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Blue Jays Will Reportedly Acquire Julian Merryweather As PTBNL In Josh Donaldson Trade

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The Blue Jays will acquire right-hander Julian Merryweather as the player to be named later in the Josh Donaldson trade, tweets Fancred’s Jon Heyman. Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com tweeted at the time of the deal that Merryweather “was rumored” to eventually be Toronto-bound, while Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi tweeted more recently that Merryweather “is expected” to eventually be announced as the PTBNL.

An official announcement doesn’t seem likely to happen until after the season. The 26-year-old Merryweather underwent Tommy John surgery during Spring Training and has spent the season on the minor league disabled list. Because he’s not healthy enough to begin a rehab assignment, he won’t be passed through waivers before the end of the season, so it seems that a formal announcement could yet be more than a month away.

Prior to the 2018 season, Baseball America ranked Merryweather 17th among Indians farmhands, praising a fastball that reaches 97 mph with regularity, an above-average but inconsistent changeup and another pair of potentially average breaking pitches (slider, curve).

Merryweather breezed through Double-A last year as a 25-year-old, pitching to a 3.38 ERA with a 52-to-10 K/BB ratio and a 48.9 percent ground-ball rate in 50 2/3 innings. He was too homer-prone in a later stint at Triple-A, leading to a 6.58 ERA, but his K/BB numbers and ground-ball tendencies remained strong. Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote shortly after his promotion to Triple-A last year that both his changeup and curveball could be plus offerings, calling Merryweather a potential mid-rotation starter.

While the Blue Jays will assuredly exercise caution when working Merryweather back from Tommy John surgery next spring, he’ll give the team an arm that could help either in the bullpen or in the rotation as soon as next summer. And, because Merryweather didn’t spent the 2018 season on the Major League disabled list, he didn’t accrue any MLB service time and will thus remain controllable through at least the 2024 season — if not the 2025 campaign.

That proximity to the Majors, it seems, was enough for the Jays to deem Merryweather a more appealing and more valuable piece than the draft pick they’d have received upon extending a qualifying offer to Donaldson and allowing him to test free agency. (Indeed, GM Ross Atkins told Sportsnet’s Arash Madani that the PTBNL is someone the organization considers to be an “exciting upper-level talent.”) It’s also possible, perhaps even likely, that the team simply didn’t feel comfortable making that type of offer to Donaldson on the heels of his injury-ruined season — especially with wunderkind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. waiting in the wings to hold down third base for the foreseeable future.

AL Central Notes: Sano, Abreu, Duffy, Phillips

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Twins slugger Miguel Sano had to be carted off the field Tuesday after suffering an apparent left leg injury upon sliding into second base (video link via MLB.com). That’s the same leg that caused Sano to miss the final few weeks of the 2017 season — an injury that ultimately led to surgery to insert a titanium rod into his shin. Initial x-rays on the injury were negative, according to the team, and Sano has been diagnosed with a bruised lower leg, although there figure to be further evaluations and updates after the game. Whether lingering effect from that offseason procedure have impacted Sano isn’t clear, but the 2018 campaign has been a nightmare for the former top prospect. A year after hitting .264/.352/.507 with 28 homers in 483 plate appearances, Sano has struggled to a dismal .202/.285/.405 slash with a 37.6 percent strikeout rate.

More news out of the AL Central…

  • White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu told reporters today that the surgery he underwent two weeks ago was to repair a testicular torsion, as Daryl Van-Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. The issue “blindsided” Abreu and prompted emergency surgery, but the 31-year-old Abreu thankfully revealed that he is in good health and possibly even nearing a return to the playing field. Abreu expressed optimism about being able to play in a game this weekend, though Van Schouwen notes that both manager Rick Renteria and GM Rick Hahn offered a more cautious timetable and said Abreu could miss another week or so. For now, Abreu is doing light cardio exercises as he works his way back.
  • The Royals announced tonight that left-hander Danny Duffy exited tonight’s start with a shoulder impingement and shoulder tightness. Further details haven’t yet been made available, but Duffy already missed 10 days last month due to an impingement in his left shoulder, making continued symptoms all the more troubling. The 28-year-old lefty lasted just two-thirds of an inning and saw was charged with three runs, causing his ERA to balloon to 4.88 on the year. Center fielder Brett Phillips, meanwhile, was announced as day-to-day with a shoulder contusion after crashing into the outfield wall at top speed.

Angels Select Joe Hudson, Release Nolan Fontana

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The Angels announced Tuesday that they’ve selected catcher Joe Hudson’s contract from Triple-A Salt Lake and created a spot on the 40-man roster by requesting release waivers on infielder Nolan Fontana. Additionally, the Halos called up outfielders Jabari Blash and Michael Hermosillo from Salt Lake.

Hudson’s promotion was necessitated by a pair of moves the Angels made earlier this summer — the trade of Martin Maldonado to the division-rival Astros as well as the Braves’ claim of Rene Rivera on revocable trade waivers. (The Angels opted to let Rivera and his remaining salary go.)

The 27-year-old Hudson doesn’t have the youth or track record to be deemed a prospect, but since being traded from the Reds to the Angels for cash back on June 30, he’s hit well in Double-A and Triple-A — admittedly in minuscule samples. Hudson notched a .970 OPS in seven games with the Angels’ Double-A club before moving up to Triple-A and hitting .311/.380/.478 in 101 PAs. He’s also drawn solid framing marks over the past couple of seasons in the minors and has a career 43 percent caught-stealing rate.

Fontana, also 27, was placed on release waivers after hitting .234/.397/.414 in 191 plate appearances with the Angels’ Triple-A club this season. He’s been on the minor league disabled list since late July due to a hand injury, though, and was a candidate to be outrighted off the 40-man roster following the season anyhow. The former second-round pick was once a fairly well-regarded prospect in the Astros’ system and has consistently demonstrated strong plate discipline skills in the minors.

Nationals’ Seth Romero Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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Nationals prospect Seth Romero underwent Tommy John surgery last week, as first reported by Todd Dybas of TheSportsCapitol.com. Washington’s first-round draft selection in 2017, Romero made just seven starts this season , with his last outing coming back on Aug. 16. Given the timing of the surgery, Romero figures to miss all of the 2019 season. The 22-year-old posted a 3.91 ERA with a 34-to-8 K/BB ratio, three homers allowed and a 43.5 percent ground-ball rate in 25 1/3 frames for the Nats’ Class-A affiliate in 2018.

Romero is typically regarded as one of the Nats’ seven best prospects, though in addition to now being faced with the recovery from a major surgery, he’s drawn questions regarding his makeup. Romero was kicked off the University of Houston baseball team prior to the MLB draft in 2017 following multiple violations of team rules, reportedly including a failed drug test and a physical altercation with a teammate. Adding onto that, Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote when ranking the Nationals’ prospects back in March — Romero placed fifth — that the lefty was sent home from Spring Training due to curfew violations.

Just about any scouting report on Romero will tout his plus fastball and a potentially plus slider, and his changeup draws some potentially above-average ratings as well. Baseball Prospectus even slotted Romero in as the game’s No. 76 prospect prior to the current season. He placed sixth among Washington prospects on Baseball America’s midseason re-ranking of the system, while MLB.com currently has him seventh.

Giants Select Abiatal Avelino, Transfer Jeff Samardzija To 60-Day DL

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6:20pm: The Giants announced that right-hander Jeff Samardzija is headed to the 60-day DL to open a roster spot for Avelino. The move doesn’t necessarily end Samardzija’s season, given how long he’s already spent on the disabled list, though there’s no immediate indication that he’s close to returning. Schulman tweets that doctors have “ruled out” surgery, but Samardzija is continuing to get additional opinions in an effort to find the cause of the ongoing inflammation in his shoulder and a better means of preventing it down the road.

12:45pm: The Giants are set to select the contract of infielder Abiatal Avelino, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links). Also coming onto the active roster is outfielder Ryder Jones, who already held a 40-man spot, Schulman adds on Twitter.

Avelino, 23, was just acquired in the late-August deal that sent veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen to the Yankees. He would have been eligible for the Rule 5 draft this fall, which helps explain his inclusion in the trade and today’s promotion decision.

With the move, the Giants will get a brief look at Avelino in the majors while also providing some rest opportunities for veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford down the stretch. After turning in a strong performance to open the year at the Double-A level for the Yanks, Avelino has struggled at the highest level of the minors. Still, he is a reputedly promising defender in the middle infield who showed newfound pop in 2018.

Orioles Promote Luis Ortiz

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The Orioles announced that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Luis Ortiz from Triple-A Norfolk. The 22-year-old Ortiz came to Baltimore alongside infielder Jonathan Villar in the July 31 trade that sent Jonathan Schoop from the Orioles to the Brewers.

Ortiz entered the 2017 season as a consensus top 100 prospects throughout the game, but he delivered fairly pedestrian results at the Double-A level as a 21-year-old and missed a couple of weeks due to injury along the way, all of which dropped his stock a bit heading into 2018. He currently ranks seventh among Orioles farmhands per MLB.com, though, and he’s had a solid year between a return to Double-A and his first exposure to Triple-A opposition.

Ortiz posted near-identical ERAs in Double-A (3.69) and Triple-A (3.71) this season, and his walk rate between the two levels was once again nearly identical (2.3 BB/9 in Double-A, 2.4 in Triple-A). He missed more bats at the lower of those two levels (8.6 K/9 vs. 6.0) but has generally been good about keeping the ball in the park and limiting free passes. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo note in the previously mentioned scouting report that Ortiz has a fastball that’ll run up to 97 mph and at least one potentially plus secondary offering in his slider. He’ll obviously be facing his share of tough opponents in the AL East, but given the lack of certainty in the Baltimore rotation picture, Ortiz will have the opportunity to audition for a starting job in 2019 and beyond.

The O’s can control Ortiz through at least the 2024 season even if he never returns to the minors from this point forth, and he won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2021 season at the earliest. He’ll be the second trade addition with a chance to audition for a future rotation spot already this season, joining lefty Josh Rogers in that regard. Baltimore also already has right-hander Cody Carroll in the big league bullpen and has given Villar regular looks in the infield following this summer’s fire sale.

Cubs Select Jaime Garcia

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Sept. 4: The Cubs announced today that they’ve selected Garcia’s contract. He’s been added to the big league roster, with Mark Zagunis landing on the 60-day DL to make roster space. Chicago will only owe Garcia the pro-rated league minimum — about $81K through season’s end. The Blue Jays are on the hook for the remainder of his guaranteed salary.

Aug. 31: The Cubs are set to sign lefty Jaime Garcia to a minor league contract, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand had just tweeted that Garcia was “likely” to sign with the Cubs following yesterday’s release by the Blue Jays. Garcia is a client of Moye Sports Associates.

Garcia’s one-year, $10MM deal with the Jays yielded poor results — a 5.93 ERA through 74 1/3 innings — but Sherman notes that the Cubs plan to take a look at him in the bullpen. He’ll head to the Cubs’ Triple-A bullpen for a few relief appearances, and the hope appears to be that he can be used as a weapon against left-handed opponents. Through 89 plate appearances against left-handed hitters this season, Garcia allowed just a .183/.250/.388 batting line.

[Related: Chicago Cubs depth chart]

So long as the deal becomes official today, Garcia would be eligible for the Cubs’ postseason roster in the event that his transition to relief role proves beneficial. That’s clearly not a guarantee, given his disastrous results in Toronto this year, but there’s little harm for the Chicago organization in exploring the possibility. Currently, the team has Justin Wilson, Randy Rosario and Jorge De La Rosa as southpaw options in the bullpen, with Brian Duensing also working his way back from a shoulder issue.

Indians Select Brandon Barnes, Adam Rosales

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The Indians announced that they’ve selected the contracts of outfielder Brandon Barnes and infielder Adam Rosales from Triple-A Columbus. To open roster space for the pair of veterans, outfielder Tyler Naquin and right-hander James Hoyt were placed on the 60-day DL. (Hoyt was first recalled from Triple-A before that move to the big league DL.)

Barnes, 32, hasn’t been in the Majors since a 2016 run with the Rockies but has enjoyed a very nice season in Triple-A, making the International League All-Star team and hitting .273/.347/.444 with 14 homers and 19 steals through 566 plate appearances.

Barnes has never hit much in the Majors but, at his best, was capable of providing significant value at all three outfield spots and on the basepaths. He’ll add another name to the Indians’ piecemeal approach to patching over an injury-ravaged outfield mix that also features Melky Cabrera, Greg Allen, Rajai Davis, Brandon Guyer and Michael Brantley (with Jason Kipnis potentially headed there as well once Josh Donaldson is healthy).

Rosales, 35, has now appeared in the Majors in each season since 2008, though he’s never topped last season’s total of 312 plate appearances. He’s a career .227/.292/.365 hitter who has played all four infield positions and both outfield corners. Like Barnes, he’s a right-handed bat, and while he’s had more success against lefties throughout his career, Rosales’ year-to-year results have been highly inconsistent. He batted .239/.313/.445 with 18 homers and roughly even platoon splits in 428 Triple-A plate appearances this season.

Marlins Select Tyler Kinley, Peter O’Brien

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The Marlins announced Tuesday that they’ve selected the contracts of right-hander Tyler Kinley and first baseman/outfielder Peter O’Brien from Triple-A New Orleans. Veteran infielder Martin Prado and first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper were each transferred to the 60-day DL in order to clear space on the 40-man roster.

This promotion will mark the Marlins debut for Kinley, whom the Marlins selected in the 16th round of the 2013 draft, but it won’t be his big league debut. Kinley, 27, was selected by the Twins in last December’s Rule 5 Draft and broke camp in Minnesota, though he lasted just 3 1/3 innings before being cut loose. The righty has big-time velocity, averaging 96 mph on his heater and reaching triple digits at times, but as is so often the case, control has been an issue for him. Kinley averaged five walks per nine innings pitched in New Orleans this season, though a 12.6 K/9 mark helped him to mitigate some of the damage.

In 3 1/3 innings with the Twins this season, Kinley was clobbered for nine runs on nine hits and four walks with four strikeouts. In his 40 Triple-A frames, though, he posted a much better 2.93 ERA despite his struggles to locate the ball effectively.

O’Brien, meanwhile, came to the Marlins from the Dodgers (in exchange for cash) back in a minor June swap. He wasn’t hitting his weight with the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate (.150/.241/.390), but he’s righted the ship with the Miami organization. In 174 PAs with the Marlins’ Double-A affiliate, O’Brien hit .215/.345/.514, and he’s currently hitting .277/.385/.598 through 135 Triple-A PAs in his new organization. O’Brien still strikes out far too much, but he’s dropped his strikeout rate from a ghastly 39.3 percent in the Dodgers organization to 28.9 percent since the trade.

This won’t be O’Brien’s first look in the Majors. Back in 2014, the D-backs actually traded Prado to the Yankees in order to acquire O’Brien, betting on his considerable raw power in spite of some pronounced defensive question marks. The uncertainty surrounding O’Brien’s glovework — he was a catcher at the time of that trade — proved valid, as he’s since spent time at first base and in the outfield corners. He’s yet to produce in the Majors and has struggled in the upper minors in recent seasons as well, but his run with Miami has been his most encouraging showing at any level since his 2015 season with Arizona’s top minor league affiliate.

Beyond those moves, the Marlins also announced that both Jarlin Garcia and Elieser Hernandez were activated from the 10-day disabled list. Additionally, infielder/outfielder Christopher Bostick was recalled from New Orleans, though each of that trio was already on the 40-man roster.

Padres To Promote Francisco Mejia

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The Padres are set to promote top prospect Francisco Mejia from Triple-A El Paso, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic (Twitter link). MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell adds that while Mejia could eventually be shifted back and forth between catching and the outfield, he’s been catching in El Paso this season and will be used as a catcher in the month of September with the Padres.

Mejia, 22, was the lone prospect traded from Cleveland to San Diego in the July deal that sent both Brad Hand and Adam Cimber to the Indians. He’s long rated as one of the game’s top overall prospects and entered the 2018 campaign as a consensus top 20 all-around minor leaguer. While he had a solid but unspectacular run with the Indians’ Triple-A affiliate this season, he’s exploded for a .328/.364/.582 slash with seven homes, eight doubles and a triple in just 132 PAs with the Padres’ top affiliate since the trade.

The arrival of Mejia in San Diego will give the Padres a pair of catchers who were highly touted as prospects, though certainly Austin Hedges’ bat remains a work in progress. Hedges has improve upon last year’s overall production but is still hitting just .239/.292/.422 through 271 trips to the plate in 2018. Hedges is regarded as a premier defender behind the dish, though, even if his 22 percent caught-stealing rate is uncharacteristically low in 2018. The 26-year-old ranks as one of the game’s better pitch framers and sits 10th among MLB catchers in Baseball Prospectus’ Fielding Runs Above Average this season, even in spite of his unusual throwing troubles.

The San Diego front office likely views the presence of both Hedges and Mejia as a good problem to have. Neither will be expensive in 2019. Mejia, of course, will be a pre-arbitration player while Hedges will receive a small but notable bump in pay as a Super Two player in arbitration. It’s possible that the pair could shoulder the bulk of the Padres’ work behind the plate for years to come, with Hedges serving as a glove-first option with power but middling OBP skills, while Mejia provides a bat-first option with a terrific arm but a lesser all-around defensive reputation.

Mejia does already have a slight bit of MLB experience under his belt, having logged 12 games with the Indians from 2017-18 (just one this year). He’s totaled just over a month of big league service time and will finish out the season with roughly 60 days of big league service. That’ll keep him from reaching Super Two status in arbitration if he’s in the big leagues to stay. Currently, he projects to reach arbitration eligibility following the 2021 season, and he’d reach the open market as a free agent following the 2024 season. Further time spent in the minors could yet push that trajectory back, but it appears that he’ll be given the opportunity to prove that he’s learned all he has to learn at the minor league level.

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