect in the draft and gave him plus grades on his arm strength and raw power, in addition to an above-average hit tool. Baseball America ranked him sixth and, like other reports noted that he profiles best as a prototypical right fielder (albeit one who can handle center “in a pinch). ESPN’s Keith Law ranked him seventh, noting an unorthodox swing but a classic power-hitting right fielder’s profile with a history of performance.
Twins Release Chase De Jong
The Twins have released righty Chase De Jong, according to LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune (via Twitter). He had been pitching for the club’s top affiliate.
De Jong was acquired last summer, then designated and outrighted over the winter. He got another shot in the majors earlier this year, but was torched in his lone outing before again being dropped from the 40-man roster.
The season has been a struggle thus far for the 25-year-old, who was a 2012 second-round pick. He has allowed more than an earned run per inning at Triple-A. Through 45 1/3 innings at the highest level of the minors, he has allowed nearly as many walks (26) as he has recorded strikeouts (30) while surrendering 16 long balls.
Rays Place Chaz Roe On 10-Day IL, Activate Diego Castillo
TODAY: These moves are now official.
YESTERDAY, 5:20pm: Hunter Wood will likely be recalled from Triple-A to take Alvarado’s roster spot, Topkin tweets.
4:01pm: The Rays will place right-hander Chaz Roe on the 10-day injured list prior to tomorrow’s game due to a flexor strain, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links). Righty Diego Castillo will be activated from the injured list himself on Friday to take Roe’s 25-man roster spot, though Tampa will still need to make one more move since Jose Alvarado is also now on the IL. Ji-Man Choi is expected to soon rejoin the team after recovering from a sprained ankle, Topkin tweets, but not until Saturday or Sunday.
Roe has missed a lot of bats (11.9 K/9) over his 27 1/3 relief innings this season, though an ungainly 6.6 BB/9 and .368 BABIP have resulted in a 5.27 ERA. That walk rate represents a concerning re-emergence of the control problems that hurt Roe earlier in his career, though he had seemingly put the free passes behind him after posting just a 2.9 BB/9 as part of his overall solid 2018 season (3.58 ERA over 50 1/3 IP) out of the Rays’ bullpen.
Castillo has been sidelined since June 23 due to a shoulder impingement, and the return of the 25-year-old and his 98mph fastball will provide a boost to Tampa Bay’s ninth-inning efforts. Castillo has earned seven saves as part of the Rays’ unofficial closer-by-committee system, with Alvarado (seven saves) and Emilio Pagan (five saves) also receiving the bulk of late-game save opportunities.
Phillies Select Rob Brantly, Move Pat Neshek To 60-Day IL
2:08pm: It’s possible Neshek has thrown his last pitch for the Phils. He tells reporters, including Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) that the best-case scenario is a return in early or mid-September. (His deal includes a club option for 2020, though that seems unlikely to be exercised.)
1:04pm: The Phillies have selected the contract of catcher Rob Brantly, per a club announcement. He’ll take the active roster spot of J.T. Realmuto, who’ll take a brief step away on paternity leave.
To create a 40-man roster spot, the Phils have moved reliever Pat Neshek to the 60-day injured list. Neshek has been sidelined for several weeks with a hamstring injury. Given the placement, he won’t be eligible to return until late in August.
Brantly, who’s days from his thirtieth birthday, will get his first time in a major league uni since 2017. He’s a .230/.294/.333 hitter in 428 career plate appearances at the game’s highest level, most of which came way back in 2012-13.
Mets Designate Wilmer Font
The Mets have designated right-hander Wilmer Font for assignment, Tim Healey of Newsday reports (Twitter link). He’ll be replaced on the active roster by fellow hurler Chris Mazza.
Font was utilized initially as a starter and then in a multi-inning capacity in New York after being shipped up from the Rays in a mid-season swap. The deal cost the Mets a far-off prospect with some interesting physical tools.
The Mets got a useful run out of Font after pushing him to the bullpen in late May. From that point through the end of June, he allowed just four earned runs and carried a 15:6 K/BB ratio over 16 1/3 innings of work. It seems the Mets decided to move on after watching Font struggle through his past two outings, which featured three long balls in just 4 1/3 innings.
As for Mazza, he’s finally enjoying some MLB opportunities at 29 years of age. The former 27th-round pick turned in a solid spot start earlier this year and has thrown well at Triple-A. In 78 frames there, he owns a 3.69 ERA with 8.1 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9.
Nationals Place Jonny Venters On 10-Day IL
The Nationals announced today that they’ve placed lefty Jonny Venters on the 10-day injured list. He has been diagnosed with a left shoulder strain. That’s an injury that could conceivably be quite concerning, though there’s no indication to this point of the severity.
Righty Kyle McGowin was promoted to take the open roster spot. He had been shipped out on optional assignment to make room for Venters when the veteran’s contract was selected recently.
The Nats continue to churn through arms as they try to keep the bullpen afloat. The club received three appearances from Venters, over which he registered five strikeouts but also gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks. McGowin, 27, has a shiny 11:2 K/BB ratio in his ten MLB innings this year but has also been tagged for 11 earned runs and three long ball in that brief span.
Given their recent performances, neither Venters nor McGowin seem like optimal solutions for the D.C. club. But the organization’s other options can be classed similarly. Lefty Dan Jennings is stashed at Triple-A — where he was sent after a rough showing with the big club. The team just activated righty Kyle Barraclough, but promptly optioned him to iron out his season-long struggles. Just-signed veteran Brad Boxberger has a solid history in the majors, but was bad enough this year that the Royals sent him packing despite already being on the hook for his salary.
While the Nationals will hope their current pen mix is sufficient to get them through the next several weeks, the front office is assuredly working hard to line up new options. The club could unquestionably stand to add multiple arms to its relief corps, much as it did two summers back (but with an even more stringent need). It’ll be interesting to see how the deadline period unfolds.