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Pablo Sandoval Interested In Reunion With Giants

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There’s at least some possibility the Red Sox’ recent decision to designate Pablo Sandoval for assignment could result in the veteran heading back to San Francisco, FanRag’s Jon Heyman writes. Sources close to Sandoval indicate that he would be highly interested in returning to the Giants, despite comments he made during his first Spring Training with Boston in which he claimed the only Giants he would miss were Bruce Bochy and Hunter Pence.

The Giants’ own level of interest is less clear, and GM Bobby Evans recently demurred when asked about Sandoval (which is standard policy, since Sandoval is still technically a member of another organization). Whispers surrounding the club indicate, however, that the team is at least considering bringing Sandoval back.

Once he clears waivers, the Red Sox can outright Sandoval to Triple-A or release him, at which point he’ll be able to sign elsewhere at a prorated portion of the league-minimum salary. Whatever happens, the Red Sox are extremely likely to be on the hook for the remainder of Sandoval’s contract, which pays him about $50MM more through 2019.

After a three-season tenure in Boston marked mostly by injuries and poor hitting, it’s unsurprising that Sandoval would now have a different view about playing with the Giants. While in San Francisco, he was a part of three World Series titles (including 2012, when he was World Series MVP, and his last year with the club in 2014), and made two All-Star teams.

What’s less clear is how the Giants might view a player who’s shown few glimpses of his early-career talent since departing for Boston, particularly one who burned bridges with the organization as he departed. As Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group points out, the Giants have frequently brought back former players (such as Ryan Vogelsong and Travis Ishikawa) after stints elsewhere. But it’s hard to see what purpose re-acquiring Sanodval would serve, unless the Giants feel he would benefit quite dramatically from a change of scenery.

A trade of Eduardo Nunez could technically leave the Giants with a vacancy at third base, but they might prefer to take a closer look at former KBO slugger Jae-gyun Hwang. (Another possibility, Christian Arroyo, is currently on the shelf with a hand injury.) And in general, a 35-56 team would not seem likely to be interested in 30-year-old veteran three years removed from his last good season. Perhaps, though, the Giants could find space for Sandoval to reestablish himself in Triple-A, or count on him to contribute in big-league bench role.

West Notes: Gray, Darvish, Torres

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The Astros, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Blue Jays all had scouts on hand as Athletics starter Sonny Gray pitched six shutout innings against Cleveland Friday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. A report before the game had indicated Gray had been scratched, suggesting the possibility of an imminent trade, and Gray said he received 50 texts just before the game. That report, however, turned out to be false. Gray has also recently been connected to the Cubs and Brewers, although Brewers GM David Stearns suggested his club was merely doing “background work.” Here’s more from the West divisions.

  • The Rangers are not likely to trade or extend Yu Darvish, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. A recent report indicated the Rangers would listen to offers for Darvish and Cole Hamels, and Grant doesn’t dispute that possibility outright. But the Rangers, despite a 44-45 record, could still make a Wild Card run, and with plenty of starting pitching on the market, they aren’t likely to land a top prospect for Darvish, who would be a rental. The Rangers would also stand to receive compensation if Darvish rejected a qualifying offer and departed next winter. If they were to keep Darvish after the deadline, the Rangers could then attempt to sign him long-term, although, as Grant points out, long-term contracts for pitchers in their thirties are often risky propositions.
  • Padres lefty Jose Torres is receiving trade interest, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. The 23-year-old Torres has a 4.46 ERA and eight home runs allowed in his first full year in the Padres’ bullpen, but with an impressive 9.1 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and 95.1-MPH average fastball velocity. Those factors could make him an intriguing addition to the trade market, and one might think he could come up in various scenarios in discussions with teams also interested in fellow lefty Brad Hand. There would seem to be little pressing need for the Padres to move Torres, however, since he’s not eligible for arbitration until after the 2019 season at the earliest.

Marlins Notes: Jeter, Cruz, Gordon, Ziegler, Ichiro, Rojas, Riddle

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Here are a handful of notes on the Marlins, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

  • Marlins bidders Jorge Mas and Derek Jeter won’t be joining forces, Jackson writes. Mas, the Miami billionaire, contacted Jeter weeks ago and asked him to join Mas’ ownership group (as Fan Rag’s Jon Heyman also recently noted). Jeter refused, however, because he wants to control both the baseball and business sides of the team despite only contributing a relatively modest $25MM of his own money (as Heyman also previously noted). Jeter’s desire to control all parts of the team’s operations were also an issue when Jeter was previously part of a bidding group that included Jeb Bush.
  • An earlier report indicated union executive (and former big-league outfielder) Jose Cruz Jr. would be part of the Mas group. Jackson indicates that no specific role has been outlined for Cruz, but that Mas and his group do favor him.
  • The Marlins aren’t actively looking to trade Dee Gordon, but might deal him for the right return, Jackson suggests. A recent report from Heyman named the Royals, Angels and Blue Jays as potential bidders for Gordon, but indicated that the $41MM left on Gordon’s current deal might be a sticking point. Gordon is batting .291/.338/.353 in 380 plate appearances this season.
  • Neither righty Brad Ziegler nor outfielder Ichiro Suzuki plan to retire after the season, Jackson writes. Ziegler considered retiring before signing with Miami last winter, Jackson indicates. It’s not surprising that those retirement plans are no more, however, since he’s signed for $9MM next season. The 37-year-old is, however, in the midst of a terrible year, with a 6.52 ERA, 5.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 over 29 innings. Ichiro would play in 2018 at the age of 44 and has a .220/.267/.294 line this year; Jackson suggests that Ichiro is unlikely to return to the Marlins next season, despite his plans to play.
  • Infielder Miguel Rojas is set to return soon from a thumb injury, and manager Don Mattingly says he’s open to having Rojas compete with rookie JT Riddle for the starting shortstop job. Mattingly indicates, though, that he liked using Rojas in a utility role instead. Rojas has played all four infield positions with the Marlins this season.

Diamondbacks Interested In J.D. Martinez

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The Diamondbacks have interest in Tigers slugger J.D. Martinez, Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweets. Talks between the two sides do not yet appear serious, however.

The Diamondbacks currently have a corner outfield vacancy with Yasmany Tomas on the DL with a groin injury, and Martinez would clearly be an upgrade even if everyone were healthy. Upon returning, Tomas would likely lose playing time if the Diamondbacks were to acquire Martinez, since fellow corner outfielder David Peralta is in the midst of a strong season and could move from right to left.

After starting the season late due to a foot issue, the 29-year-old Martinez has gotten off to a .298/.379/.602 start that’s terrific even by his lofty standards. He would complement a Diamondbacks offense that has rated seventh in the Majors in runs thanks in large part to contributions from corner infielders Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb. Martinez makes $11.75MM this season. He’s eligible for free agency next winter, so it seems likely the 39-49 Tigers will strongly consider moving him.

Brewers Sign Jeanmar Gomez

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The Brewers have announced that they’ve signed righty reliever Jeanmar Gomez, presumably to a minor-league deal. (They also announced that they’ve signed righty and former Rockies farmhand Alec Kenilvort and released righty Stephen Kohlscheen.) Gomez is a client of Magnus Sports.

The Phillies designated Gomez for assignment and then released him last month after he posted a 7.25 ERA and and seven home runs allowed over 22 1/3 innings, albeit with a decent 8.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. Gomez recorded 37 saves for Philadelphia in 2016 (a performance that earned him a $4.2MM deal as an arbitration-eligible player last winter) but was quickly replaced in the closer’s role after getting off to a bad start this April. It’s perhaps also worth noting that Gomez doesn’t have archetypal closer stuff — he’s a groundball pitcher with a low-90s fastball. He has, however, previously proven fairly useful in parts of eight big-league seasons, particularly given his ability to pitch in multi-inning stretches (and even start as needed, although he hasn’t done so since 2013). For his career, Gomez has a 4.39 ERA, 5.6 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 515 innings.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/15/2017

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the game.

  • The Orioles have announced that they’ve outrighted outfielder Craig Gentry to Triple-A Norfolk. The 33-year-old Gentry has batted .175/.273/.263 in 68 plate appearances spanning two stints with the Orioles this season after signing a minor-league deal with the club last winter. Gentry was once a valuable contributor in Texas, thanks largely to his fine center field defense, but he has struggled to stick in the Majors in the past couple seasons as his offense has slipped.
  • The Dodgers purchased the contract of lefty reliever Brian Moran from the the Atlantic League’s Bridgeport Bluefish, the Bluefish have announced. Moran will report to Double-A Tulsa. The 28-year-old Moran posted a 2.32 ERA over 19 1/3 innings with Bridgeport, striking out a terrific 33 batters and walking nine. He was also throwing 93 MPH there, Driveline Baseball’s Kyle Boddy recently tweeted. Though Moran has never pitched in the Majors, this won’t be his first stint in affiliated ball — he was a seventh-round pick by the Mariners in the 2009 draft and spent several years in Seattle’s system, then briefly pitched for the Braves’ Triple-A team in Gwinnett last year. Overall, Moran has fared well at the Triple-A level, with a 3.69 ERA, 2.7 BB/9 and a tremendous 11.9 K/9 over 105 innings spanning three seasons.

West Notes: Hand, Harris, Wilson, Melancon, Richards

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About half of the teams in the league have expressed some level of interest in Padres lefty Brad Hand, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union Tribune reports. Evidently, those discussions have yet to get truly serious, as Lin adds that the Friars aren’t believed to be closing in on any swaps. A significant portion of the rest of the pitching staff has received attention of some kind, too, Lin adds. There are a few other interesting pitching trade candidates on the San Diego roster — Trevor Cahill chief among them, perhaps — and it wouldn’t be surprising to see several deals go down before the deadline.

Here’s more from out west:

  • The Astros announced that reliever Will Harris is headed to the 10-day DL with right shoulder inflammation (h/t Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle, via Twitter). That’s somewhat troubling news at first glance, though Harris says he doesn’t anticipate a significant layoff (video via MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, on Twitter). The 32-year-old has continued his stellar run in Houston, compiling 34 2/3 innings of 2.86 ERA ball on the year — with 10.1 K/9 against just 1.3 BB/9. Clearly, he’s a key member of the pen and a big part of the team’s planning the rest of the way. (Harris is also controlled through 2019 at very appealing rates.)
  • Meanwhile, the Astros are likely focused on adding a starter and a lefty reliever. As regards the latter, the team is said to have an eye on Tigers lefty Justin Wilson, per Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (via Twitter). The teams discussed Wilson over the winter, per Rosenthal, and the southpaw’s quality effort early over the first half surely hasn’t reduced the interest. Wilson currently carries a career-high 12.8 K/9 with 3.4 BB/9 along with a 2.36 ERA over his 34 1/3 innings.
  • Giants closer Mark Melancon seems unlikely to make it back before the trade deadline, likely removing him from consideration as a trade candidate, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes. The veteran righty, shelved for the second time this year with a forearm issue, has been able to pick up a baseball. But skipper Bruce Bochy suggested the team plans to bring him along slowly. As Baggarly suggests, it never seemed particularly likely that Melancon would end up being dealt regardless. For what it’s worth, though, I would add that Melancon would represent a very plausible August trade candidate if that proved desirable.
  • Angels righty Garrett Richards still hasn’t been cleared to throw, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes. The unfortunate hurler discussed the frustrations of his long-running effort to get healthy, telling Fletcher that he is at least encouraged that his current problem (with a biceps nerve) has improved somewhat — and that it doesn’t implicate his elbow, which he says still feels great. “Nobody knows anything about this injury,” said Richards, who says it isn’t clear when he’ll be deemed ready to begin throwing again. “I can’t worry about getting all caught up in playing right now,” he added. “I’ve got to worry about getting healthy first. When that happens, I’ll be ready.” Meanwhile, Fletcher notes that both Andrew Heaney and Tyler Skaggs are continuing to progress while working off of a mound, which seems to hold out some real promise of bolstering the team’s injury-riddled rotation in the relatively near future.

NL East Notes: Albies, Braves, Mets, Volquez, Phelps, Vizcaino, Motte

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The Braves aren’t done looking for a controllable starter after missing on Jose Quintana, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (links to Twitter). Atlanta pushed hard for the southpaw, per the report, with the team dangling Ozzie Albies as a headliner — though Passan’s source makes clear that talks never reached an advanced stage. It’s interesting to hear that Albies was offered up, but that was surely a prerequisite to get in the door on Quintana. Whether the intriguing young middle infielder could also be on the block in trade concepts involving other pitchers isn’t clear, but it seems that the Braves are still looking to be aggressive in adding arms for 2018 and beyond.

Here’s more from the NL East:

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson acknowledged that his organization will remain in a selling position unless things go “exceedingly well” before the deadline, as Marc Carig of Newsday writes. As the team sits eight games under .500, reaching a realistic position of contention would likely require a prolonged winning streak combined with stumbles from one or more front-running teams. Alderson reiterated that the club will not be looking to do more than cash in some expiring veterans, saying that a trade involving a core veteran would be “exceedingly unlikely.” Alderson also addressed some of his broader roster-building philosophies, including the relative value of defense in player evaluation, which you can read about at the above link.
  • It seems that righty Edinson Volquez may not be so quick to return to the Marlins rotation as had been hoped. As Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports on Twitter, MRI results on the veteran’s balky left knee showed patellar tendinitis. Skipper Don Mattingly suggested that it doesn’t look to be a significant long-term problem, but Volquez also won’t return from the DL on Sunday. There hasn’t been much suggestion that he’s likely to factor as a trade piece, though the injury further clouds that possibility. Given his hefty salary for 2018 ($13MM), Volquez could also certainly be moved in August.
  • One Marlins player who very clearly is in demand is right-handed reliever David Phelps, as Spencer also reports. He’s “drawing far more interest” than is closer A.J. Ramos, per the report, with about ten teams inquiring on the former and only two or three asking about the latter. It sounds as if both have a good chance of changing hands, ultimately, but it’s not all that surprising to hear that the steady Phelps is in greater demand. Indeed, he could even be seen as a possible rotation candidate for 2018 by some organizations that would be interested in adding him to their pen down the stretch.
  • Braves righty Arodys Vizcaino could well factor in trade talks as well. He’s throwing off a mound today and seemingly won’t be far off from a return, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). It had been a bit unclear just when he’d return, but it seems as if the talented — if somewhat enigmatic — reliever ought to have plenty of time to display his form for possible suitors. Veteran right-hander Jason Motte, though, may be headed in the other direction. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that Motte is heading to the DL with a back strain. He may have held some interest to contenders, though his peripherals lagged his results in Atlanta (and the ERA had begun to creep northward anyway).

Trade Market For Second Basemen

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Second base is rarely a hot spot of trade deadline activity, but it seems even less likely to be an area of focus this time around. Few possible contenders have clear needs at the position, while those that could stand stand to upgrade — say, the Angels and Royals  — don’t appear to be particularly likely to swing a major trade. Still, that situation could still change, or another organization could get creative.

Here are the players that could be available:

Rentals

Brandon Phillips, Braves | $1MM in 2017 (Reds pay remainder of $14MM salary)

Phillips could surely be had if there’s demand; while the Braves are in second place in the NL East, they face very long odds of reaching the postseason. Still, the organization clearly likes the idea of keeping a competitive product on the field, so it may not dump Phillips for a marginal return. The 36-year-old has fallen back to a rather typical .280/.326/.411 batting line for the year, making him a useful player but not a first-division regular. Also, Phillips can still block trades to a dozen teams and has been rather picky in the past.

Howie Kendrick, Phillies | $10MM in 2017

Kendrick is nursing a hamstring injury, though he’d represent a plausible August trade chip even if he doesn’t make it back quickly. H’s hitting as well as ever right now at 34 years of age. While he has mostly appeared of late in left field, Kendrick has seen recent action at second and has drawn solid-enough grades for his work there.

Eduardo Nunez, Giants | $4.2MM in 2017 

Nunez isn’t a terribly exciting player, either, but he holds some significant advantages over Phillips. He’s younger, rates much better on the bases, has hit a bit more in recent years, and has plenty of experience on the left side of the infield. In fact, Nunez hasn’t spent much time at second in the majors — just 29 games — but will likely be considered among these players. (Yunel Escobar of the Angels is another player in that general situation, though he hasn’t played second in a major league game since way back in 2007.)

Neil Walker, Mets | $17.2MM in 2017

The 31-year-old was playing at a very high level when he was lost to a significant hamstring injury. He’s starting toward a return, though the best-case timeline will likely see him made available in August rather than at the non-waiver deadline. Walker has been a consistent source of both patience and power over the past two seasons and could be a rather impactful trade addition for the right organization.

Darwin Barney, Blue Jays | $2.8875MM in 2017

Realistically, Barney is a possible utility candidate. But he has spent the bulk of his career at second base. The 31-year-old is off to a brutal .231/.277/.295 start to the 2017 season, though, so it’s tough to imagine a lot of interest.

Controllable Through 2018

Ian Kinsler, Tigers | $11MM in 2017; $10MM club option ($5MM buyout) in 2018

Unlike Brian Dozier, who likely won’t be dealt by the division-rival Twins (at least barring a total collapse over the next two weeks), Kinsler seems eminently available. His partial no-trade clause may complicate things, though perhaps at this point he’d welcome a chance to move to a contender. If the season ended today, Kinsler would own a below-average batting line for the first time in his career. While his top-level output from 2016 likely won’t be repeated, his .251 BABIP suggests there’s some positive regression coming. And Kinsler still rates quite well as a fielder and baserunner.

Jed Lowrie, Athletics | $6.5MM in 2017; $6MM club option ($1MM buyout) in 2018

The A’s have already promoted Lowrie’s likely replacement, youngster Franklin Barreto, and are surely readying to bring him back once the switch-hitting veteran is traded. With good health and a productive .279/.346/.458 batting line through the season’s first half, the 33-year-old is in good position to land with a contender. He’s probably best suited to playing second at this stage, but could serve on the left side of the infield, adding to the appeal.

Asdrubal Cabrera, Mets | $8.25MM in 2017; $8.5MM club option ($2MM buyout) in 2018

It’s still anybody’s guess just how the Mets will proceed with Cabrera, who could still be retained for 2018. He’s hitting at a league-avreage rate (.250/.332/.404), though that’s not nearly as impressive as he was last year. Cabrera also doesn’t typically rate well with the glove; that has held true of his prior time at second, which he last played extensively back in 2014.

Longer-Term Assets

Cesar Hernandez, Phillies | $2.55MM in 2017; arb-eligible through 2020

Hernandez posted a breakout 2016 season, with glowing defensive metrics pushing him up to 4.4 fWAR. The hitting work was more solid than great, as Hernandez has little power, but he was an above-average offensive player on the whole. What we’ve seen thus far in 2017 is something of a lite version of that, with slightly less exciting glovework and a slightly below-average batting line. Hernandez is still a nice player, and ought to draw interest when he’s back from the DL, but it seems unlikely he’ll be dealt this summer.

Joe Panik, Giants | Arb-eligible through 2020

It has been a solid overall campaign for Panik, who dealt with injury issues and a performance decline in 2016. He’s hitting right near the league average while playing a quality second base. Still, the overall output has lagged his excellent 2015 showing. San Francisco will listen to offers, but it’ll put a lofty asking price on Panik.

Dee Gordon, Marlins | $7.5MM in 2017; $38MM through 2020 (including $1MM buyout on 2021 club option)

Given the presence of so many other solid, but non-superstar second basemen, it’s a bit tough to see immense market value in Gordon’s contract. He has played well enough this year that it looks to be a reasonable enough rate, but Gordon may never again approach the immense 2015 seasons that earned him the deal in the first place. If Miami decides to pare its future payroll, though, perhaps it can find a taker for most of the commitment.

Jonathan Schoop, Orioles | $3.475MM in 2017; arb-eligible through 2019

There’s no real reason to think that Schoop will be made available, but he’s outperforming just about everyone else on this list. Through 352 plate appearances entering the All-Star break, Schoop owns a .295/.347/.536 slash with 18 long balls. That’s not quite sustainable, and the dingers will boost his arb earning power, but he’s an appealing asset if the O’s decide to consider something drastic.

Yangervis Solarte, Padres | $2.5MM in 2017; $4MM in 2018; 2019-20 club options

While he’s perhaps thought of mostly as a third baseman, since that’s where he played when he broke into the majors, Solarte has mostly lined up at second this year. A solid player on a nice contract, he’ll come with a fairly high asking price — once he returns from an oblique strain, at least.

Josh Harrison, Pirates | $7.5MM in 2017; $10MM in 2018; 2019-20 club options

Many teams would love to have the hyper-athletic Harrison bouncing around the field and the lineup as needs dictate. Given his All-Star worthy output to open the season, and the Bucs’ future need for just such a player, he’s not going to be cheap.

Nationals Place Joe Ross On 10-Day DL; Jayson Werth Rehab Slowed

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The Nationals have emerged from the break with two difficult pieces of injury news. Righty Joe Ross was placed on the 10-day DL, the club announced. Meanwhile, manager Dusty Baker said that outfielder Jayson Werth has not advanced as rapidly as had been hoped, as Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post tweets.

Ross was pulled from his most recent start after showing worrying velocity readings and command problems. While the DL placement isn’t a major red flag in and of itself, the accompanying details aren’t terribly encouraging.

For one thing, the team announced the injury as an elbow sprain; previously, it had been labeled triceps discomfort. For another, Baker hinted at significant concern, as Castillo also tweeted. “We’re preparing for it to be a longer situation,” he said while indicating that the club is awaiting the results of an MRI.

While the Nationals have some options to take innings while Ross is out — A.J. Cole, Jacob Turner, Austin Voth, and even old favorite Edwin Jackson —  none seem like particularly exciting replacements if there’s an extended absence. The Nats likely won’t feel the need to add another starter to a prospective postseason rotation, and have a comfortable division lead, but could now look to add another starter at the deadline — particularly if that player would profile as a relief arm in the playoffs.

As for Werth, it doesn’t seem there has been a drastic change. But his toe injury hasn’t progressed as quickly as the team anticipated, leading Baker to suggest there’s still some healing to do before Werth will be ready for a rehab stint. For an older player with such a lengthy injury history, there’s perhaps a bit of added concern here.

It’s not clear whether Werth’s status will really change the club’s deadline plans, but there’s an argument to be made that it should. While the Nats have enjoyed stronger-than-expected performances from Michael Taylor and Brian Goodwin, the former is on the DL himself, and those two are perhaps best deployed as a platoon in center. (After all, the team is already covering for the loss of Adam Eaton, and it’s reasonable to anticipate some regression from those two homegrown assets.) Though veteran righty bats Chris Heisey and Ryan Raburn are still on hand as well, there’s some room for an addition to the outfield (or, perhaps, a utility type that could also help make up for the absence of shortstop Trea Turner).

Ultimately, there are quite a few more moving parts to the Nationals’ deadline than had been expected. While the club can reasonably assume that some of its injury woes will resolve over the coming weeks, the additional problems revealed today seem to boost the uncertainty.

With Ross heading to the DL and lefty Sammy Solis destined for an optional assignment to Triple-A, where he’ll try to solve his problems since returning from a lengthy DL stint, the Nats have promoted two new relief arms. Righties Austin Adams and Trevor Gott — both acquired in deals from the Angels over the past two years — will become the latest hurlers to attempt to aid the beleaguered unit.

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