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Jae-gyun Hwang Likely To Opt Out Of Giants Deal If Not Promoted

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Third baseman Jae-gyun Hwang suggested in an interview with Korean media that he expects to opt out of his contract with the Giants if he is not added to the major league roster in the coming days (via Jee-ho Yoo of Yonhap News Agency). Hwang’s deal allows him to force the team to promote or release him on July 1st.

There have been indications at times that the Giants would like to see Hwang in the majors, but recent events raise questions about the team’s current intentions. San Francisco promoted prospect Ryder Jones to handle third base, adding him to the 40-man roster in the process. He has struggled in his first three games, but the Giants seem inclined to give Jones and other young players (including, perhaps, previously promoted infielder Christian Arroyo) a chance in the majors with the club buried in the standings.

Hwang, 29, inked a split contract over the winter in hopes of reaching the majors after years of starring in his native Korea. He has put up solid overall numbers at Triple-A, thriving in particular since an early-season swoon. Since hitting his first home run in the middle of May, Hwang has produced at a .287/.348/.566 clip and added six more long balls to his ledger. He has also made strides in the plate-discipline department, drawing 14 walks against 31 strikeouts in that span.

Defensively, the longtime KBO star has plenty of experience at third base. But there were prior suggestions that he might be afforded a chance to increase his versatility by spending time in the corner outfield. That hasn’t been forthcoming thus far — he lined up in left twice earlier in the year — and Hwang has mostly played first base for Sacramento over the last month or so.

Given that Hwang is slated to return to the open market at the end of the season regardless, it’s not clear how much incentive the Giants have at this point to add him to the roster. The organization would need to create 40-man space and also pay Hwang at a $1.5MM annual rate, in addition to any incentives he might trigger.

If Hwang does end up returning to the open market, he’d likely find opportunities with other organizations. While the bat is obviously interesting, though, it’s still not clear whether there’ll be a big league opening for him in 2017. Given his status as one of Korea’s top sluggers, Hwang could also presumably end up returning to the KBO at some point.

Injury Notes: Castro, Werth, Rodon, Finnegan, McCarthy

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Yankees second baseman Starlin Castro left last night’s game with a right hamstring strain, as MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes. The severity of the injury isn’t yet clear — he’ll head for an MRI today — but Castro did say that he hopes he can avoid a DL stint. If a roster move is needed, though, it seems that the club may give a shot to young infielder Tyler Wade. The 22-year-old, who’s slashing .313/.390/.444 at Triple-A, was pulled from his own game in case he’s needed in the majors.

Here’s the latest on some health issues from around the game:

  • It seems there’s some optimism within the Nationals organization that outfielder Jayson Werth is ready to move towards a return from his bruised left foot. As Byron Kerr of MASNsports.com reports, it’s possible that Werth could make it back by mid-July. In his absence (and that of Chris Heisey), the Nats have relied upon a combination of Brian Goodwin and Ryan Raburn. Both have hit quite well, making it an easier decision for the team to allow Werth to heal fully. Goodwin, a former top prospect, had scuffled at Triple-A but seems to have found his power stroke in the majors; the left-handed hitter could spell Werth and split time with Michael Taylor in center if the Nats don’t add another option up the middle at the deadline.
  • Prized White Sox southpaw Carlos Rodon is scheduled to make his first MLB start of the year tomorrow, as Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com reports. He has been brought along slowly by the rebuilding team, and has struggled in his rehab outings, but will finally return — leaving the Sox with some roster questions. Chicago will need to bump someone from the rotation, which currently features Mike Pelfrey, James Shields, Derek Holland, and the surprisingly effective David Holmberg behind top starter Jose Quintana. Righty Miguel Gonzalez is also still around, though he’s on the DL.
  • Reds lefty Brandon Finnegan left his first start back from the disabled list with what the team is calling a triceps strain. As Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes, the club is waiting to decide whether he’ll need to return to the DL until he’s examined today. While it’s promising that the new problem isn’t related to the teres major muscle strain that recently shelved Finnegan for an extended stretch, the organization will obviously look to exercise caution with the 24-year-old.
  • The Dodgers have announced yet another DL placement for a starter, this time involving righty Brandon McCarthy. As Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times explains, right knee tendinitis is the cause for the move, though it’s also notable that McCarthy struggled with command in his last outing. That raised some comparisons to the veteran’s problems in 2016. Regardless, it seems the hope is that McCarthy won’t miss much action and that he’ll be able to return to the strong form he has carried thus far in the current campaign, over which he has thrown 72 innings of 3.25 ERA ball. In corresponding moves, righty Brock Stewart and outfielder Trayce Thompson were elevated, with right-hander Ross Stripling being optioned to open the additional roster spot.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/26/17

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • Righty Keyvius Sampson has signed on with the Marlins on a minors deal, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). The 26-year-old threw 91 2/3 MLB innings for the Reds in the past two seasons, struggling to a 5.60 ERA while allowing 16 long balls and 53 walks to go with 84 strikeouts. Sampson spent time with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate earlier this year. He struggled to a 6.75 ERA in his 42 2/3 innings at Reno, however, racking up 9.7 K/9 but also coughing up 6.3 BB/9 in that stint. (Free passes have been an ever-present concern in recent years for the former fourth-round draft pick.) He’ll head to the Marlins organization now in search of a new chance to return to the majors, which may well be achievable if his new organization moves some arms at the deadline.

Rockies Acquire Zac Rosscup From Cubs For Matt Carasiti

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The Rockies and Cubs have announced a swap of pitchers, with the Rockies adding the southpaw Zac Rosscup out of DFA limbo. Heading to Chicago in return is right-hander Matt Carasiti.

The 29-year-old Rosscup will provide Colorado with a potential lefty specialist. Over his career, he has struggled against righties (and with his command) while dominating opposing lefties to the tune of a .162/.303/.284 slash. He has spent most of the current season at Triple-A, posting 17 strong appearances there (12.7 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 2.60 ERA).

It’ll be interesting to see if there are any near-term roster moves from Colorado that help explain the move. The club already has two power, late-inning lefties in the pen in Jake McGee and Mike Dunn, though the latter has been hit hard. And converted starter Chris Rusin, another southpaw, continues to post excellent numbers in a relief role.

As for Carasiti, 25, he lost his MLB roster spot after making his debut last year. He hasn’t been called back to the majors in 2017, but has been awfully impressive at Triple-A. Over 30 1/3 innings, he owns a 2.37 ERA with 12.8 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9.

Taking Inventory: New York Mets

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This is the 11th entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory Series. Click for entries on the White Sox, Royals, Phillies, Pirates, Giants, Padres, Reds, Braves, Tigers, and Marlins.

The Mets never expected to be in a selling position this year, but underperformance and a spate of significant injuries have destroyed any hopes of contention. Were it not for the runaway NL Wild Card race, New York might still have hope of staying in the hunt, but as things stand it seems quite likely they’ll move a few veterans.

Let’s see what’s in the cupboard for the Mets:

Rentals

Addison Reed, RH Reliever | Salary: $7.75MM

Reed has completely turned his career around since landing in New York in 2015. He has given up a few more home runs this season than he did in his dominant 2016 campaign, but otherwise has been much the same pitcher. With 9.2 K/9 (13.9% swinging-strike rate) and just 1.2 BB/9, Reed is thriving even as he has lost half a tick on his average fastball velocity. It probably doesn’t hurt that he’s back to working in the closer’s role, too. All things considered, Reed is quite possibly the club’s biggest trade chip.

Jay Bruce, OF | Salary: $13MM

Bruce only just turned 30 and is posting a strong .270/.339/.543 slash on the season, with twenty long balls already in the bank through just seventy games. He doesn’t run like he used to, but Bruce has received positive defensive grades this year after several seasons of questionable glovework.

Curtis Granderson, OF | Salary: $15MM

That’s quite a lot of coin for a 36-year-old corner outfielder who’s only hitting near the league average. But Granderson can also still play some center and has gotten hotter and hotter at the plate as the season has progressed. The respected veteran could be quite a useful piece for the right team.

Lucas Duda, 1B | Salary: $7.25MM

If there’s enough demand, Duda could potentially bring back something interesting. He has returned to posting strong on-base and slugging numbers after a lost 2016 season, and would represent a middle-of-the-order bat for a contender.

Neil Walker, 2B | Salary: $17.2MM

If he can make it back from a hamstring tear before the deadline, Walker could draw real interest. The veteran remains a quality hitter and was on a tear when he got hurt. That said, demand doesn’t figure to be strong at second base, and the big salary will present an obstacle.

Fernando Salas, RH Reliever | Salary: $3MM

He seemed like a solid value after a strong finish last year with the Mets, but Salas has struggled badly in 2017. Teams may still take a shot since he’s generating strikeouts (9.9 per nine) with a 12.5% swinging-strike rate. While his walks are way up, Salas has been unfortunate to carry a 5.88 ERA; he’s being tagged for a .357 BABIP and has stranded just 64% of the runners to reach base against him.

Jose Reyes, INF | Salary: $535K

The meager salary is nice, but Reyes just isn’t producing. After turning in a solid part-year with the stick in 2016, Reyes currently owns a meager .191/.266/.323 batting line — due in some part, at least, to a .202 batting average on balls in play. Though he runs well, his defense is a bit shaky. With the stain of a domestic violence suspension also potentially a factor, it’s not clear that there’ll be any real market here.

Rene Rivera, C | Salary: $1.75MM

The 33-year-old is a respected defender who is slashing a respectable .268/.305/.423 over his 131 plate appearances on the year. While he’s obviously not the sort of player who’s going to draw a major return, he could hold appeal to a contending team in need of some depth behind the dish.

Controlled Through 2018

Jerry Blevins, LH Reliever | Salary: $5.5MM; $7MM club option ($1MM buyout) for 2018

Like Reed, the 33-year-old has never looked better than he has when pitching out of the Mets’ pen. He’s currently setting down 13.0 batters per nine via strikeout with a 14.1% swinging-strike rate that’s easily his personal best. Blevins is also hitting the zone much less frequently than usual while battling through a league-leading 39 appearances. His value is enhanced quite a bit by the reasonably priced option year; the Mets have plenty of leverage, too, since they’d no doubt like to have him at that rate.

Asdrubal Cabrera, INF | Salary: $8.25MM; $8.5MM club option ($2MM buyout) for 2018

After publicly requesting a trade and airing some complaints about the team’s handling of his move off of shortstop, it’s no longer clear that Cabrera is in the Mets’ 2018 plans. At the same time, he’s not exactly at the height of his appeal as a trade chip. While he’s still hitting in range of his typically slightly-above-average rate, Cabrera isn’t a great baserunner or defender.

Longer-Term Assets

It seems rather unlikely that the Mets will really go out looking for deals for any longer-term pieces, at least for core players such as Yoenis Cespedes and Jacob deGrom. Pitchers Josh Edgin, Hansel Robles, and Rafael Montero could conceivably end up changing hands, though none seem likely to be targeted by contenders. Juan Lagares could hold some appeal, but he’s probably slated for some kind of timeshare in center at Citi Field next season. It’s anyone’s guess just how things will turn out with Matt Harvey in the long run, but he’s on the DL at present with another fairly significant arm injury.

Rays Acquire Adeiny Hechavarria

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5:16pm: Both clubs have announced the deal, making it official.

2:26pm: The Rays and Marlins have reportedly agreed to a trade that will send shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria from Miami to Tampa Bay in exchange for minor league outfielder Braxton Lee and minor league right-hander Ethan Clark. The Rays will take on all of Hechavarria’s remaining salary.

Adeiny Hechavarria | Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Hechavarria, 27, has been out for more than a month due to a strained oblique muscle but is ready to return to the field. While he doesn’t bring much to the table from an offensive standpoint, he’ll dramatically improve the Rays’ infield defense whenever he’s on the field. The Rays have relied primarily upon Tim Beckham and Daniel Robertson at shortstop in 2017 due to the fact that projected starter Matt Duffy has missed the entire year to date with a heel injury that recently required minor surgery.

From 2015-16, Hechavarria posted excellent defensive marks at shortstop, grading out at +18 Defensive Runs Saved and a +24.1 Ultimate Zone Rating. However, while that superlative glovework was paired with a respectable .281/.315/.374 batting line in 2015, Hechavarria has slashed just .241/.283/.319 in 614 trips to the dish since that time. He’s also earning $4.35MM this season, which was reportedly the Marlins’ primary motivation for finding a trading partner.

The Rays will control Hechavarria for one more season via the arbitration process, if they’re so inclined. Retaining him would mean giving him a raise on that $4.35MM salary in arbitration, though his injury and lack of production at the plate will likely limit the size of the raise to a fairly nominal amount.

Exactly how Hechavarria fits into the mix for the Rays remains to be seen. While he looks like the clear favorite to play shortstop on an everyday basis for the time being, Tampa Bay will need to decide what to do with the combination of Backham, Robertson and, when he returns from the disabled list, Brad Miller — the latter of whom was the primary second baseman prior to getting injured. One of Beckham or Robertson seems likely to be sent out — Beckham is out of options, so Robertson seems likelier — but the eventual returns of Miller and Duffy will further crowd the infield mix.

As for the players that Miami will receive in return, neither Lee nor Clark entered the season rated among Tampa Bay’s top 30 prospects. Lee, a 12th-round pick out of the University of Mississippi back in 2014, is hitting .318/.387/.391 through 296 plate appearances in Double-A this season, although it’s his second season at that level and he’ll turn 24 in August, so he’s not especially young relative to the competition that he’s facing. That production has been buoyed by a .397 BABIP, though, and Clark has never shown any power, with just two homers in his pro career.

Clark, meanwhile, has a 3.11 ERA with 8.2 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 39.9 percent ground-ball rate in 55 innings at Class-A Bowling Green. The former 15th-round pick (Crowder College, 2015) is 22 years of age, so he’s not young for the Class-A Midwest League, either.

For the Marlins, the move boils down to primarily a salary dump, as they’ll save $2.33MM by moving Hechavarria and the entirety of his contract. The trade likely opens up an everyday role for 25-year-old JT Riddle to attempt to establish himself as Miami’s new long-term shortstop, though Riddle has been mired in a dreadful slump at the plate and is currently batting just .230/.251/.354 with three homers, nine doubles and a triple through 173 big league plate appearances.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald first reported that Hechavarria was on the trade block, and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports added that he was likely to be traded in the very near future (via Twitter). ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that the Rays had made significant strides in getting a deal worked out (Twitter link). MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweeted that the Rays were the front-runners. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted that Lee and Clark were involved in talks, and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald broke the news (on Twitter) that the deal was done.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Zach Putnam Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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White Sox righty Zach Putnam has undergone Tommy John surgery, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago was among those to tweet. He’s expected to miss at least one year recovering from the procedure.

Putnam, who’ll soon turn 30, was off to a very strong start to the current season before his elbow flared off. Through 8 2/3 innings, he had allowed just one earned run on two hits while recording nine strikeouts against just one walk.

That showing came on the heels of a strong 2016 — at least when he wasn’t dealing with elbow troubles. In fact, since landing with the White Sox, Putnam carries an excellent 2.71 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 over 139 1/3 frames.

While he doesn’t bring much in the way of velocity, Putnam wields a devastating split-finger fastball. That offering has enabled him to boost his swinging-strike rate in each of his four years with the South Siders, starting at a strong 14.0% rate and climbing all the way to 19.4% in his shortened 2017 campaign.

All told, the White Sox have reason to hope that Putnam can again be an impactful arm in the bullpen, if he can work back to health. But the surgery means that he’ll be on the shelf for one of his final two seasons of arbitration control. He’s earning just $1.175MM this year, though, so the club could decide to pay that rate again for each of the next two campaigns and hope that Putnam returns to health for 2019.

Marlins Close To Trading Adeiny Hechavarria

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2:19pm: Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the two sides are reviewing medicals of the players that will be involved. Topkin hears that outfielder Braxton Lee and right-hander Ethan Clark are among the names being discussed.

11:45am: Crasnick reports that if the Rays are to take on all of Hechavarria’s salary, they’d like the Marlins to include a cheaper, controllable power arm to help facilitate the deal (Twitter links). Crasnick notes that Barraclough would fit that bill, though he adds that it’s not clear if the Rays have actually singled Barraclough out as a target.

Meanwhile, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Rays and Marlins are optimistic that they can reach an agreement to send Hechavarria to Tampa Bay in exchange for “fringe prospects” at some point today.

JUNE 26, 8:40am: The Marlins are close to a trade of Hechavarria, tweets MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. Like Frisaro, Morosi hears that the Rays are the likeliest landing spot for Hechavarria.

10:42pm: The Rays seem to be the “frontrunners” in talks, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets.  Miami is looking for young pitching in return for Hechavarria.

JUNE 25, 10:20pm: The Padres have joined the Rays in the Hechavarria sweepstakes, Clark Spencer reports (via Twitter).  The Cardinals are no longer involved in talks.

JUNE 24, 12:07pm: The Orioles are no longer involved, per Spencer (Twitter link). But he hears that the Cards (as well as the Rays) are still in talks for Hechavarria.

8:26am: There’s at least one mystery team involved, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (via Twitter).

JUNE 23: The Marlins have informed other clubs that they expect to trade Hechavarria within the next 24 to 48 hours, Spencer reports (on Twitter). It seems the push from the Marlins’ side is driven by an ownership effort to save salary rather than a baseball ops assessment, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick notes on Twitter.

It appears that the Rays appear to have “created some traction” in structuring a deal, sources suggest to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). Meanwhile, the Cardinals don’t seem to be pursuing Hechavarria at this point, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. St. Louis had at least spoken to the Marlins about Hechavarria, tweets Spencer.

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Bryan Morris To Elect Free Agency

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Right-handed reliever Bryan Morris, who was designated for assignment by the Giants over the weekend, has cleared waivers and will elect free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A, reports FanRag’s Robert Murray (Twitter link).

The 30-year-old Morris was a quality bullpen piece for the Marlins from 2014-15 but suffered a back injury that ultimately required surgery and ended his season early in the 2016 campaign. Miami cut him loose this offseason, at which point he inked a minor league pact with San Francisco. Morris opened the year in the Giants’ minor league ranks but surfaced in the Majors early in the month of May.

In 21 innings with San Francisco this year, Morris has been tattooed for a 6.43 ERA. The vast majority of the damage against him has been confined to a handful of unsightly outings, though, including a five-run shellacking at the hands of the Braves in his final appearance with the Giants. Morris was a ground-ball machine with the Pirates and Marlins from 2013-15, racking up grounders at a nearly 59 percent clip. This year, though, that rate is down to 47.4 percent. Morris has also seen his K/9 rate dip to 6.4 (though he’s never been a big strikeout pitcher) while his BB/9 rate is up to 4.7.

Despite his poor numbers in 2017 and recent surgical procedure, Morris’ track record should garner some degree of interest on the open market, even if it’s only on another minor league deal. He did, after all, pitch to a 2.80 ERA with enormous ground-ball tendencies over the life of 215 big league innings from 2012-16.

Yankees Place Aaron Hicks On DL, Activate Jacoby Ellsbury

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The Yankees announced today that they’ve placed Aaron Hicks on the 10-day disabled list due to a strained right oblique muscle. In his place, they’ve activated Jacoby Ellsbury from the 7-day concussion disabled list. Additionally, the Yanks optioned lefty Tyler Webb and outfielder Mason Williams to Triple-A and recalled infielder/outfielder Rob Refsnyder and righty Ronald Herrera.

Hicks told reporters last night that he’s been informed that he’ll need three to four weeks to recover from the injury — a tough blow to both player and team, as the 27-year-old Hicks is in the midst of a sensational breakout season. Acquired in the 2015-16 offseason in a trade that sent John Ryan Murphy to the Twins, Hicks had a dreadful first season in New York but has exploded in 2017. Through 242 plate appearances, the former first-round pick and top prospect is hitting .290/.398/.515 with 10 homers, seven steals and outstanding defense (primarily in center field).

It’ll be a tall order for the 33-year-old Ellsbury to make up for that type of production, though Ellsbury himself was in the midst of a very nice start to the year when he initially sustained the concussion (jumping into the center field fence to make an impressive catch). Through 153 PAs, Ellsbury has slashed .281/.349/.422, adding in four homers and eight stolen bases. Defensive metrics feel that he’s lost a step from his peak, though Defensive Runs Saved did grade Ellsbury at +2 through his first 288 innings in center this year.

With Hicks on the shelf now instead of Ellsbury, the Yankees will run with a primary outfield alignment consisting of Brett Gardner in left field, Ellsbury in center and Aaron Judge in right field. Between Gardner’s surprising career-best numbers at the plate in 2017 and Judge’s emergence as not only the runaway Rookie of the Year favorite but a legitimate AL MVP candidate, the Yankees should have a plenty productive outfield mix even without Hicks for the next month or so.

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