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Knocking Down The Door: Delmonico, Dziedzic, Lamet, Marte, Pivetta, Smith

By Jason Martinez | April 24, 2017 at 6:32pm CDT

The 2017 debut of “Knocking Down The Door” is here!

Over the next four months, I will be identifying Minor Leaguers who I believe are putting themselves in position to earn a big league call-up in the near future. In some cases, they get the call before the article is even published. In many others, they end up staying in the Minors for one reason or another and end up on my All-Snub team.

Here’s a look at six Minor Leaguers who are currently “Knocking Down The Door” to the Major Leagues.

Nicky Delmonico, 3B/1B, Chicago White Sox (Triple-A Charlotte)

In what was a heated spring competition to become the team’s designated hitter versus right-handed starting pitching, the White Sox went with the known commodity, former Phillie Cody Asche, over fellow lefty batters Delmonico and Danny Hayes. But with Asche’s subpar big league track record—he posted a .669 OPS in 371 games before the Phillies non-tendered him this past offseason—he wasn’t going to enter the season with much of a leash. And after a 2-for-35 start with the White Sox, his opportunity could be coming to and end.

Delmonico, a former 6th round draft pick of the Orioles who was traded to the Brewers in 2013 and released prior to the 2015 season, resurrected his career with a breakout 2016 season with the White Sox (.837 OPS, 17 HR, 30 2B between Double-A and Triple-A). While he fell short of making the 2017 Opening Day roster despite an impressive spring, he has continued to make noise down in Triple-A, where he’s slashing .328/.397/.492 after a 10-for-18 week in which he walked twice and struck out just one time. The 24-year-old will get a shot at some point in 2017 and it wouldn’t be a surprise if it happened before the end of April.

White Sox Depth Chart

Jonathan Dziedzic, SP, Kansas City Royals (Triple-A Omaha)

Barring injuries, cracking a spot in the Royals’ rotation will be no easy task in 2017. Even No. 5 starter Nathan Karns, who has a career 4.53 ERA and a Minor League option remaining, should have enough job security to get him through a few bad starts. But pitching well out of the Triple-A rotation, as the lefty Dziedzic has done through four starts, will not go unnoticed.

With a 1.09 ERA, two walks and 23 strikeouts in 24.2 innings pitched, the 26-year-old Dziedzic is putting himself in position to be next in line for a big league rotation spot. Whether that happens in the near future could depend on Karns, who was knocked around in his last start (4.2 IP, 6 ER, 4 HR). The Royals could also decide that Karns is a better fit out of the bullpen, an idea that has been floated around occasionally over the past few years as he’s struggled with consistency during stints with the Rays and Mariners, which would open the door for a deserving candidate like Dziedzic.

Royals Depth Chart

Dinelson Lamet, SP, San Diego Padres (Triple-A El Paso)

After the Padres re-signed Clayton Richard this past offseason and filled out their rotation with three other veteran starters, the big league ETA for rookies like Lamet and Walker Lockett was seemingly pushed back to at least the 2nd half of 2017. But with the aforementioned veterans each pitching well early on and teams with playoff aspirations already in need of rotation help—the Braves traded Jhoulys Chacin to the Angels after five starts in 2016—there’s a decent chance that a rotation opening will be created by an early-season trade.

Allowing only one run over his first three starts, including a 13-strikeout performance on April 20th, will also help Lamet’s cause as he battles Lockett in a race to the Padres’ rotation. After throwing 150 innings between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2016, the 24-year-old Lamet should be ready to take on 20+ starts in the Majors this season.

Padres Depth Chart

Ketel Marte, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks (Triple-A Reno)

Last offseason’s five-player trade between Arizona and Seattle has swung heavily in the Mariners’ favor early on. Surprisingly, that doesn’t have much to do with the players who were considered to be the key components of the deal.

Taijuan Walker has been decent in his four starts for the Diamondbacks, while Jean Segura landed on the disabled list after 35 plate appearances for the Mariners. It’s outfielder Mitch Haniger, acquired with Segura and lefty reliever Zac Curtis, who is emerging as an MLB star (1.020 OPS through his first 20 games) and, therefore, making the trade seem a bit lopsided.

The Diamondbacks’ hopes of balancing things out some could ride on Marte, the 23-year-old shortstop who failed to live up to big expectations with the Mariners in 2016. While the versatile Chris Owings and light-hitting defensive whiz Nick Ahmed keep the spot warm in the big leagues, Marte is doing all he can to make his way back to the Majors. In the midst of an 11-game hitting streak—he’s had at least one hit in 16 of 17 games—the switch-hitter is slashing .419/456/.459 with three stolen bases, five walks and five strikeouts.

Diamondbacks Depth Chart

Nick Pivetta, SP, Philadelphia Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley)

There’s no guarantee that Pivetta will be joining the Phillies on Wednesday to replace the injured Aaron Nola, but he is in line to pitch—his last start with Lehigh Valley came on April 20th—he’s already on the 40-man roster and he’s been one of the most dominant pitchers in the Minor Leagues in 2017. We’ll have to call this pick my “uncontested layup” of the week.

Acquired in the July 2015 deal that sent Jonathan Papelbon to the Nationals, the 24-year-old Pivetta has separated himself early on from a talented group of Triple-A rotation-mates with three terrific starts, the most recent being a six-inning, 11-strikeout performance.

Phillies Depth Chart

Dwight Smith Jr., OF, Toronto Blue Jays (Triple-A Buffalo)

The Blue Jays might not have a prospect capable of jump-starting their struggling offense at this point, but that doesn’t mean help isn’t on the way. Smith, the 53rd overall pick in the 2011 draft, has quietly made his way to Triple-A without putting up huge numbers or attracting much attention. But now that he’s one level away from the Majors, the left-handed hitting Smith is heating up at what could be just the right time.

Through his first 15 games, the 24-year-old has slashed .333/.403/.537 with three homers, three stolen bases, seven walks and nine strikeouts. He reached base in 12 of his 23 plate appearances last week while striking out only twice. Personally, I hope he gets the call on May 1st, which would be the 28th anniversary of his father’s MLB debut with the Cubs. Dwight Smith Sr. finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting in 1989.

Blue Jays Depth Chart

“Knocking Down the Door” is a weekly feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Giants To Promote Christian Arroyo, Designate Chris Marrero

By Jeff Todd | April 24, 2017 at 5:24pm CDT

5:39pm: Struggling first baseman/outfielder Chris Marrero has been designated for assignment, Shea tweets. In the other corresponding move, veteran utilityman Aaron Hill was sent to the 10-day DL with a forearm strain.

5:24pm: The Giants will promote top infield prospect Christian Arroyo, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area (via Twitter). Also joining the MLB roster is veteran outfielder Drew Stubbs, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link).

Arroyo, who’s still just 21 years old, was taken 25th overall in the 2013 draft. Since, he has steadily moved up the ladder toward the majors, with the Giants facing steadily growing calls to give him a shot at the game’s highest level.

While there have been several opportunities, San Francisco has to this point kept the youngster in the pipeline. Arroyo struggled last year upon making the leap to Double-A, causing him to drop out of Baseball America’s listing of the top-100 prospects (though he remains 89th on MLB.com’s ranking) and further extending his timeline.

But that all changed with the beginning of the current season. The Giants have staggered out of the gates and will now be forced to navigate the tough NL West without ace Madison Bumgarner. Arroyo, meanwhile, has thrived in brief action at the game’s highest level. Through 69 plate appearances, he is slashing a robust .446/.478/.692. While he has drawn just a pair of walks, Arroyo has also gone down on strikes only eight times.

While he has played mostly at shortstop in the minors, Arroyo will line up at third base upon his arrival in San Francisco. Indeed, he’ll plug right into the lineup, taking the sixth spot in the batting order while starting at the hot corner tonight. Eduardo Nunez is playing in left field; presumably, he’ll see a good bit of time there while also stepping into the infield when needed.

Given that the season is only a few weeks old, Arroyo will be set up nicely to qualify for arbitration as a Super Two player down the road — assuming, at least, that he can stick in the bigs from this point forward. If he entrenches himself in San Francisco, Arroyo would reach arbitration eligibility in advance of the 2020 season but not qualify for free agency until 2024.

Steve Delabar Suspended 80 Games For Failed PED Test

By Steve Adams | April 24, 2017 at 3:48pm CDT

Right-handed reliever Steve Delabar, who signed a minor league deal with the Indians this winter, has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for the banned substance Ostarine, the league announced Monday. Delabar hasn’t been active with the club in Triple-A due to the pending suspension, the Indians added in their own announcement.

The 33-year-old Delabar has fallen off the radar somewhat in recent years, but he’s a veteran of six Major League seasons, most recently tossing eight innings with the Reds in 2016. Delabar was an All-Star with the Blue Jays back in 2013 and served as a very effective member of Toronto’s relief corps from 2012-13 before declining in 2014-15. (Of anecdotal note, MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince reminds, on Twitter, that the Jays initially acquired Delabar from the Mariners by trading a fairly promising young outfielder by the name of Eric Thames to Seattle.)

Given the depth of Cleveland’s bullpen, it didn’t seem especially likely that Delabar would resurface on their big league roster in the near future, though a strong performance and/or injuries at the Major League level could certainly have created an opportunity. In 194 2/3 Major League innings, Delabar has a 4.07 ERA with 11.2 K/9, 4.7 BB/9 and a 36.6 percent ground-ball rate.

NL East Notes: Nola, Braves, Nationals

By Steve Adams | April 24, 2017 at 2:28pm CDT

The Phillies announced today that righty Aaron Nola has been placed on the 10-day DL due to a strained lower back. “After receiving treatment over the last few days, the symptoms improved, but he still felt some tightness during his side session yesterday,” GM Matt Klentak said in a press release. “Our hope and expectation is that this will not be a lengthy DL placement and that Aaron will miss only one or two starts.” Nola joins right-hander Buchholz on the disabled list, thus creating a temporary avenue for another of the Phillies’ upper-level arms to get a look in the Majors. Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer and MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki both suggest that right-hander Nick Pivetta (originally acquired in exchange for Jonathan Papelbon) could be the preferred option to start in Nola’s place (Twitter links).

Angels Acquire David Hernandez

By Steve Adams | April 24, 2017 at 12:55pm CDT

12:55pm: Hernandez is expected to be added directly to the Angels’ active roster, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. There’s a vacant 40-man spot on the club’s roster already, so the Angels will only need to make a 25-man roster move to accommodate him.

12:19pm: The Angels announced on Monday that they’ve acquired right-hander David Hernandez from the Braves in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Hernandez isn’t on the 40-man roster, but the veteran righty could conceivably join the Halos’ Major League club in the near future to add some depth to a relief corps that has lost Cam Bedrosian, Andrew Bailey, Huston Street and Mike Morin to injuries already in 2017.

[Related: Updated Los Angeles Angels Depth Chart]

Hernandez, 32 next month, spent the 2016 season with the Phillies, where he logged a 3.84 ERA with 9.9 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 with a 37.3 percent ground-ball rate in 72 2/3 innings. While he opened the season as the closer in Philly last year, he quickly relinquished the role following an ugly start to the year. Hernandez rebounded to finish the year with useful numbers, and while his career 4.10 ERA isn’t necessarily impressive, he’s a relatively hard-thrower (average 94 mph fastball in 2016) that has punched out 9.1 hitters per nine innings pitched in parts of seven Major League seasons. Hernandez is off to a strong start to the season in Triple-A, where he’s yielded just one run on four hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in eight innings of work.

While Bedrosian’s injury seems likely to be rather short-term in nature, Street won’t return until at least June, and it’s not yet known how long Bailey will be out. With all of the injuries on the roster, the Halos currently have a patchwork bullpen consisting of Bud Norris, Yusmeiro Petit, Blake Parker, Brooks Pounders, Deolis Guerra and lefty Jose Alvarez.

NL West Notes: D-Backs, Rockies, Giants

By Steve Adams | April 24, 2017 at 12:06pm CDT

The injury to Madison Bumgarner and the slow start from the Dodgers has created an unexpected window for the Rockies and Diamondbacks in the National League West, argues Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. While both Colorado and Arizona come with some question marks — the Rockies will soon be trotting out a three-rookie rotation, while the D-backs are braced for a potential injury to a somewhat improved Shelby Miller — both teams are stocked with emerging talent. First-year managers Bud Black and Torey Lovullo both spoke to Rosenthal on Sunday about their teams’ quick starts to the year. Interestingly, Black suggested that it’s possible that Ian Desmond will see some time in the outfield upon his return from a fractured hand, as that would allow him to get both Mark Reynolds and Desmond into the lineup against tougher left-handed starters. While the season is still in its early stages and much can change — the D-backs and Rockies were both .500 on this day last year, and the White Sox had baseball’s third-best record — the influx of young talent and return of injured stars in both Colorado and Arizona at least gives both clubs optimism that they could soon return to contention.

Latest On The Nationals’ Bullpen Needs

By Steve Adams | April 24, 2017 at 8:59am CDT

The Nationals’ bullpen is off to a dismal start to the season, with a collective 4.86 ERA through the season’s first three weeks. Blake Treinen has already been removed from the closer’s role, albeit with a relatively quick hook (he’s thrown just seven innings this year). Koda Glover and Shawn Kelley are presently sharing ninth-inning work, and they’re two of just three Nats relievers that have ERAs south of 5.00 to begin the year. (Matt Albers has not allowed a run in four innings.)

In light of those struggles, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM reports that the Nats have “touched base” with multiple teams on their closers. Specifically, he cites a pair of names that are no stranger to trade rumors: David Robertson of the White Sox and Alex Colome of the Rays. However, Bowden adds that the Nats “aren’t even in the same ballpark” when it comes to the asking price on those players.

Robertson, 32, has allowed just one run through his first 6 2/3 innings this season and logged an impressive 12-to-3 K/BB ratio along the way. He’s earning $12MM this season (of which about $10.6MM remains) and will earn $13MM next year in the final season of a four-year, $46MM contract. The 28-year-old Colome, meanwhile, has yet to allow a run this year, though he’s curiously punched out just four hitters through nine innings after posting a gaudy 11.3 K/9 rate in a breakout 2016 campaign. He’s not yet arbitration eligible and can be controlled through the 2020 season, so it’s hardly surprising to hear that Tampa Bay’s asking price may be quite lofty.

As alternative options, Bowden lists Brandon Kintzler of the Twins, Brandon Maurer of the Padres and any of the Athletics’ late-inning arms, which include Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson and Santiago Casilla. It should be noted, though, that there’s no specific mention of trade talks with any of those clubs, so the suggestions seem fairly speculative in nature.

Furthermore, each of those names comes with a caveat. Kintzler’s experience as a closer is highly limited, and a year ago at this time he was in Triple-A after signing a minor league deal with Minnesota. As a free agent at season’s end, though, he’s a natural trade candidate. Maurer is controllable through 2019, which could create a significant asking price, and he hasn’t exactly established a track record of dominance himself. And when it comes to the A’s, Doolittle is on a terrific contract, while Madson’s three-year, $22MM looks to be an overpay. Casilla, meanwhile, can’t even be traded without his consent until June 15 given the fact that he only signed with Oakland as a free agent this past offseason (a two-year, $11MM deal).

The Nationals, according to Bowden, believe that the 24-year-old Glover can be their closer of the future, but there’s some question in the organization about whether it’s too early in his career to hand him the job. Glover has just 27 1/3 MLB innings under his belt and has been solid but not overpowering in that time; the former eighth-rounder has a 4.28 ERA, a 22-to-8 K/BB ratio and a 42 percent ground-ball rate in his young career.

Injury Notes: Cespedes, Price, Rangers, Britton, Pederson

By Connor Byrne | April 23, 2017 at 9:53pm CDT

Yoenis Cespedes was out of the Mets’ lineup for the third straight game Sunday, leaving manager Terry Collins to acknowledge that the left fielder could head to the disabled list if his left hamstring issue doesn’t heal by Tuesday (via ESPN.com). “I think we’d need to take a look at that,” Collins said of a potential DL stint for Cespedes, who did tell the skipper he “felt a lot better” Sunday. Cespedes has mashed this season for the slow-starting Mets (.263/.377/.632 with six home runs in 69 plate appearances), but they’re nonetheless decently equipped to handle his short-term absence. Michael Conforto, Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson and Juan Lagares give the Cespedes-less club a full complement of major league-caliber outfielders. (Update: Cespedes expects to return Tuesday, tweets Matt Ehalt of The Record.)

Red Sox left-hander David Price will throw a 45- to 50-pitch bullpen session Monday as he tries to work back from forearm trouble, per Ben Standing of MLB.com. Price still seems a ways off from making his 2017 debut, but a positive showing Monday would put him in position to face live hitters sometime soon. “Once we get through [Monday’s] work session and kind of begin to map out a little more of a structure on a calendar, I think we’re at that point [of facing batters],” said manager John Farrell. “Anytime you get to the number of pitches thrown that will be tomorrow, you can start to foresee a progression to hitters and ultimately to games, but we don’t have that in place right now.”
The Rangers continue to play it safe with third baseman Adrian Beltre in his recovery from a right calf strain, meaning he probably won’t debut until May, relays Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “I think we need to continue to rehab,” said manager Jeff Banister. “The conservative nature is probably in our best interest.” Meanwhile, after upper back spams slowed Tyson Ross’ comeback from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, the expectation is that the right-hander will resume throwing from a mound by the end of the upcoming week, Banister told George.
Orioles closer Zach Britton will see a hand specialist Monday, after which he could resume throwing, writes Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. Britton went on the disabled list last Sunday with a forearm strain – a scary injury for a pitcher – but an MRI came back clean on Friday. The Orioles believe sending the ace reliever to a specialist will help prevent a forearm strain from rearing its head again in the future, Ghiroli notes.
Center fielder Joc Pederson left the Dodgers’ win over the Diamondbacks on Sunday with right groin tightness, and the likelihood is that he’ll miss some games, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The Dodgers, already dealing with injuries to outfielders Andre Ethier and Franklin Gutierrez, will re-evaluate Pederson on Monday. A 25-plus-home run hitter in each of first two major league seasons, Pederson has gotten off to a sluggish start this year, with a .220/.322/.340 batting line and only one homer in 59 PAs.

NL Notes: D-backs, Mets, Phillies, Nats

By Connor Byrne | April 23, 2017 at 7:08pm CDT

The Diamondbacks could be in for bad news regarding right-hander Shelby Miller, who, as Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com tweets, exited his start Sunday with forearm tightness. Arizona is scheduling an MRI for Miller, who lasted four-plus innings and allowed three earned runs in a loss to the Dodgers. Manager Torey Lovullo is trying to be optimistic, notes Bloom, but Steve Gilbert of MLB.com observes (on Twitter) that the situation is “not good.” Forearm tightness often portends Tommy John surgery, which would be the biggest setback yet in Miller’s rocky tenure with the Diamondbacks. The club’s previous regime drew seemingly endless criticism for sending a Dansby Swanson– and Ender Inciarte-led package to the Braves for Miller two winters ago. General manager Dave Stewart and senior vice president of baseball operations De Jon Watson lost their jobs last fall after Miller struggled through a 2016 to forget, pitching to a 6.15 ERA in 101 major league innings and enduring a demotion to the minor leagues. Thanks in part to improved velocity, though, Miller has fared respectably this year with a 4.09 ERA and 3.29 FIP in 22 frames.

Nationals Outright Grant Green

By Connor Byrne | April 23, 2017 at 6:40pm CDT

The Nationals announced that they have sent infielder Grant Green outright to Triple-A Syracuse. Washington designated the out-of-options Green for assignment on Friday, and he subsequently cleared waivers.

Green’s stay with the Nats this month lasted just over a week, aligning with the DL placements of shortstops Trea Turner and Stephen Drew. Once Turner came back, there was no longer a need for Green, who only appeared in two games and collected three plate appearances. A first-round pick of the Athletics in 2009 (No. 13 overall), Green has has cracked the majors in five straight seasons, but the journeyman has hit just .248/.283/.336 in 353 trips to the plate.

The 29-year-old Green spent last season with the Giants organization and slashed a respectable .319/.336/.454 in 364 PAs with their Triple-A club. Overall, he has hit an impressive .309/.351/.466 in 3,223 Triple-A PAs.

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