Adrian Beltre Drawing Trade Interest
Both the Phillies and Indians have varying levels of interest in Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Philadelphia’s interest is portrayed a bit more strongly in the report, whereas Morosi writes that “[a]t least some within the Indians organization would like to acquire Beltre,” who is familiar with skipper Terry Francona from the 2010 season with the Red Sox.
The Rangers’ stance as sellers on this summer’s trade deadline has been clear for weeks. Texas currently sits 12 games below .500 and an insurmountable 18 games out of first place in the American League West. They’re a similarly daunting 14.5 games out of the American League Wild Card chase.
While trade interest in Beltre figures to pick up as the deadline draws nearer, it’s not yet clear whether the 39-year-old Beltre will waive his 10-and-5 rights, which allow him to veto any trade scenario with which he is presented. Certainly, there’s a logical case to be made that given his age, Beltre would prefer to go somewhere with a chance to win a World Series ring. At the same time, he’s been with the Rangers since 2011 and undoubtedly has a comfort level with his teammates, the coaching staff, the city and Rangers fans. He’s earning $18MM this season — with approximately $9.77MM of that sum still owed to him through season’s end.
For the Phillies, it’s not difficult to see the appeal Beltre brings to the organization. Philadelphia third baseman have posted a lackluster .235/.300/.399 batting line so far in 2018, and their third basemen have been seven runs below average in the field according to both Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved. There’s been little in the way of value provided from either Maikel Franco or J.P. Crawford, the latter of whom just went on the disabled list for up to six weeks after incurring a broken hand when he was hit by a pitch two days ago.
The Indians, meanwhile, have a less obvious need, considering the brilliance of Jose Ramirez, who has broken out as a full-fledged superstar over the past two seasons. Ramirez is hitting a ridiculous .291/.391/.611 with 22 homers, 20 doubles, a triple and 10 steals (in 12 tries) while playing strong defense at third base. However, Ramirez is also a more-than-capable second baseman, and the Cleveland organization has received virtually no production at that position from former star Jason Kipnis (.208/.282/.328 in 295 plate appearances). Acquiring Beltre would allow Cleveland to shift Ramirez to second base.
Clearly, Beltre isn’t the player that he once was. But the future Hall of Famer has still notched an impressive .302/.357/.428 slash with three homers, nine doubles and a triple so far through 182 plate appearances. However, he’s also had a pair of DL stints this season due to hamstring strains and has begun to see more time at designated hitter as a means of keeping his legs healthier. That could limit some of his appeal to an NL club such as the Phillies, though with Crawford, Franco and Scott Kingery on the roster, the Phils have the depth to rest Beltre a couple of times per week should they deem it necessary.
Pedro Alvarez Accepts Outright Assignment
The Orioles announced Thursday that corner infielder/designated hitter Pedro Alvarez has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Norfolk. The veteran Alvarez would’ve had the right to reject that assignment in favor of free agency, though Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com tweets that he has accepted the assignment and will remain in the organization.
Alvarez, 31, showed that he still has plenty of power in his latest run with the Orioles, swatting eight homers in just 127 plate appearances and notching an impressive .234 ISO. However, he remains strikeout-prone and posted just a .180/.283/.414 batting line on the season overall.
Baltimore actually used Alvarez at third base more than at first base in his latest run with the team, as an early injury to Tim Beckham created an opening at the hot corner. Manny Machado had been the team’s primary third baseman for years, of course, but he voiced a preference to move over to shortstop, his original position, following the departure of J.J. Hardy, and the organization accommodated that wish. Unsurprisingly, defensive metrics weren’t kind to Alvarez in his limited time at third base, though that was to be expected. The slugger drew poor ratings at third base even when it was his primary position, but he’d seen all of 53 innings at third over the past three seasons combined before lining up there in 2018.
Alvarez will remain on hand in Triple-A and could conceivably get a call to the big leagues again later this year. The O’s figure to be active sellers at this summer’s trade deadline and will need to plug some of the myriad holes created by trading away more productive veterans. Of course, the club may also want to fill those eventual vacancies with younger options than Alvarez, who’ll once again be a free agent at season’s end.
Reds Select Kyle Crockett, Option Wandy Peralta, Release Tony Cruz
The Reds announced a series of roster moves Thursday, most notably selecting the contract of left-handed reliever Kyle Crockett and optioning fellow southpaw Wandy Peralta to Triple-A Louisville in his place. Cincinnati opened a spot on the 40-man roster for Crockett by releasing Triple-A catcher Tony Cruz. Additionally, the Reds placed Scott Schebler on the bereavement list and recalled outfielder Phil Ervin from Louisville.
[Related: Updated Cincinnati Reds depth chart]
The decision to option Peralta was likely a disheartening one for the organization. The hard-throwing 26-year-old looked to be on the path to establishing himself as a quality big league reliever last season when he tossed 64 2/3 innings with a 3.76 ERA, 7.9 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 1.1 HR/9 and a 54.2 percent ground-ball rate. Most encouragingly, Peralta showed minimal platoon splits (.287 wOBA vs. lefties, .298 vs. righties).
Unfortunately for Peralta, the 2018 campaign has been nothing short of a nightmare. He has more walks (25) than strikeouts (21) in 29 1/3 innings so far in 2018, and he’s hit a pair of batters as well. He’s allowed just one homer on the season, but his awful control in 2018 has resulted in a 6.14 ERA. Things have been particularly bad of late, as Peralta has surrendered 11 runs over his past five innings of work; he was charged with five earned runs without recording an out in his final appearance before being optioned.
Cincinnati will hope that Crockett, 26, can step into the role they’d set aside for Peralta. The 2013 Indians fourth-rounder was somewhat improbably the first player from his draft class to reach the Majors, and he did so in impressive fashion, posting a 1.80 ERA with a 28-to-8 K/BB ratio in 30 innings for Cleveland as a rookie in 2014. Since that time, however, he’s managed just a 4.84 ERA in 38 MLB innings. Crockett pitched well for Cleveland’s Triple-A club in 2017 and has a 4.00 ERA with a 23-to-5 K/BB ratio in 27 Triple-A innings this season.
Cruz, 31, hit .154/.154/.308 in 26 plate appearances this season while serving in a backup capacity for the Reds. However, the Reds picked up Curt Casali in a minor trade with the Rays, displacing Cruz as the backup to Tucker Barnhart. In 73 plate appearances with Louisville this year, Cruz has batted .188/.260/.344.
MLBTR Chat Transcript: Beltre, Boyd, Realmuto, Reds, More
Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat with host Jeff Todd.
White Sox Release Michael Saunders
The White Sox have released outfielder Michael Saunders, per an announcement from their top affiliate. Top prospect Eloy Jimenez was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte, among other roster moves.
Saunders, 31, has struggled to gain traction this year after a miserable 2017 season. Through 51 plate appearances in the White Sox organization, he managed only a .152/.235/.239 slash, which was only marginally worse than he slashed earlier this year for the Orioles’ top affiliate.
At this point, Saunders is going to have a tough time finding extended opportunities at the highest level of the minors. But he’s still not far removed from a strong 2016 MLB campaign, so surely some team will pick him up.
Fans of the South Siders will take greater notice of the Jimenez promotion, though perhaps they’d prefer to see him moving all the way onto the MLB roster. The 21-year-old had already reached the Double-A level last year, and has mashed there again in 2018 to the tune of a .317/.368/.556 slash with ten home runs in 228 trips to the plate.
Jimenez, of course, is widely considered one of the game’s very best prospects. While we’re reaching the point in the season when contractual considerations no longer pose as significant a barrier to a promotion — with only 102 service-eligible days left in the season, there’s no worry of setting up Super Two status — the Chicago organization is still taking things relatively slowly with Jimenez.
Padres To Activate Wil Myers, Option Franmil Reyes
The Padres are set to activate first baseman/outfielder Wil Myers from the DL, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). His return was suggested on Twitter yesterday by James Clark of the East Village Times, who reported that the team will option Franmil Reyes in a corresponding roster move.
Myers has been on the shelf with an oblique injury and has only taken forty plate appearances thus far on the season. He recorded just one home run and no walks in that ten-game sample, but still stands with a .300/.300/.450 slash to this point.
If there was a notable development early in the year, it could be that Myers drew positive reviews for his work in right field. The sample is too small to tell us much of anything, but it’s generally positive given the circumstances.
After all, the Friars have an extended commitment to Myers, who was bumped to the outfield to make room for Eric Hosmer. Though he’s earning just $2MM this year and $3MM next, Myers is due a healthy $20MM annually from 2020 through 2022. His contract also includes a $20MM option for an additional season, which comes with a $1MM buyout.
There has been chatter at times that the Padres could look to find a taker for some of that deal, though there’s no real indication that it’s a serious consideration. The San Diego organization does have a rather extensive group of options in the outfield, but can ill afford to try to move Myers now, when his value is at a rather low point.
For the time being, then, the club will hope that Myers can show good health and good form on the field. It’s conceivable he could end up being involved in some trade discussions over the summer or the offseason to come. At this point, though, it is not really clear where the interest would come from or how a deal might conceivably be structured.
Without regular time available in right field now that Myers is back, the Padres will send the 22-year-old Reyes down to continue honing his craft at Triple-A. His first taste of the majors certainly highlighted some of his strengths and challenges as a player.
Reyes knocked six long balls and carried a .228 isolated slugging market in his 96 plate appearances. On the other hand, though he had sported quality K/BB numbers on the year at Triple-A, he has posted a whopping 40.6% strikeout rate and meager 4.2% walk rate in the majors. Reyes is also quite a large man who has drawn some ire for his work in the field, though DRS actually viewed him as an approximately average performer in right (again, in a limited sample).
NBA Draft Day At HoopsRumors.com
It’s draft day in the NBA, and the Suns are expected to officially make Arizona center Deandre Ayton the first overall pick in a matter of hours. However, after the No. 1 selection, there’s uncertainty about which direction many lottery teams are leaning, with rumors circulating about the possibility of clubs trading up or down in the draft.
In addition to finding out tonight where top prospects like Marvin Bagley III, Luka Doncic, Mohamed Bamba, and Trae Young will land, we could also see veteran stars change teams. A year ago, the Bulls and Timberwolves completed a blockbuster draft-night trade involving Jimmy Butler — this year, another All-Star forward may be on the trade block, with Kawhi Leonard reportedly seeking a deal that sends him out of San Antonio.
You can follow all the latest draft- and trade-related news and rumors over at HoopsRumors.com, or on Twitter (@HoopsRumors). In addition to passing along all of tonight’s draft picks, rumors, and trade news, we’ll be hosting a live draft chat where you can weigh in with your thoughts on the action. Head over to Hoops Rumors and join the fun for one of the most eventful days on the NBA calendar!
2018 Amateur Draft Signings: 6/21/18
We’ll use this post to cover the day’s notable draft deals. The rankings referenced come courtesy of Fangraphs, MLB.com, Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law; Fangraphs and MLB.com scouting reports are available to the public free of charge, while the others require subscriptions.
- The Red Sox announced a variety of signings, including that of second-rounder Nick Decker. A New Jersey high-school outfielder who was slated to attend the University of Maryland, Decker will instead take home a $1.25MM bonus to join the Boston organization, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). That payday lands just north of the $1,010,500 allocation for the 64th overall pick. Decker drew a variety of grades entering the draft, with Fangraphs placing him just on the cusp of its top fifty. While the jury is out on Decker’s pure hitting ability, scouts love his present-day physical ability and big power at the plate.
Anthopoulos On Braves’ Deadline Approach
Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos had an interesting chat with David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an appearance on the latter’s Truth, Lies & Sacrifice Flies Podcast. It’s essential listening for Braves fans, but we’ll highlight a few notes of broader consequence here.
On the subject of the upcoming trade deadline, Anthopoulos emphasized that the team is focused less on salary — though that’s certainly still a factor — than on carefully managing its “prospect capital.” As he explained it, particularly with amateur penalties slowing the farm intake and an ongoing need for affordable MLB depth, the front office will be calculated in dispensing with its young talent in trades.
“There hasn’t been a baseball opportunity that money has stopped us from doing it,” Anthopoulos said. While that statement was made generally, it seems to have particular importance in reference to the division-rival Nationals’ recent acquisition of late-inning reliever Kelvin Herrera from the Royals.
While he did not really discuss the matter directly, Anthopoulos suggested that the organization knew what it would have taken to land Herrera. Obviously, the Braves decided not to pay it. With over a month left until the deadline and limited flexibility to make additions, it seems the Atlanta brain trust decided to save its chips.
That certainly seems to be a sensible approach for an organization in the Braves’ position. Beyond the ever-present potential for injuries, a team with so many inexperienced performers arguably faces greater uncertainty from the core of its roster. With only so much willingness to part with long-term assets for short-term gains, it stands to reason that the Braves (like most teams) want to gather as much information as possible before making any significant moves.
That’s not to say that there’s any indication that the Braves won’t seek to capitalize on their excellent start to the current season. Anthopoulos says he has reminded himself not to “lose sight of … what’s happening before your eyes” when weighing moves, noting that the team has already shifted its thinking to put the focus on winning games now.
Anthopoulos also emphasized multiple times that he believes the financial assets will be there when they are called for. As he put it: “I believe we will have those dollars available when we think there’s a really impactful move to make.”
There’s plenty more to unpack from this interview, so you’ll want to listen for yourself. Anthopoulos discussed his approach to his first offseason with the Braves as well as the performances of Dansby Swanson and Nick Markakis. He also gave notable thoughts on the team’s still-uncertain future plans at third base, acknowledging some incoming skepticism about Johan Camargo (as well as newfound cause for optimism) and assessing the status of hot corner prospect Austin Riley.
Nexen Heroes Sign Eric Hacker, Release Esmil Rogers
Korea’s Nexen Heroes have announced that they signed right-hander Eric Hacker, as Jee-ho Yoo of Yonhap News reports (h/t to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net, on Twitter). Hacker receives a $300K contract.
The move was made after righty Esmil Rogers went down with a broken finger. By releasing him, the club opened another spot for a foreign player. The Korea Baseball Organization allows its member teams to carry three apiece.
Hacker, 35, saw action in parts of three MLB seasons before plying his trade on the other side of the Pacific. He hasn’t looked back since, turning in a strong, five-year run with the NC Dinos.
In 586 2/3 innings over more than a hundred starts, Hacker has worked to a 3.52 ERA in the notoriously hitter-friendly KBO. Last year, he tossed 160 1/3 innings of 3.42 ERA ball, but he had not been pitching competitively thus far in 2018.
As for Rogers, he enjoyed a more significant major-league career in advance of his own move to Korea. But he never found consistent success in seven seasons in the bigs, posting a lifetime 5.59 earned run average.
Rogers previously worked in the KBO in 2016 but returned to North America least year. He threw well in seven late-season Triple-A starts in the Nationals organization, paving the way for a contract with Nexen. Through 13 starts this year, Roges had thrown 83 frames of 3.80 ERA ball with 65 strikeouts and 16 walks.
If you’re interested in catching up on any of the other familiar names currently playing in Korea, take a look at this handy page from MyKBOstats.com.