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Nationals Sign First-Rounder Mason Denaburg

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11:38am: MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets that Denaburg received a $3MM bonus, putting him $527K over slot value.

11:19am: The Nationals announced Tuesday that they’ve signed top their pick from the 2018 draft, high school right-hander Mason Denaburg. Fancred’s Jon Heyman first tweeted that the two sides were nearing a deal, while Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post added that the two sides had agreed to terms on an over-slot bonus (Twitter links). Denaburg was advised by and is now a client of the Boras Corporation.

Denaburg was selected 27th overall — a pick that comes with an assigned slot value of $2,472,700. That Nats, it seems, were willing to top that mark as a means of enticing the 18-year-old righty to forgo a college commitment to Florida. Denaburg would likely have gone earlier in the draft had he not missed more than a month of his 2018 season due to biceps tendinitis. He ranked 16th in the class per Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs, while the team over at Baseball America pegged him 22nd. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com rated him 24th in the class, and ESPN’s Keith Law had him 29th on his rankings.

When healthy, Denaburg can reach 97 mph with his fastball, though he sits a few ticks below that. McDaniel and Longenhagen write that he boasts “one of the most consistently 60-grade breaking balls in recent memory,” adding that his changeup has the makings of an above-average pitch as well. Baseball America’s report suggests that Denaburg could be the most athletic pitcher in the class, as he would’ve also been a legitimate prospect as a catcher with a strong arm and impressive raw power. Denaburg’s future, though, is on the mound, and he’ll now join Erick Fedde and Seth Romero among the top-rated arms in the Nats’ minor league ranks.

Blue Jays Release Al Alburquerque

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The Blue Jays have released veteran right-handed reliever Al Alburquerque from the organization, per an announcement from their Triple-A affiliate.

The well-traveled Alburquerque, who recently turned 32, was in the midst of a solid campaign in Buffalo, having pitched to a 3.77 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 0.94 HR/9 and a 50.6 percent ground-ball rate through 28 2/3 innings out of the Bisons’ bullpen. He enjoyed a fair amount of success in 2017, too, throwing well in Triple-A before tossing a combined 18 big league innings with a 2.50 ERA between the Royals and White Sox.

Alburquerque, as always, relied heavily on his slider in ’17 (54.5 percent), and while his strikeout rate wasn’t great in that small sample, he posted a characteristically strong 12.9 percent swinging-strike rate. In 245 innings of work at the MLB level, he’s posted a 3.16 ERA with 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, though he’s also yielded an average of five walks per nine innings in that time as well.

John Mozeliak Discusses Cardinals At Halfway Point Of Season

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Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak did not sugarcoat the challenges facing his team in his latest appearance on the podcast of Dan McLaughlin of FOX Sports Midwest (audio link). The club must find a way to begin winning more consistently, said Mozeliak, though it remains unclear just what can be done to spur such a change.

The sense of frustration surrounding the Cards, who are sitting just above .500 on the year, seemingly extends from the fanbase to the front office. Mozeliak acknowledges that this club “hasn’t been the easiest team to sort of think through, in terms of how to get better, or what to do, or what changes need to be made.”

Mozeliak identified “outfield inconsistencies” and bullpen struggles as the two key concerns. Spurring the needed change won’t be easy. Mozeliak says the club needs to be open-minded and creative in all regards.

Bolstering the relief unit can be accomplished via trade, perhaps. Internal options for deepening the pitching staff are relatively sparse, Mozeliak suggested. He bemoaned the loss of Alex Reyes while noting that Dakota Hudson’s success at Triple-A does not necessarily portend an immediate impact in the majors.

Addressing the outfield concerns is a trickier business. Mozeliak wouldn’t rule out moving Jose Martinez to the outfield, saying that the slugger — who is as unpolished in the field as he has been excellent at the plate — is “putting a lot of stress on everyone” with his play at first base. But that seems like a somewhat dubious option when outfield defense is one of the areas of concern. Presumably, the club will look first at ways to get its existing options to play at the necessary levels.

Mozeliak addressed veteran Dexter Fowler, in particular. The top St. Louis baseball executive offered some rather surprisingly pointed words on the respected and highly-paid Fowler:

“I’ve also heard a lot of people come up to me and question his effort and his energy level. Those are things that I can’t defend. What I can defend is trying to create opportunities for him, but not if it’s at the expense of someone that’s out there hustling and playing hard.”

To an extent, Mozeliak seemingly tried to soften the meaning of his statement in ensuing comments to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He and Fowler have spoken since, says Mozeliak, who hinted that he was not trying to single out Fowler. “I would not make too much of this and really what I was trying to say is: I hear what our fan base is saying,” Mozeliak said.

Ultimately, mid-season trades can only do so much to boost the performance. And the Cards brass will need to take its cues from the existing roster. With less than a month’s worth of games left to go before the trade deadline, Mozeliak says that “everybody just needs to take a hard look in the mirror and decide what they want that next chapter to look like.”

MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Greene, Kingham, Polanco, Pollock

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ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(July 2nd)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

Peter Bourjos Elects Free Agency

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Outfielder Peter Bourjos has elected free agency, per the MLB.com transactions page. He had recently been designated for assignment and evidently cleared waivers.

Bourjos, 31, has been on and off the MLB roster in Atlanta, providing the team with a .205/.239/.364 batting line over 47 total plate appearances. He has been quite a bit more productive at Triple-A this year, where he carries a .277/.352/.511 slash in 105 trips to the plate.

It seems that Bourjos will at least look around for another opportunity. But he already did so once earlier in the season and ended up returning to the Braves on a minor-league deal. That again seems a plausible, but by no means certain, outcome.

Dodgers, Red Sox, Indians Among Teams Eyeing Marlins’ Bullpen

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July 2, 9:14pm: The Marlins are placing an “extremely high” ask on Barraclough, in particular, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. Indeed, he hears that the Miami organization is “basically looking for another club’s top prospect, or among their top prospects” in any swap involving the young hurler. The report suggests that Conley is the “most realistic” candidate to be moved among the three hurlers discussed below.

Unsurprisingly, multiple teams are poking around on the Marlins’ relievers. The Indians are among the contenders with some interest, per Jon Heyman of Fancred (via Twitter).

1:22pm: The Red Sox have also been in contact with the Marlins about their late-inning relievers, Morosi writes today. While Boston is set to at last welcome Tyler Thornburg to its bullpen, the team is nonetheless exploring contingency options, per the report. More generally, it stands to reason that the majority of contenders will at least explore the possibility of adding an arm such as Barraclough, Steckenrider or (to a lesser extent, given the shorter track record in the ’pen) Conley.

Any from that group would be an upgrade over virtually any team’s seventh- or eighth-best reliever at the very least, and deep bullpens are paramount to success in postseason play.

July 1: The Dodgers have “had preliminary dialogue” with the Marlins about some of Miami’s top bullpen arms, says Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com. That list of relievers includes Kyle Barraclough, Drew Steckenrider and Adam Conley.

While Morosi’s sources have been careful to note that no deal is close at this time, there’s certainly a good fit between the two clubs. The Dodgers’ bullpen actually ranks fourth in MLB with a combined WPA of 26.06, but has recently seen Tony Cingrani, Pedro Baez and Josh Fields hit the disabled list (as Morosi himself notes).The bridge to closer Kenley Jansen appears particularly weak, with Erik Goeddel and Scott Alexander currently working in setup roles. The Dodgers are certainly contenders for the NL Pennant, sitting just 3.5 games back of the division-leading Diamondbacks. And of course, the Marlins aren’t serious competitors for a spot in the playoffs this season.

There’s certainly no rush for the Marlins to trade any of the above players, as all three have yet to even qualify for arbitration eligibility. Conley and Barraclough will remain under club control through 2021, while Steckenrider is controllable for another two seasons beyond that. At the same time, though, the Marlins aren’t seen as likely to do much winning over the next three or four years; they’re mired in a full teardown that began this offseason with trades of Dee Gordon, Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna. Trading Barraclough and Conley in particular could make a lot of sense if they’re able to net some young talent who could contribute during their next contending season.

Of the aforementioned hurlers, Barraclough seems likely to bring back the most hefty return. The righty has been a revelation this season, pitching to a sub-1.00 ERA with a typically high 4.21 BB/9 and a K/9 of 9.66. Since stepping into the closer role for the Marlins earlier this year, he’s converted all seven save opportunities and has yet to allow a run. Barraclough (along with Steckenrider) has already been connected to the Indians this offseason.

For what it’s worth, the Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in baseball, with MLB.com ranking them tenth out of 30 MLB teams. While it seems unlikely that they’d part with top prospects Alex Verdugo or Keibert Ruiz in a trade for one of the aforementioned Marlins arms, it’s worth noting that elite prospects have changed hands in recent years when a top-flight reliever becomes available, and the sheer amount of team control left on the contracts of Barraclough, Steckenrider and Conley could prove an enticing reason to consider all possible angles.

Royals Agree To Terms With 33rd Overall Pick Jackson Kowar

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Royals compensation choice Jackson Kowar has reportedly agreed to a $2,147,500 bonus. Rustin Dodd of The Athletic first tweeted the news, with MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan and Jim Callis (Twitter links) reporting the value.

Though he was taken with the 33rd overall selection, Kowar ranked higher on many analysts’ boards. Indeed, the MLB.com team tabbed him as the 15th-best prospect available in the draft, with Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law also applying top-twenty grades.

While he is already an accomplished college hurler who comfortably sits in the mid-nineties with his fastball, the University of Florida product is said still to possess some upside. If he can fill out his frame and develop a breaking ball to match his heater and change, Singer could one day turn into a high-quality rotation piece in Kansas City.

Kowar’s bonus sits just over the slot value of $2,118,700. The signing leaves the K.C. organization with two remaining unsigned players from the first ten rounds: fourth-rounder Eric Cole, who just finished up playing in the College World Series with Arkansas, and Kowar’s rotation mate Brady Singer.

D-Backs Activate A.J. Pollock, Select Joey Krehbiel, Release Troy Scribner

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The Diamondbacks have announced a series of roster moves. Most notably, the club activated center fielder A.J. Pollock. Additionally, the organization selected the contract of righty Joey Krehbiel and released fellow right-hander Troy Scribner.

Those moves bring two addition players to the active roster. To make space, the Snakes have optioned infielder/outfielder Christian Walker and righty Silvino Bracho.

Pollock, who’s returning from a broken thumb, only played in two rehab games before his activation. Accordingly, manager Torey Lovullo says that the team will limit Pollock’s action somewhat as he gets back into the swing of things, as Jack Magruder of the Sports Xchange tweets. He’ll look to pick up where he left off to open the season. In his first forty games, Pollock posted an excellent .293/.349/.620 batting line.

The 25-year-old Krehbiel, a former 12th-round pick, receives his first shot at the majors. He earned his way up with a strong showing in his first full go at Triple-A. Over 36 2/3 innings this year, he carries a 2.45 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9.

As for Scribner, today’s news makes for an unwelcome birthday surprise. The 27-year-old, an early-season waiver claimee, struggled in his lone MLB start this year. He has spent most of the season at Triple-A, pitching to a 5.11 ERA in 44 frames over eight starts. Though he has averaged exactly one strikeout per frame, along with a manageable 3.5 BB/9, Scribner has coughed up ten long balls in that span.

Pirates Designate Enny Romero

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The Pirates have designated lefty Enny Romero for assignment after activating him from the disabled list, per a club announcement. In other moves, the club promoted righty Nick Kingham and optioned infielder/outfielder Jose Osuna.

While the club’s maneuvering did not require a 40-man spot, Romero’s return to health forced a decision. He is out of options, meaning he had to be added back to the active roster or cut loose.

Romero was very nearly designated earlier in the year, before his shoulder injury was discovered. The hard-throwing southpaw, who was claimed from the Nationals in April, has thrown only six MLB frames on the season.

Brewers Select Nate Orf, Move Nick Franklin To 60-Day DL

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The Brewers announced that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Nate Orf from Triple-A Colorado Springs and optioned right-hander Aaron Wilkerson to Triple-A in his place. In order to open a spot for Orf on the 40-man roster, infielder/outfielder Nick Franklin was transferred from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL.

It’ll be the first call to the Majors for Orf, a 28-year-old career-long Brewers farmhand whom they signed as an undrafted free agent back in 2013. He’s enjoying his best season yet in the minors, hitting .307/.412/.463 with six homers and 20 steals (in 21 attempts). Orf has never shown much power prior to this season, but he’s already just three homers away from his career-best mark of nine. He’s also never been this aggressive on the basepaths, but the speed and efficiency he’s displayed so far can only have helped his cause in reaching the big leagues.

Orf has moved all over the diamond throughout his career, logging time at second base, third base, shortstop and in all three outfield spots. While second and third have been his two primary positions, he’s spent more time at second and shortstop than at third base so far in 2018. Milwaukee has received little in the way of production from its second basemen (.252/.299/.377) or especially its shortstops (.193/.243/.297), and they could reasonably look to Orf as an option at either spot. For now, it seems likelier that he’ll get more action at shortstop, given that Orlando Arcia was recently optioned to Triple-A for a second time in 2018.

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