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Cardinals To Promote Jack Flaherty

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The Cardinals will promote right-hander Jack Flaherty from Triple-A Memphis to make his MLB debut by starting Friday’s game against the Giants, per a team announcement. He’s not on the 40-man roster, but this morning’s unexpected trade of Mike Leake to the Mariners opened both a 40-man roster spot as well as a spot in the St. Louis rotation.

Jack Flaherty | Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY SportsFlaherty, 21, was the 34th overall pick in the 2014 draft and ranked as the game’s No. 53 prospect on MLB.com’s midseason top 100 list. Both Baseball America and Fangraphs rated Flaherty comparably, at No. 57, on their own summer rankings of baseball’s top 100 prospects.

Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com note in their free scouting report that Flaherty’s velocity has ticked up to the mid-90s this year, adding that he has three “usable” secondary offerings, with his changeup the best of the bunch as a potential plus pitch down the line. Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen calls him a potential above-average starter, offering a similar take on his improved arsenal in 2017.

The 6’4″, 205-pound Flaherty is a product of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles — the same program that produced top picks Lucas Giolito and Max Fried. Flaherty opened the 2017 season at Double-A and dominated Texas League opponents to the tune of a 1.42 ERA through 63 1/3 innings before being bumped up to Memphis. His results in the Triple-A International League were similarly impressive, as Flaherty has logged a 2.94 ERA with 9.0 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 41 percent ground-ball rate through 85 1/3 frames there.

The Cardinals’ clear hope is the Flaherty, Luke Weaver and currently injured but high-ceilinged Alex Reyes can occupy spots in their rotation for years to come. Flaherty is the last of the bunch to arrive in the Majors, and if he’s here to stay, he won’t qualify for arbitration until after the 2020 season. The earliest that Flaherty could become a free agent, given his current trajectory, would be upon completion of the 2023 campaign.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Josh Rutledge Undergoes Hip Surgery

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The Red Sox announced on Wednesday that infielder Josh Rutledge underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his left hip. He’s expected to be ready for the 2018 season. per the Red Sox’ press release.

After spending the 2015-16 seasons with the Red Sox organization, Rutledge inked a minor league pact with the Rockies (the organization that initially drafted him) back in November, only to be selected by the Red Sox in the Rule 5 Draft just two weeks later. As Evan Drellich of CSN New England points out, Rutledge didn’t meet the minimum 90 days on the active roster, so despite the fact that he has more than four years of service time, he’ll retain Rule 5 status headed into the 2018 season (Twitter link).

Rule 5 status for Rutledge is somewhat of a moot point anyhow, though, as he’s out of minor league options and therefore would have to break camp with the team next spring or else be exposed to waivers. If the Red Sox keep him on the roster this winter, Rutledge will retain arbitration eligibility as well — he’s earning $600K in 2017 — though his limited role and sub-par results at the plate make him a non-tender candidate despite that modest salary.

Rutledge logged 118 plate appearances with the Red Sox this season — his most in the Majors since 2014 — and batted just .224/.297/.262 with two doubles and a triple. Overall, he’s a career .258/.310/.384 hitter in 1206 Major League plate appearances. He played primarily third base for the Sox in 2017, though he’s also capable of playing second base and has logged the vast majority of his Major League innings at shortstop.

Tigers Do Not Expect To Trade Justin Verlander By End Of August

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The Tigers do not anticipate finding a match for staff ace Justin Verlander before the end of the month, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. Indeed, the team sees a swap as being “highly unlikely,” per the report.

Though there were suggestions yesterday that there may be some renewed interest in the veteran righty, all signs now seemingly point away from a trade. Verlander is on the bump for Detroit today, it’s also worth noting.

Verlander, 34, has already cleared revocable trade waivers, meaning that he can be dealt freely. But he does have full no-trade protection as well as a hefty $56MM guarantee over the next two seasons. With Detroit evidently holding out for a worthwhile prospect return for its longtime star, talks do not appear to have developed.

That said, there is good cause for the ongoing attention to Verlander’s situation. He has indicated he would consider a deal to a contender. And he has also begun pitching again like the player who nearly won the AL Cy Young Award just last year. Numerous clubs are surely at least intrigued at the prospect of adding Verlander, who has been durable and effective for quite some time.

Even if nothing gets done before tomorrow’s deadline — after which newly acquired players cannot be utilized on a postseason roster — the trade talks held this summer will likely set the stage for further chatter in the fall. While the Tigers understandably are hesitant to part with such an integral player for less than a compelling slate of young talent, the club has already taken major steps toward a rebuild amidst another disappointing season on the field.

NL Notes: Leake, Lynn, Harper, Upton, Humphreys

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In the wake of today’s Mike Leake trade, some have wondered whether the Cardinals might be more inclined to bring back fellow right-hander Lance Lynn, who’s set to reach free agency this fall. But Lynn himself suggested that, at a minimum, that’s hardly an inevitability. As Chris Lee of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, the veteran hurler says there has “been zero communication” between his camp and the Cards’ front office about a new contract. You’ll want to read all of his comments for yourself, but it certainly did not sound as if the 30-year-old is entirely sanguine about the chances of a reunion.

  • It’s worth noting, too, that Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has emphasized a desire to rely on the team’s younger arms in explaining the Leake swap, as Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com tweets. That would seem to suggest that Luke Weaver and others factor prominently in the club’s plans for 2018 (and, of course, beyond). Mozeliak covered a few of the up-and-coming hurlers in his comments today, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch covers in his story on the trade.
  • Nationals star Bryce Harper does not seem to be making much headway in his effort to return from his recent knee injury, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). Harper says he suffered not only a bone bruise but also a strained calf, while indicating some concern with the fact that there’s not much time left in the regular season. Skipper Dusty Baker acknowledged that Harper is still “a long way of running,” adding that the club will give Jayson Werth some time in right field in case Harper isn’t ready for the postseason.
  • The Giants have at least some level of interest in Tigers outfielder Justin Upton, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (links to Twitter). Trouble is, San Francisco (quite understandably) would only want to deal for Upton if it can be assured that he won’t exercise his opt-out clause and head out onto the open market this fall. Upton will be deciding between another foray into free agency and the $88.5MM over four years still left on his contract. It seems unlikely that he’ll be inclined to tip his hand on that call, let alone pre-commit, so it’s hard to imagine how a deal could come together. The Giants, after all, won’t want to sacrifice value to rent Upton in a lost season. And the Tigers would surely rather deal him in the offseason or offer him a qualifying offer (if he opts out) than give him away for nothing. Of course, San Francisco could still pursue Upton in trade or free agency after the season if he ends up remaining with Detroit through the end of the season.
  • Another Mets pitcher has suffered a significant injury, though he is not a major leaguer. Prospect Jordan Humphreys has undergone Tommy John surgery, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). The 21-year-old landed with the Mets as an 18th-round pick, but impressed this year at the Class A level, throwing 69 2/3 innings of 1.55 ERA ball with 10.3 K/9 against 1.2 BB/9. He had just been promoted to High-A before hitting the shelf. MLB.com recently rated Humphreys the organization’s 15th-best prospect.

AL Notes: Rays, Cash, Alvarez, Falvey, Duffy

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As Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wrote yesterday, the Rays could potentially decide to pivot to selling some short-term assets if the team does not perform in the final few days of August. The Rays ended up losing yesterday, leaving them three-and-a-half games out of the final Wild Card spot. We explored recently what kinds of deals the club might contemplate if it decided to shed some veterans at the last minute.

  • Regardless of how things turn out this year, the Rays intend to bring back skipper Kevin Cash, according to Topkin. GM Erik Neander credits Cash for ensuring that the club has “showed up every day well-prepared to compete and to make the most of their abilities.” Cash is under contract through 2019, and Topkin notes that the team also has two additional option years. He has guided the Rays to a 214-244 record since the start of 2015.
  • The Orioles intend to consider calling up veteran Pedro Alvarez when rosters expand in September, manager Buck Showalter told reporters including Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun. While his experiment with playing the outfield has failed, Alvarez has put up fairly typical numbers at Triple-A, with a .241/.296/.446 batting line and 26 long balls over 584 plate appearances. Unsurprisingly, he has been more effective against right-handed pitching and might provide the O’s with a boost off the bench — if the team can manage to find a 40-man opening.
  • Twins GM Derek Falvey spoke with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic about his team’s interesting summer (subscription required and recommended). The rookie front-office man says that the club’s mid-July pivot, in which it acquired and then traded away Jaime Garcia and also shipped out Brandon Kintzler, led to some clubhouse disappointment. But, he says, “the front office had a plan for the long term.” Of course, Minnesota’s players have made a pivot of their own ever since, surging into Wild Card position.
  • In the wake of Danny Duffy’s DUI arrest, both the Royals pitcher and team GM Dayton Moore addressed the media (video links via the Kansas City Star). Speaking obliquely of the matter, Duffy apologized for distracting the club and said he would “be better because of it.” He also asked that fans and organization members “continue to have faith in me.” Moore emphasized that he does not yet know the full facts, but said he expects Duffy to “be accountable” for his actions, which he labeled “disappointing” and “regretful.” “We’ll support him, but there’s obviously consequences for actions,” said Moore.

Mariners Acquire Mike Leake

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12:07pm: The Cardinals will send the Mariners around $17MM, Rosenthal tweets.

10:12am: In a surprising development, the Cardinals have dealt righty Mike Leake to the Mariners. Young infielder Rayder Ascanio will go to St. Louis in the swap, with $750K of international bonus pool spending capacity and unannounced cash considerations also heading to Seattle.

Aug 15, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Mike Leake (8) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not yet known how much cash the M’s will take on in the deal or what players may be headed in return. Leake had already cleared revocable waivers, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). That was to be expected. Leake is earning $15MM this year, with about $2.5MM left to go. He remains under contract through 2020, with a $53MM total guarantee — including a $5MM buyout of a 2021 mutual option.

Leake’s contract includes full no-trade protection, so his approval was required for the deal to go through. He has indeed waived the clause, per Nightengale (Twitter link). Notably, Leake has spoken of his desire to be closer to family in Arizona and will now at least get to spend Spring Training there; that motivation and others may have aided his decision.

[RELATED: Updated Mariners & Cardinals Depth Charts]

Since signing on with the Cards before the 2016 season, Leake has shown the durability that earned him the contract, throwing 330 2/3 innings over 56 starts. But he has also managed only a 4.46 cumulative ERA while compiling 6.2 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9. Leake has struggled especially of late, working to an 8.88 ERA in his five starts in August.

Assuming he can get back on track, Leake will help steady a Seattle rotation that has faced a steady barrage of injuries. Felix Hernandez, James Paxton, Hisashi Iwakuma, and Drew Smyly are all on the DL, with only the first two expected to return this season. The club has fallen three games off of the AL Wild Card pace, but evidently still feels compelled to push for the postseason this year.

Of course, Leake will also represent a piece of the future picture. The Mariners will almost certainly bid adieu to Iwakuma, Smyly, and Yovani Gallardo over the winter. Erasmo Ramirez and even David Phelps — both acquired earlier this summer — could be rotation options (though the latter has worked from the pen), as could Gonzales. Still the team was clearly in need of at least one more arm to go along with King Felix and the Big Maple.

This is the second notable recent swap between these organizations, who had previously struck a deal that sent young lefty Marco Gonzales to Seattle for outfielder Tyler O’Neill. Leake may well end up bumping Gonzales out of the Mariners rotation for the time being.

Seattle will also pick up some bonus pool money, which St. Louis wasn’t able to utilize anyway following penalties for prior spending. The Cards will also add the 21-year-old Ascanio, a middle infielder out of Venezuela. Ascanio has played at the Class A and High-A levels this year, posting a .217/.295/.355 slash over 450 total plate appearances. That’s not a lot of offense, though he has knocked nine balls over the fence — more than he had over his four prior professional seasons combined.

St. Louis remains in the hunt for both the NL Central crown and a Wild Card spot, though the team enters play today five games out of the postseason picture. While the rotation has had its issues, Luke Weaver has emerged as a quality option since returning to the majors recently, perhaps freeing the club to deal Leake. Another young righty, Jack Flaherty, likely isn’t far behind.

Ultimately, dealing Leake may have more to do with future considerations than the club’s immediate postseason hopes. Moving some of the contract will open some payroll space for 2018 and beyond, though it also takes away one rotation option with Lance Lynn slated to hit the open market and Adam Wainwright entering the final year of his contract. The club does still control Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha, in addition to the two talented but less-experienced arms noted above, and will hopefully welcome Alex Reyes back into the fold next year. Parting with Leake, though, could conceivably keep the door open for the return of Lynn or lead the team to acquire another rotation piece over the offseason.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter) first said a deal involving Leake was close, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). MLB.com’s Jen Langosch tweeted the detail on the international money.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Braves Designate Enrique Burgos

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The Braves have designated right-hander Enrique Burgos for assignment, per a club announcement (h/t David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on Twitter). His roster spot will go to catcher David Freitas, whose contract was purchased.

Atlanta found itself in need of another backstop due to an injury to Tyler Flowers. He is headed to the 10-day DL with a wrist contusion, according to the club.

Burgos, 26, was acquired from the Diamondbacks in May. But he has failed to rein in his walk problems and hasn’t cracked the bigs with his new organization. Over 35 1/3 Triple-A innings between the two clubs, Burgos carries a 5.60 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 6.6 BB/9.

Despite his inability to limit the free passes, Burgos has an intriguing arm. He averaged over 96 mph with his fastball during his time in the majors with Arizona, striking out 10.8 batters per nine over 68 1/3 total MLB innings.

Injury Notes: Wright, Cueto, Kershaw, Wood, Ethier, Sano, Ramirez, Bailey

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Though he is now dealing with yet another setback and has not appeared in the majors since May of last year, Mets third baseman David Wright is not considering retiring, a source tells Mike Puma of the New York Post. A lingering shoulder injury is the most immediate problem limiting Wright, though he has also dealt with significant neck and back issues that he’ll continue to battle in the future. With three years and $47MM left on his contract, Wright will evidently keep trying to make it back to the majors, though at present it is unclear what course he’ll take in trying to overcome his maladies.

Here’s more on some other injury situations from around the game:

  • Giants righty Johnny Cueto said he feels ready to return to the majors, as Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area writes. He has taken two rehab starts in his bid to return from a flexor strain that has kept him out of action since mid-July. That injury seemingly makes it quite likely that Cueto will elect not to opt out of the remaining four years and $84MM of his contract this fall. Cueto seemingly acknowledged that, saying that his “whole mentality has been for me to stay here,” though he also noted that’ll be a decision that’s made in consultation with his agent at season’s end.
  • The Dodgers are set to welcome back a pair of key southpaws later this week, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links). Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to pitch Friday, with Alex Wood taking the ball on Sunday. Kershaw has been out since late July, making for the second-straight year in which he has missed significant time due to back issues. Wood’s DL stint has been of a shorter duration, with the belief being that his SC joint inflammation is something that can be managed rather than a symptom of a more significant problem. Needless to say, both are critical to the team’s ever-rising postseason expectations. The Dodgers are also awaiting a return from yet another starter, righty Brandon McCarthy, who has been out with a finger blister. As Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets, the right-hander’s scheduled rehab start this week has been bumped, so his status is unclear at the moment.
  • Also nearing his return to the Dodgers is veteran outfielder Andre Ethier, as Plunkett further reports on Twitter. The club will make a move after rosters expand at the start of September. The 35-year-old faces an uncertain playing-time situation, to be sure. Los Angeles just added a left-handed-hitting veteran outfielder in Curtis Granderson and now features Adrian Gonzalez as a southpaw-swinging bench bat. Ethier has missed the entire season to date with a herniated disc in his back. He’ll almost certainly hit the open market after this year, receiving a $2.5MM buyout if (likely, when) the team declines a $17.5MM club option. Despite his many recent medical problems, there ought to be some market if Ethier can show he’s healthy in September; after all, as recently as 2015 he was a productive hitter (.294/.366/.486 over 445 plate appearances).
  • While the Twins are currently pacing the pack for the second American League Wild Card spot, the team has gone without key slugger Miguel Sano. While he does seem to be improving from what has been called a “stress reaction” to his left shin, writes MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, Sano still hasn’t begun running or fielding. Manager Paul Molitor says things are “moving rather slowly” for the third baseman. Sano, 24, has turned in 475 plate appearances of .267/.356/.514 hitting with 28 home runs on the year, meaning the team is going without a middle-of-the-order bat that isn’t really replaceable. Given the nature of his injury, though, there’s likely not much that can be done but hope that he responds to treatment.
  • The Angels are awaiting news from a re-examination of right-hander J.C. Ramirez after he underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow, Pedro Moura  of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Ramirez, 29, had settled into a starting role for the club, providing 147 1/3 innings of 4.15 ERA ball to a rotation that badly needed it. That sets him up fairly well as a possible Super Two candidate; it remains to be seen whether Ramirez will qualify for arbitration after entering the year with 1.139 years of service. Given that he only just underwent that injection, though, it seems optimistic to expect that he’ll make it back to the mound in 2017.
  • Meanwhile, fellow Angels righty Andrew Bailey is giving up any attempts to return in the present season, Moura further reports on Twitter. He will, however, attempt to get his shoulder back to health in order to return in 2018. Bailey had shown well for the Halos in a late-season stint last year and re-signed with the club for $1MM over the winter, but has managed only four major-league frames on the year. He’s set to return to the open market at the end of the season.

MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Anderson, Gallo, Turner

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IMPACT ROSTER MOVES

[Related: MLB Lineup Tracker | MLB Disabled List Tracker | MLB Rotation Depth Tracker ]

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

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MINOR TRANSACTIONS

7 Best Waiver Claims Of The Past Year

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Inspired by a question in a recent chat, I decided to search for the most worthwhile waiver claims placed over the past year. While there are relatively few monumental wins, several players have turned in productive runs with their new organizations since being allowed to depart for nothing but the waiver fee. And many look to carry future value, as well.

Here’s the list of the claims since last August that have provided the most value to their current teams:

  • Blake Parker, RH Reliever, Angels (link): Halos GM Billy Eppler might have made out like a bandit when he poached two righties last October from the Yankees, but the club later lost both pitchers on waiver claims by other organizations. One (see below) ended up succeeding in his new digs, but Eppler got a second chance when he re-claimed Parker. Over 57 2/3 innings on the year, Parker has posted a sterling 2.18 ERA with 11.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 along with a 50.4% groundball rate. He sports a robust 14.1% swinging-strike rate and a personal-high 94.0 mph average heater. Parker will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this fall.
  • Kirby Yates, RH Reliever, Padres (link): Yates is the one that got away from the Angels, as he was claimed by the Pads earlier this season after just one ugly appearance for Los Angeles. The 30-year-old has scuffled a bit of late, and has been prone to the long ball, but still carries a palatable 4.09 ERA over 44 frames. More importantly, he has racked up 14.1 K/9, on an outstanding 17.7% whiff rate, against 3.2 BB/9 on the year. Yates looks like a keeper and shouldn’t be terribly expensive when he hits arbitration over the offseason.
  • Scooter Gennett, 2B, Reds (link): The 27-year-old has put on a power outburst since coming over from the Brewers. While he has continued to struggle against left-handed pitching, and doesn’t draw plaudits for his glovework, it’s hard to ignore a .286/.339/.529 batting line and 22 home runs over 389 plate appearances. Gennett has provided quite some value to Cincinnati for his $2.5MM salary, though that’ll head northward in his second season of arb eligibility.
  • Dominic Leone, RH Reliever, Blue Jays (link): Though Leone had enjoyed prior MLB success when he went to Toronto from the D-Backs over the wire, the 25-year-old had largely struggled since his impressive 2014 debut. He has gone on to spin sixty frames of 2.55 ERA ball for the Jays, logging 10.2 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 while carrying a 14.5% swinging-strike rate. Better still, Leone likely won’t qualify for Super Two status next year, leaving the Blue Jays with another season of bargain pitching and three more years of arbitration control.
  • Stephen Vogt, C, Brewers (link): Though an injury has limited the 32-year-old to just 18 games since his mid-season claim, Vogt has absolutely raked in that span. He’s slashing .279/.319/.674 with five home runs as a Brewer, making him an important part of the team’s roster down the stretch. Vogt won’t likely command a big increase on his $2.965MM salary in arbitration this fall — his second-to-last year of eligibility — and so could also represent a useful future asset for Milwaukee.
  • Doug Fister, SP/RP, Red Sox (link): Though he has hardly dominated, Fister has given Boston much-needed innings since being claimed after a brief run in the Angels organization. Over 59 2/3 total frames this year, through nine starts and three relief appearances, he carries a 4.53 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9. Nothing jumps off the page there, but league-average results from an affordable swingman are always welcome.
  • George Kontos, RH Reliever, Pirates (link): It would be silly to make too much of the five strong innings Kontos has thrown since arriving recently in Pittsburgh, though he has allowed just one earned run on two hits and a walk while recording seven strikeouts. More importantly, the 32-year-old seems to represent an affordable and useful pen piece for the future. Kontos, who owns a lifetime 3.03 ERA through 320 2/3 frames in the majors, will command a relatively modest bump on his $1.75MM salary next season and can be controlled via arbitration in 2019 as well.

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