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Indians Could Activate Josh Donaldson On Tuesday

By Connor Byrne | September 8, 2018 at 1:51pm CDT

Injured third baseman Josh Donaldson appears to be closing in on his Cleveland debut. If all goes well for Donaldson over the next few days, expectations are that the Indians will activate him from the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com reports. In the meantime, the plan is for Donaldson to play third at the Double-A level on Saturday and then go through a workout prior to the Indians’ series in Tampa Bay, which begins Monday.

Not only has a calf strain kept Donaldson off a major league diamond since May 28, but it has prevented him from garnering much rehab work in minor league games. He has only totaled 15 minor league plate appearances this year, three of which have come with the Indians’ Triple-A affiliate.

Because Donaldson has barely seen the field over the past three-plus months, his trade value prior to the non-waiver deadline in July and the waiver version in August significantly diminished. As a result, the Blue Jays nearly ended up retaining Donaldson through the season but ultimately dealt the former MVP (and cash considerations) right before last month’s deadline. Toronto parted with Donaldson for a player to be named later – reportedly Indians minor league right-hander Julian Merryweather – in lieu of keeping the pending free agent and issuing him a qualifying offer in the offseason.

If he’s able to avoid a setback in the coming days and return to the field for Cleveland, it’s anyone’s guess what Donaldson will provide the soon-to-be AL Central champions. The 32-year-old was a superstar-caliber player from 2013-17, but along with his injury woes this season, he has dealt with a decline in production. Donaldson has batted an unspectacular .234/.333/.423 in 2018, though that output has come over a small sample of 158 plate appearances.

The Indians are left to hope the previous version of Donaldson will reappear over the next several weeks, and if he’s healthy enough to stay in their lineup, third baseman/MVP candidate Jose Ramirez will shift to second base and second baseman Jason Kipnis will move to the outfield. And Donaldson, in addition to trying to help the Indians win a World Series, will attempt to up his stock as a trip to the open market looms.

West Notes: Trout, D-backs, Acuna, Giants, Hundley, Holland

By Connor Byrne | September 8, 2018 at 12:30pm CDT

The out-of-contention Angels have arguably wasted another year of control over baseball’s best player, center fielder Mike Trout, with whom they still haven’t even won a playoff game since his rookie campaign in 2012. But even though Trout’s team control is dwindling (2019 is the penultimate year of his contract), the Angels should continue trying to win with the future Hall of Famer – not trade him – Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times opines. While Trout would warrant a massive return in a trade, Shaikin argues that even the best prospects aren’t sure bets to produce in the majors or avoid injuries, using the package the White Sox received from the Red Sox for Chris Sale in 2016 as an example.

Of course, as opposed to shopping Trout – which, despite the Angels’ struggles, has always looked incredibly improbable – the Halos could try to keep him for the long haul. Trout is fond of Anaheim, Shaikin notes, though he writes that there aren’t any compelling reasons for the player to ink a contract extension now. Asked Friday about the possibility of signing a new deal, Trout told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register: “I don’t know. It’s up to them. Obviously you’ve got to finish out the season and worry about it in the offseason. I don’t want to worry about it right now.” Trout added that his main objective is to win, and while that hasn’t happened in Anaheim, he didn’t throw its front office under the bus. Rather, he rightly suggested that injuries have played a huge role in the Angels’ disappointing season.

Here’s the latest on a couple other West-based teams:

Twenty-year-old Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna may be on his way to joining Trout as an elite player, which is a difficult reality for the Diamondbacks, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic explains. The Venezuelan-born Acuna signed with the Braves for a $100K bonus four years ago, but before that, the Diamondbacks believed they were on the verge of adding him for $80K. Junior Noboa, the Diamondbacks’ vice president of Latin American operations, revealed to Piecoro that the two sides reached an agreement in the Dominican Republic. However, rules state a player must officially sign in his home country, and by the time Acuna returned to Venezuela, the Braves had made a stronger offer, according to Noboa. “They accepted it before I could come back with another offer,” Noboa said of Acuna’s camp. Acuna disagrees with Noboa’s version of the story, as he said through an interpreter Thursday: “There was a difference between what was promised and what was eventually settled upon. They gave me an initial number and then afterwards that wasn’t it. That’s why I wasn’t on board with signing.” Regardless, as Piecoro notes, Acuna was not a superstar prospect when he chose Atlanta over Arizona. Thus, whether he’d have developed into the player he is now had he signed with a different team is anyone’s guess.
The Giants would be wise to re-sign upcoming free agents Nick Hundley and Derek Holland, opines The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, who writes that re-upping the former “figures to be a top priority” (subscription required). Hundley’s approaching the end of his second season in San Francisco, where he has backed up star catcher Buster Posey. It’s no surprise the Giants are prioritizing the position, though, considering Posey underwent season-ending hip surgery last month and could miss the start of next year. Offensively, the 35-year-old Hundley has made a case for a new deal by hitting a passable .235/.294/.407 (90 wRC+) in 245 PAs. On the other hand, Baseball Prospectus has Hundley ranked among the majors’ worst defensive backstops this season. Holland, a minor league signing last winter, has been a major bargain for the Giants. After his career went into a tailspin with the Rangers and White Sox from 2015-17, the soon-to-be 32-year-old has bounced back to log a 3.54 ERA/3.87 FIP with 8.96 K/9 and 3.54 BB/9 in 152 2/3 innings (31 appearances, 27 starts).

DJ LeMahieu Hires Wasserman Media Group

By Connor Byrne | September 8, 2018 at 10:47am CDT

With an offseason trip to free agency looming, Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu has hired the Wasserman Media Group to represent him, Jon Heyman of Fancred reports.

Although LeMahieu has been a productive second baseman for the Rockies over the past few years, he’s likely in his last season with the club, Kyle Newman of the Denver Post writes. The Rockies have younger second base options on hand in Garrett Hampson and Brendan Rodgers, and their presences are among the reasons the team probably won’t pony up for LeMahieu, Newman explains.

It hasn’t been an ideal contract year for LeMahieu, 30, as injuries have limited him to 105 games after he appeared in no fewer than 146 contests in each season from 2014-17. LeMahieu has still managed a career-high 14 home runs, contributing to a solid-looking .273/.321/.437 line over 479 PAs that, thanks to Coors Field, is 12 percent worse than league average, according to FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric. But LeMahieu has produced nearly as well on the road as he has at home (.743 away OPS, .772 at Coors), and Statcast has been bullish on his work (.351 expected weighted on-base average versus .326 real wOBA). Further, LeMahieu has been elite in the field this year, with 16 Defensive Runs Saved and a 6.0 Ultimate Zone Rating.

LeMahieu is one of several established second basemen primed to reach free agency after the season, joining the likes of Daniel Murphy, Jed Lowrie, Brian Dozier, Marwin Gonzalez, Logan Forsythe, Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker, among others. As with LeMahieu, age- and/or performance-related concerns exist with each of them.

Yankees Notes: Judge, Gardner, Bird, Voit

By Connor Byrne | September 8, 2018 at 10:01am CDT

The Yankees have gone without their best player, injured right fielder Aaron Judge, since July 26, but it appears he’s getting closer to a return as the playoffs draw nearer. Judge participated in on-field drills Friday for the first time since he suffered a chip fracture in his right wrist, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com relays, leading to excitement from manager Aaron Boone. “This is what we’ve been waiting for this whole time, for that pain to get out of there, for him to be able to really swing,” said Boone, who added, “Now it’s just a matter of getting back up to baseball speed, building that stamina and then obviously graduating to live pitching, to seeing an actual pitcher.” Judge would like to return to the majors within two weeks, Hoch notes, and doing so would give him time to shake off some rust prior to the Yankees’ wild-card round matchup in early October.

NL Injury Notes: Wright, Cardinals, Straily

By Connor Byrne | September 8, 2018 at 9:04am CDT

Long-injured third baseman David Wright is working toward a 2018 comeback as the season nears an end, but the Mets aren’t optimistic he’ll return to the majors this year. Assistant general manager John Ricco suggested Friday (via Mike Puma of the New York Post) that Wright won’t have time to get up to speed, saying “it does get more difficult to foresee a situation where he could come back” to the bigs this season. Ricco added that money won’t play a role in whether Wright takes the field for the Mets this year, noting that he hasn’t been medically cleared to play in the majors. However, the club will take a financial hit if he does, Puma points out. The 35-year-old is still due approximately $2.6MM through season’s end, but insurance will pay 75 percent of that sum if he stays on the shelf. Otherwise, the Mets will have to pay all of it, and if they continue to keep Wright on ice, he may have a case for a grievance – albeit one he’d likely lose – as Puma explains. A series of upper body issues, including spinal stenosis, have prevented the career-long Met and seven-time All-Star from playing in the majors since May 27, 2016.

The Cardinals expected to have right-hander Michael Wacha back in their rotation by now, but the left oblique strain that has shelved him since June 20 continues to pose a problem. Ten days after exiting a Double-A start on account of oblique issues, the rehabbing Wacha was unable to make his scheduled start with Triple-A Memphis on Friday because of “discomfort” in that area, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Wacha’s now slated to return “to St. Louis for more evaluation,” according to Cardinals manager Mike Shildt. With so little time remaining in the season, Wacha may be done for the year, Hummel observes. Fortunately for the Cardinals, who are clinging to a one-game lead for the NL’s second wild-card spot, fellow righty Adam Wainwright is on the cusp of returning from his own injury issues. The former ace is set to join Miles Mikolas, Austin Gomber, Jack Flaherty and John Gant in the Cards’ rotation – a group that appears increasingly likely to finish 2018 without Wacha. The 27-year-old had been one of the Redbirds’ most effective starters before his injury, as he logged a 3.20 ERA/4.21 FIP over 84 1/3 innings.
In further unwelcome news for the Cardinals, catcher Yadier Molina is dealing with a strained left hamstring and will sit out for at least the weekend – if not longer – Shildt revealed (via Hummel). Although Molina’s strain is “mild,” there’s “no timetable” for his return, per Shildt. Molina already missed several weeks earlier in the season with a pelvic injury, but the potential Hall of Famer has otherwise turned in another terrific year, with a .273/.324/.447 line and 17 home runs over 447 plate appearances and quality work behind the dish. For as long as the 36-year-old Molina’s out, St. Louis will rely on Francisco Pena and Carson Kelly to handle the position.
Marlins righty Dan Straily exited his start against Pittsburgh on Friday with a left oblique strain, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald tweets. The severity of the injury isn’t clear, but with time running out on the rebuilding Marlins’ season, it seems fair to surmise that Straily won’t pitch again in 2018. The 29-year-old has posted a respectable 4.12 ERA with 7.28 K/9 against 3.83 BB/9 over 122 1/3 innings this season, but ERA indicators such as FIP (5.11), xFIP (4.99) and SIERA (4.92) haven’t been enamored of his work.

Blue Jays Outright Mike Hauschild

By Jeff Todd | September 7, 2018 at 10:55pm CDT

The Blue Jays announced today that they have outrighted right-hander Mike Hauschild. He will not have the right to elect free agency, having never previously been outrighted, but will qualify as a minor-league free agent at season’s end unless returned to the 40-man roster.

Hauschild, 28, was designated recently after signing a MLB deal with the Toronto organization in early August. He opened the season with the Astros but was released in mid-season, ultimately appearing in only two MLB games with the Jays. Previously, he made four relief appearances in 2017 with the Rangers, who had selected him in the Rule 5 draft but later returned him to Houston.

All of that is to say that Hauschild has tasted the bigs but hasn’t spent enough time there to tell us much. He has spent much of the past two seasons at Triple-A, struggling on the whole and this year posting a marginal 4.90 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 119 1/3 innings. At times in the past, though, the former 33rd-rounder has turned in solid results in the upper minors.

Blue Jays Notes: Vlad Jr., Shapiro, Payroll

By Jeff Todd | September 7, 2018 at 8:03pm CDT

With the Blue Jays wrapping up a disappointing campaign, there have been a few tense stories involving the organization in recent days. The end of Josh Donaldson’s tenure (link), the potential end of John Gibbons’s tenure (link), and the club’s decision not to promote super-prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have all grabbed headlines. Even president/CEO Mark Shapiro has been in the rumor mill to an extent. All things considered, it made for an interesting media session for Shapiro today.

Here are some highlights from that Q&A, as covered by Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca:

Regarding Guerrero, as Davidi recently reported, the MLB Player’s Association shared some less-than-friendly thoughts on the matter. “The decision to not to [sic] bring him up is a business decision, not a baseball decision,” a spokesman told Davidi. “It’s bad for the Blue Jays, it’s bad for fans, it’s bad for players and it’s bad for the industry.” Shapiro, of course, had suggested otherwise in attempting to justify the club’s decision to send Guerrero to the Arizona Fall League. Now, Shapiro says in reference to a possible grievance action, he “welcome[s] that scrutiny.”
Shapiro pushed back on questions about his future by expressing an ongoing desire to continue in his position. That’s not to say that there are any guarantees as to how things will shake out over the coming offseason, but the veteran exec says he is “as, if not more, excited to be here” than at the outset of his tenure. “This is where I want to be, this is where I am, this is what I’m focused on, and really don’t need to think of anything else,” said Shapiro, who rejected some reporting suggesting problems between him and ownership.
Looking ahead more broadly, Shapiro seemingly acknowledged the factors that will likely lead to a payroll reduction without specifically agreeing that a slash was in mind. He said the club is “not going to be playing on Bryce Harper and Manny Machado” but will still “be active in free agency, where we have gaps and holes.” Though Shapiro says the goal is “to field a competitive team,” he also made clear that younger players will be given a chance to learn on the job. That’s “a double-edged sword,” he said, explaining: “playing young players leads to volatility. Volatility can be a great thing because there’s huge upside for those players, but it can also be a disappointing thing because there will be some young players that break your heart. The only way to find out about who a player is at the major-league level is to commit to that opportunity and to commit to those players. We’re embarking on that process now.”
As with the Guerrero situation, whether or not one believes the rationale, the effect is clear. In both cases, the Jays will evidently be taking steps that indicate a greater focus on the future. With respect to Guerrero, that means preserving as much future control as possible. With respect to payroll, both in terms of allocating MLB opportunities and setting salary levels, the club is obviously willing to accept greater near-term uncertainty at the major-league level. While that may be disappointing to some fans, it’s also arguably a defensible approach from the perspective of optimizing resources over the long haul, particularly given the ascendance of the two traditional divisional powers in the AL East. While the Blue Jays have just under $55MM committed to 2019 payroll (before arb raises), well shy of the team’s $160MM Opening Day salaries in each of the past two seasons, it’s also not clear that the roster is set up for a true drive for contention even with significant investments. That outlook could change quite a bit based upon how things develop with the team’s prospects and younger MLB assets, but whether and how will depend upon the 2019 campaign.

Shohei Ohtani Says Hasn’t Decided On TJ, Will Finish 2018 Season As Hitter

By Jeff Todd | September 7, 2018 at 5:32pm CDT

Angels star Shohei Ohtani says he’s yet to decide whether to undergo Tommy John surgery following the recent recommendation that he do so, as Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group was among those to report (Twitter links). He has made the call, however, to finish out the 2018 season as a hitter rather than undergoing the procedure now.

While it still seems likely that Ohtani will end up receiving a replacement ulnar collateral ligament, he certainly does not appear to be anxious to get things over with. That would allow him to play for another three weeks, albeit at the cost of shortening the breathing room to get ready for the 2019 season.

If Ohtani does have the UCL procedure, of course, he wouldn’t be able to pitch next year regardless. And he’ll have a lengthy span to ready for the 2020 campaign. But the difference of three weeks could certainly impact his ability to participate fully in Spring Training and be fully prepared to function as a hitter at the start of the 2019 campaign.

Notably — albeit unsurprisingly — Ohtani also made clear he has no intentions of abandoning his two-way approach to the game. Given his superlative performances as a pitcher and hitter, prior efforts to function in both capacities, and the fact that he only just reached his 24th birthday, that seemed all but a foregone conclusion even before he weighed in.

Dustin Pedroia Will Not Return In 2018

By Jeff Todd | September 7, 2018 at 3:45pm CDT

Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced today that second baseman Dustin Pedroia will not return during the 2018 season, as Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston was among those to report (Twitter links). In fact, Pedroia has been recovering from a previously undisclosed knee surgery since July.

Of course, even without knowing of the surgery, it has long seemed unlikely that Pedroia would make it back to the field this year. The 35-year-old attempted to return from offseason knee surgery but played only three games before again hitting the shelf. While it wasn’t clear at the time that he’d be sidelined this long, there never was much indication of progress over the months that followed.

For the Boston organization, the absence of Pedroia was already accounted for earlier this summer. The club swung a deal for veteran second bagger Ian Kinsler, who is perhaps as neat a match for Pedroia’s skillset and veteran status as could be imagined.

Of course, Kinsler is slated to hit the open market at season’s end, while Pedroia remains under contract through 2021. Under the extension signed over the summer of 2013, Pedroia will earn $40MM total over the ensuing three-year span — a theoretically reasonable sum for a player of his quality, even at this advanced stage of his career, but also now a hefty amount to have committed given his increasingly worrisome slate of injuries.

For now, the Red Sox will surely welcome Pedroia as a non-playing part of the dugout mix as they seek to convert an incredible regular season into postseason glory. But the offseason will present some tough questions. Brock Holt and (likely) Eduardo Nunez will remain on hand as potential options, though clearly the team’s preference would be for those players to function as reserves.

Pedroia says his most recent procedure was to remove scar tissue, so perhaps it’s not a major concern in and of itself. The hope will have to be that a lengthy respite will allow him to finally get the troublesome knee in shape after requiring significant surgeries in each of the past two months of October. And Pedroia himself says he expects to be ready to go for the 2019 season. Surely, though, further infield moves will at least be contemplated.

Nationals Activate Sean Doolittle

By Jeff Todd | September 7, 2018 at 2:34pm CDT

The Nationals announced today that they have activated closer Sean Doolittle. He has been sidelined since mid-July with a stress reaction in his left foot.

While the initial expectation was that Doolittle would only miss a brief stretch, he ended up on the shelf for a key portion of the season in which the club failed to get back into the picture in the NL East. Now, despite some less-than-stirring recent performances from the division-leading Braves and Phillies, the Nats are buried at three games under .500 and 8.5 games off of the divisional pace.

Clearly, there’s no longer any reasonable hope that Doolittle will help his team climb back into contention. Particularly in these circumstances, and given his long-running challenges with injuries, it stands to reason that he’ll be handled carefully upon his return.

Before going on the DL, Doolittle had been one of the game’s most dominant relievers. In 37 1/3 innings, he allowed just six earned runs on a paltry 17 hits and three walks — good for an absurd 0.536 WHIP — while racking up 49 strikeouts.

Fortunately for the Nats, there are still two more seasons of control left to work with. The extension that Doolittle signed with the A’s, who dealt him to D.C. last summer, includes consecutive club options of just $6MM and $6.5MM ($500K buyout apiece) for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

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