Phillies Designate Jake Thompson
The Phillies announced this afternoon that they have designated righty Jake Thompson for assignment. His roster spot will go to the just-acquired Justin Bour.
Once a prospect of note, Thompson came to Philadelphia as part of the Cole Hamels swap. He has not yet established himself in the majors, however, despite seeing action in each of the past three seasons.
Thompson has shifted to a relief role this season after almost exclusively working as a starter previously. The former second-rounder owns a 4.87 ERA in 116 1/3 MLB innings with 6.3 K/9 against 4.7 BB/9.
Though his velocity and swinging-strike rate have trended up a bit since the move to the pen, the recent numbers don’t paint a terribly promising picture for the 24-year-old. Thompson has handed out eleven walks in 16 1/3 MLB frames this year and carries a 4.60 ERA in his 47 Triple-A frames.
Phillies Acquire Justin Bour
2:15PM: The Marlins will receive left-hander McKenzie Mills, Fancred’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link). Mills was an 18th-round pick for the Nationals in the 2014 draft, and the 22-year-old has a 3.51 ERA, 2.58 K/BB rate, and an 8.5 K/9 over 89 2/3 IP for high-A Clearwater this season, with Mills starting 16 of his 20 appearances. This is the second notable trade Mills has already been part of in his young career, as he was sent to the Phillies from the Nationals last summer in the Howie Kendrick deal.
2:07PM: The minor league pitcher headed to the Marlins is an A-ball player, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. MLBPipeline.com’s Jonathan Mayo notes that the prospect wasn’t ranked as one of MLB.com’s top 30 minor leaguers in the Phillies’ system. (Both links to Twitter.)
1:09PM: The Phillies have acquired first baseman Justin Bour and cash considerations in a trade with the Marlins, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). Miami will receive a minor league pitcher in return. The two sides worked out a trade after Philadelphia claimed Bour on revocable waivers.
The Marlins will cover roughly half of Bour’s remaining salary for the season, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (via Twitter), which works out to around $450K of the $900K left on the $3.4MM Bour won in an arbitration case with the Phils last winter.
[Updated Phillies and Marlins depth charts at Roster Resource]
Bour has two more years of arbitration eligibility remaining, though he doesn’t necessarily have a long-term role in Philadelphia with Carlos Santana locked in at first base (at a $20MM average annual salary) at least through the 2020 season. It could be that the Phillies look to deal or maybe even non-tender Bour this winter, as Rosenthal suggests, and for now they’ll use him as a perhaps overqualified left-handed bench bat. Bour has badly struggled against southpaws this year while the switch-hitting Santana has hit only a modest .209/.362/.387 against right-handed pitching, so there is some room for a platoon situation. The Phillies’ collective 93 wRC+ against righty pitching this season ranks just 21st in baseball, so the offense can certainly benefit from some pop from the left side of the plate.
Bour drew a lot of trade attention last winter in the midst of the Marlins’ fire sale, though we didn’t hear much buzz about the first baseman until deadline day itself, when he was the subject of some late-breaking talks. Bour’s numbers were dampened by an extended slump throughout July, though he is still posting above-average (108 wRC+, 113 OPS+) offensive numbers overall, hitting .227/.347/.412 with 19 homers in 447 plate appearances.
Still, 2018 is shaping up as the weakest of Bour’s four seasons as a regular Major Leaguer, and certainly a step back from his breakout 2017 campaign. Limited to just 429 PA last year due to a variety of injuries, Bour still managed 25 homers and slash .289/.366/.536 for a 133 wRC+ and 142 OPS+, even if his overall value (2.2 fWAR) was lowered by subpar baserunning and defense.
This season, however, Bour is hitting for less power (.184 ISO compared to .247 last year) while also striking out slightly more often and making a bit more soft contact. Bour also enjoyed a .322 BABIP in 2017 as opposed to a .267 BABIP this year, and there’s also the simple fact that opposing pitchers can focus more directly on Bour since Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, and Christian Yelich are no longer in the Marlins’ lineup. That said, there is also some evidence that Bour could be due for an uptick in production, as evidenced by that low BABIP and a .352 xwOBA that outpaces his real-world .329 wOBA.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Orioles Designate Danny Valencia, Select Cedric Mullins
The Orioles announced today that they have designated infielder Danny Valencia for assignment. The move will make way for outfielder Cedric Mullins, whose contract was selected.
Valencia, 33, joined the Baltimore organization on a minors deal but had played a fairly significant role on the roster for much of the season. Over 282 plate appearances, he carries a .263/.316/.408 batting line — good for an exactly league average 100 OPS+ (albeit only a 93 wRC+).
Though he has mostly lined up at third base, Valencia has also spent time in right field for the O’s. He’s not generally regarded as much of a defender, and the advanced metrics have reflected that reputation this year.
It’s perhaps not out of question that a contending organization in search of a bench threat against left-handed pitching could put in a claim. As he has for much of his career, after all, Valencia has bludgeoned opposing southpaws this year. He’s also earning a palatable $1.2MM salary for the season.
As for Mullins, the diminutive 23-year-old will make his MLB debut. He has steadily ascended the ladder since joining the Orioles organization as a 13th-round pick in 2015. This season, he knocked around Double-A pitching before earning a promotion to the highest level of the minors, where he carries a .267/.332/.425 slash with five home runs and a dozen steals over 267 plate appearances.
Heyman’s Latest: Donaldson, Braves, Machado, Wheeler, Harper, Fiers, Riggleman
If Josh Donaldson is able to return from the DL soon and display some of his usual form, Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman writes that the Blue Jays might yet be able to trade the third baseman before August ends. In this scenario, the Indians are “perhaps the most realistic landing spot.” Jays president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins have ties to Cleveland and knowledge of the franchise’s prospects, plus the Tribe was trying to make a splash at the deadline by checking in on big names like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. Acquiring Donaldson would allow Cleveland to move Jose Ramirez to second, and Jason Kipnis into the outfield to help shore up the Tribe’s outfield depth. Heyman also lists the Cardinals, Braves, Cubs (if Kris Bryant‘s shoulder keeps him on the DL), and Red Sox as potential suitors for Donaldson, though Boston seems like the longest shot of that group.
Here’s more from Heyman, via his weekly notes column…
- The Braves “check in on just about everyone” in trade talks and were involved in many discussions around the deadline. While Atlanta swung two deals with the Orioles for Kevin Gausman, Darren O’Day, and Brad Brach, Heyman writes that “the player the Braves really wanted was Manny Machado.” The Dodgers acquired Machado during the All-Star break, and at that time, the Braves weren’t entirely sure they were contenders, so they didn’t make the blockbuster offer to land the infielder.
- Heyman also connects the Braves to Zack Wheeler, noting that they and the Brewers looked to have the most interest in the Mets right-hander. Neither team was close to actually landing Wheeler, however.
- The Orioles originally hoped to land a trade package for Gausman similar to what the A’s received for Sonny Gray at last year’s trade deadline, though as Heyman puts it, “the reality is that Gray was thriving in Oakland when dealt while Gausman has been perpetually average.” Baltimore ended up moving Gausman and O’Day to the Braves for four relatively unheralded prospects, though the O’s saved a lot of payroll space and obtained some international bonus pool funds.
- The Nationals received calls from “about eight teams” about Bryce Harper when rumors arose around the trade deadline that Washington was at least open to considering dealing the star outfielder. Despite the interest in Harper’s services, it doesn’t seem like talks got very far with any suitor, as the Nats were understandably hesitant about dealing Harper whatsoever. The Indians were the only team known to have shown interest in Harper.
- The Athletics added some needed starting pitching by acquiring Mike Fiers from the Tigers this week, though Heyman wonders why the Mariners didn’t block their divisional and wild card rivals by putting a waiver claim on Fiers themselves. The A’s were already known to have interest in Fiers prior to the trade deadline, and since Seattle was behind Oakland in the standings when Fiers was on waivers, the M’s had first dibs on claiming the right-hander. Heyman wonders if the Mariners simply weren’t interested in Fiers actually ending up on their roster, if Detroit had let the claim stand in order to get his remaining salary off their payroll. Of course, an extra arm might look pretty good to the Mariners right about now, given how the team is without a stable fifth starter now that Felix Hernandez is out of the rotation.
- Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman’s chances of winning the full-time job look to be increasing, as team owner Bob Castellini is reportedly “a big fan” of the veteran skipper. Cincinnati has posted a 47-50 record since Riggleman took over from Bryan Price, who was fired after the Reds stumbled out of the gate with a 3-15 start to the season.
Cubs Sign Jorge De La Rosa
The Cubs have signed left-hander Jorge De La Rosa to a Major League contract, the team announced. (MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat was among to report the news). The veteran southpaw has already been activated and is on the Cubs’ roster for today’s afternoon game with the Nationals. To create roster space, Yu Darvish was transferred to the 60-day DL and left-hander Randy Rosario was sent down to Triple-A.
De La Rosa was released by the Diamondbacks earlier this week after he posted a 4.63 ERA, 6.9 K/9, and 1.42 K/BB rate over 35 innings out of the Arizona bullpen. It was something of a feast-or-famine situation for De La Rosa this season, as he posted both a 51.9% grounder rate but also an ungainly 20% home run rate. Right-handed batters hit De La Rosa hard, to the tune of a .927 OPS, though he was quite effective against left-handed batters, limiting them to just a .220/.309/.407 slash line.
Justin Wilson is the only other left-hander in Chicago’s bullpen, and while Wilson has generally pitched well this season, he has continued to have control issues (6.2 BB/9). The 24-year-old Rosario has a 3.00 ERA over 33 frames this season, though since he had almost as many walks (19) as strikeouts (21), it makes sense that the Cubs wanted a more experienced left-handed presence, despite De La Rosa’s own struggles.
The club was known to be looking at bullpen help in the leadup to the trade deadline but came away with two right-handers (Brandon Kintzler and Jesse Chavez) rather than additional left-handed depth. Mike Montgomery has pitched well as a starter, but the Cubs could still potentially make him their primary left-handed relief option once Darvish returns from the DL, since Montgomery probably wouldn’t be in line to be used as a starter anyways in a potential playoff series.
NPB’s Orix Buffaloes Extend Andrew Albers
The Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball have signed left-hander Andrew Albers to a two-year contract extension, as per a team announcement (hat tip to The Japan Times). Reports differ on the exact dollar figures— the Japan Times indicates that Albers will earn $1.8MM per season, while The Athletic’s Robert Murray tweets that Albers will actually earn $4.5MM over the course of the contract, with another $1MM available in incentive bonuses. Albers is a client of True Gravity Baseball.
Albers, who turns 33 in October, has a 2.90 ERA, 6.5 K/9, and 4.11 K/BB rate over 108 2/3 innings in his first season in Japan’s top league. Just as he has for much of his professional career, Albers has offset his lack of strikeouts with excellent control, and this season has also seen him limit damage from the long ball (only an 0.6 HR/9).
Originally a 10th-round pick for the Padres in the 2008 draft, Albers has mixed stints in Japan, Korea, and the independent leagues along with 120 2/3 Major League innings for the Twins, Blue Jays, and Mariners. He posted solid numbers (3.51 ERA, 8.1 K/9, and 3.7 K/BB rate over 41 IP, starting six of nine appearances) for Seattle in 2017, before heading oversea to sign with the Buffaloes last offseason.
Latest On Luke Heimlich
AUGUST 10: Per CPBL Stats (via Twitter), the league has now officially rejected the contract.
AUGUST 8: The Lamigo Monkeys, a Taiwanese professional team, recently announced the signing of former Oregon State pitcher Luke Heimlich. It’s not yet clear, however, that the contract will go into effect.
The CPBL Stats website has tracked the league’s reaction to the announcement. It seems that the league has given varying indications, at one point saying it would require termination of the contract but later indicating the matter was still under review. To this point, the Lamigo announcement is still accessible online and there is no indication that the contract has formally been rescinded.
By now, most MLBTR readers are surely familiar with Heimlich’s background. Many, no doubt, have formed strong opinions on what it means for his future as a professional baseball player. In brief, Heimlich pled guilty as a teenager to sexually molesting a child, a fact which emerged in the middle of his tenure as a standout collegiate ballplayer. Regardless of one’s viewpoint, it’s worth reviewing this recent assessment of the situation from Kurt Streeter of the New York Times.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported during this year’s draft that Heimlich was nearly certain to join a MLB organization. Indeed, the Royals even publicized their possible interest (see here and here), while other organizations were also said to be considering a highly controversial move to bring in an undeniably talented player with a deeply concerning past.
As it has turned out, though, Heimlich was not selected in the draft and has not joined an affiliated club as a free agent. The fact that he has not found a willing team to this point perhaps indicates that it won’t happen — at least, in the near-term.
Instead, it seems he and his representatives have turned their attention to opportunities abroad, perhaps hoping that he’ll have an opportunity to earn some money and build some momentum toward an eventual move to a MLB organization. The outcome of that initiative, too, remains uncertain at this point in time.
Mariners Move Felix Hernandez To The Bullpen
Longtime Mariners rotation fixture Felix Hernandez has lost his job in the starting five, manager Scott Servais told reporters (including MLB.com’s Greg Johns) after last night’s game. Hernandez will be moved to the bullpen, and while Servais left open the possibility that the former ace could become a starter again this season, the focus is clearly on Hernandez getting back any of his old form.
The decision comes on the heels of one of the worst outings of Hernandez’s 14-year career; the right-hander allowed 11 runs (seven earned) over six innings against the Rangers last Tuesday. That start underlined just what a rough season it has been for Hernandez, who has a 5.73 ERA, 7.19 K/9, 2.15 K/BB rate, and a hefty 1.5 HR/9 in 124 innings. Advanced metrics (5.03 FIP, 4.72 xFIP, 4.66 SIERA) paint only a slightly better picture of his performance this year, while Hernandez’s 39.5% hard-hit ball rate is by far the highest of his career and well beyond his 27.7% career average.
Hernandez is a completely unknown quantity as a relief pitcher, as he has started all 398 of his career Major League games, and last appeared as a reliever when he was a 19-year-old phenom pitching at the Triple-A level in 2005. It also remains to be seen how he’ll adjust to the role change on an emotional level — Hernandez simply told reporters “I’ve got nothing to say,” when asked to comment yesterday.
After several years as one of the game’s best and more durable pitchers, Hernandez’s effectiveness began to dip in 2015, and injuries limited him to just 240 total innings and 1.4 fWAR in 2016-17. Aside from a brief DL stint for back soreness in July, health doesn’t seem to be the problem for Hernandez this year, as he simply may have hit a wall at age 32 after all these years and all those innings (an average of 218 IP per season from 2006-15).
Unfortunately for Hernandez and the Mariners, the bulk of the veteran righty’s downturn has mostly coincided with the length of the seven-year, $175MM extension he signed prior to the 2013 season. Hernandez is still owed $29MM in 2019, a number that now looks like a sunk cost for the team. Between Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, Dee Gordon, and Mike Leake, Seattle has over $100MM in salary committed next season towards five players who have combined for just 5.5 fWAR in 2018 (with the slight caveat of Cano’s 80-game absence due to a PED suspension).
With Hernandez now in the pen, that leaves the quartet of James Paxton, Leake, Marco Gonzales, and Wade LeBlanc as Seattle’s top four starters. Swingman Erasmo Ramirez has spent much of the season on the DL and is still rehabbing, so Casey Lawrence, Christian Bergman, or Robert Whalen could step in as the fifth starter on at least a temporary basis. Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto is no stranger to the trade market, so with the M’s still battling in the wild card race, the team can’t be counted out to make a move for a starter, if they can work out a deal through the August waiver period.
MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Devers, Happ, Herrera, Stripling
ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(August 8th-August 9th)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
- ATLANTA BRAVES | Depth Chart
- Outrighted: RP Jason Hursh
- CINCINNATI REDS | Depth Chart
- Promoted: SP Robert Stephenson
- Stephenson made his 2018 debut on Wednesday (4 IP, 3 ER, L).
- Optioned: RP Jesus Reyes
- Promoted: SP Robert Stephenson
- COLORADO ROCKIES | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: RP Chris Rusin
- Optioned: RP Yency Almonte
- LOS ANGELES DODGERS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: SP Ross Stripling
- Optioned: RP Pat Venditte
- PITTSBURGH PIRATES | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: 1B Josh Bell
- Bell played 1B and batted 7th/6th on Wednesday/Thursday.
- Optioned: 1B/OF Jose Osuna
- Activated from 10-Day DL: 1B Josh Bell
- WASHINGTON NATIONALS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: RP Kelvin Herrera (rotator cuff impingement)
- Ryan Madson will take over as the team’s primary closer.
- Promoted: RP Koda Glover
- Placed on 10-Day DL: RP Kelvin Herrera (rotator cuff impingement)
—
AMERICAN LEAGUE
- BOSTON RED SOX | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: 3B Rafael Devers
- Optioned: INF/OF Tony Renda
- Role change: P Drew Pomeranz has been moved to the bullpen.
- CLEVELAND INDIANS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: OF Leonys Martin (illness)
- Promoted: OF Greg Allen
- Allen played CF and batted 9th on Thursday.
- DETROIT TIGERS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: C/1B John Hicks (strained groin)
- Promoted: C Grayson Greiner, RP Artie Lewicki
- Optioned: RP Daniel Stumpf
- MINNESOTA TWINS | Depth Chart
- Role change: Addison Reed will likely take over as the team’s closer. Trevor Hildenberger and Trevor May could also be in the mix for save chances.
- NEW YORK YANKEES | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: SP J.A. Happ
- Optioned: SP Chance Adams
- OAKLAND ATHLETICS | Depth Chart
- Acquired: RP Fernando Rodney (acquired from Twins)
-
- Rodney will likely serve in a setup role with the A’s.
-
- Acquired: RP Fernando Rodney (acquired from Twins)
- SEATTLE MARINERS | Depth Chart
- Acquired: RP Sam Tuivailala (strained Achilles’ tendon)
- Promoted: RP Casey Lawrence, RP Nick Rumbelow
- Optioned: RP Chasen Bradford
- TORONTO BLUE JAYS | Depth Chart
- Promoted: RP Thomas Pannone
- Optioned: SP Mike Hauschild
—
FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES
- BOS: SP Chris Sale will be activated from the 10-Day DL on Sunday August 12th, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe.
- HOU: SS Carlos Correa will likely be activated from the 10-Day DL on Friday August 10th, according to Jake Kaplan of the Athletic.
- PIT: SP Clay Holmes will be recalled from Triple-A and will start on Friday August 10th, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Athletic.
- SDP: SP Jacob Nix will make his MLB debut on Friday August 10th, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Nix will need to be added to the 40-man roster.
A’s Acquire Fernando Rodney
In a stunning move seemingly out of nowhere, the Athletics announced that they’ve acquired right-hander Fernando Rodney from the Twins in exchange for minor league righty Dakota Chalmers. Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports that the A’s will assume all of Rodney’s remaining salary (around 1.3MM).
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the transaction came as the result of a waiver claim by the Athletics, meaning Rodney never cleared revocable trade waivers. The 42-year-old was certainly a logical August trade candidate, as MLBTR’s own Connor Byrne noted this past Saturday; more recently, the Twins’ closer appeared near the top of our Top 20 August Trade Candidates, checking in at number seven. He’s a reasonably affordable option for the surging yet cost-conscious A’s.
[RELATED: How August Trades Work]
Rodney has long been an effective MLB reliever, and has served mainly as a closer across the past decade. His 325 career saves rank 17th all-time among relievers, and although he’s certainly shown some fluctuation in performance over the course of his lifetime, his 3.09 ERA at present would be his best in a full season since 2014 with the Mariners. The veteran has managed to strike out more than ten batters per nine innings in five of the past six campaigns and owns a solid if unspectacular 3.70 ERA (3.73 FIP) over the course of his 16-year MLB career.
For the A’s, it’s the latest move to bolster an already-spectacular relief corps. Headed into the second half of July, the club already boasted three relievers with a Win Probability Added of 1.00 or higher (Blake Treinen, Lou Trivino and Yusmeiro Petit). Since then, they’ve added Jeurys Familia in a trade with the Mets, claimed Shawn Kelley off waivers from the Nationals, and plucked Mike Fiers from the paws of the Tigers. Rodney serves as the club’s fourth major bullpen addition over the course of the past month, fortifying an already-terrifying group.
That’s excellent work on the part of the club’s front office, as it’ll help mask the club’s uninspiring rotation. Sean Manaea‘s currently the club’s only starter with enough innings to qualify for the ERA title, in no small part due to the wreckage of torn UCLs suffered by rotation candidates this season. Daniel Gossett, Kendall Graveman, Jharel Cotton and top prospect A.J. Puk are all done for the season after requiring Tommy John surgery, leaving the club with a starting group of ragtag veterans that includes Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson and Edwin Jackson, each of whom has outperformed expectations. With an eye on October, it seems as though the Athletics are likely to use starters for short outings in the postseason and rely on a deep bullpen to handle the remainder of the workload.
Perhaps one of the more surprising elements of this deal is the fact that Rodney went unclaimed by the Indians, who had waiver priority over the Athletics and one of the worst bullpens in baseball. With three strong lefties in their pen and no viable right-handed options beyond Adam Cimber and struggling closer Cody Allen, Rodney would have provided a strong upgrade to the Cleveland bullpen. Likewise, the Mariners (who’re in close competition with them for a wild card spot) also passed on Rodney, allowing him to be claimed by a division rival rather than using him to patch their own relief corps.
The inclusion of Chalmers is a fascinating element of this deal, as the 21-year-old right hander has yet to accrue any significant professional resume following his selection by the A’s as the 97th overall pick in the 2015 draft. He didn’t rank among the club’s top 30 prospects in MLB Pipeline’s latest rankings, but Fangraphs considered him to within that group, ranking him 23rd in the A’s farm system. Chalmers had to step away from baseball late in 2017 for personal reasons, and Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen mentioned that he’s struggled with his control since returning. Though his velocity sits in the low-to-mid-90’s, there’s some skepticism that he’ll ever develop the command necessary to work multiple innings. He won’t pitch for the remainder of 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier this season.