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Yangervis Solarte Headed For DL Due To Strained Oblique

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The Padres announced to reporters prior to tonight’s game that infielder Yangervis Solarte was scratched from the lineup due to a strained left oblique muscle (Twitter links via Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune). He’ll be placed on the 10-day disabled list due to the injury, which he suffered taking a swing prior to tonight’s game, according to Lin.

There’s been no announcement of a timeline just yet, but oblique strains can often sideline a player for a month or more, which would be an obvious blow to Solarte’s trade stock. Signed through the 2018 season with a pair of club options for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Solarte stands out as an obvious trade candidate for the rebuilding Padres. After a slow start to the season, he’s been on a tear over the past month, hitting .337/.427/.589 with seven homers across his past 25 games. That incredible run has boosted Solarte’s season line to a very solid .268/.349/.425.

The versatile Solarte is capable of playing both second and third base, though he’s served as San Diego’s everyday second baseman thus far in 2017. The Padres have a number of players to whom they could turn in his absence; both Jose Pirela and Chase d’Arnaud are on the 25-man roster at the moment and have plenty of experience at second base. In Triple-A, the recently-optioned Ryan Schimpf has mashed at a .273/.314/.636 clip in eight games since being sent down. And fellow infielder Carlos Asuaje, who got off to a slow start, has raked at a .307/.430/.480 pace over his past 21 Triple-A contests.

Braves Notes: Adams/Freeman, Weigel, Phillips

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Matt Adams’ surprisingly dominant performance for the Braves following last month’s trade has the Braves considering multiple scenarios to keep him in the lineup when Freddie Freeman returns, according to a pair of reports from Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Like the Cardinals before them, the Braves are debating the possibility of playing Adams in left field. But more interestingly, Bowman suggests that the Braves will at least discuss the possibility of Freeman playing third base — a position he played throughout high school but hasn’t played since a tiny five-game sample with the Braves’ Rookie-level affiliate back in 2007. While there will obviously be plenty of intrigue around the idea of a position change for Freeman, it’s worth noting that the Braves are very much in the preliminary stages of mapping out a strategy. David O’Brien of the Journal-Constitution tweets that it may only be likely if Freeman volunteers to move across the diamond, though he, too, notes that Atlanta hasn’t firmly ruled the idea out.

  • One of the Braves’ top pitching prospects, right-hander Patrick Weigel, is on his way to see Dr. James Andrews to have his elbow examined, O’Brien reports. According to O’Brien, Weigel has a potential tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow and will undergo an MRI to definitively make that determination. Weigel, 22, opened the year at Double-A Mississippi and pitched to a 2.89 ERA with 9.2 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 through 37 1/3 innings before being promoted to Triple-A. Weigel worked to a 3.58 ERA through his first seven Triple-A starts but was shelled for nine runs in 3 1/3 innings in his most recent outing on Sunday.
  • Mark Bradley of the Journal-Constitution opines that the likeliest outcome for Adams and fellow trade acquisition Brandon Phillips is that both will be traded prior to the non-waiver deadline. Adams’ work in the outfield was unsightly enough that the Cardinals traded him the Braves in the first place, Bradley points out, and the Braves don’t necessarily need another left-handed-hitting first baseman. Phillips’ age makes him unlikely to be any kind of long-term option in Atlanta, and the Braves could use August and September to get their first big league look at Ozzie Albies, Bradley continues. From my perspective, Adams would represent a fine bench option for the Braves, though he could be a relatively pricey part-time player next year depending on how great a raise he receives upon this year’s $2.8MM salary in arbitration this winter.

Free Agent Notes: Gee, Jepsen, Morneau

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A few notes on some currently unsigned players…

  • The Twins are in talks with right-hander Dillon Gee, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). Gee elected free agency over the weekend after he cleared waivers following his DFA by the Rangers. The 31-year-old veteran posted a 4.15 ERA and a 10-to-6 K/BB ratio in 13 innings with the Rangers this season and turned in a 3.88 earned run average with 7.6 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 over the life of 51 innings with Triple-A Round Rock this season. Gee had thoracic outlet surgery back in October but has been healthy throughout the 2017 season thus far. He pitched to a 4.68 ERA in 125 innings for Kansas City last season and has a 4.13 ERA in 817 1/3 innings as a Major Leaguer, working mostly out of the rotation. Minnesota is in dire need of rotation help as it fights to maintain a surprising early run as the AL Central leader.
  • Right-hander Kevin Jepsen had a workout for teams today, per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). Jepsen was cut loose by the D-backs at the end of Spring Training and has since been rehabbing a quadriceps injury before looking for another club. Jepsen, 32, had a terrible season in 2016, pitching to a 5.98 ERA in 49 2/3 innings between the Twins and the Rays. However, Jepsen was terrific as recently as the 2015 season, when he posted a 2.33 ERA through 69 2/3 innings between those same two clubs and even served as Minnesota’s closer following an injury to Glen Perkins.
  • Diamondbacks bench coach Ron Gardenhire told Jon Morosi of FOX Sports and MLB Network recently that Justin Morneau is in excellent condition and feels that the former American League MVP could help an AL club in 2017 (Twitter link). The 36-year-old Morneau spent the second half of the 2016 season with the White Sox and hit .261/.303/.429 through 218 plate appearances. It’s not immediately clear how aggressively Morneau and his agents are pursuing a deal, though Morneau was linked to a few clubs over the course of the offseason and played for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. He’s never made any indication that he plans to retire, either.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/20/17

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Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Orioles announced that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Craig Gentry from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned first baseman/outfielder David Washington back to Triple-A in his place. Closer Zach Britton was moved to the 60-day DL to clear a spot for Gentry, though that’s a procedural move and isn’t indicative of any type of setback for Britton. Gentry, 33, played in 33 games for the O’s earlier this season, though he served primarily as a bench option and totaled just 44 plate appearances. In that time, he posted a paltry .162/.256/.270 batting line with a homer and three steals. The fleet-footed Gentry has a long track record of playing quality defense and delivering strong value on the basepaths, but he hasn’t hit much since 2013. He was hitting .275/.345/.382 through 113 PAs in Norfolk.
  • Right-hander Asher Wojciechowski cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Louisville by the Reds, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter). The 28-year-old Wojciechowski appeared in six games (four starts) for Cincinnati this season, pitching to a 6.75 ERA with an 18-to-4 K/BB ratio in 21 1/3 innings. Wojciechowski recorded just a 27.3 percent ground-ball rate, though, which proved problematic, as he was tagged for six homers in that short time. Once a well-regarded Blue Jays farmhand, Wojciechowski has 37 2/3 innings with a 6.93 ERA in the Majors. He does carry a more palatable 4.31 ERA in 426 Triple-A innings.

Giants To Sign First-Rounder Heliot Ramos

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The Giants have reached an agreement with first-rounder Heliot Ramos, reports Baseball America’s Hudson Belinsky. A high school outfielder out of Puerto Rico, Ramos will receive the full slot value of $3,101,700 that comes with the No. 19 overall selection. Their second round-pick has also agreed to terms, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (Twitter link). High school third baseman Jacob Gonzalez will receive a $950K bonus that is about $170K below slot. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan, meanwhile, reports that the Giants inked third-rounder Seth Corry for $1MM — roughly $450K over his slot value (Twitter link). Corry is represented by Jon Pridie of Sosnick Cobbe Karon.

Ramos headed into the draft as the No. 26 player on the list of Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen. ESPN’s Keith Law ranked him 29th overall, while Baseball America pegged him at No. 30, and Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com ranked him 40th in the draft.

Longenhagen, Law and BA all peg Ramos as a plus runner (plus-plus, per BA’s report) with an above-average arm, which should allow him to stick in center field. And all of the above-linked reports are bullish on Ramos’ raw power. There’s some question, it seems, about his hit tool and whether he’ll make enough contact to hit consistently as a professional. He draws huge praise for his athleticism, and it’s worth noting that he’s also one of the draft’s youngest players — he’ll turn 18 in September — which offers some explanation for why he’s a bit raw at the plate. BA notes that Ramos comes from a highly athletic family, as his brother Henry reached Triple-A with the Red Sox last year (and is currently with the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate) while his other brother, Hector, plays for Puerto Rico’s national soccer club.

Gonzalez ranked 125th on MLB.com’s Top 200 and 132nd on Baseball America’s Top 500. He’s the son of former big league slugger Luis Gonzalez, though unlike his father, Jacob bats right-handed. He’s listed at 6’4″ and 210 pounds, and both scouting reports on him mention the possibility of a move to first base due to a lack of speed. Gonzalez gets good reviews for his considerable strength and raw power.

Corry, meanwhile, was 61st on Law’s list, 102nd over at BA and 105th per Callis and Mayo. The high school lefty out of Utah has a fastball that sits 89-93 mph, per those scouting reports, and he draws significant praise for his curveball as well. He was committed to attend Brigham Young University but will apparently forgo college for a seven-figure bonus.

Red Sox Place Pablo Sandoval On 10-Day DL

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The saga of Pablo Sandoval has taken another interesting turn, as the Red Sox announced today that he has been placed on the 10-day DL with an inner ear infection. The underperforming veteran has long been rumored as a candidate to be replaced, but the move at least buys the team some time to plot its next steps.

Boston also announced that righty Austin Maddox was optioned back to Triple-A. First baseman Sam Travis and infielder Deven Marrero will come up to take the open spots on the active roster.

Sandoval, 30, now owns a .212/.269/.354 slash through 108 plate appearances. That’s obviously far shy of the kind of output the Sox need from a regular third baseman. And if he’s not capable of manning that spot with some regularity, there’s not much function to keeping him around.

Of course, there’s more to it than just that. The Red Sox owe Sandoval $17MM this year, $18MM apiece in 2018 and 2019, and then a $5MM buyout on a 2020 option. While the club is obviously going to pay that regardless, it would no doubt prefer to hold out the possibility of receiving some return on its investment.

Indeed, there seems to be a sense within the organization that there’s still some glimmer of hope for Sandoval after he worked hard to get in shape over the winter and showed well this spring. And it’s not as if the in-house replacement options are terribly appealing, either. Marrero will likely pair with Josh Rutledge at third, at least once Dustin Pedroia is able to return at second, while Travis will offer an alternative another right-handed bat for the first base/DH mix.

Phillies Designate Jeanmar Gomez, Michael Saunders

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The Phillies made a rather dramatic roster move today, announcing that righty Jeanmar Gomez and outfielder Michael Saunders have been designated for assignment in one fell swoop. Lefty Hoby Milner and outfielder Cameron Perkins have had their contracts purchased.

While there were never realistic hopes of contention in 2017, the Phillies’ worst-in-baseball 22-and-46 record nevertheless represents a considerable disappointment. These two veterans are hardly the only poor performers, but their pronounced struggles were increasingly hard to ignore.

Still, it’s a bit of a stunner to see the move take place. Gomez was the Phils’ closer for the bulk of 2016 and is earning a cool $4.2MM with one more year of arb control remaining. And Saunders landed in Philadelphia over the winter on a $9MM guarantee. The Phils were hoping they had scored a bargain when his market failed to develop, but will instead punt on the rest of that deal — including the rights to an $11MM option for 2018.

It’s never easy to give up on such highly paid players, but Philadelphia no doubt felt some pressure to shake things up. And the writing seemed to be on the wall for these players, whose continued presence might only have taken opportunities from younger options.

In the case of Gomez, 29, a poor finish last year has carried over — and then some. He has had some strong years in the past, despite frequently lagging peripherals, but currently owns a 7.25 ERA on 31 hits (including seven home runs) in 22 1/3 innings. Though Gomez is generating far more swings and misses than usual, to go with his typically strong groundball rate, he’s also backing himself into a corner with a career-low 53.0% first-pitch strike rate.

The developments are yet more surprising with regard to Saunders, 30, who was streaky but generally quite good in 2016. He’s slashing just .205/.257/.360 with six home runs through 214 plate appearances on the season thus far. Though his .245 BABIP suggests some misfortune, Saunders is also making a lot of soft contact and has seen his typically solid walk rate dive to 6.1%.

As for the newcomers, the 26-year-old Milner gets his first call-up after failing to crack the Indians’ roster as a Rule 5 pick. he has posted a 2.60 ERA with 27 strikeouts and just four walks over 27 2/3 innings at Triple-A. Perkins, also 26, has previously failed to master the highest level of the minors. But the former sixth-round pick is carrying an excellent .298/.388/.476 slash through 241 plate appearances there this year.

Marlins Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Trevor Rogers

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The Marlins have agreed to terms with first-round pick Trevor Rogers, per Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (Twitter links). The high school southpaw will take home a $3.4MM bonus, so long as his physical checks out.

With the move, Miami will save $475,800 against the slot allocation of the 13th overall draft selection. It’s not yet clear just how the team will utilize those savings. Interestingly, all the team’s remaining picks from the first ten rounds went to collegiate players, though some appears to be ticketed for 11th rounder Dakota Bennett.

Coming into the draft, there was a split of opinion on Rogers. ESPN.com’s Keith Law ranked him the 15th-best player available, citing his long frame and big stuff. Others were less bullish; Baseball America had him at 31st on its board, for example. For one thing, Rogers is already closing in on his twentieth birthday; for another, he has not always shown up in game action as much as might be expected.

Braxton Garrett To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Top Marlins prospect Braxton Garrett is undergoing Tommy John surgery today on his left elbow, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports on Twitter. The southpaw recently was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL.

The seventh overall pick in last year’s draft, Garrett entered the year with consensus top-100 billing. He showed well in 15 1/3 innings this year at the Class A level, pitching to a 2.93 ERA with 16 strikeouts against six walks, before being sidelined.

That’s difficult news for a Marlins organization that is in need of future rotation assets and is generally regarded to have one of the game’s worst farm systems. It also marks the second consecutive season in which the club’s consensus top prospect has required Tommy John surgery. A year ago, right-hander Tyler Kolek (the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft), also suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament and underwent Tommy John surgery. He’s yet to return to the mound in 2017 after missing the entire ’16 campaign.

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