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Quick Hits: Padres, Galvis, Rangers, DeShields, Trade Deadline, Tigers

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Padres shortstop Freddy Galvis is on track to reach free agency in the offseason, but that may not happen if the team has its druthers. San Diego has “serious interest” in re-signing Galvis, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports. However, considering the Padres have an excellent shortstop prospect in 19-year-old Fernando Tatis Jr. – who has held his own at the Double-A level this season – it doesn’t seem Galvis is destined to be their long-term starter at the position. Acquired from the Phillies last winter for young right-hander Enyel De Los Santos, the 28-year-old, switch-hitting Galvis has amassed 477 plate appearances in 2018 and batted an unimpressive .237/.296/.355 (79 wRC+) with eight home runs, also drawing mixed reviews in the field (seven Defensive Runs Saved, minus-2.2 Ultimate Zone Rating).

More notes from around the game…

  • Rangers center fielder Delino DeShields may be running out of time to show he’s capable of holding down the position in Texas, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News observes. DeShields, now 25, joined the Rangers in the 2014 Rule 5 draft and subsequently performed well as a rookie in 2015, only to flop in 2016. While DeShields returned to being a decent contributor in 2017, the speedster’s now in the throes of a forgettable season in which he has hit a lackluster .208/.310/.279 (63 wRC+), endured a short minor league demotion and taken multiple trips to the disabled list. Meanwhile, the Rangers like fellow center fielders Drew Robinson and Carlos Tocci, and they have good prospects at the position, notes Grant – who writes they’re “determined” to retain Tocci for the long haul. Like DeShields, Tocci hooked on with the Rangers as a Rule 5 pick. The soon-to-be 23-year-old Tocci has been in way over his head at the plate during his initial MLB action this season, though.
  • “There’s a movement within baseball” to extend the non-waiver trade deadline from July 31 to mid-August, and eliminate the August waiver period, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. “The way it is now is just futile. If you’re a good team, you constantly get blocked for players that could be useful to you,” one NL official tells Cafardo.  From a league standpoint, eliminating the trade waiver process would also cut down on a lot of paperwork and red tape.  It isn’t clear if there is sentiment from both the owners and the MLBPA to change the August trading process, as such mutual agreement would be required for the deadline to be extended.
  • Veteran reliever Zach McAllister chose to sign with the Tigers earlier this week not only because of the on-field opportunity they presented, but because they were “aggressive” in pursuing him, the righty tells Max Bultman of The Athletic (subscription required). Even though McAllister’s not under control past this season, the fact that Detroit put forth such an effort to add him suggests it could be open to retaining him beyond 2018, Bultman notes. In the meantime, McAllister, 30, will use the rest of the season to try to rebuild his once-solid stock after struggling this year with the Indians. If the hard-throwing McAllister succeeds and puts himself back on other teams’ radars heading into the winter, his tenure with the rebuilding Tigers could go down as a short-lived union.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/12/18

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The latest minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Athletics announced that they’ve outrighted reliever Chris Hatcher to Triple-A Nashville after he cleared waivers. The club previously designated Hatcher for assignment on Friday to make room for just-acquired reliever Fernando Rodney. The 33-year-old Hatcher’s stay in the minors won’t be a long one, it seems, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle suggests he’ll return to Oakland in either September or sometime later this month. Since the Athletics acquired Hatcher from the Dodgers almost exactly one year ago (on Aug. 15, 2017), the right-hander has recorded 57 innings of 3.95 ERA/4.71 FIP ball with 7.58 K/9, 4.11 BB/9 and a 42.1 percent groundball rate.

Earlier updates:

  • Cubs reliever Anthony Bass has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Iowa, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic was among those to tweet. The move came after the Cubs activated Bass from the 10-day disabled list, where he had been since July 21 on account of a back muscle issue. Because he has been outrighted in the past, Bass has a right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, but there’s no indication that he’ll head back to the open market. The 30-year-old has been a good find this year for the Cubs, who signed him to a minor league deal last December, having pitched to a 2.93 ERA with 8.22 K/9, 1.76 BB/9 and a 53.3 percent groundball rate in 15 1/3 innings.
  • The Royals have reinstated reliever Blaine Boyer from the 60-day disabled list and transferred outfielder Jorge Soler to the 60-day DL, per a team announcement. But Soler – who hasn’t played since June 15 because of a left toe fracture – could still return as early as Aug. 16. Meanwhile, Boyer has struggled to a horrendous 11.76 ERA with 3.92 K/9 and 5.23 BB/9 in 20 2/3 innings this year with the Royals, who added him on a minor league pact last offseason.

Logan Morrison To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery

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SUNDAY: Morrison could actually require up to eight months to recover, he told Tyler Fenwick of MLB.com and other reporters. He wouldn’t return until April in that scenario, though it’s possible Morrison will need as few as four months to come back, as noted below.

SATURDAY, 10:38pm: Morrison seems to be facing a four- to six-month recovery period, per Berardino, who adds that he should be healthy in time for spring training next year.

8:45pm: Twins first baseman Logan Morrison will undergo season-ending surgery on his left hip, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press was among those to tweet. Morrison has a hip impingement and will head to the 10-day disabled list, according to the team. His roster spot will go to right-hander Kohl Stewart (previously reported).

The injury brings a premature conclusion to a disappointing season for Morrison, whom the Twins signed to a one-year, $6.5MM guarantee in free agency last February. The deal also includes an $8MM club option for 2019, but it seems likely the Twins will instead buy out Morrison for $1MM.

When the Twins added Morrison, who lasted longer than expected on the open market, he was coming off a career-best season in which he hit 38 home runs as a member of the Rays. At the same time, the Twins were fresh off their first playoff berth since 2011. But both sides have struggled this season, as Morrison has hit a mere .186/.276/.368 (74 wRC+) with 15 home runs across 359 plate appearances and the Twins have stumbled to a 53-62 record.

In the event Morrison returns to free agency in the offseason, he’ll do so as a 31-year-old who, 2017 aside, hasn’t produced great results in the majors. Over 3,713 PAs, the left-handed hitter has only been a bit better than league average as an offensive player, according to FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric (106). Although, for the second straight year, Morrison garnered positive reviews from Statcast, which places his expected weighted on-base average (.355) well above his actual wOBA (.284).

NL Notes: Realmuto, Mets, Brewers, Dodgers

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Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto suggested last month he’d be open to discussing a contract extension with the club, but if he’s uninterested in signing a deal over the winter, “there’s a good chance” the team will trade him, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. The 25-year-old Realmuto, one of the game’s elite backstops, is controllable via arbitration through the 2020 season.

More from the National League…

  • The Mets are considering Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava and Rays special assistant Bobby Heck as candidates to be their next general manager, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Neither man has been a GM before, though both LaCava and Heck have a wealth of front office experience, particularly in the areas of scouting and player development.  LaCava has been with the Blue Jays since 2002, when J.P. Ricciardi (now a Mets special advisor) was Toronto’s GM.  Heck has been with the Rays since 2012, following lengthy stints with the Astros and Brewers that saw him play a notable role as both those clubs amassed a strong collection of young talent.
  • Brewers right-hander Zach Davies hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 29, owing to shoulder and back problems, and there’s still no timetable for his return, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. But Davies’ absence hasn’t been crippling for the Brewers, as Haudricourt writes that they’ve “been satisfied” with the current members of their rotation. Further, after serving as a solid starter from 2016-17 (his first two full seasons), Davies came out of the gates slowly this year with a 5.23 ERA/5.29 FIP in 43 innings.
  • The Dodgers’ decision to move Kenta Maeda to the bullpen may negatively affect the righty from a financial standpoint, given that he has incentives in his contract based on games started and innings pitched. However, the Dodgers and Maeda’s reps at the Wasserman Agency “have a good relationship,” tweets the Los Angeles Times’ Andy McCullough, who notes it would be sensible for both sides to change the language in his deal to include incentives for relief appearances. If the two sides do attempt to work something out, the MLBPA would have to sign off on it.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Eovaldi, Archer, Phillies, Rollins, A’s

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This week in baseball blogs…

Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com

Marlins Acquire Chris Bostick

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The Marlins have acquired utilityman Chris Bostick from the Pirates, Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Pittsburgh will receive cash considerations in the deal.  Bostick had been designated for assignment by the Bucs earlier this week.

Bostick’s Major League career consists of 20 games for Pittsburgh in 2017 and two games this season, with a .276/.382/.345 slash line over 34 total plate appearances.  Originally a 44th-round pick for the Athletics in the 2011 draft, Bostick will be joining the fifth different organization of his pro career.

The 25-year-old Rochester native has hit .271/.337/.416 with 60 homers and 122 steals (out of 176 chances) over 3491 PA in the minor leagues, though his greatest calling card might be versatility.  Bostick has spent much of his career as a second baseman, but has logged substantial time at third base, shortstop, and all three outfield positions.

West Links: Maeda, Stripling, Padres, Skaggs, Astros, Rangers

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Some items from both the NL and AL West divisions…

  • The Dodgers are moving Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling to the bullpen, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Pedro Moura and the Los Angeles Times’ Andy McCullough).  The club was facing a rotation overload with Alex Wood and Hyun-Jin Ryu both coming off the DL this week, though Stripling’s role change is a bit of a surprise given how well he has pitched.  Roberts said he hopes to let Stripling start again at some point this season, though the Dodgers have a greater need in the bullpen with Kenley Jansen on the DL for the near future.  Maeda has also pitched well this year, though he “appears there [the bullpen] to stay,” McCullough said.  It’s probably safe to assume that the team’s pitching plans will continue to remain somewhat fluid, given how Dodgers seem to be constantly dealing with injuries, yet they also get consistently good results from just about everyone they slot into the rotation.
  • Baseball America recently released its updated organizational talent rankings, rating all 30 teams on the quality and depth of prospects in their minor league pipelines.  The Padres took the #1 spot, rising from third place in BA’s previous ranking from earlier in the season.  San Diego is deep enough is both pitching and position player prospects that “general manager A.J. Preller’s biggest task is sorting out which prospects are keepers and which ones should be traded to speed the big league club’s rebuild.”  The full 30-team ranking is available to Baseball America subscribers.
  • The Angels announced that left-hander Tyler Skaggs has been placed on the 10-day DL due to a left adductor strain, with righty Eduardo Paredes called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move.  Skaggs was only just activated yesterday from a DL stint with the same injury, and he also missed time in July due to a problem with his right adductor.  No stranger to injuries throughout his career, Skaggs has already tossed a career-high 116 2/3 innings this season, posting a 3.78 ERA, 3.51 K/BB rate, and 9.5 K/9.
  • Astros manager A.J. Hinch provided some updates on injured players to reporters today, including MLB.com’s Christian Boutwell (Twitter links).  Chris Devenski and Brian McCann are on pace to begin rehab assignments soon, while outfielder Jake Marisnick is facing a lengthy absence after being placed on the DL yesterday with a groin injury.  Marisnick will be out of action for “at least for the next few weeks,” Hinch said, possibly not returning until the September roster expansion.
  • The Rangers’ “de-load” program for pitching prospects focuses on “acclimation, education and, they hope, injury prevention,” for these prized young arms, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes.  The idea behind the program is to help better prepare these minor leaguers, some of whom are just out of high school, as they begin their careers in professional baseball.  This includes sessions on everything from physical fitness to charting pitches to even just how to conduct oneself in a clubhouse.  Interestingly, there isn’t much actual pitching (whether in practice or games) involved in this program.  “Let’s get their bodies and minds right on a daily basis so that when they are ready to pitch, they’ve got building blocks,” said Paul Kruger, Rangers assistant director of player development.  “We wanted something that could be used to build a better routine from Day One.”

NL East Notes: Kintzler, Toussaint, Crawford, Arano

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It seems as if some behind-the-scenes drama contributed to the Nationals’ decision to trade Brandon Kintzler to the Cubs, Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman writes.  GM Mike Rizzo reportedly believed Kintzler was an unnamed source in two recent stories (by Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports and Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post) that detailed internal criticisms of the Nats’ clubhouse culture and Dave Martinez’s handling of pitchers.  Kintzler has vigorously denied these claims, saying as much to Rizzo personally.  Once word spread about the situation, Passan even contacted Cubs president of baseball ops Theo Epstein to state that he’d never been in contact with Kintzler and that the reliever wasn’t the one who provided the much-discussed quote about the Nationals’ clubhouse being “a mess.”  Furthermore, as Heyman notes, it seems odd that Rizzo would single Kintzler out for any role in Janes’ piece when several other Nats relievers were quoted by name.  Ken Rosenthal provided an alternate view on the Kintzler trade in a video for FOX Sports, saying that Washington’s primary reason for moving Kintzler may have been to escape his $5MM player option for the 2019 season.

Some more from the NL East…

  • The Braves plan to have right-hander Touki Toussaint make his Major League debut on Monday, manager Brian Snitker told Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) and other reporters.  Toussaint would be making a spot start in one half of the Braves’ double-header against the Marlins.  Selected 16th overall by Arizona in the 2014 draft, Toussaint and Bronson Arroyo were dealt to the Braves in June 2015, with Atlanta taking Arroyo’s contract off the Diamondbacks’ hands in order to obtain the young righty.  A few middling seasons dropped Toussaint’s prospect stock, though he has gotten back on track with a combined 2.68 ERA, 10.7 K/9, and 2.84 K/BB rate over 86 Double-A innings and 31.1 Triple-A innings in 2018.  Fangraphs ranked Toussaint 51st in its midseason top-100 prospects list, while MLB.com ranks the 22-year-old 76th among all minor leaguers.
  • “It’s hard to see where [J.P.] Crawford fits into the future plans” of the Phillies following what “looks more and more like a lost season” for the infielder, The Athletic’s Matt Gelb writes (subscription required).  Due to both a forearm strain and a fractured hand, Crawford has been limited to just 34 games this season, and has thus been relegated to pinch-hit and utilityman duty behind third baseman Maikel Franco and newly-acquired shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.  Franco has revived his stock with the club with a bounce-back season, and while Cabrera is a free agent after the year, the Phils also have Scott Kingery signed to an extension and in need of a regular spot on the diamond given the Phillies’ crowded outfield and the presence of Cesar Hernandez at second base.  Plus, there are the ever-present rumors that Philadelphia will soon push to acquire a major position player like Manny Machado.  It’s worth noting that Crawford is still just 23 and has only 199 MLB plate appearances to his name, so it’s far too early to write off a player who has been a consensus top prospect for the last four years.  Still, the Phillies could now consider Crawford as a trade chip rather than a future cornerstone, though it would be something of a sell-low scenario given Crawford’s rough 2018 season.
  • On the other side of the young talent equation, Gelb also writes about Victor Arano’s journey from trade afterthought to a major part of the Phillies bullpen.  Arano came to the organization as a player to be named later in the Roberto Hernandez trade with the Dodgers in August 2014, and he posted some good strikeout totals but overall only decent numbers as a minor leaguer.  Philadelphia promoted Arano from Double-A to the big leagues last year, and the right-hander has blossomed, with a 1.95 ERA, 9.9 K/9, and a 3.59 K/BB rate over 55 1/3 career innings.

Injury Updates: Sale, Erasmo, Donaldson

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The latest on some DL situations around baseball…

  • The Red Sox have activated left-hander Chris Sale from the 10-day disabled list, and he’ll take the hill today for a start against the Orioles.  Righty Brandon Workman has been sent down to Triple-A to create a roster spot for Sale (Boston also sent down right-hander William Cuevas, who was the 26th man on the roster for yesterday’s double-header.)  Sale’s DL placement was retroactive to July 28, and while he missed a bit more than the minimum 10 days, that was more due to some scheduling preferences than any further issue with the inflammation in his throwing shoulder.  The ace southpaw is enjoying another outstanding season, with a league-best 2.04 ERA and 13.2 K/9 over 141 IP.
  • The Mariners have activated right-hander Erasmo Ramirez from the disabled list, with right-hander Nick Rumbelow going to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Ramirez will start for Seattle today against Houston and will be pitching in just his third game of an injury-plagued 2018 season.  He opened the season on the DL due to a lat strain, and then has been sidelined since April 27 due to a teres major strain.
  • Josh Donaldson took a positive step in his rehab, with the Blue Jays telling reporters (including MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm) that the star third baseman “will begin baserunning and preparation for game play” if his injured calf responds well to “ramping up intensity” in training over the next few days.  Donaldson has played in only 36 games this season, though if he able to return and prove he’s healthy before August 31, the Jays might still be able to work out a trade to a contender.

Blue Jays To Promote Danny Jansen, Sean Reid-Foley

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9:01AM: The Jays have officially announced that Jansen has been promoted (via their team PR Twitter), with Solarte going on the 10-day DL with his right oblique injury.

8:05AM: The Blue Jays are expected to call up top catching prospect Danny Jansen, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi reports.  Jansen will take the roster spot of Yangervis Solarte, who suffered an oblique injury in yesterday’s game and is very likely headed for the disabled list.  In addition to Jansen, the Jays are also expected to promote right-hander Sean Reid-Foley for his Major League debut on Monday in a start against the Royals.

Jansen, 23, was Toronto’s pick in the 16th round of the 2013 amateur draft.  Thanks in part to a pair of hand injuries, Jansen’s first few pro seasons were fairly uneventful, though he broke out as a prospect to watch after a big 2017 season that saw him rise from high-A ball to Triple-A Buffalo.  Jansen has continued to impress at the Triple-A level this year, hitting .275/.390/.473 with 12 homers over 360 plate appearances, racking up nearly as many walks (44) as strikeouts (49).

This quick development earned Jansen some notice in the prospect charts, with Baseball America’s midseason top-100 prospect ranking placing Jansen 71st, while MLB.com ranked him 73rd in its own top 100.  The scouting reports on both sites give Jansen more credit for his offense than his defense, citing his good contact skills, plate discipline, and power potential (which BA says could lead to 10-15 homers a year at the big league level).  From a defensive standpoint, Jansen has improved to the point that he looks at least solid at many aspects of catching, though in the words of MLB.com’s report, “his catch-and-throw skills may never be better than average.”

The Jays already have Russell Martin and Luke Maile as their regular catching combo, though Martin’s ability to play second and third base will allow him to essentially take over Solarte’s infield duties while Jansen gets regular playing time behind the plate.  This early audition will help the Jays determine if Jansen could be ready for the starting job as early as next season, which could make Maile an expendable piece this winter.  Martin’s $20MM salary for 2019 makes him essentially unmovable in a trade, so unless the Blue Jays are willing to just eat that contract, it is more likely Martin will be kept around as a veteran mentor for the young Jansen.  (Martin’s ability to play a hybrid backup catcher/infielder role could also make Toronto more apt to pass on Solarte’s $5.5MM club option for 2019.)

Reid-Foley was himself a member of top-100 prospect lists prior to the 2017 season (MLB.com 64th, Baseball America 75th, Baseball Prospectus 85th) before his stock fell posting a 5.09 ERA over 132 2/3 Double-A innings last year.  He bounced back this season to pitch much better in Double-A and earned himself a promotion, with the righty then posting a 3.50 ERA, 10.3 K/9, and 3.48 K/BB rate over 82 1/3 frames for Triple-A Buffalo.

Reid-Foley was a second-round pick in the 2014 draft, and the 22-year-old has long been seen as a future member of the Blue Jays rotation prior to his hiccups in 2017.  Davidi notes that the decision to promote Reid-Foley was made “after days of deliberations,” though with the Jays well out of the playoff race and short on reliable starters to eat innings for the rest of the year, it makes sense to give Reid-Foley his first taste of Major League action.  With at least two rotation spots up for grabs in the 2019 rotation, a good showing over the next six weeks will give Reid-Foley a leg up on earning a job next season.

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