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NL East Links: Marlins, Kelley, Adams, Braves

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There have been reports that the Marlins could consider dealing such major names as Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna or J.T. Realmuto at the deadline, though Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the Fish thus far “haven’t shown an inclination” to make a big roster shakeup.  A source tells Jackson that the Marlins are still a couple of weeks away before deciding on trading some players, including closer AJ Ramos.  Much is still in flux due to the potential sale of the team, of course, as Jackson notes that the front office would need to talk to both the new ownership group and Major League Baseball before exploring a big-ticket trade involving Giancarlo Stanton.

Here’s more from around the division…

  • The Nationals placed righty Shawn Kelley on the 10-day DL with a right trapezius strain.  The placement is retroactive to June 17 and A.J. Cole has been called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move.  This is Kelley’s second DL stint of the year, as he also missed some time with a lower back strain.  Kelley’s struggles have been a big contributor to Washington’s bullpen problems this season, as the veteran right-hander has a 7.00 ERA and a whopping nine homers allowed over 18 innings.
  • The Braves will go to a six-man rotation when Bartolo Colon returns from the disabled list next week, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.  The Braves want a longer look at rookie Sean Newcomb while they’re also not ready to release the struggling Colon, who is owed a little over $7MM for the rest of the season.  It remains to be seen how long Atlanta will deploy the six-man rotation, though things could return to normal if a starter (such as Jaime Garcia) is dealt at the trade deadline.
  • Matt Adams has done nothing but mash since joining the Braves, though the first baseman knows he could be on the move again once Freddie Freeman returns from the DL, Adams tells Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  While he enjoys playing in Atlanta, “whenever Freddie comes back, wherever the next spot may be…I either finish out the season with Atlanta or go somewhere else,” Adams said.  “I’m open to anything right now. I’m taking it day by day.”  The interview is well worth a full read, as Adams discusses his time with the Cardinals and his reaction to being dealt last month.  Adams has a whopping 1.013 OPS and nine homers over just 114 plate appearances in a Braves uniform, making him a very attractive potential trade chip if Atlanta indeed does look to swap him again at the deadline.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/18/17

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Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • The Indians announced that right-hander Jarrett Grube has been acquired from the Blue Jays for cash considerations.  Grube will report to Triple-A Columbus.  Grube spent part of 2016 in the Tribe’s organization before being released in June.  The righty had a 6.14 ERA over 55 2/3 IP and 11 starts with the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate this season.  Over 14 pro seasons, the 35-year-old Grube has pitched for five different organizations and appeared in just one Major League game, back in 2014 with the Angels.

Royals To Sign Second-Rounder MJ Melendez

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Here is the roundup of today’s notable draft signings…

  • The Royals have signed high school catcher MJ Melendez, their second-round selection, to a deal worth $2.1MM, Baseball America’s Hudson Belinsky reports (via Twitter).  The bonus is well beyond the assigned $1,295,7000 slot value for the 52nd overall pick, though K.C. accounted for some of that draft pool money with their below-slot deal with first-rounder Nick Pratto.  Melendez had already committed to Florida International University where his father is the baseball team’s head coach, so clearly a strong financial incentive was needed for Melendez to begin his pro career.  In pre-draft rankings, Melendez was rated 32nd by Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen, 52nd by Baseball America, 60th by ESPN’s Keith Law and 72nd by MLB.com.

Mariners Sign First-Rounder Evan White

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11:42AM: White’s bonus is worth $3.125MM, MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams reports (Twitter link).  This saves the M’s $208.2K on their draft pool, money that could be made up to sign Carlson or another pick, or potentially a player selected outside of the first ten rounds.

11:12AM: The Mariners have announced the signing of 26 draft picks, including first-rounder Evan White.  Financial terms weren’t announced, though the slot value for the 17th overall pick (White’s selection spot) is $3,333,200.  White is represented by True Gravity.

White, 21, is a first baseman out of the University of Kentucky who was seen as a consensus top prospect in pre-draft rankings.  Baseball America rated White as the 12th-best prospect available, with MLB.com (18th), Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen (19th) and ESPN’s Keith Law (33rd) also chiming in with strong grades.  Despite these uniformly positive grades, there is some question about whether White has enough power to stick at the first base position, though he is seen as a good hitter overall.  White gets high marks for his athleticism and could be used as an outfielder in the majors, though he has displayed outstanding defensive ability at first base.

Seattle has seemingly accomplished much of the heavy lifting within their draft signings, as 11 of their top 12 picks are already under contract.  The only one of their early picks who has yet to reach an agreement is Sam Carlson, a high school righty taken in the second round (with the 55th overall pick).  The Mariners had an overall draft pool of $6,737,300.

Mariners Designate Dillon Overton For Assignment

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The Mariners have designated left-hander Dillon Overton for assignment, the team announced.  Righy Rob Whalen was optioned to Double-A and righty Max Povse had his contract selected from Double-A in corresponding moves.

[Updated Mariners depth chart at Roster Resource]

Overton came to Seattle from Oakland in an offseason trade, and the southpaw posted a 6.38 ERA and just eight strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings.  Originally a second-round pick for the A’s in the 2013 draft, Overton has posted generally strong results in his minor league career, apart from a 9.33 ERA over 27 Triple-A frames this season.

The 2017 Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Povse as the eighth-best prospect in Seattle’s system prior to the season, comparing the 6’8″ Povse to Doug Fister both in terms of height and their ability to generate ground balls.  Povse has been slowed by a hamstring injury this season, though he’ll still make the jump from Double-A straight to the big leagues after delivering a 3.46 ERA, 7.38 K/9 and 41.6% grounder rate over 39 innings.  Povse has started eight of his nine appearances this year, so he’ll likely project as a long man in the Mariners’ bullpen.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Wilson, Madson, Nats, Cutch, Lynn, Darvish

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Some hot stove tidbits from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal in his latest Full Count video…

  • The Nationals have yet to engage in serious talks with the Tigers about Justin Wilson or with the Athletics about Ryan Madson, though the relievers are “two of the Nationals’ prime bullpen targets.”  There isn’t any indication yet that Detroit is open to moving Wilson, however, since the team is still in the race.  If the Tigers do become sellers, however, they’ll get plenty of interest in the southpaw, who took over from Francisco Rodriguez as closer earlier this season.  Wilson has a 2.67 ERA, 3.55 K/BB rate and 39 strikeouts over 27 innings.
  • The Pirates aren’t likely to deal Andrew McCutchen if they feel they can contend, though Rosenthal reminds us that the Bucs dealt Mark Melancon last season despite being just three games out of a wild card spot.  This season, it looks like Pittsburgh’s best path to the postseason is through the NL Central; the Bucs are just five games out of first place despite their 31-37 record (they’re 11.5 games back in the wild card race).  Trading McCutchen also wouldn’t necessarily mean that the Pirates would give up hope of contending this year, as Rosenthal notes that the club actually played better after dealing Melancon before a swath of September injuries ruined their chances.
  • The Cardinals are one of several teams that could be both buyers and sellers at the deadline.  For instance, St. Louis could consider trading Lance Lynn (a pending free agent) and then replace him in the rotation with one of the organization’s several young arms.  After missing all of 2016 due to Tommy John surgery, Lynn has rebounded to post a 2.69 ERA, 8.67 K/9 and 2.37 K/BB rate over 73 2/3 IP this season.  Peripheral numbers (.207 BABIP, 86.5% strand rate) indicate that Lynn has perhaps been a bit fortunate, as his ERA indicators (4.75 FIP, 4.40 xFIP, 4.35 SIERA) are well above his actual 2.69 ERA.
  • While plans could change if the Rangers fall out of the race, a Yu Darvish deadline trade seems pretty unlikely right now since the team is playing better.  There are also longer-term considerations in play, as Texas wants to re-sign the star right-hander when Darvish hits free agency this winter and “the relationship between the Rangers and Darvish is deeper than most,” Rosenthal reports.  There’s also the interesting wrinkle that Darvish’s presence could help the Rangers in their pursuit of Shohei Otani, as Otani idolizes Darvish.

Reds Designate Asher Wojciechowski For Assignment

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The Reds have designated right-hander Asher Wojciechowski for assignment, the club announced as one of several roster moves.  Righty Jake Buchanan has also been optioned to Triple-A, while right-hander Lisalverto Bonilla has been recalled from the minors and catcher Stuart Turner has been activated from the disabled list.

Wojciechowski signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati in April and was promoted to the bigs last month, where he delivered a 6.75 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 4.5 K/BB rate over 21 1/3 IP (starting four of his six appearances).  This was more MLB experience than the righty has clocked in his previous seven pro seasons, as Wojciechowski’s only other time in the majors consisted of a five-game stint with Houston in 2015.  Drafted 41st overall by the Blue Jays in 2010, Wojciechowski has a career 3.99 ERA over 742 minor league innings with four different organizations.

Today’s transactions represent another shuffling of the Reds’ pitching options as the team continues to look for some kind of production from the mound.  Cincy’s starters have combined for an ugly 6.01 ERA this season, easily the worst in baseball.  Wojciechowski had been slated to start for the Reds this coming Friday, though that spot is now undecided.  C. Trent Rosencrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets that Homer Bailey won’t be Friday’s starter, as the righty is still not quite yet ready to return from February surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow.

Heyman’s Latest: Betts, Santana, Rays, Bautista, Braves, Arrieta, Holland

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The Red Sox looked into a long-term extension with Mookie Betts last winter, but both Betts and Xander Bogaerts are comfortable in year-to-year deals for now, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports.  Betts is already making a nice sum in endorsement deals, so it perhaps isn’t surprising that he (and Bogaerts) are in no rush to pursue a multi-year contract.  Bogaerts was arbitration-eligible for the first time last winter and is earning $4.5MM for 2017, while Betts will get his first run through the arb process this coming offseason, so while the price tags for both young stars will rise considerably, the Sox are still getting an overall bargain.

Here’s more from Heyman’s notes about the American League and National League from earlier this week…

  • There still haven’t been any talks about an extension between Carlos Santana and the Indians.  One executive believes Santana can land four years and $60MM in free agency this winter.
  • The Rays aren’t looking to sell, as they have a winning record and are in the thick of the AL East and wild card races.  Tampa Bay has been constantly cited as a potential seller given their financial limitations, with pending free agent Alex Cobb reportedly a candidate to switch teams.  Still, the Rays’ rotation has been thinned by Blake Snell’s demotion to the minors and Matt Andriese’s hip injury, so the club could hold off on any pitching decisions until closer to the deadline.
  • The Rays made a “creative” offer to Jose Bautista last winter that could have become a three-year deal if all options had been exercised.  The Rays were one of relatively few teams that were linked to Bautista (Heyman also mentions the Indians had interest) this winter, and ultimately, the slugger chose to stay in Toronto for more guaranteed money.  Bautista is earning $18MM this season, with a $17MM mutual option (with a $500K buyout) for 2018 and a $20MM club option for 2019 that can vest based on games played.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman is in his last year under contract but the team will give him an extension if he wishes.  The same is also true of manager Joe Girardi.  The Yankees generally wait until after the season to explore new deals for management, though with the team performing so well, Cashman and Girardi both seem very likely to remain in their current positions.
  • The Braves are expected to look into trades for pending free agents such as Jaime Garcia and Brandon Phillips.  Both players are performing well, with Phillips on pace for his best overall offensive season since 2011 and Garcia bouncing back ERA-wise (even if his peripherals are somewhat middling) after a disappointing 2016 season.
  • Speaking of the Braves’ Garcia, he has hired Michael Moye as his agent.  In another representation change, White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia hired Gene Mato in April.  For more on who represents who in the baseball world, be sure to check out MLBTR’s Agency Database.
  • A rival executive believes Jake Arrieta will get “at least five years” in free agency this winter despite a shaky performance thus far in 2017.  Arrieta’s 4.64 ERA over 77 2/3 IP could be in part due to some bad luck (a .319 BABIP, 65.8% strand rate and a spike in his home run rate), though his velocity and ground-ball rates are both down from last season and he is posting his highest hard-hit ball rate since 2010.  A sixth guaranteed year could be possible if Arrieta can so easily obtain five years, Heyman reasons, though given the Cubs ace’s struggles and his age (32 next Opening Day), I have my doubts.
  • Greg Holland’s outstanding comeback season with the Rockies could put him in line for a free agent deal similar to Mark Melancon’s four-year, $62MM contract with the Giants from last offseason.  Scott Boras, Holland’s agent, is aiming even higher, reportedly looking for a deal in the range of the record-setting (for relievers) contracts landed by Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen.
  • One Nationals source says the team thinks the Dodgers could be Washington’s biggest competition for Bryce Harper when the star outfielder reaches free agency after the 2018 season.  Harper has seemingly been linked to the Yankees for years, though as Heyman notes, Aaron Judge’s emergence in right field could mean that New York instead pursues Manny Machado first among the star-studded 2018-19 free agent class before looking into Harper.  Then again, if the Yankees are able to “get below the [luxury tax] threshold, there’s no telling what they may try to do” that winter, given how their tax penalty clock will be reset just as multiple superstar players will hit the open market.

AL Notes: Quintana, Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers

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Although the Yankees are currently mired in a five-game losing streak, they’re still atop the AL East at 38-28. The likelihood is that the Bombers will end up as buyers before the trade deadline, then, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that they could pursue a left-handed reliever, a starter and a first baseman in the coming weeks. With regards to the rotation, the Yankees might make a big splash by acquiring White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana, which is “a real possibility” based on long-tenured general manager Brian Cashman’s trade history, according to Sherman. Quintana is affordable, meaning landing the 28-year-old wouldn’t hinder the Yankees’ goal of getting under the luxury tax next season, and surrendering multiple prospects for him would lessen the 40-man roster crunch the team is in danger of facing in the offseason.

More from the Bronx and two other AL destinations:

  • Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna is young, dominant and under control through 2020 – all of which are good reasons for the club to trade him, argues Sportsnet’s Jonah Keri. Considering they’re only three games out of a playoff spot, the Blue Jays aren’t guaranteed to sell at the deadline, and they likely regard the 22-year-old Osuna as a key piece of their long-term core. But relievers are unpredictable and often have short shelf lives, notes Keri, who reasons that dealing Osuna could actually help Toronto stay in the playoff hunt if it moves him for talent that’s ready for the majors or close to it. There would be no shortage of interest in Osuna if the Jays actually were to place him on the block, with Keri naming bullpen-challenged Washington as one of the most obvious potential suitors.
  • Highly regarded Yankees infield prospect Gleyber Torres departed Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s game Saturday with a hyperextended left elbow, per an announcement for New York. X-rays were negative, but Torres will undergo further evaluation Monday. If he dodges a serious injury, it’s possible Torres will become an everyday player for the Yankees prior to the trade deadline, per Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com. There are officials within the organization who like the idea of adding even more youth to the team’s roster for the stretch run, reports Marchand, and the 20-year-old Torres would certainly provide that. In his first taste of Triple-A, Torres has slashed an impressive .304/.404/.443 in 90 plate appearances. At the same time, he’s making progress at a new position – third base – where the Yankees could stand to upgrade over Chase Headley. “I think he is taking longer at third than second,” Triple-A manager Al Pedrique told Marchand. “You can tell he is starting to figure some things out at third base.”
  • Before the Braves traded outfielder Mallex Smith to the Mariners last January, the Tigers had interest in acquiring him, tweets Jason Beck of MLB.com. The speedy Smith, who went from Atlanta to Seattle and then Seattle to Tampa Bay on the same day, posted modest numbers as a rookie last year but has gotten off to a hot start with the Rays (.368/.438/.491 with seven stolen bases in 60 plate appearances). He surely would have factored into the center field mix for Detroit, whose production there has been woeful.

Royals, First-Rounder Nick Pratto Agree To Deal

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The Royals and first-round pick Nick Pratto have agreed to a deal, pending a physical, report William Boor and Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. Pratto, the 14th overall selection, will sign for $3.45MM – slightly below the $3,727,600 slot value of the pick.

“We are extremely excited to have drafted Nick Pratto and confident we will sign him at the appropriate time,” said Royals general manager Dayton Moore. “We remain in the signing process and nothing is complete at this time.”

Pratto is both a high school first baseman and a pitcher, but the Royals drafted the 18-year-old California native as as position player. Thanks to his offensive abilities, Pratto ranked as the 13th-best player going into this year’s draft, according to both Keith Law of ESPN and Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen (17th) and Baseball America (24th) also regarded the soon-to-be former USC commitment as a first-round talent entering the proceedings, with each of the aforementioned prospect gurus praising the lefty-swinging Pratto’s bat. Additionally, Pratto offers “very advanced” defense at first, per BA.

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