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Yankees Activate Masahiro Tanaka

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The Yankees have activated righty Masahiro Tanaka, per a club announcement. He ended up missing about a month with dual hamstring strains suffered while running the bases.

It’s obviously good news for the Yanks that Tanaka is back in action in relatively short order. In particular, the timing means that they’ll get to see him for a few starts before making final decisions in advance of the coming trade deadline.

It seemed a boon when Tanaka decided to opt into the final three years of his contract over the winter. Though the 29-year-old has had his share of injuries, and struggled in the results department last year, he has also generally been a quality hurler in New York.

Unfortunately, Tanaka’s home run issues have carried forward from 2017 into 2018. He has allowed 16 dingers this year in his 72 2/3 innings, though he has still managed a 4.58 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9. If he can finally figure out how to keep the ball in the yard, Tanaka could again be a major part of the Yankees’ staff.

Regardless of Tanaka’s form, of course, the Yanks are seen as a clear potential buyer of starting pitching. But depth is much less of a concern if Tanaka is a positive part of the picture, which could impact the targets the club pursues on the trade market.

Twins Release, Re-Sign Felix Jorge

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The Twins have released and re-signed right-hander Felix Jorge, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press was among those to Report (Twitter links). Jorge had recently been designated for assignment.

Typically, of course, a player in this situation — being removed from the 40-man roster for the first time — would simply be outrighted after clearing waivers. As Berardino explains, though, there’s a slight twist and an obscure rule at play here. Because Jorge was on the disabled list upon his DFA, he had to be activated or released.

In any event, the result is the same, as the Twins will hang onto the 24-year-old prospect. That’s a positive for the club. Though Jorge was hit hard in a very brief MLB debut last year and has been out for all of 2018 due to injury, he has long been considered a quality starting pitching prospect.

As MLBTR’s Steve Adams explained at some length upon the Twins’ decision to designate Jorge, there has long been hope that Jorge had a future as a back-of-the-rotation starter at the game’s highest level. Last year, at the Double-A level, he put up 134 2/3 innings of 3.54 ERA ball with 6.6 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9, along with a 50.2% groundball rate.

Yankees “Showing Increased Interest” In Manny Machado

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11:07pm: The talks are still in an early stage, Eduardo Encina of Baltimore Sun reports. Though the Yankees haven’t made any offers, the club has expressed interest not only in Machado and rental relievers Zach Britton and Brad Brach, but also in controllable starter Kevin Gausman.

Machado himself bristled at the ongoing questions about his status after tonight’s game against the Yankees. When asked about the possibility of shifting back over to third, after assuming the shortstop job in Baltimore this year, Machado answered: “I’m a shortstop. I play shortstop.” (Via Marc Carig of The Athletic, on Twitter.) Of course, it’s probably best not to read too much into that statement, as Machado may simply have been fending off questions by referring to his current situation and in any event lacks trade protection.

9:29pm: There appears to be some mutual interest in considering package arrangements, per reports from Jon Heyman of Fancred and Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). In addition to weighing some of the O’s relievers, says Kubatko, the Yanks may have interest in Baltimore rotation pieces. Contemplating the possibility of the involvement of starting pitching makes this series of reports all the more fascinating. There are any number of imaginable permutations of package deals, though there’s no real hint at present as to what might be considered.

7:55pm: The Yankees are “showing increased interest” in acquiring Machado, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athetic (subscription link). It’s still not clear just how serious the Yanks are about such a move, but the report is intriguing nonetheless.

In some regards, to be sure, it’s a bit of an imperfect fit. Though we included the Yankees as a potential landing spot in a recent poll on Machado’s market, the Bronx Bombers didn’t rate as popular choice among respondents. While the club is unquestionably in position to add MLB talent, it has a much more obvious need in the rotation. And some would surely argue that there’s greater need for (and greater value to be found in) an upgrade at first base, where Greg Bird has not exactly thrived.

While Machado would upgrade any roster, the New York organization already features a quality shortstop in Didi Gregorius and a variety of other talented young infield options at second and third. Though breakout rookie Gleyber Torres is injured at present, there has been no indication that he’ll miss a lengthy stretch, so that doesn’t seem to represent a significant aspect of the increased interest.

As Rosenthal suggests, the likeliest motivation behind pursuit of Machado would be to install him at third base. The club could simply option Miguel Andujar for some additional seasoning. (Per the report, there’s reason to question that the promising youngster would be a part of a trade for Machado, which makes sense.) Andujar certainly has played well and has a bright future, but isn’t close Machado’s quality level at present.

There are other players to consider here, but none would get in the way of the pursuit of Machado. Indeed, Brandon Drury — who was just optioned back to Triple-A after the first of the Yanks’ two games today — might well be a trade chip, though there’s no firm indication of that to this point. Veteran switch-hitter Neil Walker would likely still fit on the roster regardless, so long as the club continues to show patience. (If not, the Yanks could utilize Andujar, Drury, and/or Tyler Wade in a reserve role as well.)

Part of the underlying reasoning here seems to be that the Yankees may struggle to upgrade as much as they’d like in the rotation. To be sure, the market is not shaping up to offer many compelling starters. Though the Yanks have plenty of pieces to chase a controllable hurler, it’s not yet clear whether the prices will be palatable enough to consider that route.

As things have shaped up in the American League, the Yankees and bitter-rival Red Sox have ample cause to seek all avenues for improvement. Settling for a Wild Card will, of course, mean a one-game series that could go in any direction. And the team that wins the play-in contest seems rather likely to face either the AL East champs or the defending World Series champion Astros in the divisional round. While the Indians are no cakewalk, they’ll likely be viewed as a somewhat less formidable foe.

Viewed broadly, then, the potential match is perhaps a bit more compelling than is evident at first glance. Whether other pieces of the Baltimore roster might be of interest to the Yankees is not yet known. It’s also not clear what trade pieces the Yanks would be willing to give that would pique the interest of the O’s sufficiently to pave the way for a trade of a mid-prime franchise legend to a division rival.

Clearly, this news doesn’t mean that the Yankees are the new favorites to land Machado. Reports from earlier today tabbed the Dodgers and Brewers as the most aggressive teams at the moment, and that seems still to be the case — with other organizations still also looking like plausible suitors as well. But the involvement of the Yankees shows that it’s still an open bidding situation with many possible outcomes. Whether or not the Orioles can leverage the broad demand into a significant return remains to be seen, but it’s clear that multiple contending organizations view Machado as a real potential difference-maker.

Williams Says Reds Plan To Increase Payroll In 2019

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Reds president of baseball operations and general manager Dick Williams indicated today that his club’s “internal plan” is to boost MLB spending in 2019, as Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

“What we’ve said is that we’ve always tried to put as much of (the payroll) on the field as we can,” said Williams. “We now feel like the last couple of years, we’ve taken a lot of our resources and allocated them into the amateur draft, the international market. We hope that can shift back toward Major League payroll.”

While he did not commit to specifics, Williams certainly indicated that the organization is hoping to build off of some recent positive momentum on the field. He said that the club “believe[s] that we’re creating a good core to invest around.”

Though the Reds remain buried in the NL Central, the club has played much better of late. In addition to receiving solid contributions from much of the lineup, the pitching staff has shown some promise after years of struggles.

Among the organization’s building blocks are several players already signed to long-term deals, including star first baseman Joey Votto, third bagger Eugenio Suarez, and catcher Tucker Barnhart. In addition to some major strides from the bullpen, starters Tyler Mahle and Sal Romano have turned in improved results over the last month or so.

It’s interesting to note, of course, that the Reds remain in an obvious selling position at the trade deadline. That said, starter Matt Harvey is perhaps the team’s only truly marketable pending free agent. And the intended future course could counsel against significant moves involving controllable players, even those who aren’t under club control for the long haul. Second baseman Scooter Gennett, outfielder Billy Hamilton, and veteran relievers Raisel Iglesias, Jared Hughes, and David Hernandez are among the names that surely have or will come up in trade chatter. But none of those players will qualify for free agency at season’s end, and most of the rest of the roster comes with even lengthier control.

With half of the 2018 season still yet to be played, of course, the plans could still undergo some change. Williams cautioned that “it’s too early to know for sure” just what course the Reds will chart. He noted that “support we get from the fans” will play a role, perhaps hinting at the fact that attendance is down quite a bit in Cincinnati, as Nightengale explains.

The hope and expectation, though, seems to be that there’ll be added funds available for some additions. What types of players might be targeted will surely also be a function of how things shape up over the coming months, though pitching promises to be a focal point. As things stand, though, Williams foresees a “nice  increase” in payroll. The club began the present season at just over $100MM after falling shy of that mark in the prior two campaigns. The team’s Opening Day record, of $115MM and change, came in 2015.

Dodgers Looking Into Multiple Potential Infield Targets

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The Dodgers are widely rumored to be a major suitor for Orioles star Manny Machado. But they are also looking at multiple other possibilities for improving their lineup, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

Per the report, the Los Angeles organization has not only “stepped up” its efforts to boost its infield mix, but has inquired into at least three specific options beyond Machado. Passan links the Dodgers to the Reds’ Scooter Gennett, the Twins’ Brian Dozier, and the Mets’ Asdrubal Cabrera. And Josh Harrison of the Pirates is also of some interest, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (Twitter link). (He also notes that the Dodgers are interested in some of Minnesota’s veteran relievers.)

The precise interest level in each of those players isn’t clear. Needless to say, the Dodgers are not limiting themselves to a single option — or, really, even a single type of player. While Machado has spent his entire career on the left side of the infield, the other players now reportedly in the mix could fit in at second base.

Indeed, both Gennett and Dozier have more or less exclusively played at second in the majors. Though the latter did break in as a shortstop, he hasn’t lined up there since 2012. Cabrera has more extensive time at short and third, while Harrison has also played all over. Gennett swings from the left side, Dozier and Harrison the right. Cabrera is a switch-hitter. Both Dozier and Cabrera will be free agents after the season, while Gennett and Harrison can be controlled for one and two additional years, respectively.

This slate of candidates includes quite a lot of MLB experience, of course. All are relatively low-strikeout, contact-oriented hitters. Gennett and Cabrera have outproduced the others offensively this year, but there are other things for the L.A. brass to consider. Dozier has an excellent track record, a history of second-half productivity, and an explanation (.247 BABIP) for some of his woes. Harrison is surely the least-accomplished hitter of the bunch, but adds more value on the bases and in the field.

All things considered, it’s not strictly evident just what the Dodgers are most interested in finding beyond adding a player they like to their infield mix. The team has not received much from Logan Forsythe and Chase Utley, but those two have combined to take the lion’s share of time at second. Adding Machado might well mean bumping Chris Taylor to the other side of the bag, or to the outfield. If that fails, a different addition intended to address second base more directly could instead be pursued.

Of course, it’s somewhat debatable whether this is even an area the Dodgers really ought to be focused, even with Corey Seager gone for the year. Forsythe and Utley haven’t been great, true, but the entire rest of the lineup (excepting backup catcher Austin Barnes) has been excellent. Ensuring there’s a place for Max Muncy’s bat to play is perhaps the more pressing need. Most recently, he has slotted in at second, though perhaps that’s not the club’s ultimate preference. In any event, it seems the L.A. front office is interested not only in maximizing depth, but also in guarding against any downturns in its potent lineup.

Mets To Designate Chris Beck

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The Mets have designated righty Chris Beck for assignment, Tim Healey of Newsday reports on Twitter. That creates a roster opening for the activation of lefty Jerry Blevins, who had been on the bereavement list.

Beck, 27, landed with New York in a mid-season waiver claim after opening the year with the White Sox. He has worked to a cumulative 4.50 ERA in 34 MLB frames on the season, his fourth-straight campaign with some time in the bigs.

Though the bottom-line results have been better this year than in prior efforts — Beck entered the season with a 6.38 ERA in 96 career innings — the 2018 showing has not really been all that promising. He has allowed eight long balls already on the year while handing out twenty walks against just 21 strikeouts.

Dodgers Place Yasiel Puig On DL, Promote Andrew Toles

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7:17pm: Puig is expected to be down for “a few weeks,” per skipper Dave Roberts (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, on Twitter). Notably, it’s said only to be a grade 1 strain, which is promising news, though recovery timelines on oblique injuries are notoriously hard to predict.

6:53pm: The Dodgers have placed outfielder Yasiel Puig on the 10-day disabled list, as was expected after he departed last night’s game with an evident injury to his side. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by fellow outfielder Andrew Toles, who’ll make his season debut.

In announcing the move, the Dodgers identified Puig’s injury as a right oblique strain. (Last night, the club had rather curiously described itas both an intercostal and oblique strain.) It’s still unclear, though, what kind of timetable is anticipated.

Puig, 27, has been a solid performer this year for the Los Angeles organization. Through 277 plate appearances, he has driven 11 home runs and posted an above-average .265/.325/.462 batting line.

The loss hurts, certainly, though Puig is hardly an irreplaceable star. Easing the pain for the team is the fact that the door is now opened for the return of Toles, who missed much of 2017 with an ACL tear.

Toles had carved out a role on the MLB roster prior to the injury, but wasn’t able to move right back onto the active roster this year with so many high-performing position players making for a crowd. He has certainly looked ready to make an impact while awaiting his chance to return. Through 146 plate appearances at Triple-A, the 26-year-old is slashing a robust .326/.363/.500.

It’s likely the Dodgers will mix and match on a daily basis following this roster shake-up. Toles will join Joc Pederson and Cody Bellinger as left-handed-hitting options, with Matt Kemp and Enrique Hernandez available from the right side.

Tigers Release Junichi Tazawa

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The Tigers have released veteran reliever Junichi Tazawa, per the International League transactions page (h/t Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, on Twitter). Also cut from the club’s Triple-A roster was fellow righty Mark Montgomery.

Tazawa, 32, signed with the Detroit organization in early June after he was cut loose by the Marlins. Unfortunately, his rough showing with the Fish followed him into the upper minors. In 7 2/3 innings for Toledo, Tazawa allowed eight earned runs while recording ten strikeouts against five walks.

It still seems reasonable to expect that the veteran will catch on somewhere on a minors deal. He has had plenty of success in the majors and the Marlins are on the hook for his $7MM salary (less the pro-rated minimum if he makes it back to the majors). But Tazawa has looked like a shell of his former self since making an ill-fated match with Miami. His velocity and swinging-strike rates are well off his prime levels.

As for Montgomery, the 27-year-old has long waited in vain for a MLB opportunity. In parts of six seasons at the highest level of the minors, he has thrown 182 1/3 innings of 2.71 ERA ball with 10.5 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.

Phillies To Promote Enyel De Los Santos

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The Phillies are set to promote promising young right-hander Enyel De Los Santos, as first reported by James Clark of the East Village Times (via Twitter). He’ll make his Major League debut when he starts Tuesday’s game. The promotion will require the Phillies to formally select De Los Santos’ contract, so Philadelphia will need to make a 40-man roster move, though they have a clear 60-day DL candidate in Pedro Florimon, who has already been out since May 30 due to a broken foot and has yet to begin a minor league rehab assignment.

De Los Santos, 22, was acquired from the Padres in the offseason trade that sent Freddy Galvis to San Diego. It seemed a fairly steep price for the Padres to pay in exchange for Galvis at the time, as De Los Santos is a generally well-regarded arm and was coming off a solid 2017 season in Double-A. This season, De Los Santos entered the year ranked as the Phillies’ No. 11 prospect, per MLB.com, and all he’s done since that time is elevate his stock.

Though De Los Santos is roughly four years younger than the average player in the Triple-A International League, he’s currently sporting a league-leading 1.89 ERA through 95 1/3 innings of work. He’s averaged 8.2 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and 0.94 HR/9 to go along with a 42.1 percent ground-ball rate through his 16 starts, and he was recently named to the MLB Futures Game.

Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com note in their free scouting report on De Los Santos that the righty sits 94-95 mph on his heater and can reach 97-98 mph at times. De Los Santos thrives on missed bats and weak contact with that fastball and a plus changeup, though his curveball is a less-effective third pitch and still needs work to be considered Major League average.

De Los Santos will step into the MLB rotation for now alongside Aaron Nola, Jake Arrieta, Zach Eflin and Nick Pivetta, though it’s not immediately clear if he’ll simply be making a spot start or if he’ll receive further chances beyond Tuesday’s outing while Vince Velasquez mends from a forearm contusion. The Phils are playing a doubleheader against the Mets today, and threw rookie Drew Anderson in his own MLB debut on Sunday, so their pitching mix is currently a bit jumbled.

Nationals Activate Matt Wieters

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The Nationals announced Monday that they’ve activated Matt Wieters from the disabled list and optioned fellow catcher Pedro Severino to Triple-A Syracuse in order to open a spot on the active roster. Wieters has been out since mid-May following a hamstring injury that ultimately required surgery.

Wieters returns to the Nats at a time when the organization is widely reported to be in the market for an upgrade behind the dish. He’ll look to change the organization’s thinking in that regard over the next three weeks, though that may prove too difficult after a disastrous 2017 season in which Wieters batted just .225/.288/.344 with lackluster defensive contributions.

To his credit, Wieters was off to a much better start to the season before sustaining his injury. Through 76 plate appearances, he’d hit .231/.342/.385 with three homers. It’s a tiny sample, to be sure, but Wieters had boosted his walk rate by five percent while trimming roughly that same figure off his strikeout rate. Of course, a couple of his walks came while batting eighth early in the season, and his chase rate on pitches out of the zone had actually increased, while his swing rate at pitches in the zone had decreased.

Even with Wieters in the fold, it seems likely that the Nats will continue to explore the possibility of adding another option who’d likely push Wieters into a backup role. Wilson Ramos is the most frequently mentioned candidate connected with the Nationals as of late — especially following GM Mike Rizzo’s blunt comments about Miami’s asking price on J.T. Realmuto being too high. ESPN’s Buster Olney wondered yesterday, too, whether the Nationals would inquire on Martin Maldonado, should the Angels fall any further out of the race for a Wild Card spot in the American League (Twitter link).

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