Jorge Soler Hires ACES
Royals outfielder Jorge Soler has changed his representation, according to Robert Murray of Fan Rag. He will now be represented by the ACES agency.
Soler, 26, will finish the current season with over three years of MLB service, setting the stage for what could be a difficult decision. His original contract —signed after he left Cuba in 2012 — allows him to opt into arbitration upon reaching eligibility. (Though he finished 2017 with 2.143 years of MLB service, he wasn’t eligible as a Super Two because he lacked 86 days on the active roster in the immediately preceding season.)
Therefore, Soler’s new reps will have to help him determine whether to keep the existing deal, which promises $4MM annually through 2020, or instead to launch into the higher-upside, riskier waters of the arb process. If he keeps hitting as he has to this point in the 2018 season, going into arbitration might seem to be a pretty solid bet, though that’d mean giving up the guaranteed money for both of the two remaining seasons in hopes of commanding more in total.
Unless the contract specifies otherwise, it seems that Soler will be eligible for arbitration in the 2021 season regardless. But he could potentially earn more that year if he is seeking a raise from a loftier base rate than the $4MM that’s presently called for.
Whether the long-touted Soler is better off betting on continued production isn’t clear from the numbers. It has been a meandering path to this point. He exploded onto the MLB scene in 2014 before seeing his productivity dwindle in the next two seasons. After being dealt from the Cubs to the Royals, he struggled badly in 2017 and spent most of the year on optional assignment — though he did hit rather well at Triple-A.
Now, Soler is back to driving the ball like he did in his debut campaign. Over 177 plate appearances in 2018, he owns a .297/.401/.486 batting line with five long balls and a career-high 13.0% walk rate. Though his .379 batting average on balls in play is sure to fade, Soler has made plenty of hard contact as well.
You can find all current MLB agency affiliations in MLBTR’s Agency Database.
Astros Release Jon Singleton
The Astros have released first baseman Jon Singleton, the team announced (h/t Mark Berman of FOX 26, via Twitter). He is currently serving a 100-game suspension for his third positive test for a drug of abuse.
Singleton had previously been outrighted off of the Houston 40-man roster. Once one of the team’s top prospects, he is best known at this point for failing to pan out in the majors after signing an extension just in advance of his initial elevation to the majors.
At the time that contract was entered, it drew quite a lot of criticism. Many were concerned that Singleton — at the time, one of several high-end prospects vying to become core members of a pre-breakout Astros team — had given the team too much upside for a $10MM guarantee. But the deal has clearly turned out to the advantage of a player that received a fairly minimal signing bonus as an amateur and has accrued limited MLB time since — a possibility we pointed out in a full analysis at the time.
Singleton is earning $2MM this year, the final guaranteed season in the contract. He’s still owed $1MM in total buyouts for the next three years, as well. The deal gave the Astros successive options at $2.5MM, $5MM, and $13MM that obviously will not be exercised.
Singleton’s only lengthy MLB action came in his first season with the ‘Stros. He picked up a few more in the 2015 season, but has not been back since. Through 420 plate appearances at the game’s highest level, he carries a meager .171/.290/.331 slash line with 14 home runs and 151 strikeouts against sixty walks.
Despite his struggles in the majors, Singleton remains an interesting hitter who could get a look elsewhere — at least, that is, if other organizations are willing to deal with his mounting problems with testing positive for drugs of abuse. Though he has always swung and missed a fair bit, Singleton has solid power and a phenomenal eye. Last year, for instance, he popped 18 home runs and drew 107 walks in his 500 Double-A plate appearances.
Cardinals To Utilize Alex Reyes In Rotation
The Cardinals had been waiting to decide — or, at least, to announce — how they’d use rehabbing righty Alex Reyes upon his return. But GM Mike Girsch said today that Reyes will join the team’s rotation when he’s ready, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports on Twitter.
That decision, while hardly surprising, does set the stage for some further decisions. “We expect him to be in the rotation,” Girsch said of Reyes (as Mark Saxon of The Athletic tweets), “which leads to a whole bunch of other questions, which we have to answer in the next week to two.”
The current rotation mix features Miles Mikolas, Michael Wacha, Luke Weaver, Jack Flaherty, and John Gant. It certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see Gant bumped to the bullpen or back to Triple-A. Beyond that, there are some tough decisions to be made. Weaver carries only a 4.37 ERA, but that’s still a solid output and he has arguably been a bit better than the results. Flaherty is the more recent addition to the MLB rotation, but he has been excellent through four starts (2.31 ERA with 10.4 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9).
Of course, Reyes isn’t the only pitcher making his way back to the majors. Girsch provided some other updates, as MLB.com’s Joe Trezza reports (links to Twitter). Carlos Martinez is only just beginning to throw, meaning he probably won’t be back until June — and likely not at the earlier portion of the month. Veteran Adam Wainwright, meanwhile, is still being looked over closely. Since he has already gone on the 60-day DL, he won’t be back for some time.
Several relievers are also among the moving parts. Lefty Tyler Lyons is expected to be back in short order, though righty Dominic Leone does not appear to be making much progress from the nerve issue that has kept him out. (There’s no update yet on Luke Gregerson, who only recently went on the DL with a shoulder issue.)
At the end of the day, a slight pitching pile-up is a good problem to have for the Cards, who are engaged in what looks likely to be a year-long battle in a tough NL Central. While there are other strong options, particularly once Martinez is back, the hard-throwing Reyes could be an ace in the hole. He certainly seems ready to pick up where he left off when he headed in for Tommy John surgery last spring. The 23-year-old, who posted a 1.57 ERA in his first 46 MLB innings, has allowed just six hits in 16 scoreless rehab outings thus far in 2018, while racking up 31 strikeouts against six walks in 16 innings.
Phillies Shut Down Jerad Eickhoff’s Rehab Program
The Phillies received some troubling news on rehabbing right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, as he experienced numbness in his fingers during his most recent rehab appearance (Twitter link via Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia).
As Todd Zolecki of MLB.com further notes, Eickhoff experienced a similar sensation in his hand last August and ultimately did not pitch again in 2017 (due to nerve irritation). His rehab has been shut down for now, and he’ll be reevaluated. Eickhoff has yet to pitch in the Majors this season after opening the year on the DL due to a lat strain.
It’s a discouraging outcome for a hot Phillies team that has gone 7-3 in its past 10 games and currently sits 1.5 games out of first in the National League East with an overall record of 26-18. Though the 27-year-old Eickhoff struggled in 2017, he’s been a fairly consistent fixture in the Philadelphia rotation since being acquired as an unheralded piece of 2015’s Cole Hamels blockbuster. In 65 starts since being acquired in late July that season, Eickhoff has given the Phillies 376 1/3 innings of 3.87 ERA ball, averaging 8.0 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and 1.22 HR/9 with a 39.2 percent ground-ball rate along the way. He was particularly impressive in 2016, logging 197 1/3 innings over 33 starts and turning in a 3.65 ERA.
[Related: Philadelphia Phillies depth chart]
Eickhoff had been expected to rejoin the Phillies’ rotation immediately upon being activated from the disabled list, but with him on the shelf indefinitely, pending reevaluation, the Phils will continue to shuffle arms through the final spot in their rotation in hopes that someone cements himself in that position.
Ace Aaron Nola and free-agent signing Jake Arrieta are currently joined by emerging righty Nick Pivetta in the top 60 percent of the Phils’ rotation. Meanwhile, righty Zach Eflin has impressed in three starts since coming up from the minors in hopes of laying claim to a permanent starting job. Mercurial right-hander Vince Velasquez has, at times, flashed brilliance at the big league level but has also been maddeningly inconsistent for the organization. Other options for the Phillies include Drew Hutchison (currently in the ‘pen) and Triple-A hurlers Jake Thompson, Ben Lively and Mark Leiter Jr. Top prospect Sixto Sanchez is viewed as a potential building block as well, though the 19-year-old is still a ways from big league readiness.
White Sox Sign Michael Saunders To Minor League Deal
Veteran outfielder Michael Saunders has signed a minor league contract with the White Sox, according to an announcement from the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte. He’s on the active roster for today’s game. Saunders, who recently opted out of a minor league pact with the Orioles, is represented by Meister Sports Management.
Saunders, 31, had a tough time with Baltimore’s top affiliate, logging a paltry .161/.291/.253 batting line with a homer, three doubles, a triple and two steals in 103 plate appearances. He struck out 23 times while playing with Norfolk though did still show a decent recognition of the strike zone, drawing 16 walks as well.
It’s been a steep decline for Saunders, a 2016 All-Star with the Blue Jays. The Canadian-born outfielder wore down in the second half of that season and endured similar struggles with the 2017 Phillies after signing a one-year deal as a free agent.
Saunders was a top prospect with the Mariners and, in addition to his terrific first half in 2016 showed strong potential in Seattle on multiple occasions. Injuries, however, have been an ongoing issue throughout his career. Most recently, he missed the majority of the 2015 season after suffering a torn meniscus in Spring Training that required surgery. Saunders has also dealt with shoulder injuries and missed time due to an oblique issue in the Majors as well. He’ll look to get back on track with a White Sox club that recently saw Nicky Delmonico land on the disabled list and is also without right fielder Avisail Garcia, which could eventually lead to some opportunities at the MLB level if he performs well with the Knights.
Rangers Designate Kevin Jepsen For Assignment
The Rangers announced on Monday that righty Kevin Jepsen has been designated for assignment. His spot on the active roster will go to fellow right-handed reliever Matt Bush, who has been recalled from Triple-A. Additionally, the Rangers announced that infielder/outfielder Drew Robinson has been activated from the disabled list and optioned to Triple-A.
Jepsen, 33, broke camp with the Rangers after coming to Spring Training on a minor league contract. While he got off to a strong start to his season, yielding just two runs through his first 10 2/3 frames, his early output never appeared all that sustainable. Jepsen survived a 6-to-4 K/BB ratio and just a six percent swinging-strike rate through those 10 2/3 frames due largely to a .207 BABIP and an elevated strand rate. Over his past 10 appearances, he’s been tagged for nine earned runs on the strength of four homers allowed in just six innings.
In all, Jepsen’s abbreviated run with the Rangers wraps up with a 5.94 ERA and more walks (11) than strikeouts (eight) in 16 2/3 innings of work. It’s possible, of course, that he accepts an outright assignment to Triple-A upon clearing waivers and returns to the organization at some point later in 2018 to try to improve upon those numbers. But, given his level of service time, he can also reject an outright assignment and return to the open market in search of a new opportunity.
As for Bush, he’ll be looking to get back on track after surrendering nine walks through his first 11 2/3 innings of the season. The righty served as the closer in Texas at times in 2017 and has been a generally useful reliever in Texas dating back to his debut in 2016. He totaled nine innings with Round Rock after being optioned to Triple-A, yielding just two runs on nine hits with a 14-to-4 K/BB ratio.
Athletics Designate Dustin Garneau For Assignment
The Athletics announced on Monday that they’ve designated catcher Dustin Garneau for assignment. His roster spot will go to fellow catcher Bruce Maxwell, who has been reinstated from the restricted list. Josh Phegley was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to open an active roster spot for Maxwell’s return.
Maxwell had been on the restricted list over the weekend due to the fact that his ongoing legal issues prevented him from traveling out of the country for the Athletics’ series in Toronto. In essence, however, Garneau’s DFA is largely a corresponding move for yesterday’s waiver claim of reliever Carlos Ramirez (also from Toronto). Had the Jays been playing in another location, they’d likely have designated Garneau to facilitate the claim anyhow in more direct fashion.
[Related: Oakland Athletics depth chart]
The 30-year-old Garneau has had a rough start to the season in Nashville, batting just .206/.253/.338 over the life of 75 plate appearances. That’s a departure from an otherwise strong (albeit Pacific Coast League-aided) track record in Triple-A for the former Rockies farmhand, as Garneau boasts a career .263/.331/.499 slash line at the minors’ top level. In the Majors, however, he’s mustered a meager .192/.264/.320 batting line in 277 trips to the plate. The A’s will now have seven days to trade Garneau or place him on either outright or release waivers.
With Maxwell back on the roster, he’ll continue to serve as the primary backup to starter Jonathan Lucroy. Phegley will head back to Triple-A, where he’s hitting .224/.320/.412 in 100 plate appearances. He’d be next in line in the event of another absence for either of the Athletics’ current top two catchers.
Nationals Select Contract Of Tim Collins
The Nationals announced on Monday that they’ve selected the contract of left-handed reliever Tim Collins from Triple-A Syracuse. (Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post first reported that Collins was likely to be added following an injury to Ryan Madson.) In order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Collins, the Nats moved Howie Kendrick from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL. Kendrick suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon over the weekend and will miss the remainder of the season.
Collins’ promotion will be the culmination of a three-year journey back to the Majors after missing the 2015, 2016 and most of the 2017 seasons due to injury. Once a quality reliever in a dominant Royals bullpen that perhaps helped to kickstart baseball’s bullpen revolution, Collins hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2014 due to a pair of Tommy John surgeries.
Still just 28 years of age, Collins will bring a career 3.54 ERA over the life of 211 big league innings to the Nationals’ bullpen. He’s had no trouble missing bats in his career, averaging 9.4 K/9 in parts of four seasons — highlighted by a career-best 12.0 mark in 2012. Control has been more of an issue for Collins, though, as he’s also averaged 5.2 walks per nine frames at the big league level. That number is skewed to an extent by a rookie campaign in which he averaged 6.5 free passes per nine, but even in Collins’ most effective seasons, he was averaging well north of four walks per nine innings pitched.
Opposing lefties have batted .224/.328/.347 in 498 trips to the plate against Collins in his big league career, while right-handers have hit him at a .219/.341/.362 clip. His time in the Kansas City bullpen and on the Royals’ 60-day DL has left him with five-plus years of service, so Collins will qualify as a free agent if he proves capable of sticking in the Nationals’ bullpen through season’s end. He opened the season with 17 1/3 innings of 3.63 ERA ball and a 20-to-9 K/BB ratio in Syracuse.
AL East Notes: Osuna, Rays, Hess
Major League Baseball announced today that Roberto Osuna‘s administrative leave has been extended for another week as the Commissioner’s Office continues its ongoing investigation into the domestic abuse allegations that were recently brought forth against the Blue Jays‘ closer. (FanRag’s Jon Heyman first tweeted the news.) It’s the second time in as many weeks that MLB has extended Osuna’s leave as Rob Manfred and his staff gather information in advance of a potential suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy. Osuna is currently being paid while on leave and is not occupying a spot on the team’s roster. He would not be paid or accrue Major League service time, however, in the event of a suspension.
More from the AL East…
- Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic spoke to Rays general manager Erik Neander about the team’s weekend usage of Sergio Romo as a “starter,” though that role was in name only (subscription link). Tampa Bay has regularly used bullpen days in lieu of a conventional fifth starter this season, but Romo’s role was different — particularly on Saturday. With several righties stacked atop the Angels’ lineup (most notably, of course, Mike Trout and Justin Upton), the Rays gave Romo the start before turning the ball over to lefty Ryan Yarbrough for 6 1/3 innings of “relief.” Romo has been notoriously difficult on righties throughout his career, so the decision amounted to simply playing matchups early in the game rather than late in the game, before then turning the ball over to Yarbrough to work a starter’s workload (with one fewer matchup against Trout and Upton). Neander speaks about the importance of first ensuring that a veteran such as Romo — or any pitcher who is used unconventionally — “buys in” to the organization’s plan and is on board with a new role before embarking on such a change. “There is a certain level of humility that we need to have as we go through this,” said Neander. “…We’re not exactly sure where this is going to take us. We’re just trying to be responsive as we get into it in practice and learn more.”
- Despite a pair of rocky starts to begin his MLB career, David Hess should remain in the Orioles‘ rotation for the time being, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com opines. Hess finished the 2017 well in Double-A and has solid numbers in Triple-A thus far, but he’s served up four homers and allowed eight runs in 10 2/3 MLB innings thus far. However, Melewski notes that his MLB debut came on three days’ rest while his second start came on seven days’ rest at Fenway Park against one of the toughest lineups in baseball. Hess has earned a lengthier look on regular rest with the chance to settle into his routine, Melewski contends, and the current last-place standing of the Orioles should only further encourage them to earnestly evaluate a potential long-term rotation piece. The 24-year-old Hess notched a 3.85 ERA with 7.1 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9 in 154 1/3 Double-A innings last year and has a 2.12 ERA, 8.8 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 29 2/3 Triple-A frames in 2018.
AL West Notes: Parker, Shoemaker, Rangers, Cook
The Angels‘ closer role has been something of a carousel all season, and just when it looked to be settling on Keynan Middleton, the 24-year-old righty was diagnosed with a UCL tear that required Tommy John surgery. As Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register notes, Blake Parker looks to be first up in line after recording a save last night and now rattling off nine consecutive scoreless innings. “It feels good to finally be back a little bit and command the zone better than I was early on,” said Parker of his recent run of success. Manager Mike Scioscia hasn’t yet re-tabbed Parker as the team’s closer, though given last night’s clean outing and his recent run of success, it seems likely that he’ll receive additional opportunities at the very least.
Fletcher also provides some health updates on Matt Shoemaker and Blake Wood, most notably reporting that Shoemaker played catch for the first time in two weeks yesterday and is headed for a followup visit with a nerve specialist today. Shoemaker was moved to the 60-day DL over the weekend when the Halos selected Ian Krol from Triple-A Salt Lake.
More from the division…
- The Rangers are “open to anything” in terms of listening to trade offers, an exec from another club tells Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. That comes on the heels of last week’s report from Ken Rosenthal’s report that the team is telling clubs throughout the league that they’re willing to move veteran players. However, that official suggests that the Rangers will also be patient with their approach, telling Grant they’re “willing to wait to get what they deem is fair.” Grant examines several potential trade candidates in depth, specifically listing Adrian Beltre, Cole Hamels, Keone Kela, Mike Minor, Doug Fister and Jake Diekman as players that scouts figure to watch closely in the two months leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
- Corey Brock of The Athletic takes a look at Ryan Cook‘s long road back to the Majors with the Mariners after missing two full seasons due to injury (subscription link). Once a dominant reliever in Oakland, Cook discusses a tumultuous career to date that has seen some notable highs (striking out Bryce Harper and David Wright in the 2012 All-Star Game) and some difficult lows. “The most humbling part was wondering if I could ever do it again,” said Cook, who has undergone both Tommy John surgery and ulnar nerve transposition surgery in recent years. “…Those days you come back from rehab and can’t even move your arm or feel your fingers and literally just looking at yourself in the mirror and wondering if it might be over.” Cook, it seems, certainly can do it again. He posted a 2.03 ERA with a 17-to-3 K/BB ratio in 13 1/3 innings of Triple-A ball this year and has already tossed two shutout innings since being selected to the MLB roster in Seattle. Manager Scott Servais, who has seen setup men Juan Nicasio and Nick Vincent struggle recently, said Cook will receive “plenty of opportunities” to re-establish himself as a high-quality ‘pen option.