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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Vlad Jr., Betts, Freeman, Bucs, Soto, Cards, Gleyber

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This week in baseball blogs…

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Padres Acquire Phil Hughes

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4:51pm: $7.25MM is the precise sum, Jon Heyman of FanRag hears.

1:54pm: The Padres will pick up approximately $7.5MM of Hughes’ contract, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweets.

1:05pm: The Padres have acquired right-hander Phil Hughes, cash and the 74th pick in June’s draft from the Twins for young catcher Janigson Villalobos, per announcements from both teams.

The Twins designated Hughes for assignment earlier this week, even though they still owed him the rest of his $13.2MM salary this year and another $13.2MM in 2019. Now, Minnesota will eat the remainder of Hughes’ salary this year, but San Diego will pay nearly half the tab next season, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com suggests.

In a best-case scenario for the rebuilding Padres, the 31-year-old Hughes would reemerge as a viable starter or reliever with the club. However, there doesn’t seem to be much hope on either front, given that Hughes has recently undergone two different surgeries to address thoracic outlet syndrome – which is often a death knell for pitchers. Those procedures ended each of Hughes’ previous two seasons prematurely, and have played a role in the bloated 5.99 ERA he has logged across 124 2/3 innings (33 appearances, 22 starts) since 2016.

While Hughes is certainly the eye-catching name in this trade, acquiring the pick in Competitive Balance Round B is the greater boon for San Diego. The Padres now have four of the draft’s top 85 choices, including Nos. 7 and 38, with which to add to an already deep farm system. The Friars’ newest selection carries a slot value of $812,200, and adding it will help make up for the pick they lost when they signed free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer in the offseason.

Villalobos, a Venezuela native, immigrated to the United States when he signed a deal with the Padres in March 2016. He went on to post a .253/.408/.322 line in 233 plate appearances at the Rookie level from 2016-17, though the 21-year-old hasn’t played anywhere this season. He’ll suit up for the Rookie level Gulf Coast Twins when their season begins.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL Injury Notes: Acuna, Kershaw, Wright, Mets

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Braves uber-prospect Ronald Acuna left the team’s game Sunday in Boston with knee and lower-back pain, the team announced. The 20-year-old outfielder exited in the seventh inning after suffering a gruesome-looking injury (video via Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports), though he eventually was able to walk off the field on his own power, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes. Acuna’s currently undergoing an exam at a nearby clinic, O’Brien tweets. The up-and-coming  Braves and the baseball world in general are holding their breath that isn’t a serious injury for the exciting Acuna, who has emerged as one of the game’s best rookies and a key part of a playoff contender.

More from around the NL…

  • Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will come off the disabled list and start against the Phillies on Thursday, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times was among those to report. All told, Kershaw will miss just under a month after going on the DL on May 7 with biceps tendinitis. He’ll rejoin a team that has won seven of nine since reaching a season-worst 10 games under .500 on May 16, though LA still entered Sunday just 23-28 and 3.5 games out of the NL West lead.
  • Mets third baseman David Wright last appeared in a major league game on May 27, 2017, exactly two years ago today. A laundry list of upper-body injuries have kept Wright off the field for all but 75 games since 2015, and he may be in the midst of yet another lost season. However, the captain isn’t calling it a career. Rather, the 35-year-old Wright continues to hold out hope that he’ll return to the field, and he’ll go for a re-evaluation by the end of the month, Tim Healey of Newsday writes. Healey spoke to a few of Wright’s Mets teammates about his plight, and each offered effusive praise for the seven-time All-Star. Wright, of course, is still under contract through 2020 for $47MM – including $20MM this year – but the team has an insurance policy covering about 75 percent of that money.
  • Wright’s injuries helped open the door for the Mets’ offseason signing of veteran third baseman Todd Frazier, who has dealt with his own injury issues this year. Frazier went to the DL with a hamstring issue back on May 8, but he’s almost ready for a Triple-A rehab assignment, Healey reports. The same goes for reliever and fellow winter free-agent signing Anthony Swarzak, out since the first week of the season with an oblique strain (Twitter link via Mike Puma of the New York Post).
  • More injury news on the Mets, who will send reliever AJ Ramos for an MRI on his right shoulder, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those to report. It’s the latest negative development this season for the 31-year-old Ramos, who has posted a 6.41 ERA with 6.86 walks per nine over 19 2/3 innings. Ramos has been especially poor lately, having given up at least two earned runs in three of six appearances, perhaps because of an injury.

Mariners Designate Taylor Motter

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The Mariners have designated infielder Taylor Motter for assignment, the team announced. His 40-man roster spot will go to catcher/outfielder Chris Herrmann, whom they selected from Triple-A Tacoma.

Motter has been with the Mariners organization since they acquired him from the Rays in November 2016, though he may now be on his way to another franchise. With one minor league option remaining, a club could acquire Motter in a trade or via waivers and use him as depth.

The 28-year-old Motter hasn’t impressed offensively since debuting in 2016, having recorded a .198/.269/.326 line in 390 trips to the plate. Motter brings defensive versatility, though, with major league experience at every position but catcher (including one appearance as a pitcher).

Kris Medlen Retires

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Veteran right-hander Kris Medlen has retired, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports. He had been pitching in the minors with the Diamondbacks organization.

The 32-year-old Medlen only spent a few months with the Diamondbacks, who signed him to a minor league deal in January. He eventually worked his way back to the majors, earning a start in early May as the Diamondbacks dealt with injuries to Robbie Ray and Taijuan Walker. That May 4 outing didn’t go well for Medlen, who allowed seven earned runs on nine hits and four walks (with four strikeouts) across four frames in a loss to the reigning World Series champion Astros. Arizona then optioned Medlen to Triple-A, where he spent the final few weeks of his career.

Even though his last season didn’t go well, Medlen enjoyed an accomplished big league career. The California native went in the 10th round of the 2006 draft to the Braves, who initially used him solely out of the bullpen before he later worked as both a starter and a reliever with the club. Medlen debuted in Atlanta in 2009 and went on to turn in 512 2/3 innings of 2.95 ERA ball with the team through 2013, also notching 7.62 K/9, 2.12 BB/9 and a 46.2 percent groundball rate over 152 appearances (61 starts).

While Medlen offered high-end production in Atlanta, his arm health began to deteriorate with the club. Medlen missed the majority of the 2011 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, which proved to the first of two TJ procedures he’d undergo in his career. Medlen went back under the knife prior to the 2014 campaign, bringing about the end of his first Braves tenure.

The Royals took a flyer on Medlen in the wake of his second surgery, inking him to a two-year deal, but he wasn’t able to regain his old form in Kansas City. However, in the better of those years – 2015 – Medlen pitched to a respectable 4.01 ERA over 58 1/3 innings (15 appearances, eight starts) and was part of the Royals’ first World Series-winning team since 1985. Neither Medlen nor the Royals could replicate that success the next season, leading him to exit and reunite with the Braves on a minor league deal entering the 2017 campaign. Medlen didn’t return to the majors with the Braves, instead spending the season primarily with their Triple-A affiliate.

Unfortunately, thanks to injuries, Medlen’s career didn’t reach the heights it could have. Nevertheless, he still registered a more-than-respectable 3.33 ERA in 599 1/3 major league frames. MLBTR wishes Medlen the best in retirement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mariners Select Chris Herrmann

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The Mariners have selected catcher/outfielder Chris Herrmann from Triple-A, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets. The club sent fellow catcher David Freitas to Triple-A in a corresponding 25-man move, though the Mariners will still need to create a 40-man spot for Herrmann.

The 30-year-old Herrmann is in the Mariners’ starting lineup Sunday, which will be his first major league action of the season. He previously played in the majors with the Twins (2012-15) and Diamondbacks (2016-17), combining for a .202/.278/.344 line in 811 plate appearances. Herrmann remained with the D-backs organization through the offseason, but they released him in late March and he quickly hooked on with the Mariners on a minors pact.

Herrmann earned his promotion to the Mariners with a solid offensive showing in Tacoma, where he opened 2018 with a .266/.424/.444 line and six home runs across 177 PAs in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Freitas fared decently at the MLB level, meanwhile, with a .217/.321/.304 slash in 55 trips to the plate. But for now, he’ll cede the role of Mike Zunino’s backup to Herrmann.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/27/18

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Keeping track of Sunday’s minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Yankees have outrighted left-hander Ryan Bollinger to Double-A, per a team announcement. Bollinger had a short stint with the Yankees, who selected his contract in time for Wednesday’s game against the Rangers and then optioned him afterward. The well-traveled 27-year-old will continue in Trenton, where he has logged 20 innings this season and posted a microscopic ERA (.90) with 5.9 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9.

AL Notes: Hamels, Yanks, Orioles, Miggy, Mariners

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The Rangers may trade left-hander Cole Hamels in the next couple months, and “it looks like the Yankees could be interested,” Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. Although the Yankees are among 20 teams on Hamels’ no-trade list, the 34-year-old suggested earlier this week that he wouldn’t block a move to a contender. New York certainly looks as if it’ll contend all season, which would appeal to Hamels, and the team figures to end up acquiring him or another legitimate starter at some point this summer. General manager Brian Cashman pointed to his pitching staff as an area that he could address Saturday, before Sonny Gray continued his disappointing season with an ugly start against the Angels.

Regardless of whether the Yankees go outside for help, they should get back a rotation reinforcement, lefty Jordan Montgomery, in the coming weeks. Montgomery, who has been out since May 2 with an elbow strain, is “progressing” without any issues, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com tweets. The second-year man is three-plus weeks into a potential six- to eight-week absence, and he had been in the midst of another effective season prior to going down. Righty Domingo German has served as a Montgomery fill-in for three starts, the first of which went swimmingly and the next two rather poorly.

More on a few other AL teams…

  • There have been questions about the Orioles’ power structure, a group that includes general manager Dan Duquette, manager Buck Showalter, VP Brady Anderson and ownership (Peter Angelos and his two sons), but signs are pointing to Duquette making the calls this summer, per Cafardo. Based on Cafardo’s report, Duquette will run point on a potential Manny Machado trade, one that could provide long-term benefits for the Orioles if the GM secures the right talent in return. Whether Duquette will continue in his post beyond this season remains unclear, though, given that his contract’s set to expire and the O’s look primed to begin a rebuild.
  • Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera could come off the disabled list as early as Monday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com tweets. The 35-year-old has missed upward of three weeks with a hamstring strain, which derailed an excellent start to his season. Cabrera put together a .323/.407/.516 line in 108 plate appearances before landing on the shelf.
  • The surging Mariners picked up another win Saturday to move to 31-20, though they may have lost a couple important contributors in the process. Shortstop Jean Segura exited after being kicked in the head, and manager Scott Servais said afterward that he’d enter concussion protocol, while reliever Nick Vincent departed with a strained right groin (Twitter links via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). A DL stint seems like a good possibility for Vincent, who ranks third among Mariners in relievers in innings (22) and has logged a 4.09 ERA with 9.41 K/9 against 2.45 BB/9. The Mariners will presumably know more Sunday on Vincent and Segura, one of their offensive catalysts. Segura has slashed .329/.345/.469 with four home runs and 12 stolen bases in 226 PAs this season.

Quick Hits: Machado, Cards, Herrera, Bumgarner, Yu

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Although the Orioles didn’t find a Manny Machado trade to their liking over the winter, the club did believe it was progressing toward a deal with the Cardinals in December, Buster Olney of ESPN reports. St. Louis backed out of negotiations on a swap that would have sent pitching prospects and third baseman Jedd Gyorko to Baltimore, per Olney. The identities of the prospects aren’t known, though Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reported in mid-December that the Orioles had interest in young Cardinals hurlers Luke Weaver, Jack Flaherty and Jordan Hicks. It’s hard to imagine the Cardinals parting with any of those three now, but Olney notes it’s possible they’ll circle back on Machado as the season progresses. Regardless, the Machado trade sweepstakes is likely to kick off in earnest after the June 4-6 draft, according to Olney.

More from around baseball…

  • Royals closer Kelvin Herrera could emerge as one of the most sought-after players in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, Olney observes. After an underwhelming 2017, Herrera’s amid an excellent start to the current campaign, and both that and the hard thrower’s impressive track record are among factors that should make him attractive around the league, Olney reasons. As an impending free agent on a rebuilding team, Herrera looks like a shoo-in to end up on the move, though Olney posits that KC would have leverage in trade talks because it could threaten to retain the 28-year-old and issue him a qualifying offer at season’s end.
  • Giants ace Madison Bumgarner is slated to take the hill in another rehab start Thursday, but he could make his season debut in the majors on Friday instead, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Bumgarner, who’s working back from a fractured pinky finger, was untouchable during a Triple-A rehab start Saturday, striking out eight (with one walk) over 3 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings. Bumgarner threw 47 pitches, just above the pregame goal of 45, and suggested afterward that he’s ready to slot back into San Francisco’s rotation. “I obviously didn’t know before today, but I think so,”  he said. “I wouldn’t say I’d be back at midseason form, but I definitely feel I could get some outs.”
  • Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish went to the disabled list on Saturday with triceps tendinitis, though it doesn’t seem as if he’ll be on the shelf for long. The team’s “not overly concerned” about the injury, manager Joe Maddon told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune and other reporters. Indeed, it’s only believed to be a “minor” issue, a Cubs source informed Sullivan, who notes there’s a chance Darvish could ultimately miss just one start.

Trade Notes: Machado, Phils, Cubs, Yanks, Rays, Padres, M’s, Tribe

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Orioles shortstop Manny Machado seems like a good bet to end up on the move this year, though it’s not “anywhere close” to happening, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. The Orioles aren’t “actively shopping” Machado right now, and they’re content to keep the soon-to-be free agent until closer to the July 31 non-waiver deadline, Kubatko writes. Kubatko goes on to list some potential Machado suitors, including the Phillies, who “left open the possibility of engaging in talks” with the Orioles when they were in Baltimore a couple weeks ago. Meanwhile, according to Kubatko, the Cubs reached out to Orioles general manager Dan Duquette to express interest in Machado, but Chicago – like Baltimore – isn’t prepared to make a major deal yet. Of course, Cubs president Theo Epstein addressed the Machado-Chicago speculation earlier this week, saying it’s “in fantasy land at this point.”

Here are more trade-related items:

  • The Yankees, owners of arguably the majors’ premier offense and its second-best record (32-16), “need pitching more than anything else,” general manager Brian Cashman said Saturday (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Cashman made that observation before right-hander Sonny Gray’s latest subpar start – a 3 2/3-frame, five-run performance in a loss to the Angels. Gray has now posted a 5.98 ERA/4.78 FIP with 7.97 K/9 and 5.07 BB/9 in 49 2/3 innings this year, which wasn’t the type of production the Yankees had in mind then they acquired him from the Athletics last July. His 2018 woes – not to mention a general lack of front-end starters behind ace Luis Severino – could force the World Series hopefuls to revisit the trade market for rotation help in the next couple months.
  • Tampa Bay pulled off a surprise trade Friday when it sent reliever Alex Colome and outfielder Denard Span to Seattle, and that won’t be be the end of the Rays’ moves, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times suggests. With Colome and Span gone, Topkin names Chris Archer, Wilson Ramos, C.J. Cron, Carlos Gomez, Adeiny Hechavarria, Brad Miller, Sergio Romo, Matt Duffy, Chaz Roe, Nathan Eovaldi and Jonny Venters as candidates to wind up in other uniforms.
  • Padres outfielder Travis Jankowski has drawn trade interest, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported before the Mariners-Rays swap. It seems the Mariners tried for Jankowski prior to landing Span, but according to Divish, the Padres didn’t show much interest in the M’s low-ranked farm system. Known mostly for his speed and defense, the 26-year-old Jankowski has gotten off to a .313/.382/.400 start at the plate in 89 attempts this season. He’s controllable through the 2021 season.
  • Thanks to their bullpen’s dreadful start to the season, the Indians have been inquiring about outside help, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com relays. It doesn’t seem as if any trades are close to happening, however, as Hoynes points out that the deadline’s still more than two months away. Cleveland’s bullpen entered Saturday last in the majors in both ERA (6.23) and fWAR (minus-0.8), and it then lost integral lefty Andrew Miller to the disabled list for the second time this season.

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