Brian Cashman On Yankees’ Deadline Plans
Yankees GM Brian Cashman addressed a few topics of interest with the rival Red Sox in town. Lindsey Adler of The Athletic (subscription link) and MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch were among those to write up the chat.
Of greatest significance, perhaps, were Cashman’s comments on his organization’s intentions regarding its rotation. The veteran executive left little doubt that, as expected, he’ll be looking hard for upgrades to the staff.
Cashman did allow that there were circumstances under which the team would hold pat with its existing group. But that’d only be the case, he said, if “we didn’t think the price tags were appropriate.” A failure to land a starter, he added, would “be more reflective of the inability to find a match comfortable enough to follow through with” than any lack of desire to add an arm.
That’s hardly surprising to hear, as the rotation has long been an obvious area to target for improvement, particularly since Jordan Montgomery went down for the year. But it’s notable that the Yankees are willing to acknowledge their intentions publicly — and at a relatively early stage in the summer trade market’s development.
At a minimum, these comments seem to indicate, the Yanks will likely add a solid depth starter. Even marginal improvements will matter, after all; every regular season win will count in a tight divisional race with the Red Sox. Of course, there’s also still every possibility that the club will aim quite a bit higher.
Getting a significant starter would mean parting with some hard-earned prospect capital. Cashman acknowledges as much. “I have a lot of high-end talent that’s taken a long time to acquire and cultivate, but it’s gonna cost something to get stuff, so we’ll play that game here over the next month,” he said. Cashman indicated that he won’t take top outfield prospect Clint Frazier off the table, though he did note that he’d prefer to retain the young talent.
Of course, some of the most intriguing outside arms are already pitching in New York for the rival Mets. Cashman said he has already been in touch with Mets executive Omar Minaya, who is one of the three executives who are filling in for GM Sandy Alderson. Cashman expressed interest in maintaining an open dialogue. Of course, it still would make for a surprise if those two organizations get together on a significant trade.
Injury Notes: Darvish, Nelson, Cordero, Chapman, Strasburg, Cespedes, Font, Dunning
With ongoing uncertainty leading to some real worry, it came as something of a relief when the Cubs announced that Yu Darvish has been diagnosed with a right elbow impingement, as Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic was among those to cover on Twitter. Already on the DL, Darvish will receive a cortisone shot before being examined again next week. It’s not yet known what the course will be from that point, but the club is no doubt pleased that there’s not a more significant underlying issue plaguing the high-priced hurler.
Let’s run through some other health updates of note …
- The Brewers are still unsure when they’ll welcome back righty Jimmy Nelson, GM David Stearns tells reporters including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (via Twitter). “We still think Jimmy is going to pitch for us this year,” Stearns stressed. But the shoulder surgery that knocked Nelson out has required a “slower process,” says Stearns, with Nelson still “yet to pitch off a mound.” It seems there’s no chance that the Brewers will welcome back their staff ace in advance of the trade deadline, meaning they’ll need to assess their rotation without full knowledge of his ability to contribute down the stretch.
- Padres outfielder Franchy Cordero appears quite likely to elect season-ending surgery, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell tweets. It’s still not a certainty, and the lack of urgency in making the final call — it has been under consideration for at least ten days — speaks to the general timeline. Though Cordero would miss the rest of the MLB campaign, he’d likely be ready to participate in winter ball and certainly be at full health for Spring Training next year.
- Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman has progressed to taking swings, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. He has already been out for about two weeks with a hand injury.
- It seems there’s some cause for optimism for the Indians regarding reliever Tyler Olson. MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets that Olson has been able to throw a bullpen session, which certainly indicates he’s progressing rather well from a lat injury that perhaps could have been worse.
- Likewise, Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg turned in a surprise bullpen session, as Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com was among those to tweet. That’s the first real indication that Strasburg is ready to begin working back toward a return from shoulder inflammation in earnest.
- In other NL East news, the Mets increasingly have a confounding situation on their hands with regard to star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News writes. Cespedes went on the DL in the middle of May with what seemed to be a minor injury, but still has not resumed running. Skipper Mickey Callaway says the veteran is “feeling a lot better,” but there’s no real sense of a timeline.
- Righty Wilmer Font left today’s game with a lat injury, with Rays skipper Kevin Cash saying it’s probably a serious one, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports on Twitter. The recently claimed righty “in all likelihood will miss significant time,” says Cash, which is quite a disappointment for all involved. Entering play today, the 28-year-old had found his groove with the Rays, turning in 22 innings of 1.64 ERA ball with 7.0 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9.
- In news of longer-term consequence, the White Sox are still holding their breath with regard to well-regarded pitching prospect Dane Dunning. The team announced that he has been diagnosed with a “moderate elbow sprain that presently will not require surgery.” For the time being, he’ll rest for a while and resume throwing in about two months’ time if he’s deemed ready. That’s hardly good news, but is certainly better than the worst-case that may have been feared.
Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins On Roberto Osuna, Trade Deadline Plans
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said today that suspended reliever Roberto Osuna will return to being the team’s closer when he is activated from his suspension, as Shi Davidi of Sporsnet.ca reports. Osuna is serving a 75-game suspension for a violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.
Dealing with Osuna’s situation was never going to be easy for the Toronto organization. The domestic assault charges against Osuna — one of the game’s best young relief pitchers — are extremely serious.
While the imposition of a lengthy ban did give the team an understanding as to when the young pitcher will be able to play, at least in the eyes of Major League Baseball, there’s still ample uncertainty remaining. Osuna is still facing a criminal trial, after all. In the event of a conviction, he could miss further time (and public scrutiny). And any criminal penalties could make it difficult for him to travel with the team. The factual circumstances surrounding his arrest also still remain largely unknown. Public opinion on the topic may yet depend upon the course of the criminal matter and what facts ultimately emerge.
Still, Atkins declared today that Osuna “is our closer.” He explained:
“We’re running a baseball team and our goal is to win championships. Roberto could potentially be very much a part of that. The word that comes to mind for me when you talk about that is empathy. That’s not just for Roberto, that’s for everyone involved, that’s where we’re going to spend our time and energy, on being empathetic and trying to understand. We don’t have a background in investigations.”
Readers can reach their own conclusions as to the merits of that stance given what has been reported to this point. From a purely on-field perspective, though, it seems Osuna will step back into his prominent role at the back of the Blue Jays’ bullpen if and when he’s able. The comments surely give no indication that the organization will look to trade Osuna before the July 31st trade deadline, as has been speculated elsewhere. He’s eligible to return to play in the majors in early August.
Atkins also addressed his organization’s general stance with the trade deadline approaching, as Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith tweeted. With Steve Pearce going out the door last night, it’s already obvious that the Jays’ rental pieces are available. That means that a variety of relievers could be moved, along with veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson and starters such as J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada.
But Atkins made clear, too, that the team will at least be open to the possibility of dealing controllable assets as well. If rival organizations wish to pry loose a player under contract into the future, though, the Jays will ask them “to frame the value for us and do the work on their end.” It seems, then, that the Toronto front office won’t be shopping players such as Justin Smoak, Yangervis Solarte, and Kevin Pillar so much as it will be amenable to considering offers for them.
While much of the focus will be on the July trade period, matters of significance lurk in August. Osuna’s status is likely to be a highly visible topic, with implications that go well beyond the game itself. And from a pure baseball perspective, a fascinating situation could be developing with regard to Josh Donaldson, who could be a highly important trade asset during the revocable waiver trade period — if he’s able to get back to health by that point, which isn’t yet certain given his recent setback.
Phillies, Royals Have Discussed Mike Moustakas
The Phillies and Royals have held at least preliminary trade talks involving Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The level of interest is not entirely apparent and there’s no indication at this point that the sides are nearing an agreement. But the K.C. scouting department is said to be taking a look at the Phillies system to identify targets.
With a $5.5MM salary this year and $1MM buyout on a 2019 mutual option, Moustakas is an affordable target. Of course, that’s probably not the chief concern for the Phils, who have been much more willing to burn money than prospect capital of late. In recent years, the club has placed numerous hefty salaries onto its payroll, but in most cases hasn’t packaged significant young talent or taken on long-term financial commitments.
The Philadelphia organization unquestionably has the assets to get Moustakas; what’s not yet clear is whether he’s really the player they want. Firmly in the picture in the National League East, the Phillies are said to be a possible pursuer of top summer trade candidate Manny Machado — a player they may also covet in free agency at season’s end. The club has also been connected to Rangers third bagger Adrian Beltre.
Moustakas, 29, has trailed off at the plate of late after surging to open the year. Still, his .255/.310/.467 slash and 15 home runs through 332 plate appearances fall right in line with his composite work from the prior three campaigns. He has perhaps even been a bit unfortunate; while his .255 BABIP is in line with his unusually low career rate, Moustakas is credited by Statcast with a .383 xwOBA that greatly exceeds his .325 wOBA.
There’s not much mystery at this point as to Moustakas’s profile. He’s got excellent power, middling on-base ability, and not-insignificant platoon splits (which have widened this year). Defensively, he has graded out as a positive this year, but he has mostly played within range of average over his career.
It’ll be interesting to see how the deadline plays out for the Phillies. There are lots of possibilities, both at the hot corner and elsewhere on the roster. As Salisbury indicates, the team may well not show much interest in parting with top prospects to make deals. But few, if any, clubs in baseball can match the Phillies in near and long-term financial flexibility, opening numerous creative avenues to improve a roster that has already looked solid through the season’s halfway point.
White Sox Release Alex Presley
The White Sox have released outfielder Alex Presley, per an announcement from the team’s Triple-A affiliate. Presley had been playing at Charlotte since signing a minors deal in late May.
Presley, who’s within a month of his 33rd birthday, opened the season with the Orioles organization. He has had trouble getting things going at the plate at the highest level of the minors, turning in 232 plate appearances of .238/.306/.314 hitting in his two stops this year.
In the eight preceding seasons, the left-handed-hitting Presley accumulated just over fifteen-hundred plate appearances in the majors, slashing a composite .263/.306/.388. He carried a 106 wRC+ output in 71 games last year with the Tigers.
Zack Wheeler Has “Drawn Some Inquiries”
Mets righty Zack Wheeler has “drawn some inquiries” in trade talks, according to James Wagner of the New York Times (Twitter link). It’s not clear at this point how serious the interest is.
There’s no specific indication that the Mets are particularly willing to move Wheeler, but the club indicated yesterday that it would at least entertain offers for its best pitchers. If Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard are both potentially available, it stands to reason that the Mets’ front office wouldn’t hang up on callers inquiring on Wheeler.
Clearly, Wheeler isn’t going to draw the kind of offers that the Mets’ top hurlers will. But he’s an interesting arm in his own right. The former sixth overall draft choice has been through a lot in recent seasons, but is finally rounding into form right as the deadline approaches.
Wheeler missed two full seasons as he struggled to make it back from Tommy John surgery, then turned in 17 middling starts last year. He owns only a 4.47 ERA in his 88 2/3 innings over 15 outings thus far in 2018, but the peripherals are much more promising. Wheeler has retired 8.7 batters per nine via strikeout while issuing 3.3 walks per nine, with ERA estimators viewing him as a solid performer (3.66 FIP, 4.01 xFIP, 4.01 SIERA) over the first half of the season.
The signs have pointed up of late. As Wagner notes, Wheeler carries a 3.38 ERA through his past eight starts. And his fastball velocity has steadily trended up over the course of the season, with Wheeler sitting at 97 most recently. With a meager $1.9MM salary, the hurler comes plenty cheap. And he can be retained for another campaign via arbitration.
Despite the encouraging signs, it’s still hard to imagine that rival teams will be willing to stake their best prospect assets on a pitcher whose recent past includes so many questions. On the other side of the equation, the Mets have little reason to dump Wheeler for whatever they can get. If the offers aren’t sufficient, the club will happily allow him a chance to fill innings and build value. After all, Wheeler could certainly still be a worthwhile offseason trade candidate or 2019 rotation piece for the Mets.
Marlins Lefty Caleb Smith Diagnosed With Grade 3 Lat Strain
JUNE 29: Smith will go under the knife next month, Frisaro reports on Twitter. It seems likely, then, that he’ll be targeting a return next year.
JUNE 25, 10:01pm: Smith says he’s considering surgery and is likely going to miss the rest of the year, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets.
7:49pm: Marlins lefty Caleb Smith, who had already been placed on the DL, has been diagnosed with a grade 3 lat strain, per a club announcement. Unfortunately, that’s the most severe designation for a muscle injury.
The Miami organization has not yet given an indication of how long Smith may be down. Given the general diagnosis, though, a lengthy absence seems all but certain. Last year, Noah Syndergaard missed nearly five months with a broadly similar injury.
There are obviously any number of details to the injury that could impact the time Smith spends away. One of them is the simple fact that the Marlins have no reason to rush him back. After all, this was a rebuilding season from the outset.
Smith, who’ll turn 27 this summer, has been perhaps the most notable success story to date for the new Marlins’ leadership in its first year in office. After coming over in an offseason swap with the Yankees, Smith blossomed into the Marlins’ most effective starter and a potential long-term asset. Through 77 1/3 innings on the season, Smith worked to a 4.19 ERA with an impressive 10.2 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9.
Blue Jays Select Contract Of Darnell Sweeney
The Blue Jays have selected the contract of utilityman Darnell Sweeney, as Ben Nicholson-Smith first observed on Twitter. He’ll take the open roster spot created by last night’s trade of Steve Pearce.
Sweeney, 27, has only seen brief action in the majors, with a brief run with the Phillies back in 2015. He hasn’t shown enough offensive potential in the upper minors to force further opportunities, with a .255/.323/.397 cumulative slash in 400 career games a Triple-A.
That said, Sweeney does offer immense versatility, with significant professional experience in the infield (at second, third, and shortstop) and outfield (left and center). Though he has swiped quite a few bags in the minors, Sweeney has also been caught rather frequently. In total, he has 156 steals but has been tagged out 83 times.
Cardinals Claim Tyler Webb
The Cardinals have claimed lefty Tyler Webb off waivers from the Padres. The San Diego organization, which announced the move, had designated Webb for assignment recently.
A tenth-round pick in the 2013 draft, Webb moved quickly to the upper reaches of the Yankees system and has always produced quality K/BB numbers. But the 27-year-old has received limited opportunities in the majors. He has just 13 total MLB innings on his ledger, with those coming with three different teams over the past two seasons.
This season, Webb has thrived at Triple-A. Through 22 innings, he has allowed just five earned runs while recording 28 strikeouts against eight walks. But in his time in the bigs, he has shown only a low-nineties fastball and swinging-strike rate of just over eight percent.
Tigers Fire Pitching Coach Chris Bosio
FRIDAY: Sources that spoke with Ken Rosenthal and Katie Strang of The Athletic painted quite a different picture than did Bosio. Whereas Bosio asserted that he was making a comment to others that was overheard and taken out of context by a team employee, this new report indicates that a racial epithet was directed from Bosio to the employee. Multiple sources specifically disputed Bosio’s account of what occurred, per The Athletic.
THURSDAY: Bosio has given his version of events to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, asserting that the situation arose from a misunderstanding and claiming he was unfairly dismissed. Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press provides additional information regarding a key aspect of Bosio’s account (see here and here).
Avila again declined to go into specifics, but generally disputed that the team was wrong to react as it did. “We know what we did, and why we did it,” he said, “and we’ll see where it goes from there. The action we took was appropriate. There were things involved. But I can’t comment any further.”
WEDNESDAY, 3:02pm: Rick Anderson will move from bullpen coach to pitching coach for the remainder of the season, Avila says (via Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, on Twitter).
2:49pm: The Tigers announced today that they have fired pitching coach Chris Bosio. Per a club announcement, the decision was due to “insensitive comments.” The full statement reads as follows:
“Effective immediately, the Detroit Tigers have terminated the contract of pitching coach Chris Bosio for his insensitive comments that violated Club policy and his Uniform Employee Contract. The organization holds all of our personnel to the highest standards of personal conduct both on and off the field. We have zero tolerance for this type of behavior. The Club will have no further comment on this matter.”
It is not entirely apparent at this time precisely what led to the termination, but general manager Al Avila tells reporters that the comments in question were made by Bosio to a team employee (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Jason Beck).
Bosio was in his first year with the organization after spending five seasons in the same role with the Cubs. The 55-year-old pitched in the majors for eleven years, from 1986 through 1996.