Brewers Promote Corbin Burnes, Activate Lorenzo Cain, Place Ryan Braun On DL
The Brewers are set to promote one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, right-hander Corbin Burnes, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The team has also activated outfielder Lorenzo Cain from the 10-day disabled list; sent fellow outfielder Ryan Braun and catcher Manny Pina to the DL; recalled infielder/outfielder Nate Orf and catcher Jacob Nottingham from Triple-A; and optioned righty Aaron Wilkerson, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
In yet another move, Milwaukee announced that it has designated lefty Mike Zagurski for assignment. Between Zagurski’s exit and Burnes’ promotion, the Brewers still have an open spot on their 40-man roster.
Now 23, Burnes will get to the majors quickly after joining the Brewers as a fourth-round pick in 2016. After Milwaukee selected him, Burnes proceeded to race through the lower levels of the minors over the previous two seasons, and has spent all of this year at Triple-A. Burnes hasn’t been great at preventing runs in 2018, having recorded a 5.15 ERA in 78 2/3 innings (19 appearances, 13 starts), though the Brewers’ Triple-A home in Colorado Springs is a tough environment for pitchers. And to his credit, Burnes has managed 9.27 K/9 against 3.55 BB/9.
Both MLB.com (No. 56) and Baseball America (No. 58) regard Burnes as a top-60 prospect in baseball and one of the best farmhands in a quality Brewers system. In its free scouting report, MLB.com lauds Burnes’ “lightning-quick arm,” adding that he offers a 92 to 95 mph fastball with “natural cutting action,” two impressive breaking pitches and a solid changeup.
It’s unclear whether Burnes will factor into the Brewers’ rotation in the short term, as Wade Miley is nearing a return from the DL and could join Junior Guerra, Chase Anderson, Jhoulys Chacin and Freddy Peralta to comprise their starting staff. Wilkerson started for the club Saturday, going five innings and allowing two earned runs in a loss to Atlanta. The defeat dropped the Brewers to a still-excellent 53-36, good for a 1 1/2-game lead in the NL Central. With Milwaukee looking like a strong playoff contender, it could further bolster its roster – including its rotation – in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, though the club does have potential pitching reinforcements on the way in Miley, Jimmy Nelson, Brent Suter and Zach Davies (all of whom are on the DL). Although, Nelson may not pitch until September, if at all, general manager David Stearns told Haudricourt and other reporters Sunday.
Cain, meanwhile, will act as a reinforcement for the Brewers’ position player group after missing nearly two weeks with a groin strain. He had gotten off to a tremendous start in the first season of a five-year, $80MM contract. The also-expensive Braun has been uncharacteristically ineffective, on the other hand, with a .235/.283/.427 line in 255 plate appearances. Injuries have been an all-too-common issue of late for Braun, who’s now dealing with a back strain.
Pina, the Brewers’ starting catcher, is heading to the shelf with a left biceps strain. He’s part of a Brewers backstop contingent that hasn’t offered much at the plate this year, as Pina has hit .227/.294/.376 in 214 PAs. Pina has thrown out 36 percent of would-be base stealers, however, and been a middle-of-the-pack pitch framer, per Baseball Prospectus. His absence will leave the Brewers with Erik Kratz and Nottingham as their two catchers.
As for Zagurski, he lasted under two weeks on Milwaukee’s 40-man before it designated him. The well-traveled 35-year-old has seen his first major league action since 2013 this season, though it hasn’t been pretty. In two appearances with the Brewers, Zagurski has combined for one inning and allowed seven earned runs on five hits and two walks.
Red Sox Make Series Of Roster Moves
The Red Sox have announced a series of roster moves, including officially placing catcher Christian Vazquez on the 10-day disabled list with a broken right pinky. In addition, they sent left-hander Brian Johnson to the 10-day DL (left hip inflammation, retroactive to July 5) and transferred righty Austin Maddox to the 60-day DL.
With their newfound roster space, the Red Sox selected righty Ryan Brasier from Triple-A Pawtucket and recalled fellow righty William Cuevas. They continue to possess a full 40-man roster.
The 30-year-old Brasier could now see his first major league action since 2013, when he threw his only nine MLB innings while with the Angels. Brasier inked a minors deal with the Red Sox over the winter after spending the previous several years at the Triple-A level with the Halos and Athletics. He has opened this season with tremendous numbers at Pawtucket, where he has logged a 1.34 ERA with 8.93 K/9 and 1.79 BB/9 in 40 1/3 innings out of the team’s bullpen. Overall, Brasier – the Angels’ sixth-round pick in 2007 – owns a 3.65 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 246 1/3 Triple-A frames.
Royals Place Jakob Junis On DL, Select Glenn Sparkman
The Royals have placed right-hander Jakob Junis on the 10-day disabled list with low back inflammation, per Maria Torres of the Kansas City Star. Additonally, the club selected the contract of righty Glenn Sparkman from Triple-A Omaha, giving Kansas City a full 40-man roster.
Junis had been scheduled to start the Royals’ game against the Red Sox on Sunday, but righty Heath Fillmyer will take the ball instead. Across 17 starts and 101 2/3 innings this season, the 25-year-old Junis has struggled to a 5.13 ERA/5.47 FIP, though he has managed 8.14 K/9 against 2.48 BB/9.
Fillmyer, 24, is now set to make his first big league start. He joined the Royals in an offseason trade with the Athletics and has made his first three major league appearances this year, throwing nine innings of two-run ball out of KC’s bullpen. He hasn’t fared nearly that well in 13 Triple-A starts, though, with a 5.75 ERA/4.62 FIP in 67 1/3 frames.
Sparkman is in position to see the second MLB action of his career. He tossed one inning in 2017 with the Blue Jays, who took him from the Royals in the 2016 Rule 5 draft but then returned him to Kansas City last July. The 26-year-old has divided this season between the minors’ two highest levels and combined for a 3.96 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 1.1 BB/9 in 16 starts and 88 2/3 innings.
AL West Notes: M’s, Cano, Cruz, A’s, Astros, Tucker
Speaking with reporters (including Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times) on Saturday, Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano was apologetic about the 80-game suspension he has been serving since mid-May. Cano tested positive for Furosemide, which is a diuretic that masks the effects of PEDs, though he suggested that he didn’t knowingly take a banned substance. “The city of Seattle has become my second home for my family and I. I’m grateful to the organization, my teammates and the fans and as you guys know, I’ve been getting tested for the last 12 seasons and I’ve never had an issue with MLB policy,” Cano said. “I was being treated for some medical ailments and I was being supervised by a doctor. But at the same time, I understand that everything that goes into my body, I’m responsible for that.”
Because the Mariners (56-34) have been on a roll without Cano, who’s eligible to return Aug. 14 but ineligible for postseason play, it’s unclear whether he’ll man second base again when he comes back. Dee Gordon has moved from center field to second in Cano’s absence, and it’s possible the Mariners will keep Gordon at the keystone through season’s end. Asked if he’d be on board with shifting positions upon his return, Cano noted, “I haven’t talked to (general manager) Jerry (Dipoto) yet, but I would do anything for the team.” Should Gordon remain at second, the 35-year-old Cano could head to first, where Ryon Healy has only offered league-average offense this season.
Here’s more on Seattle and two other playoff hopefuls from the AL West:
- Thanks in part to the presences of Gordon and Healy, not to mention Cano’s age, he may have to move to designated hitter as early as next year, Bob Condotta of KLAY 1180 AM writes. The Mariners have Nelson Cruz at DH now, but he’ll be a free agent after the season. While Cruz is having yet another outstanding campaign at the plate, he’s unlikely to land an overly long or expensive contract considering his age (38) and inability to contribute on defense, Condotta posits. As such, whether the Mariners re-sign Cruz may hinge more on roster flexibility than whether they’re interested in meeting his asking price. Bringing Cruz back would affect not only the DH situation in Seattle, but also the team’s infield and outfield pictures, as Condotta explains in his piece.
- The Athletics announced that they’ve reinstated left-hander Brett Anderson from the 10-day disabled list and placed righty Paul Blackburn on the 10-day DL (retroactive to Saturday) with right elbow lateral epicondylitis. Anderson missed nearly two months with a left shoulder strain, adding to a long list of injuries in the 30-year-old’s career. He struggled in 15 1/3 innings before hitting the shelf, yielding 13 earned runs on 25 hits. Blackburn has endured a similarly poor season in the run prevention department (7.16 ERA in 27 2/3 frames), though ERA estimators FIP (3.56), xFIP (4.33) and SIERA (4.37) suggest he has deserved far better. It’s unclear how much time Blackburn could miss, but the location of his injury is alarming – especially considering he sat out all of April and May with a right forearm strain. Swapping Anderson for Blackburn will continue to leave the A’s with more than a full rotation’s worth of starters on the DL (depth chart).
- The three weeks leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline will serve as a left field audition for Astros prospect Kyle Tucker, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal says. If the just-promoted Tucker doesn’t look ready to contribute on a regular basis, the Astros will “likely” look to acquire a veteran stopgap, according to Rosenthal, who points out that left field has not been an area of strength for their offense this season. Tucker, 21, made his Astros debut Saturday and went 1 for 4 with three strikeouts and a walk.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: A’s, Arenado, Jays, Phillies, Mets, Yanks, Twins
This week in baseball blogs…
- A’s Farm talks to Athletics teammates and longtime roommates Matt Olson and Chad Pinder.
- BP Toronto chats with Randal Grichuk and other members of the Blue Jays organization about the right fielder’s first season with the team.
- Forbes interviews Ramón Peña, an accomplished scout who hasn’t been able to land with a team since the Indians parted with him in 2016.
- Rockies Redux wonders if Colorado will be able to keep Nolan Arenado around for the long haul.
- Good Fundies examines Zack Wheeler‘s bounce-back season.
- Know Hitter identifies six teams that could make big moves around the trade deadline.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) reacts to the Yankees’ reported interest in Mike Moustakas, and names players the Twins could pursue if they decide to buy.
- Outfield Fly Rule regards Freddie Freeman as the NL’s most valuable position player so far in 2018.
- Fansided runs down five players the Nationals should look into acquiring.
- Reviewing The Brew outlines and ranks the Brewers’ biggest needs going into the deadline.
- Camden Depot explains how the Orioles should approach the trade deadline, while Jays From the Couch does the same with Toronto.
- Rays Colored Glasses asks if Tampa Bay overvalues its pitchers in trade talks.
- The Point of Pittsburgh looks at how deep the Pirates will need to trade to infuse talent in the system.
- Phillies Nation could see Philly targeting Arenado if it’s unable to land Harper or Manny Machado in free agency.
- Infield Chatter proposes a trade in which the Tigers send Michael Fulmer and Nicholas Castellanos to the Angels.
- MLB & Fantasy Baseball Analyzed says the Mets have to trade Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.
- Foul Territory delves into potential trade destinations for Machado.
- Pro Baseball Detroit covers No. overall 1 pick Casey Mize’s introduction to the city.
- Call to the Pen (links: 1, 2) opines that the Nationals shouldn’t trade Bryce Harper, and checks in on areas the Phillies could upgrade.
- The First Out At Third isn’t fully buying into Brewers righty Jhoulys Chacin‘s success.
- Rising Apple lists three teams that could trade for Jeurys Familia.
- Everything Bluebirds makes an argument for the Blue Jays to sell sooner than later.
- Chin Music Baseball (links: 1, 2) breaks down the 10 best and worst players of June.
- Mets Daddy doesn’t want the club to trade Wilmer Flores.
- Bronx Bomber Ball opines that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the Yankees to keep Clint Frazier in the minors.
- Notes from the Sally scouts Braves pitching prospects Freddy Tarnok and Huascar Ynoa.
- Friars On Base is encouraged by Hunter Renfroe‘s progress.
- Motor City Bengals hands out Tigers midseason awards.
- Pinstriped Prospects chats with Yankees Double-A pitcher Caleb Frare.
- Armchair All-Americans profiles Rays second base prospect Brandon Lowe, while The Runner Sports does the same with Astros draft pick Jacob Billingsley.
- Rotisserie Duck uses RBI percentage to identify the best and worst clutch hitters of the season.
- The Pinch Runner looks at Prince Fielder‘s Hall of Fame chances.
- The K Zone takes a look at how hitters fare on their birthdays.
- Chris Zantow rewinds to July 7, 1978, when the Brewers defeated the Yankees’ Ron Guidry during his 25-3 season.
Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com
AL Notes: Yankees, Bumgarner, Rays, Eovaldi, Tigers
It’s well known that the Yankees are looking to bolster their rotation, though the cost to acquire a starter is “out of control right now,” a source close to the team informed Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Nevertheless, Feinsand goes on to list a few starters the Yankees could pursue, including Giants ace Madison Bumgarner. As you’d expect, though, Bumgarner’s not going anywhere. A Giants executive told Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic that any trade speculation centering on Bumgarner is “California dreaming.”
More on New York and a pair of other AL teams:
- With the Rays out of contention, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times runs down a bevy of potential trade pieces for the club. The list includes right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who’s expected to draw 10 interested teams to Citi Field to scout his start against the Mets on Sunday, Topkin reports. Eovaldi previously had several clubs on hand this past Monday when he turned in a quality start in Miami. After missing all of 2017 on account of August 2016 Tommy John surgery, the hard-throwing 28-year-old has encouraged this season with a 3.92 ERA, 7.62 K/9 against 1.31 BB/9 and a 49.6 percent groundball rate through 41 1/3 innings. Eovaldi’s also on a cheap salary ($2MM), which adds to his appeal, though he’s not under control past this season.
- Back to the Yankees, who saw catcher Gary Sanchez hit the disabled list June 25 with a right groin strain. Now, Sanchez has progressed enough that he feels he’ll be able to return before the All-Star break. That’s not going to happen, however, as manager Aaron Boone told George A. King III of the New York Post and other reporters Saturday. The Yankees are taking a cautious approach with Sanchez and will continue to rely on reserve catchers Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka for the next week-plus.
- The strained right shoulder that sent Tigers closer Shane Greene to the DL this past Monday isn’t a serious injury, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. Greene has inflammation and bursitis – no structural damage – and could return next weekend, Beck relays. The news regarding teammate Leonys Martin, who went on the DL when Greene did, isn’t as promising. The center fielder’s strained left hamstring will keep him out through the break. But should Martin return before the July 31 non-waiver deadline, he figures to draw trade interest. The same goes for Greene.
Braves Fail To Reach Agreement With First-Round Pick Carter Stewart
JULY 7: The “sense” is that Stewart will attend a junior college in Florida, not Mississippi State, Kiley McDaniel of FanGraphs reports on Twitter. If that happens, Stewart will be eligible for next year’s draft, McDaniel adds.
JULY 6: The Braves and first-round draft choice Carter Stewart failed to put pen to paper in advance of today’s 5pm EST deadline, Jon Heyman of Fancred was first to tweet.
Stewart, a Florida high-schooler, entered the draft graded as one of the top eligible hurlers. He had dealt with a wrist injury late in the season, though it was not something that led to any expectations of a ding in his draft stock. Indeed, it seemed there was not much to worry about when the Braves took Stewart eighth overall.
Unfortunately, it seems that a closer look at the medicals has enhanced the concerns for the Atlanta organization. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweeted that it was a “definite concern” for the Braves, noting that player and team never really were close on numbers entering the final signing day.
The eighth overall pick came with a $4,980,700 allocation. The Braves will only get a compensatory pick next year — at one slot lower than the existing selection (#9) — if they offered Stewart at least 40% of the slot value (i.e., $1,992,280).
The Braves kept their offer “a lot closer to the 40% threshold than to pick value,” according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter link), which explains why a deal did not come together. But that also indicates that enough cash was put on the table to ensure that the club will get another top-ten selection next year. Stewart will presumably honor his commitment to Mississippi State, though there’s no clear indication yet as to his immediate future.
Yankees Interested In Brad Hand, Zach Britton
The Yankees already possess perhaps the game’s premier bullpen, but they could nonetheless add to their relief corps in the coming weeks. The club’s among the teams interested in a pair of established lefty relievers – the Padres’ Brad Hand and the Orioles’ Zach Britton – Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets.
While Britton is the better known of the two, Hand has eclipsed him in value since his breakout 2016. Hand previously landed on the Yankees’ radar last July and looked like a strong bet to leave San Diego via trade, considering the Padres were nowhere near playoff contention. Instead, the Padres kept Hand and then inked him to an extension worth a guaranteed three years and $19.75MM over the winter. The deal also features a $10MM club option, which Hand’s employer will pick up if he continues at anything resembling his current pace.
Since 2016, Hand leads qualified relievers in innings (210) and has posted a 2.66 ERA with 11.83 K/9, 3.04 BB/9 and a 46.8 percent groundball rate. The 28-year-old is now in his second season a full-time closer, during which he has converted 24 of 28 save chances, but he’d work in a setup role with the Yankees because of closer Aroldis Chapman‘s presence (though Chapman has battled left knee tendinitis since early May, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com tweets). He’d accompany Chapman to give the Yankees two lights-out southpaws and yet another tremendous option alongside setup men Chad Green, Dellin Betances, David Robertson and Jonathan Holder.
In addition to Chapman, Green, Betances, Robertson and Holder, New York has gotten terrific results from relievers Adam Warren and A.J. Cole this season. The team also has 2017 standout Tommy Kahnle on hand in the minors. It may not behoove the World Series-contending Yankees to meet the still-rebuilding Padres’ reportedly high asking price for Hand, then, especially given New York’s need to address its rotation and maybe even its first base situation during the next few weeks.
Contrary to Hand, Britton does not look like a top-end reliever at this point, nor is he controllable beyond this season. Since an incredible 2016 in which he compiled a .54 ERA in 67 innings, Britton has dealt with a decline in output and a ruptured Achilles. He returned from that injury, which he suffered over the winter, last month and has since allowed six earned runs (with just eight strikeouts against seven walks) in 10 1/2 frames and experienced a dip in velocity.
Along with his newfound performance issues, Britton comes with a high salary. He’s owed the balance of $12MM, and the Yankees could be wary of that given their desire to stay south of the $197MM competitive-balance tax threshold. They’re plenty familiar with the 30-year-old Britton, though, as he has spent his entire career with AL East rival Baltimore. The Orioles are far out of playoff contention and figure to sell off as many pending free agents as possible, including Britton, in the coming weeks.
Athletics Considering Extension For Jed Lowrie
Just as the Athletics are interested in extending designated hitter Khris Davis, they’re also considering a new deal for second baseman Jed Lowrie, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports. Unlike Davis, who’s controllable via arbitration in 2019, Lowrie is slated to hit free agency at season’s end.
Rosenthal proposes a two-year, $15MM extension, which would represent a slight annual increase over the $6MM Lowrie is raking in this season on a club option. Given that he’ll play his age-35 season in 2019, a long-term deal will be hard to come by for Lowrie, though he has made his case for a pay raise dating back to last year.
The switch-hitting Lowrie racked up the second-most games played (153) and plate appearances (645) of his career in 2017, when he slashed an easily above-average .277/.360/.448 with 14 home runs en route to a personal-high 3.5 fWAR. Executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane offered effusive praise for Lowrie after the season, and though the veteran later came up in winter trade rumors, the Athletics ended up retaining him.
Keeping Lowrie has paid dividends in 2018 for the A’s, who have exceeded expectations to post the American League’s sixth-best record (49-40) and are 6 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot. Lowrie has been a key part of their success, having already surpassed last year’s HR total (15) and logged 3.1 fWAR in just 379 PAs. He has also batted .291/.359/.503, giving him the A’s top wRC+ (139), and appeared in 86 of the team’s 89 games. The durability Lowrie has demonstrated since last season is especially notable for a player who has dealt with his share of injury issues dating back to his 2008 debut with the Red Sox. Indeed, Lowrie has only amassed 100-plus appearances three times.
Along with his past injury troubles, both the A’s and Lowrie will have to weigh his age in deciding his future. Free agency has been unkind lately to 30-somethings, particularly this past winter, which may point Lowrie toward an in-season extension if Oakland ends up offering one at a fair price. Otherwise, Lowrie could be one of five free agents for the low-payroll A’s, whose only guaranteed salaries for 2019 currently belong to reliever Yusmeiro Petit ($5.5MM) and right fielder Stephen Piscotty ($7.33MM). The A’s otherwise have nothing but arbitration-eligible and pre-arb players, including 22-year-old middle infielder and potential Lowrie successor Franklin Barreto, whom they “would not necessarily” be worried about blocking because he’s so young, Rosenthal says.
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/7/18
The latest minor moves from around the sport…
- The Blue Jays announced that they’ve outrighted reliever Preston Guilmet to Triple-A. Toronto designated Guilmet on Wednesday after he allowed eight earned runs in as many innings with the team, which claimed him off waivers from the Cardinals on June 9. Given that the 30-year-old has been outrighted before, he could elect free agency, though it seems he’ll stay with the Jays.
Earlier updates:
- The Cubs outrighted Chris Gimenez to Triple-A after the catcher cleared waivers (ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers was among those to report the news). Gimenez was designated for assignment on Wednesday to create room for the newly-promoted Victor Caratini. After signing a minors deal with Chicago last winter, Gimenez has appeared in 12 games this season, producing only a .143/.219/.143 slash line over 32 plate appearances.