Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Anderson, Faria, Uehara

By | at

IMPACT ROSTER MOVES

—

FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

 

—

MINOR TRANSACTIONS

Quick Hits: Colon, Upton, D’Backs, Piscotty, Blue Jays, Anderson

By | at

Bartolo Colon was the winning pitcher in the Twins’ 12-5 win over the Diamondbacks today, giving the 44-year-old another distinction in the record books.  Colon became the 18th pitcher in baseball history to record at least one win against all 30 big league teams.  The veteran righty was 0-2 in four previous career starts against the D’Backs, but he finally notched that elusive win in his 20th MLB season.  While expansion doesn’t appear to be in the league’s immediate plans, we also probably shouldn’t entirely rule out the ageless Colon’s chances of eventually defeating a 31st team.

Here’s some more from around the American League…

  • Justin Upton tells MLB.com’s Jason Beck and other reporters that he hasn’t “really even thought about” whether or not to opt out of his Tigers contract.  Upton is focused on finishing the season, and will then take some downtime before discussing the opt-out with his agent and his family “probably a week or two beforehand” when a decision will need to be made.  One factor will be whether or not the Tigers will look to contend or rebuild in 2018, and Upton intends to speak to GM Al Avila, who the outfielder feels has “been pretty up front with all the veteran guys here with his plans” to date.  Recent reports suggested that Upton wasn’t planning on opting out of the four years and $88MM remaining on his Tigers deal, though given that Upton is enjoying an outstanding season, he could potentially top that guarantee if he re-entered the open market.  MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently ranked Upton as having the sixth-highest earning power of any potential free agent of the 2017-18 offseason.
  • Barring injury, Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen doubts the team will make any significant August waiver trades, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.  “We’re still watching the waiver market through the month of August but I’m not anticipating that there’s going to be major changes outside of what’s in this organization,” Hazen said.
  • The Cardinals recalled Stephen Piscotty from Triple-A as their 26th man for their special Little League Classic matchup with the Pirates, though Cards president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told MLB.com’s Jennifer Langosch and other reporters that Piscotty may stick with the club beyond just today’s action.  Piscotty has battled injuries and struggled to the tune of a .232/.340/.362 slash line over 291 PA, which led to his demotion earlier this month.  It remains to be see how St. Louis would juggle right field playing time between Piscotty, fellow underachiever Randal Grichuk and promising rookie Jose Martinez.
  • The Blue Jays started Josh Donaldson at shortstop and Jose Bautista at third base today, and while the lack of a DH for their interleague series at Wrigley Field played a role in the unusual lineup, manager John Gibbons told MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm and other media that “you may see them out there together again.”  Bautista has some past experience at the hot corner, while Donaldson’s first three career games at short all came during this three-game series with the Cubs.  This lineup shuffle, if more regularly made, would allow Nori Aoki or Ezequiel Carrera (or a September outfield callup) to see more time in Bautista’s usual spot in right field, and the Jays could then bench one of the light-hitting middle infield duo of Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney.
  • Brett Anderson is again going through the process of joining a new team and recovering from another injury, though the veteran southpaw tells Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi that he is still hopeful of becoming a healthy and productive member of a rotation.  “It’s a gift and curse that I like baseball enough to keep doing this,” the 29-year-old Anderson said.  “I’m not super old by any stretch, but I’ve been around for a while, and hopefully I’ve pushed a button and I age in reverse, got all that stuff out of the way before I’m 30, and have some healthy years going forward.”  Davidi’s piece also notes that the Blue Jays have long been intrigued by the lefty’s potential, nearly acquiring Anderson as part of a three-team deal with the A’s and Rangers in the 2013-14 offseason, though issues with Anderson’s physical scuttled Toronto’s interest.

NL East Notes: Asdrubal, Phillips, Phillies, Koehler

By | at

The latest from around the NL East…

  • The Mets are receiving more trade interest in Asdrubal Cabrera, Newsday’s Marc Carig reports.  Cabrera received some buzz prior to the deadline (with the Indians and Red Sox mentioned as two of the interested teams) though there haven’t been many rumblings about him yet this month.  The veteran infielder has shown additional versatility by playing second and third base almost exclusively over the last two months after beginning the year as New York’s everyday shortstop.  MLBTR’s Steve Adams listed Cabrera first in his recent ranking of the Top 25 August Trade Candidates.
  • Brandon Phillips has acquitted himself well as the Braves’ third baseman since moving over from second base to accommodate Ozzie Albies, and David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution points out that the position switch may be a boost to Phillips’ future career.  The veteran infielder will have a better chance at finding a new contract this winter now that he has demonstrated more positional versatility, and O’Brien figures Phillips could also handle playing first base as well.
  • “Essentially, the Phillies are in rebuilding purgatory,” David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News writes.  The Phils find themselves in a bit of a catch-22 of needing some reliable arms to fill out next year’s rotation, as though it makes little sense to spend the significant dollars necessary for such pitching when the club is still in a rebuilding phase, though getting good pitchers at bargain prices will be difficult-to-impossible.  While the Phillies aren’t planning to contend yet, Murphy argues that “the goal should be to make next season watchable,” and a lack of pitching could undermine what appears to be some promising development from the team’s young hitters.
  • Tom Koehler was dealt from the Marlins to the Blue Jays yesterday, ending the right-hander’s career-long stint in the Miami organization.  As Koehler tells Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, he is excited to go to Toronto, though it is a bittersweet feeling leaving the team that drafted him as an 18th-rounder in 2008.  “They [the Marlins] gave me an opportunity.  I don’t think a lot of people would have thought that I would’ve gotten as far as I have, and they gave me a chance to do it,” Koehler said.

MLBTR Originals

By | at

Here’s the list of original content from the MLB Trade Rumors writing staff over the last seven days…

  • Just hours after Steve Adams published the latest edition of the Top 25 August Trade Candidates ranking, the list already needed revising thanks to the news that Curtis Granderson (#2 on Steve’s list) had been dealt to the Dodgers.  This August has been more active than usual on the trade front, so it wouldn’t be surprising if several more top-25 names are moved before the month is out.
  • If teams can’t work out a trade within the August waiver period, they could also add talent by making a waiver claim.  Charlie Wilmoth lists eight players that could potentially be claimed and then allowed to leave by their current teams.
  • The Astros are known to be looking for left-handed relief help, so Steve looked at 10 southpaws that could be available and of interest to the AL West leaders.  Houston did make a significant bullpen acquisition this week, though it was for veteran right-hander Tyler Clippard.
  • Looking ahead to the offseason, Steve checked in on eight notable names who can become free agents this winter due to opt-out clauses or player options in their current contracts.
  • The qualifying offer will also have a big impact on this winter’s free agent movement.  Since this will be the first offseason of the new QO rules established in the latest collective bargaining agreement, I published a refresher about how the new system will operate for teams that sign or lose players who will reject the one-year qualifying offer (estimated to be worth around $18MM this year).
  • Jeff Todd examines ten pitchers who will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, and have set themselves up for some very healthy salaries in the first of three (or four, for the Super Two players) trips through the process.
  • Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger look like shoo-ins for the Rookie Of The Year honors in their respective leagues, as Connor Byrne counts down the top 10 rookies of the 2017 season.  I guess Judge’s slump in the second half might cost him some votes if the likes of Andrew Benintendi or Trey Mancini keep up their production, though heading into today’s action, Judge (6.0) had generated twice as much fWAR as Benintendi (2.0) and Mancini (1.0) combined.

Twins To Place Miguel Sano On 10-Day Disabled List

By | at

Miguel Sano won’t join the Twins on their upcoming road trip and he is headed to the 10-day DL due to a stress reaction in his left shin, the slugger told reporters (including Chad Graff of the St. Paul Pioneer Press).  No move has yet been announced by the team, though Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports that Kennys Vargas was removed from the Triple-A lineup today and will replace Sano on Minnesota’s 25-man roster.

Sano fouled a ball off his shin on Friday, and then left Saturday’s game early due to continued soreness (the Twins used Sano as the DH on Saturday to limit his time on his feet).  The seriousness of Sano’s injury or a timetable for his return isn’t yet known.

Going without Sano’s bat for even the minimum 10 days is a blow to a Twins team that is thick in the midst of the AL wild card hunt, plus still with an outside shot at catching the Indians for first place in the AL Central.  Sano is hitting .267/.356/.514 with 27 homers through 475 plate appearances, seemingly making the breakout from blue chip prospect to established big league hitter.  While he’s had some good fortune in the form of a .379 BABIP and there is still a lot of swing-and-miss in Sano’s approach (a league-high 170 strikeouts), he makes little mistake when he does make contact — his 45.3% hard-hit ball rate ranks fifth among all qualified hitters in baseball this season.

Vargas will be called up to handle DH duties or perhaps spell Joe Mauer at first base, while Sano’s customary spot at third base will likely be filled by Eduardo Escobar and Ehire Adrianza.  Needless to say, that’s a big dropoff in production for a Twins team that is already just middle-of-the-pack in most offensive categories, so clearly Minnesota needs Sano back soon if the team is to continue its surprising push towards a playoff spot.

NL Notes: Otani, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies

By | at

Eight members of the Dodgers organization, including president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, were in Japan on Sunday to watch Nippon Ham Fighters star Shohei Otani, according to a report from Sponichi (translation courtesy of Kazuto Yamazaki of Beyond the Box Score, on Twitter). The two-way standout threw a 58-pitch bullpen session before the game and then reached base in all four plate appearances during the contest, going 3 for 3 with a walk. Otani, 23, figures to be the most sought-after free agent available if he decides to immigrate to the majors in the offseason. The Dodgers seem likely to pursue him, but the international spending limits in the new collective bargaining agreement will prevent the big-spending franchise from steamrolling the competition with a massive offer. In fact, the Dodgers aren’t allowed to give out a bonus exceeding $300K to an international prospect in the 2017-18 signing period.

  • Mets general manager Sandy Alderson is a near certainty to return in 2018, but manager Terry Collins’ exit seems like a mere formality, David Lennon of Newsday suggests. While the Alderson-built Mets have been among the majors’ most obvious letdowns this season, the spate of injuries they’ve dealt with has likely given him some leeway, Lennon notes. One prominent Met who hasn’t played at all this year is third baseman and captain David Wright, whom neck, shoulder and back issues have limited to 75 games since 2015. The $47MM owed to Wright through 2020, including $20MM next season, could serve as a hindrance to Alderson during the upcoming winter as he tries to reshape the roster and make the team into a contender again, Lennon observes. While the Mets could recoup 75 percent of Wright’s money via insurance if he’s unable to play, Alderson has to operate as if the seven-time All-Star will return. The Mets’ third base situation without Wright this year hasn’t been ideal, which Alderson acknowledged. “We don’t have an everyday top-shelf third base option the way some teams do. Not that we have played terribly at third base. But we didn’t go into the season with a solidified situation in part because we’re not sure what David’s condition would be,” Alderson said. “Now, as we go into 2018, do we build on what we learned in 2017 and act accordingly and consider moving David to another position, that sort of thing? That’s all something that has to be evaluated as we get into the offseason.”
  • Given that they’ll need to add him to their 40-man roster over the winter, a promotion could come this year for Phillies shortstop prospect J.P. Crawford when Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s season ends, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. If the Phillies do call up Crawford, he could see time at second and third base initially, assistant general manager Ned Rice told Gelb. Crawford lined up at third base Sunday, making it the first time he has played a position other than short in the minors. The Phillies still regard Crawford as a long-term shortstop, but incumbent Freddy Galvis is vying for a 162-game season there. Meanwhile, Maikel Franco is in the midst of a disappointing season, so he’s a candidate to cede playing time to Crawford. The 22-year-old topped out as Baseball America’s sixth-best prospect after the 2015 season, but he’s just 92nd on the outlet’s latest list. Crawford has improved his Triple-A output since last season’s unspectacular showing, though, having batted .242/.349/.406 with 13 home runs and 68 unintentional walks against 84 strikeouts in 485 plate appearances.

Injury Notes: Astros, Kershaw, Price, Richards, Nats, Rays

By | at

Astros superstar shortstop Carlos Correa is progressing toward a return from the torn left thumb ligament he suffered July 18. Correa will take batting practice on the field Tuesday for the first time since succumbing to the injury, and he could then embark on a rehab assignment, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters, including Ben DuBose of MLB.com. Teammate Lance McCullers, who has been on the shelf for three weeks with back discomfort, threw a three-inning simulated game Sunday, but there’s no timetable for the right-hander’s return. Hinch informed Mark Berman of FOX 26 (via Twitter) and other reporters that McCullers will need to make multiple rehab appearances before coming back.

More injury updates from around the majors:

  • Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is likely to rejoin their rotation Sept. 1, relays Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (Twitter links). Kershaw, who’s rehabbing from a late-July back injury, will throw a three-inning sim game in Pittsburgh on Monday, manager Dave Roberts announced. If all goes well, he’ll make a rehab start at either the Double-A or Triple-A level next weekend (Twitter link via Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times).
  • Arm stiffness has prevented Red Sox left-hander David Price from throwing since Tuesday, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon, according to Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com. Price has dealt with forearm problems off and on since spring training, though Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told MLB Network Radio on Sunday that he’s “hopeful” the hurler will be a factor again this season (Twitter link). Time’s running out, however, as McCaffrey notes.
  • The Angels are targeting a September return for righty Garrett Richards, who will face live hitters Sunday for the first time since he made his lone start of the year on April 5, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes. Biceps nerve irritation has sidelined Richards, who missed nearly all of last season with elbow troubles. With roster expansion forthcoming, manager Mike Scioscia suggested that the Angels won’t need to stretch Richards out fully in order for him to rejoin the playoff hopefuls’ rotation. “I don’t think it’s realistic to get Garrett stretched out to the 75-, 90-, 100-pitch range, but I do see a scenario if he gets to 60 pitches, we might use him to come to our rotation and see how far he gets because we’ll have plenty of pitching to follow up at that point,” Scioscia said.
  • Along with the previously reported Jayson Werth, Nationals shortstop Trea Turner will start a Triple-A rehab assignment Monday, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. Both players have been out since June (Werth went to the DL on June 5, Turner on June 30), and they’re slated to return next week, according to Zuckerman. Turner’s lengthy DL stint came as a result of a broken right wrist.
  • The Rays placed righty Jacob Faria on the 10-day DL on Sunday with a left abdominal strain, clearing roster space for just-claimed outfielder Cesar Puello.  Faria revealed that he has battled the injury over his past several starts, though he doesn’t believe it’ll be a long-term problem or even a season-ending issue, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link). Prior to the DL stint, the 24-year-old Faria was amid a quality rookie season with a 3.32 ERA and 8.81 K/9 against 3.32 BB/9 across 78 2/3 innings.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Stanton, Jays, Devers, Judge, D-backs, Braves, Twins

By | at

This week in baseball blogs:

Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com

Dodgers Claim Jordan Jankowski From Astros

By | at

The Dodgers have claimed right-hander Jordan Jankowski off waivers from the Astros, per an announcement from Los Angeles. The hurler had been in limbo since the Astros designated him for assignment this past Monday.

[Updated Dodgers Depth Chart]

A 34th-round pick of the Astros in 2012, Jankowski made his major league debut earlier this year and fared poorly across 4 1/3 innings, surrendering six earned runs on seven hits and two walks, with five strikeouts. Jankowski hasn’t produced great results in 40 1/3 Triple-A frames this season, either, with a 5.13 ERA, 5.13 BB/9 and a 36.8 percent ground-ball rate. The 28-year-old has averaged nearly 12 strikeouts per nine at that level this season, however, adding to his impressive bat-missing history in the minors. In 174 1/3 lifetime Triple-A innings, Jankowski has fanned exactly 12 hitters per nine, against 4.5 BB/9, and posted a 3.87 ERA.

Jankowski, who has three minor league options remaining, will report to the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.

Mets Acquire Jacob Rhame From Dodgers As PTBNL In Curtis Granderson Trade

By | at

The Mets and Dodgers have completed their Curtis Granderson trade from Friday. New York announced that it has acquired minor league right-hander Jacob Rhame as the player to be named later in the swap. Rhame will report to Triple-A Las Vegas.

[Updated Mets Depth Chart]

The 24-year-old Rhame had been with LA since 2013, when it selected him in the sixth round of the draft. The reliever ascended to the Triple-A level for the first time last season and logged a 3.29 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 63 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Rhame has tossed 48 more PCL frames this year and posted a worse ERA (4.31) and a similar K/9 (10.31), to go with a low-30s ground-ball percentage, but his walk rate has trended in the right direction (1.88 BB/9).

Rhame ranked as the Dodgers’ 28th-best prospect prior to the trade, according to MLB.com, which notes that he possesses a 94 mph to 98 mph heater that can occasionally hit triple digits. However, the outlet cautions that Rhame’s limited repertoire and extreme fly ball ways could make it difficult for him to carve out a big league future.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top