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Rangers Claim Chris Rowley From Blue Jays

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The Blue Jays announced this afternoon that right-hander Chris Rowley has been claimed off waivers by the Rangers. Rowley had his contract selected from Triple-A Buffalo last week, and the Jays apparently tried to pass him through waivers in order to create some flexibility on the 40-man roster.

The Jays, of course, will have that roster flexibility now, though it’ll come at the cost of Rowley, who has had some success in Triple-A this season. The 27-year-old has a 3.30 ERA through 101 innings and 17 starts, though the rest of his numbers aren’t as pretty. Rowley has averaged just 5.6 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 with a 35 percent ground-ball rate in the Buffalo rotation this season. ERA alternatives like FIP (4.89) and xFIP (5.06) suggest that his current level of output isn’t sustainable.

Texas announced that Rowley has been optioned to Triple-A Round Rock. The Rangers already had an open spot on the roster, so a corresponding move wasn’t necessary. Rowley will add some depth to a Rangers organization that has an extremely thin mix of starters that only figures to become further depleted in the coming eight days as the Rangers sell off pieces in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Rowley could also give them a long option out of the bullpen to replace the already-traded Jesse Chavez, who’d previously been filling that role.

Passan’s Latest: Mets, deGrom, Rays, Ervin, Drury, Choo, Healy

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Yahoo’s Jeff Passan has a landslide of trade chatter in his latest “10 Degrees” column, but he first kicks off with a look at what he terms “new depths of dysfunction” among the Mets’ front office and ownership. Passan echoes previous reports which have suggested that COO Jeff Wilpon is as caught up with whether the cross-town Yankees win or lose as he is with his own team’s success, and he also explores the startling lack of organizational communication that became increasingly apparent with this weekend’s Yoenis Cespedes debacle.

Passan also notes that a GM from another team and another exec from a second team have both wondered to him whether Wilpon is so concerned with the public perception of his team that he’d push for a trade of Jacob deGrom in an effort to engender some positive P.R. among a fanbase that has clamored for a rebuild. Most still expect the Mets to hang onto both deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, he adds, but even the notion that some teams feel Mets ownership could plausibly be leveraged or taken advantage of in that manner has to be unsettling for Mets fans.

Some more highlights from a column that anyone who follows the trade market should check out in its entirety…

  • The Rays aren’t planning to operate as a strict buyer or seller over the next eight days, Passan writes. Tampa Bay is marketing rental pieces like right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and injured catcher Wilson Ramos to other clubs but is also willing to part with prospects to acquire affordable, controllable pieces that can be retained for years to come. Passan spoke to someone familiar with the Rays’ talks surrounding Chris Archer who said he’d be “completely stunned” if Archer were actually traded this summer given the three reasonably priced years of control he has remaining on his contract.
  • While Ervin Santana hasn’t pitched in the Majors this season after undergoing surgery to repair a tendon in his right middle finger this February, scouts are planning to closely watch the Twins right-hander’s 2018 debut this week, Passan notes. Santana likely only has enough time to make a pair of starts before the non-waiver deadline, and that may or may not be enough to convince a team of his ability to help down the stretch. But he’s also owed the balance of a $14MM salary this season — about $5.2MM through season’s end — which could allow him to clear waivers in early August and emerge as a trade candidate next month.
  • The Yankees have been tied to multiple rentals this summer, but they’ve also been inquiring on controllable relief arms and, in some cases, showing a willingness to include Brandon Drury in those trade talks. Drury was added as a depth piece late in the offseason and opened the year as the Yankees’ third baseman, but the near-immediate success of Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar made him relatively superfluous in the season’s early stages. Drury has appeared in just 16 games for the Yankees this season despite the fact that he’d established himself as a solid contributor at the big league level over the past two years with the Diamondbacks.
  • The Rangers are willing to pay down a “significant” portion of Shin-Soo Choo’s remaining contract — he’s still guaranteed about $7.4MM through the end of 2018 plus $21MM in each of the next two seasons — but his lack of defensive value is a roadblock to a deal. Choo fits best on an AL club where he can serve as a designated hitter, but there’s no American League contender with much of an opening, and teams in both leagues would likely be reluctant to use him in the outfield.
  • A bit more surprisingly, Passan reports that the Royals are “poking around” on Mariners first baseman Ryon Healy in case he’s deemed redundant once Robinson Cano returns from his 80-game suspension. The Mariners have already expressed a desire to keep Dee Gordon at second base, which could push Cano to first base once he returns. That’d take away at-bats from Healy, who is showing impressive power but dismal on-base skills, with a .244/.274/.466 and 20 homers through 325 plate appearances. Healy is controlled through the 2022 season and won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2019 season, so while the Royals are obviously a rebuilding club, he could be a long-term piece for them if they’re able to boost his on-base percentage to a passable level.

Phillies Showing Interest In Curtis Granderson

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The Phillies are discussing a potential Curtis Granderson swap with the Blue Jays, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter links). Rosenthal notes that the Phils are looking to upgrade their bench after demoting struggling outfielder Aaron Altherr to Triple-A last night. Matt Gelb of The Athletic tweets that improving the offensive depth of the roster is the Phillies priority in the eight days leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline.

The 37-year-old Granderson is hitting .230/.337/.417 with nine homers, 15 doubles, a triple and a pair of stolen bases over the course of 274 plate appearances in a part-time role with Toronto this season. He’s only been allowed to face a left-handed pitcher 23 times, hitting just .111/.273/.167 in that small sample. In 251 PAs against right-handers, Granderson is hitting .240/.343/.438 with all nine of his homers and 14 of his 15 doubles.

Granderson is earning $5MM in 2018, with about $1.85MM of that sum still owed to him through season’s end. He’s not a perfect fit for the Phils’ roster, as he’d give the club an almost entirely left-handed-hitting outfield mix, with Rhys Hoskins serving as the main exception. Beyond that, the Phillies have been one of the worst teams in the game against left-handed pitching, making Granderson seem an even tougher fit. Collectively, Philadelphia hitters have posted a meager .229/.320/.356 slash against southpaws. Adding a bat that has been almost entirely shielded from facing lefties to the bench certainly wouldn’t do the team any favors in improving that clear deficiency.

That said, Granderson is an affordable and still reasonably productive veteran who’d deepen the team’s bench and bring postseason experience and a renowned clubhouse presence to a young Phillies roster. The cost of acquisition for the rental of a part-time outfielder would be minimal, as well, and the Phils could still stand to bring in another option to help bolster the bench and provide a boost against left-handed pitching.

The Phillies have also recently been linked to Mets infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, which would align with their goal of deepening the lineup, and Rosenthal echoes previous suggestions that the club could also pursue Twins infielder Eduardo Escobar for a more regular role. Rosenthal also suggests the Marlins utilityman Derek Dietrich could fit the Phillies’ needs as a potential bench piece that could fill in at multiple positions (though Dietrich, like Granderson, wouldn’t be much help against lefties).

Jonathan Schoop, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy Drawing Trade Interest

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July 23: The Rockies have been scouting both Gausman and Bundy recently, tweets Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Colorado has held a “longstanding interest” in Gausman, in particular, Rosenthal adds.

Colorado’s rotation has been in the bottom-third of the league in terms of ERA this season, though Rockies starters collectively rank in the top half of the league in both FIP and xFIP, lending some more reason for optimism. That said, Opening Day starter Jon Gray has been anything but the anchor the club expected him to be this season, and Chad Bettis has also had his share of struggles.

July 22: Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop and right-handers Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy are drawing trade interest, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The Braves have asked the Orioles about all three players, while the Brewers have inquired about Schoop and Gausman, and Kubatko confirms the Yankees’ previously reported interest in Gausman.

Whether the Orioles are open to moving any of those players is unclear, but as a rebuilding team with the majors’ worst record (28-71), it stands to reason they’d listen to offers. Gausman and Bundy would likely bring back appealing returns, considering both the underwhelming trade market for starting pitchers and the fact that they’re affordable and controllable. The 27-year-old Gausman, who’s on a $5.6MM salary, has two arbitration trips remaining. Bundy, 25, is much cheaper ($1.64MM), and he’ll go through the first of three potential arbitration trips during the upcoming winter. Meanwhile, Schoop’s in his penultimate year of arbitration control and on an $8.5MM salary.

To this point, Gausman and Bundy have experienced similar seasons. Gausman has pitched to a 4.33 ERA/4.48 FIP with 7.77 K/9, 2.16 BB/9 and a 46.7 percent groundball rate over 112 1/3 innings, continuing a career of decent production. Bundy has managed a 4.57 ERA/4.85 FIP with 9.64 K/9, 2.61 BB/9 and a 34 percent grounder rate across 108 1/3 frames. He’s currently in the throes of a rough stretch in which he has allowed five earned runs in three consecutive starts. Thanks in part to that, the former top prospect’s ERA has risen by nearly a full run since June 11, when it sat at 3.66.

Schoop, 26, was among the game’s premier second basemen in 2017, when he slashed .293/.338/.503 with 32 home runs and 3.8 fWAR in 675 plate appearances. This season has been a totally different story, though, as Schoop has batted .229/.262/.394 with 11 homers and a replacement-level fWAR over 333 PAs. Moreover, he owns the majors’ fifth-worst xwOBA (.268), per Statcast, suggesting his .281 wOBA isn’t a product of poor luck.

Despite his decline this season, both the Brewers and Braves seem to think Schoop could help them. The fact that the Brewers are looking for an upgrade at the keystone isn’t a surprise, as their second basemen have hit a mere .227/.285/.340 and accounted for minus-0.5 fWAR. The Braves’ interest is an eye-opener, however, considering they have Ozzie Albies at second. Perhaps they could stand to upgrade over Dansby Swanson at shortstop and Johan Camargo at third base, but both players have outperformed Schoop this year, and Schoop has minimal professional experience at those two positions.

Indians Outright Ryan Merritt, Sign Rob Brantly

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The Indians announced over the weekend that they’ve signed veteran catcher Rob Brantly to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Columbus. Left-hander Ryan Merritt, meanwhile, cleared waivers after being designated for assignment and was assigned outright to Columbus.

Merritt, 26, was designated for assignment after spending the entirety of the season on the disabled list due to a knee sprain. He’d been working through a rehab assignment, and Indians manager Terry Francona told reporters at the time of Merrit’s DFA that the lefty was healthy but showing diminished velocity. That’s particularly troubling for a pitcher who only averaged 87.3 mph on his heater when healthy in the Majors from 2016-17.

Indians fans will forever remember Merritt’s performance against the Blue Jays in the 2016 American League Championship Series, and he owns terrific overall results in limited big league experience. Merritt has a 1.71 ERA in 31 2/3 MLB innings, but he’s managed just 13 strikeouts in that time (3.7 K/9) and has been rather fortunate in that he’s never surrendered a home run in the big leagues. Merritt has a career 3.68 ERA in 315 1/3 Triple-A frames, but he struggled to a 5.88 mark in 20 2/3 innings this season. He’s out of minor league options, so any club that claimed him would’ve had to carry him on the MLB roster. Now, he’ll look to round back into form with Columbus in hopes of getting another shot in the big leagues later this season.

The 29-year-old Brantly, meanwhile, was recently released from the Braves organization after a disastrous run with their Triple-A affiliate. In 201 plate appearances, Brantley slashed just .218/.254/.293. However, he had an excellent year between the Triple-A affiliates for the Reds and White Sox in 2017 and even hit .290/.389/.516 in 36 big league plate appearances with the White Sox.

Cleveland understandably needed some catching depth at the Triple-A level after dealing prized catching prospect Francisco Mejia to the Padres in last Thursday’s Brad Hand/Adam Cimber trade, and Brantly will give them an experienced option behind the plate. He’s a career .230/.294/.333 hitter in 428 MLB plate appearances and a .257/.295/.379 hitter in parts of seven Triple-A seasons.

Quick Hits: Altherr, Schoop, Santana, Allen, Miller

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The Phillies announced that outfielder Aaron Altherr and righty Mark Leiter Jr. have been optioned to Triple-A, with corresponding roster moves coming tomorrow.  It was just a season ago that Altherr looked like a breakout member of the Phils’ outfield picture, as he hit .272/.340/.516 with 19 homers over 412 plate appearances, though he has been unable to come anywhere close to that production in 2018.  Altherr has been a sub-replacement level (-0.7 fWAR) player through 248 PA this season, hitting just .171/.290/.305 and subsequently losing regular playing time.  He’ll look to get back on track in the minors, while his absence could put Philadelphia in the mix for a backup outfielder in its trade discussions.

Here’s more from around baseball as we’re just over a week away from the trade deadline…

  • Jonathan Schoop’s time with the Orioles may be coming to an end, if recent trade rumors are any indication.  The second baseman tells The Athletic’s Dan Connolly (subscription required) that he hopes he can remain in Baltimore to become a building block for the O’s as they go through a rebuild.  That said, the team also didn’t engage in any extension talks with Schoop last winter in the wake of his strong 2017 season.  That move may have been prescient on the Orioles’ part, as Schoop suffered through a nightmarish first three months that saw him miss time with an oblique injury and post just a .587 OPS over 266 PA.  Though he has hit better in July, the Orioles would still be selling low on Schoop, so they could retain him for the rest of the season to see if he can rebuild any value in the second half.  Schoop has one remaining year of arbitration eligibility before hitting free agency after the 2019 campaign.
  • Ervin Santana will make his season debut on Wednesday when he takes the hill for a start in Toronto, Twins skipper Paul Molitor told reporters (including MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger).  Santana underwent surgery on the middle finger of his throwing hand back in early February, a procedure that was thought to require only a 10-to-12 week rehab stint.  Unfortunately for the right-hander, he battled continued soreness in his finger as well as a rather troubling velocity drop during his recovery process, and is only now ready to return to action.  Due to that extended absence, Bollinger writes that Santana’s $14MM club option for 2019 is ” not expected to be picked up” by the Twins, though I’d suspect that the team would at least consider retaining the veteran if he shows any of his old form over the final two-plus months of the season.  Santana did post excellent numbers in 2016-17, delivering a 3.32 ERA, 2.77 K/BB rate, and 7.2 K/9 over 63 starts and 392 2/3 IP for Minnesota.
  • The Indians’ acquisitions of Brad Hand and Adam Cimber from the Padres in this week’s blockbuster trade likely means that the Tribe will let Cody Allen and Andrew Miller leave after the season, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer opines.  Hand is signed to a reasonable contract through at least the 2020 season while Cimber is controlled through 2023, making them better value over Allen and Miller, considering what the two veteran relievers are likely to ask for in free agency this winter.  Cleveland has stretched its payroll beyond its usual mid-market comfort zone in an attempt to win a World Series, and it always seemed unlikely that the Indians would continue to heavily invest in the bullpen by re-signing Miller and/or Allen when lower-cost options could be found elsewhere.

Trade Rumblings & Reactions: Twins, O’s, Fulmer, Mets, Familia, Machado

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Among the many trade proposals being tossed around behind the scenes, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links) hears that the Twins have been approached about dealing Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar in the same trade, while teams interested in Zach Britton have also asked the Orioles about a larger deal involving Dylan Bundy or Kevin Gausman.  Rosenthal is doubtful either scenario takes place, as Baltimore may not be looking to deal from its rotation and, more generally, teams usually prefer to deal players individually rather than package together several trade chips in a single blockbuster move.  In regards to the Twins, Rosenthal speculates that the Brewers could have been the team who asked about the multi-player deal — Milwaukee has the most glaring need of any contender for middle infield help, and the Brew Crew has been connected to both Dozier and Escobar in reports.

Here’s more on some completed, and perhaps potential, trades as we approach the deadline…

  • Though an oblique strain sent Michael Fulmer to the DL on Friday, at least one team still has some trade interest in the Tigers right-hander, a rival scout for the mystery team told The Athletic’s Emily Waldon (Twitter link).  Much depends, obviously, on how quickly Fulmer is able to return from the injury, as he wouldn’t be able to pitch in the postseason for any club that acquired him after August 31.  I’d think that unless Fulmer makes an unusually speedy recovery, the Tigers would prefer to wait until the offseason so they could gain full value for what might be their best trade asset.  The Athletics can probably be ruled out as the team still in on Fulmer, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) notes that the A’s had “some interest,” though that was prior to the injury news.
  • Mets assistant GM John Ricco discussed his team’s trade of closer Jeurys Familia to the A’s while speaking with reporters (including the New York Post’s Zach Braziller) today, saying that the Mets felt they would’ve received a worse return for a rental player like Familia had they waited longer for a deal.  The fact that Oakland was willing to take on the remainder of Familia’s contract wasn’t a major factor, as Ricco said the Mets are willing and able to take on salary in other trades.  “We made the judgment the talent level for eating money wasn’t going to be there, so we decided to do the [Familia] deal where we moved the money,” Ricco said.
  • Ricco’s explanation notwithstanding, the Familia trade has drawn criticism for the relatively small return (two minor prospects and $1MM in international bonus money) the Mets received, particularly with so many teams looking for bullpen help.  Sources from rival teams interested in Familia told The Athletic’s Jim Bowden (subscription required) that they didn’t know why the Mets didn’t approach them one final time to give them a chance to top Oakland’s offer.
  • More favorable reviews were given to the Manny Machado deal between the Orioles and Dodgers, from front office executives and scouts surveyed by Baseball America.  Speaking anonymously, the evaluators spoke positively about the five-prospect package Baltimore received for Machado, particularly since [which could also go to the Mets’ logic on dealing Familia when they did] rental players have become harder to move in the modern trading climate.  “For a rental these days, getting [Yusniel] Diaz and [Dean] Kremer was good in my opinion. In general I don’t see teams sacrificing top talent for two-plus months (of a big league player),” one American League front office official said.

NL Central Notes: Epstein, Cubs, Pirates, Martinez

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The latest from around the NL Central…

  • “Pitching is our main need” heading into the trade deadline, Theo Epstein told 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine and other reporters.  The Cubs were known to be looking for bullpen help even before Brandon Morrow hit the DL with biceps inflammation, and since Morrow’s injury isn’t expected to keep him out for long, Epstein said that the closer’s absence didn’t impact the team’s deadline plans.  Yu Darvish’s return from the DL theoretically helps a rotation that has been inconsistent, though Epstein gave a realistic view of what Darvish could contribute, given the right-hander’s own struggles this season.  “You can’t be overly reliant on someone who hasn’t been able to go out there and perform this year….if you put yourself in a position where you are overly reliant and defending on it at this point, it is on you then,” Epstein said.
  • Beyond pitching, Epstein also noted that “we will probably look in August for someone who can play defense or steal a bag.”  He predicted multiple moves prior to September 1, and felt the team would make one more trade prior to the July 31 deadline.  Though the president of baseball operations doesn’t “think it’s impossible” that the Cubs make a big-ticket transactions, smaller deals seem more likely, as Epstein felt “we are going to be a little more selective and opportunistic” with their options after dealing top prospects in other trades in recent years.  For instance, the Athletic’s Patrick Mooney writes that it seems “highly unlikely” that the Cubs would move catching prospect Miguel Amaya for a rental player like Baltimore’s Zach Britton.
  • With the Pirates on a run of 10 wins in their last 11 games, GM Neal Huntington said in a radio appearance today (hat tip to Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) that his team “would love to add” at the trade deadline.  “If there’s something out there that makes sense and makes us better, we’re absolutely open to that,” Huntington said.  The Pirates are still just a modest 51-49 on the season and are battling several other teams in a crowded NL playoff picture, though the Bucs are now four games back of the Braves for the final wild card slot (and 4.5 games behind the struggling Brewers, who hold the first wild card position).
  • Jose Martinez’s poor defense has made him a part-time player with the Cardinals, despite 13 homers and a .295/.361/.471 slash line this season.  Martinez tells Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he understands the team’s decision, and that he “would love to be a Cardinal for my career” even though he seems far more suited for a DH role with an American League team.  With the Cards not really positioned to be buyers or sellers, Frederickson suggests that the club could approach the coming trade deadline as “an overdue round of roster maintenance that addresses the easiest-to-solve problems and optimizes returns on pieces that don’t fit into the puzzle moving forward.”  This would include dealing Martinez, as “his value to AL teams might never be higher” given his current success and his long-term controllability through the 2022 season.

MLB Weekend Roster Roundup: Braun, Familia, Hernandez, LeMahieu, Zunino

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ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(July 21st-July 22nd)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

Heyman’s Latest: Mets, Wheeler, deGrom, Syndergaard, Jackson, Phils, Braves

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“About a half-dozen teams” have some interest in Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler, FanCred Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets.  Wheeler’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors for a few weeks now, with such teams as the Reds, Yankees, and Diamondbacks all reportedly linked to the 28-year-old.  With the Mets firmly in sell mode as the deadline approaches, Wheeler certainly still appears to be the likeliest of New York’s starting pitchers to be moved in the coming days.  In other tweets,, Heyman notes that though the Mets are doing their due diligence on current offers for Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard, it’s more probably the team would wait until the offseason to deal either ace.  Waiting until the winter opens up a wider array of potential suitors for trades, and thus would increase the Mets’ chances of landing their desired return of MLB-ready talent.  Of course, the chances of Syndergaard being now seem “infinitesimal” since the righty is now on the 10-day DL after contracting hand, foot, and mouth disease.

Here’s some more transactions buzz from Heyman’s Twitter account…

  • The Red Sox and Giants are among the teams who are showing interest in veteran outfielder Austin Jackson.  San Francisco, of course, just traded Jackson to the Rangers as part of a salary dump, and Jackson is now available in free agency (for the prorated MLB minimum salary) after Texas released him.  Jackson has hit only .242/.309/.295 in 165 PA this season, though he could provide several teams with veteran outfield depth.  He is more natural backup outfield fit, for instance, than current Red Sox roster members Steve Pearce or Brock Holt.  The Giants have a pretty crowded outfield mix already, though Jackson is more experienced than the likes of Austin Slater or Steven Duggar.
  • The Braves and Phillies have been linked to several major names this summer, and Heyman says the two NL East rivals have indeed been “involved in most/all the big stuff” on the trade front.  According to some, however, Atlanta and Philadelphia have also seemed less likely than other contenders to move their top prospects.  This jibes with recent comments from Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos, who was looking to make upgrades but expressed wariness about dealing top prospects, particularly for rental players.  Both the Braves and Phils are somewhat in the same boat as teams who are somewhat unexpected contenders coming out of a lengthy rebuild, and since both are looking to begin some sustained success, they aren’t necessarily looking to make a big all-in push this year.

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