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Rangers Designate Eddie Gamboa, Select Preston Claiborne, Place Jeremy Jeffress On DL

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The Rangers have announced that righty Eddie Gamboa was designated for assignment, via executive VP of communications John Blake. His 40-man spot will go to righty Preston Claiborne, whose contract was purchased. Texas also shifted reliever Jeremy Jeffress to the 10-day DL.

Gamboa, a 32-year-old knuckleballer, cracked the majors for the first time last year with the Rays. He was traded out of DFA limbo over the winter, with the Rangers interested in adding an optionable arm to their roster.

Through 77 2/3 innings over 14 starts at Triple-A this year, Gamboa had struggled to a 6.49 ERA. He’s carrying only 5.3 K/9, down from his typical levels in the upper minors, while issuing 4.5 free passes per nine innings.

Red Sox Outright Kyle Kendrick

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The Red Sox have outrighted right-hander Kyle Kendrick off of their 40-man roster, Evan Drellich of CSNNE.com reports on Twitter. He will remain at Triple-A Pawtucket, however, suggesting he has already cleared waivers.

Kendrick, 32, was previously optioned after making two rough starts at the major league level for Boston. He consented to that move and evidently wishes to continue on with the organization despite now losing his 40-man spot. It’s not yet known what the team will do with the new roster opening.

Over 54 2/3 innings through nine starts at Triple-A, Kendrick owns a 5.93 ERA with 6.1 K/9 against 1.3 BB/9. His most recent substantial work at the MLB level came with the Rockies in 2015, when he turned in 142 1/3 frames of 6.32 ERA ball.

Cubs Option Kyle Schwarber, Place Jason Heyward On DL

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11:03am: Chicago will also place outfielder Jason Heyward on the DL with a left hand injury, Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago tweets. Outfielder Mark Zagunis and righty Dylan Floro are expected to take the open roster spots.

Zagunis, 24, has followed up on a strong 2016 campaign with a .249/.399/.474 slash through 268 plate appearances at Triple-A this year. He has drawn 48 walks against sixty strikeouts thus far. As for Floro, he’ll look to improve upon his first 6 1/3 innings with the Cubs, over which he allowed six earned runs on 13 hits.

10:59am: In a surprising move, the Cubs have decided to option young outfielder/catcher Kyle Schwarber to Triple-A, according to David Kaplan of CSN Chicago (via Twitter). The expectation is that it won’t be a lengthy assignment, but it’s still a notable decision for the defending World Series champs.

Schwarber, 24, turned in an outstanding rookie campaign in 2015 and seemed primed for more last season. Instead, he lost almost the entire regular season after a devastating knee injury. But he came back in near-miraculous fashion to join the team for the Series — turning in a .412/.500/.471 batting line in twenty trips to the plate.

Things have not gone as hoped early in 2017, however. Schwarber, who has spent the vast bulk of his time in left field, currently owns a .171/.295/.378 batting line in 261 plate appearances. Though he has cracked a dozen home runs, and is carrying strikeout and walk numbers that are virtually identical to his prior marks, Schwarber has managed only a .193 batting average on balls in play. More soft contact at the expense of hard contact likely has played a role, as has a growing flyball rate (including quite a few more infield pops), though it seems reasonable to believe there’s also some misfortune baked into the results.

The move seems designed to give Schwarber a chance to get his bat on track at Triple-A — a level he barely stopped at on his way to the majors. In his stead, the Cubs still have plenty of options. Ben Zobrist seems likely to return from the DL soon, joining Ian Happ as an option in left. Both players can also line up at second base, of course, where the Cubs can also play Javier Baez and Tommy La Stella.

Athletics Designate Stephen Vogt

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The Athletics have designated veteran catcher Stephen Vogt for assignment in the team’s latest future-oriented move, per a club announcement. Catcher Bruce Maxwell and first baseman/outfielder Matt Olson have been called up from Triple-A, with third baseman Matt Chapman hitting the DL.

[RELATED: Updated Athletics Depth Chart]

Chapman had only just been called up himself, taking over at third base with veteran Trevor Plouffe being designated and later traded to the Rays. The A’s are now calling upon two additional youthful players while making the somewhat surprising decision to part with Vogt — one of the organization’s longest-tenured players.

Vogt earned All-Star nods in each of the past two seasons. He was also a fan favorite and noted clubhouse leader in Oakland. But the 32-year-old was struggling early in 2017. Through 174 plate appearances, he owns a marginal .217/.287/.357 batting line with four home runs.

Despite those tepid results, it stands to reason that the left-handed hitter will draw interest from other organizations. Vogt is earning just $2,965,000 this year and has two arb-eligible seasons still to come. It seems possible, though hardly certain, that he could be claimed on waivers; more likely, perhaps, is some kind of trade.

Vogt’s difficulties at the plate are only part of the story. After all, he has been a bit unlucky to carry a .244 BABIP — though his 28.3% soft contact rate also represents a low point. But there are also questions about his defensive capabilities behind the dish; Baseball Prospectus (subscription required) continues to rate Vogt as a negative in the pitch-framing department while also grading him as below-average in controlling the running game. Vogt has also played first base and a bit of corner outfield in the past, so he does come with some defensive versatility.

Whatever happens with Vogt, the A’s seem clearly to be open for business with regards to other veteran players. First baseman Yonder Alonso, righty Sonny Gray, and infielder Jed Lowrie all seem to be clear trade candidates along with relievers Ryan Madson, Sean Doolittle, and Santiago Casilla — among other players.

While exploring deals in a market that currently features relatively few clear sellers, the A’s will begin to see what they have in some younger options. Maxwell, 26, has already tasted the majors in each of the past two years and has slashed a robust .310/.378/.516 over 312 total plate appearances at the highest level of the minors (after largely scuffling at the plate earlier in his professional career). The 23-year-old Olson has also received brief MLB time already. He has dominated the PCL pitching thus far in 2017, putting up a .271/.365/.561 batting line with 17 home runs through 249 trips to the plate on the year.

AL Notes: McCullers, Morton, Fister, Yankees, Red Sox

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Here’s the latest from around the American League:

  • The Astros have weathered the absences of several top starters, though the team is surely looking forward to welcoming them back in time to make a full rotation assessment before the trade deadline. First in line seems to be righty Lance McCullers; as Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle writes, the excellent young hurler is set to return to the bump on Saturday. He has missed time with a lower back issue, but it doesn’t appear to be cause for much concern in the bigger picture.
  • Meanwhile, fellow Astros righty Charlie Morton is scheduled for a short rehab outing tonight, as Kaplan further writes. The hope is that he’ll be ready to make it back to the MLB hill before the All-Star break. Morton has been quite a pleasant surprise, despite the time missed for a lat strain. He has not only provided 57 2/3 solid innings, posting a 4.06 ERA, but has shown the promise of delivering even better results. Morton is sitting in the mid-nineties with his fastball while carrying 10.1 K/9, both of which dwarf his prior full-season marks.
  • The division-rival Angels continue to face pitching questions of their own, but decided to pass on a chance to add veteran righty Doug Fister to the active roster — instead allowing him to return to free agency by exercising his opt-out clause. Los Angeles did want to keep the veteran around, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, who tweets that GM Billy Eppler asked Fister to keep working with the organization’s Triple-A affiliate. But Fister’s camp evidently sees greater opportunity on the open market, where he could conceivably find a MLB roster spot if there’s a team that has an immediate need for pitching and believes Fister is prepared to return to the game’s highest level.
  • It still isn’t clear what the Yankees will do at the first base position for the rest of the year, but it’s an increasingly interesting question. MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch looks at the latest. There’s some renewed hope that youngster Greg Bird can work back to health, as he’s set to resume baseball activities soon following a cortisone shot in his problematic ankle. But he’s a total question mark after a long layoff and distinct struggles at the plate this year. Meanwhile, manager Joe Girardi offered a tepid review of Chris Carter, who’s currently the preferred option. Prospect Tyler Austin has been productive at Triple-A, but is also whiffing at a hefty rate.  GM Brian Cashman says that he thinks the club is still best-served by relying on Carter for the time being, while offering optimism that the internal options will come through this year. Still, it’s fair to wonder whether the Yanks will end up exploring the trade market this summer.
  • It seems the Red Sox are positioned to land the top Venezuelan prospect when the new July 2nd signing period opens, Ben Badler of Baseball America writes. Catcher Daniel Flores draws rare praise for his skills behind the dish. And while there’s still some work to do with the bat, Badler says there’s still power to be tapped into for the switch-hitter. You’ll want to read the entire post for a full sense of just why Flores is seen as such a special prospect. It seems Boston could return to the international market with a bang after finishing a one-year ban on bonus pool-limited signings.

Draft Signings: Yankees, Mariners, Rockies, Tigers, Mets, Padres, ChiSox

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The Yankees’ agreement with second-rounder Matt Sauer, which we reported here yesterday, is for an over-slot bonus of $2.5MM, MLBTR has learned (Twitter link). That’s a bit more than double the slot value for the prep righty out of California, although many rankings listed Sauer as a potential first-round talent. The Yankees drafted injured righty Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John surgery) with their first-round selection, so presumably much of the savings from that selection will go toward signing Sauer.

Some other notable draft signings to close out the night (note that you can read up on all of the players listed here by checking out the free rankings from MLB.com and Fangraphs as well as the subscription-based but excellent work of Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law)…

  • The Mariners announced that they’ve signed second-rounder Sam Carlson today — a high school righty of Minnesota that was widely ranked as a first-round talent but fell to the M’s at No. 55. He’ll take home $2MM, tweets MLB.com’s Jim Callis, which is about $800K over slot. Carlson was a Florida commit with a fastball that’s reached 97 mph and the makings of an above-average changeup and slider.
  • The Rockies announced the signing of second-rounder Ryan Vilade, and Callis tweets that he’ll sign for the No. 48 pick’s slot value of $1,425,400. A high school shortstop out of Oklahoma, Vilade was committed to Oklahoma State but will instead embark on his pro career. He draws the most praise for his raw power and big arm strength, though a move to third base may be in order.
  • The Tigers went way over slot to sign fifth-rounder Sam McMillan, Callis tweets. McMillan’s No. 155 slot came with a bonus of about $313K, but the prep catcher out of Florida will instead take home a bonus of an even $1MM. McMillan’s glove gets more praise than his bat right now, but he’s regarded as one of the better receiving catchers in the 2017 draft.
  • Mets second-rounder Mark Vientos is taking home an over-slot bonus of $1.5MM — about $405K higher than the No. 59 slot’s value, tweets MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo. The high school shortstop’s bat is strong enough to play at third base if he has to move to the hot corner down the line, as many scouting reports believe will be the case. He’s projected to hit for power and had been committed to Miami before signing.
  • Mayo also reports a pair of Padres signings — both of which are high school catchers (Twitter links). San Diego saved a little more than $400K on No. 39 overall pick Luis Campusano-Bracero, inking him for $1.3MM. Those savings (and then some) will go to No. 69 overall pick Blake Hunt, who receives a $1.6MM bonus that’s nearly double the $859K slot value of his selection. Campusano actually ranked higher on many draft boards despite his lower bonus thanks to his power potential. Hunt gets praise for his glove, but his bat isn’t as advanced.
  • The White Sox landed second-rounder Gavin Sheets, a first baseman out of Wake Forest and the son of former Orioles outfielder Larry Sheets, for an even $2MM bonus, Baseball America’s Hudson Belinsky reports (on Twitter). That’s a bit more than $600K over slot for Sheets, who is limited to first base but draws praise for his power and improvements to his hitting approach that he made this season.

Mets Place Zack Wheeler On Disabled List

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10:15pm: The Mets only expect Wheeler to require a minimal DL stint and are hopeful that he’ll miss just one start, writes MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.

“It’s just sore. It’s sustained soreness,” said Wheeler. “It might just be from coming back from two years without throwing, I don’t know. All I can do is just take my time off and try to get better physically, and sort of just reset while I am trying to clear this thing up.”

5:11pm: The Mets announced that they’ve placed right-hander Zack Wheeler on the 10-day DL due to biceps tendinitis in his right arm. The team has also optioned infielder Matt Reynolds to Triple-A Las Vegas and, in a pair of corresponding moves, recalled right-handers Tyler Pill and Erik Goeddel from Vegas.

[Related: Updated New York Mets depth chart]

Wheeler, 27, returned to the mound in 2017 after missing the previous two seasons due to Tommy John surgery and lingering complications. After a hot start to the season, he’s cooled off and seen his ERA balloon to 5.29 thanks to a pair of starts in which he’s been tattooed for 15 earned runs in just 3 2/3 innings. He becomes the sixth Mets starter to land on the disabled list this year, as Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey and Tommy Milone are currently on the DL, while Steven Matz and Seth Lugo were only recently activated.

With Wheeler on the shelf for a yet-undetermined amount of time, the Mets will rely on Jacob deGrom, Matz, Lugo and Robert Gsellman as starters. Presumably, Pill will also be reinserted into the starting mix as well. Wheeler’s workload would’ve become an issue at some point anyhow, so the placement on the disabled list could at least effectively “conserve” some innings for later in the season, assuming he’s able to return to the mound as a starter.

The injury is merely the latest in a season that has been punctuated by health troubles as well as communication issues when it comes to the team’s medical procedures. As MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo points out (Twitter link), Mets officials insisted just yesterday that there was nothing physically wrong with Wheeler, only to place him on the disabled list roughly 24 hours later. In addition to the myriad pitching injuries that were previously mentioned, the Mets have also seen extended absences for Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker, Lucas Duda and David Wright, among others.

Athletics Notes: Gray Rumors, Semien, Stadium

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It now seems likely that the Athletics will end up moving Sonny Gray this summer, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. There’s likely to be plenty of interest in the righty, who is showing improved form after a forgettable 2016 season; indeed, he just placed fourth on MLBTR’s list of the top 50 trade candidates. The full scope of potential suitors isn’t yet known, but Slusser does provide some interesting observations. The Astros, she notes, are “one of the more realistic landing spots” for Gray, with clear interest on Houston’s part and a history of swaps between the division rivals. (A prior report of that possible connection arose over the weekend.) There’s even an unnamed NL club that, per Slusser, “has toyed with the idea of using Gray as a closer.” (If you’re wondering what team that might be, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs takes a shot at a guess.)

More out of Oakland…

  • Injured shortstop Marcus Semien will embark on a rehab assignment this weekend, writes John Hickey of the San Jose Mercury News, though it’s not likely to be a quick assignment. “It’s going to look maybe a little like spring training,” said manager Bob Melvin. Semien will start off by playing five innings per game and gradually build up to playing full games, per Hickey. I’d imagine that the impending return of Semien will only further trade chatter surrounding Jed Lowrie, as there have already been rumblings that he could be moved to pave way for infield prospect Franklin Barreto.
  • Athletics president Dave Kaval stated yesterday that the A’s will announce the site of a new stadium with the calendar year, as Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area writes. The three locations in consideration are a waterfront venue near Howard Terminal, a neighborhood park next to Laney College or a newer facility at the current site of the Coliseum. “Obviously we’re working as quickly as we can to make the announcement as soon as possible,” said Kaval. “At that time, we’ll not only let folks know what the final location is, but also the timeline to actually develop the ballpark, all the different approval processes and also the groundbreaking and the opening date.”

Brewers Sign Keston Hiura

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The Brewers announced on Wednesday that they’ve signed their first-round pick, UC Irvine second baseman/outfielder Keston Hiura. According to MLB.com’s Jim Callis (on Twitter), he’ll receive a bonus of $4MM, which comes in a bit south of the $4.57MM slot value of the No. 9 overall selection. Tom Hadricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that Hiura will likely head to the team’s Spring Training facility in Arizona before eventually joining Milwaukee’s Class-A affiliate in the Midwest League.

Hiura, who will turn 21 in August, was considered one of the best college bats in the draft and has drawn immense praise for his plus bat speed, hit tool and power. He ranked 14th on Baseball America’s top 500 list, 15th on the top 100 of Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen, 19th per ESPN’s Keith Law and 22nd in the draft per Callis and colleague Jonathan Mayo.

Hiura might’ve gone higher in the draft, but an elbow injury prevented him from throwing all season long, limiting him to DH. He’s already seen Dr. Neal ElAttrache for the issue, per Longenhagen. Callis and Mayo write that some scouts believe he’ll  eventually require Tommy John surgery, and BA’s report concludes by stating that many believe he’s headed for some form of elbow procedure as soon as he signs. (An assignment to the team’s Class-A affiliate, of course, would run counter to that belief.)

Because of the elbow issue, there’s no clear consensus on where Hiura will profile defensively in the long run. MLB.com’s report on him notes that Hiura’s footwork in the infield is questionable and needs some work, while the injury to his throwing arm obviously casts some level of uncertainty when it comes to whether he’ll be able to handle center field. He’s also played left field in college, and he could potentially profile at any of the three positions if things break right for him and the Brewers. While all of the linked scouting reports express some degree of concern about his defense, the common consensus is that Hiura has a very good chance to hit wherever he plays.

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