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Minor MLB Transactions: 7/3/17

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Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the game…

  • Infielder Tony Renda has been dealt from the Reds to the Diamondbacks in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets. The 26-year-old had been outrighted over the winter after struggling in his MLB debut last year. Through 198 plate appearances at Triple-A in 2017, he was slashing just .260/.305/.326 — albeit with just 18 strikeouts to go with a dozen walks.
  • In another minor swap, the Giants purchased Tyler Herb from the Mariners for an undisclosed sum, both teams announced. He’ll actually represent the player to be named later in the deal that sent Chris Heston to Seattle, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets, with some undisclosed technicality requiring the particular treatment. The 25-year-old was taken in the 29th round of the 2014 draft. He made it up to the Double-A level last year and has thrown well there upon a repeat assignment. Herb has made it through 98 innings in 16 starts on the year, posting a 3.31 ERA with 8.1 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9.
  • Nationals righty Jacob Turner has accepted an outright assignment after clearing waivers, per a team announcement. Still just 26, Turner has given the Nats some badly needed innings this year, though his ERA stands at 5.08 after 39 frames of action. He is expected to resume working as a starter in case he’s needed in that role at the major league level.
  • Also outrighted was Blue Jays outfielder Ian Parmley, Toronto announced. He was up for a brief stretch, but will return to plying his trade at Triple-A Buffalo. over 205 plate appearances there on the year, Parmley is slashing .289/.332/.369.
  • The Mariners released southpaw Nick Hagadone, according to Triple-A Tacoma announcer Mike Curto (via Twitter). As Curto notes, Hagadone has been particularly impressive of late. The 31-year-old has seen action in parts of four MLB seasons, all with the Indians, but missed all of last year after an elbow fracture. He landed in Seattle on a minors deal and has thrown 33 1/3 innings of 3.51 ERA ball — with 9.5 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 — since arriving in Tacoma. (It could well be, then, that Hagadone utilized an opt-out clause, though we’ve heard no indication of that as of yet.)

Earlier Transactions

  • The Brewers announced that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Michael Blazek from Triple-A Colorado Springs. The 28-year-old was outrighted off the 40-man roster earlier this year but remained in the organization and has posted a solid 3.13 ERA in that extremely hitter-friendly setting. While all of Blazek’s 104 career appearances in the Majors have been in relief, he’s been working as a starter for his past 10 trips to the hill in Triple-A. MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy suggests (via Twitter) that Blazek could very well pitch today in relief of left-hander Brent Suter. Piggybacking the two would certainly make some sense, as Suter may not be fully stretched out with his most recent start coming back on June 13. Milwaukee already had an open spot on the 40-man, so there’s no corresponding 40-man move needed to accommodate Blazek.

Cubs Asked Tigers About Availability Of Verlander, Avila

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The Cubs have made contact with the Tigers about veteran righty Justin Verlander and catcher Alex Avila, according to a report from MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (Twitter links). At this point, though, no real trade talks appear to have taken place.

While there’s little indication that anything is particularly likely to come together, it’s nevertheless notable to hear of the interest from the defending World Series champs. Chicago has struggled badly out of the gates, with its rotation representing a particular area of concern. And the team recently parted with left-handed-hitting backstop Miguel Montero, potentially making the similarly situated Avila an appealing target.

Of course, Verlander himself hasn’t exactly been pitching like an ace through the first half of the season. The Cubs sent a scout to watch his most recent outing, which represented a new low (no strikeouts, seven earned runs in 3 1/3 innings) for the longtime ace. Through 98 frames on the year, Verlander now carries a 4.96 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9.

Never has Verlander allowed so many walks over a full season. And his swinging-strike rate (9.1%) and strikeout rate (8.4 K/9) are both down after a bounceback 2016 campaign. Still, Verlander was excellent last year and is throwing about as hard as ever (95.4 mph average fastball), so it’s not hard to see a team taking a chance. There are only two years left on his contract, though it also includes $56MM guaranteed after the conclusion of the current season. Word is he’s increasingly available, with Detroit potentially willing to keep some of the cash that’s still owed — though the veteran righty also has full veto power over any deals.

As for Avila, he has improved his stock as much as any player in baseball. Through 204 plate appearances this year, he’s mashing at a ridiculous .310/.431/.571 clip with 11 home runs and a 17.2% walk rate. While his .427 BABIP surely won’t last, Avila looks to be quite a useful piece as a left-handed-hitting catcher.

For the Cubs, young switch-hitting receiver Victor Caratini looks to be a long-term piece, but it seems the team may not quite be willing to rely on him too heavily in 2017. Avila, then, could take his place as a complement to second-year man Willson Contreras, the regular behind the dish. The youthful Contreras hasn’t been quite as impressive this year as last at the plate, perhaps increasing the team’s desire to pursue a quality veteran complement.

Shawn Kelley Shut Down After Setback

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The Nationals have halted the throwing program of righty Shawn Kelley, according to a report from Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. While the veteran reliever was progressing at last look, he has since suffered a setback in his efforts to work through pain in his neck and upper back area.

According to Janes, Kelley is headed for a new medical check-up today. It’s possible he could receive an injection, she notes, but the approach is yet to be decided.

As things stand, then, it’s uncertain when the Nats can expect Kelley back in action. Even if he’s able to resume throwing in relatively short order, it may be optimistic to expect he could rebuild strength, complete a rehab stint, and return to the majors to show the team his form before the trade deadline.

The injury questions only enhance the broader concern with Kelley, who had been a major contributor in 2016 and is under contract through next year. In his 18 innings this season, he has allowed 14 earned runs — due in no small part to the fact that he has allowed nine homers already (matching a career high).

Though he is still checking in with a robust 15.0% swinging-strike rate on the year, Kelley carries a career-worst 4.5 BB/9. And opposing hitters are squaring him up at a prodigious rate when they do make contact, with a 46.4% hard-hit rate and 26.5% HR/FB.

As the Nats continue to peruse the market for relief pitching, then, the organization will need to account for the fact that it cannot firmly count on two key righties, Kelley and Koda Glover. With Blake Treinen and (especially) Joe Blanton also failing to deliver consistent results, surprising journeyman Matt Albers stands as the lone steady righty in the Nationals’ pen. While adding a closer remains an obvious focus, the need for a quality right-handed setup option at the deadline seems greater now than ever.

Rockies Activate Carlos Gonzalez, Place Ian Desmond On 10-Day DL

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The Rockies have activated outfielder Carlos Gonzalez from his DL stint, but cleared a roster spot by sending outfielder/first baseman Ian Desmond out on his own. As Nick Groke of the Denver Post tweets, Desmond is dealing with a calf strain.

It seems an MRI did not bring an optimistic enough outlook to allow Desmond to avoid at least a ten-day hiatus. The significance of the injury isn’t yet known, however.

Desmond opened the year on the DL and is now headed back. But it is what happened in-between that has caused concern. The 31-year-old carries only a .283/.321/.388 batting line through 236 trips to the plate, which is especially meager when adjusted for the advantage of playing at Coors Field.

While it hurts to see the organization’s $70MM free-agent signee producing so little, Colorado has motored along just fine. Mark Reynolds has performed well beyond expectations at first base, and Raimel Tapia has emerged as another useful outfield option. Even after a recent rough patch, the Rox sit in excellent position to take a Wild Card spot — though getting a healthy and effective Desmond would certainly represent an important element of locking up a postseason berth.

Royals Select Contract Of Al Alburquerque, Place Matt Strahm On 60-Day DL

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The Royals announced today that they’ve selected the contract of right-handed reliever Al Alburquerque from Triple-A Omaha and transferred injured lefty Matt Strahm from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. Southpaw Eric Skoglund was optioned to Triple-A to clear a spot on the active roster for Alburquerque.

[Related: Updated Kansas City Royals depth chart]

As Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star wrote yesterday, Strahm was diagnosed with a torn patella tendon, sidelining him for the foreseeable future. Per Dodd, the team is currently seeking a second opinion to determine if Strahm requires surgery. Either way, he’ll be out until Aug. 30, at the earliest, as a result of today’s move.

In more optimistic injury news, however, Dodd tweets that the Royals have listed ace Danny Duffy as their starter for Tuesday’s game, meaning he’ll be activated after missing nearly eight weeks with an oblique injury. The return of Duffy will be a boon to a Royals team that has yet again surprised some by surging up the AL Central standings with a strong month of play.

With Strahm and Nate Karns on the shelf, Duffy will step back into the rotation alongside Ian Kennedy, Jason Vargas, Jason Hammel and Travis Wood. With the exception of Vargas, that group has struggled considerably in 2017, so the return of the team’s best pitcher should be a significant shot in the arm as the Royals aim for one last magical run with a core that is bound for free agency this winter.

As for Strahm, the 25-year-old burst onto the scene for Kansas City in 2016, firing 22 innings of relief with a 1.23 ERA, 12.3 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 and a 46.7 percent ground-ball rate. Long a starter in the minors, he was a candidate to fill that role in 2017 but opened the year in the bullpen and never found his footing. Through 34 2/3 innings this year, including three starts, Strahm has a 5.45 ERA thanks to diminished strikeout numbers and increased struggles with his control. He’s obviously still a potential long-term piece for the K.C. staff, whether out of the ’pen or the rotation, but this latest injury certainly puts the remainder of his season in jeopardy.

Alburquerque, meanwhile, tossed four innings for the Royals earlier this year before being designated for assignment and accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A. Al Al was more or less a mainstay in the Tigers’ relief corps from 2011-15, but he’s totaled just six big league innings in the past two seasons. The 31-year-old owns a career 3.27 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 237 Major League innings, and he’d worked to a sensational 2.08 ERA with a 28-to-5 K/BB ratio through 26 innings in Triple-A.

Rangers Place Keone Kela On 10-Day DL

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The Rangers have placed righty Keone Kela on the 10-day DL, according to an announcement from VP of communications John Blake. He is said to be dealing with soreness in his pitching shoulder, though further indication of the seriousness of the injury is not yet known.

Kela, 24, opened the season in the minors as a disciplinary measure. But he has swiftly reestablished himself as a critical component of the late-inning relief corps. Through 30 2/3 innings on the year, he owns a 2.64 ERA with 12.3 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9.

Indeed, Kela’s importance has only increased as the season has progressed. Sam Dyson was shipped out after opening the year as the closer, while Matt Bush has since struggled in that role. While the team’s near-term intentions weren’t yet clear, Kela seemed the odds-on favorite to seize the reins in the 9th.

Without Kela as an option for at least some stretch, the Rangers’ struggling pen will be stretched yet further. On the positive side, the team has activated starter Martin Perez. To create space for just-added reliever Jason Grilli, the club optioned southpaw Dario Alvarez.

Blue Jays Designate Glenn Sparkman For Assignment

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The Blue Jays announced that they have selected the contract of righty Mike Bolsinger from Triple-A Buffalo and designated fellow right-hander and Rule 5 pick Glenn Sparkman for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man and 25-man rosters.

[Related: Updated Toronto Blue Jays depth chart]

The 25-year-old Sparkman missed the majority of the season to this point recovering from a fractured right thumb and made his big league debut over the weekend, though his two appearances proved to be a nightmare. Sparkman made it through his first without allowing an earned run, but he was torched for seven runs on eight hits in just a third of an inning on Sunday. He has a nice track record in a limited sample of work at the Double-A level and in Class-A Advanced as well, but he’ll have to clear waivers and be offered back to Kansas City if the Jays have any hope of retaining him, and there’s little reason for the Royals not to take him back.

Bolsinger, 29, returns to the Jays after previously being outrighted on the heels of a 5.61 ERA and a 21-to-19 K/BB ratio in 25 2/3 frames with Toronto. He’s been lights-out in Triple-A this year, though, with a 1.60 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9 through 33 2/3 innings there.

2017 Opt-Out Clause Update

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It’s been more than a month since we last looked in on the crop of eight players that can opt out of their current contracts and reenter the free-agent market following the 2017 campaign. With more than half the season in the books, a few cases look relatively certain, but there are plenty of questions surrounding several such players…

[Related: 2018 Vesting Options Update]

  • Greg Holland, RP, Rockies: Holland’s $10MM mutual option became a $15MM player option when he finished his 30th game of the season for the Rox a little more than a week ago. His recent brush with wildness is of mild concern, but Holland has a ridiculous 1.48 ERA with 11.9 K/9, 4.2 BB/9 and a 39.7 percent ground-ball rate. In a year when homers are being hit more than ever and he’s tackling Coors Field for the first time, Holland has managed to limit opponents to just one big fly in 30 1/3 innings. So long as his arm holds up for the remainder of the season — no sure thing considering this is his first year back from 2015 Tommy John surgery — he’ll 100 percent turn down that player option in search of a huge multi-year deal. Agent Scott Boras will undoubtedly look to vault Mark Melancon’s four-year, $62MM pact and could seek a five-year deal.
  • Johnny Cueto, SP, Giants: Cueto is still a workhorse, by today’s standards, as he’s on pace to reach 200 innings for the fourth straight year if he can make 33 starts. He’s logged a 3.97 ERA in eight starts since we last looked at the opt-out crop, though he continues to be abnormally homer prone (though that’s a league-wide trend, as homers are up across the board). Cueto has a 4.26 ERA with 8.2 K/9, 2.7 40BB/9 and a 40.3 percent ground-ball rate. If he can rediscover his pinpoint control and/or his grounder rate from previous years (1.8 BB/9, 50.2 GB% in 2016), he could make this an easier decision come October. Cueto still ranks third on MLBTR’s Free Agent Power Rankings, and FanRag’s Jon Heyman has reported that he’s still planning to opt out of the remaining four years and $84MM on his deal. I think there’s a decent chance he once again hits the open market in search of a five-year deal in the Jordan Zimmermann mold.
  • Welington Castillo, C, Orioles: Castillo’s bat has seen a precipitous decline in effectiveness since our mid-May check-in on opt-out clauses, as he’s batted .205/.250/.349 in 88 plate appearances since that time. He perhaps deserves somewhat of a pass, given the cringe-inducing groin injury he suffered on an ill-placed foul ball deflection that landed him on the DL for 10 days in late May/early June. His overall .272/.307/.439 slash is solid for a catcher, and he’s thrown out a ridiculous 48 percent of opposing stolen base attempts (12-for-25). Framing will probably never be his strong suit, but he’s made some incremental improvements in recent years (though he still grades out below average). With a fairly small one-year, $7MM player option on his deal, it’s certainly plausible that Castillo hits free agency this winter and scores a better payday than that option would afford.
  • Justin Upton, LF, Tigers: I understand the doubt around the possibility of Upton turning away an extra four years and $88.5MM to once again test free agency this winter; he’s 30 years old with questionable defensive value and a strikeout that has soared since his peak year in Arizona. Corner-limited sluggers also fared quite poorly on last year’s market, for the most part. Nonetheless, Upton is having his best offensive season since 2014 and is hitting .267/.351/.500 with 15 homers. Dating back to last year’s All-Star break, he’s slashing .264/.344/.537 with 37 bombs in 575 plate appearances. He’d need a big finish to be confident enough to top four years and $88MM, but that’s the same mark Hanley Ramirez signed for in Boston when he was a year older. If Upton’s camp feels that there’s a chance to approach the $110MM that Yoenis Cespedes received on a four-year pact last winter (again, when he was a year older than Upton), Upton’s reps could elect to search elsewhere. He can’t receive a qualifying offer this time around.
  • Matt Wieters, C, Nationals: Wieters is hitting .205/.224/.328 through 125 plate appearances since the last time we checked in on this group. Overall, he’s batting .244/.293/.384 with a substandard 22 percent caught-stealing rate and the worst framing marks of his career. It’s possible that the one year, $10.5MM player option on his contract is still beatable in a thin market for catching this coming winter, but opting into the deal and remaining with a competitive team is going to look pretty appealing if he can’t get his bat going once again.
  • Masahiro Tanaka, SP, Yankees: Tanaka has picked a poor time to have the worst season of his career, though he’s showing signs of life on the mound. He’s tossed 14 innings with a 14-to-4 K/BB ratio and a huge ground-ball rate in his past two starts and also gone without a home run allowed in that brief stretch. Tanaka is still sitting on a 5.56 ERA with an awful 2.1 HR/9 mark, but he’s averaging 8.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 with a 49.3 percent ground-ball rate. xFIP is much more favorable than his ERA at 3.87, and SIERA agrees with a 3.91 mark. Three of his past four starts have been brilliant, and if he can continue that momentum he could still do better than the three years and $67MM remaining on his contract and hit the open market in search of a larger deal. Age is on his side as well. He’ll turn just 29 this winter.
  • Ian Kennedy, SP, Royals: The 32-year-old Kennedy’s walk and strikeout rates have gone in the wrong direction by a substantial amount this season, and he’s more homer-prone than ever (1.9 HR/9). Starting pitching is almost always in heavy demand on the free-agent market (as Kennedy’s five-year, $70MM deal and opt-out clause illustrate), but he’s sporting a 4.72 ERA with FIP, xFIP and SIERA marks all well north of 5.00. Barring a miraculous turnaround, he’s not topping the remaining three years and $49MM on his deal as a free agent this winter, so expect him to stay in Kansas City.
  • Wei-Yin Chen, SP: Marlins: Chen hasn’t thrown a single pitch since we last checked in on May 22, as he continues to attempt to work his way back from a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. With three years and $52MM remaining on his contract, he’s a lock to forgo his opt-out provision.

Rizzo: Nats Exploring Bullpen Market, Unlikely To Pursue Shortstop Trades

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Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo appeared on today’s Baseball Tonight Podcast with Buster Olney (audio link) to discuss an number of topics, ranging from Ryan Zimmerman’s return to prominence in the National League to his team’s plans at the trade deadline to his own personal philosophies on making trades (Rizzo joins the show at roughly the 26-minute mark, though the entire podcast is a good listen).

The Nationals, of course, lost standout young shortstop Trea Turner for the foreseeable future last week when the 23-year-old suffered a nondisplaced fracture in his right wrist after being hit by a pitch. However, while there’s been some speculation about the Nats pursuing a trade for a shortstop (including some from myself here on MLBTR), Rizzo threw cold water on that notion.

“I don’t think so,” he said when asked by Olney if the Nationals would pursue shortstop help outside the organization. “Right now, we like the leadership, and we like the veteran presence that Stephen Drew gives us. He’s a very competent, steady defensive shortstop. … We know we have to protect his legs. He’s got the ankle issue that he’s had for a couple years now. We think with the combination, the mixing and matching that Dusty [Baker] will do with Stephen Drew and with [Wilmer] Difo, I think that we can weather the storm until Trea gets back.”

Of course, it wouldn’t exactly behoove Rizzo to broadcast that his team is actively seeking shortstop assistance, so perhaps he’s a bit more open then he let on. A number of shortstops (or at least shortstop-capable players) figure to be available, including Zack Cozart, Jed Lowrie and Eduardo Nunez.

Then again, Rizzo also had no reservations in acknowledging that he not only plans to seek bullpen help but has already actively been doing so. While the Washington GM characterized his current status as “testing the market,” he added that he’s already spoken to a number of GMs around the league to see where they’re at in the process.

“It’s no secret that we’re going to be looking for upgrades in the bullpen,” Rizzo stated. “With that said, people aren’t going to want to help us out of the goodness of their hearts. We’re going to have to see what deal makes sense for us in the long-term and short-term, and see if we can do our part, do my part, to improve this bullpen.”

Whether that means acquiring a top-end closer or simply bolstering the ’pen with one or more quality setup types remains to be seen and is “going to be a fluid decision,” as Rizzo characterized the matter. “The good thing is that we have a good team and we know what our flaws are,” he added. “They’re pretty clear. We’re going to have a strategy to see if we can improve it.”

As for a timeline of a move, Rizzo expressed an openness to getting something done in the near future but also suggested that other clubs may not be on that timeline just yet.

“I’ve always been willing to move,” he stated. “When I see a deal that I like, that works for us, I’m willing to make a move. I don’t need a lot of conversations or meetings with our staff. I’m constantly in conversations with my people. … I hate wasting other GMs’ time with deals that never come to fruition. For every deal you do, there’s 20 deals that you put just as much work into and don’t get done. To me, the most frustrating thing is if we were to talk about a trade, and I’m serious about the trade, and then it falls through and all this work is done, then that’s bad business for both guys.”

Olney suggested to Rizzo, however, that a number of people to whom he’s spoken are anticipating a late-moving trade market in 2017 due to the extreme level of parity in the American League. The Rays currently hold the second Wild Card spot in the AL, for instance, but there are six teams within two games of staking that claim. Rizzo agreed with the sentiment, suggesting that even though some contenders may be willing to move right now, other teams are going to “take most of that month of July to assess where [they’re] at and what [their] ownership wants to do.”

The entire interview with Rizzo spans about 10 minutes and includes insight into his strategies and tactics when negotiating with other clubs as well as his own assessment of the 2017 Nationals. It’s well worth checking out for Nats fans but also anyone who closely follows trades in baseball, as Rizzo’s thoughts on doing business with other clubs offer interesting perspective into the life of a GM this time of year.

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