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Blue Jays To Promote Anthony Alford

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The Blue Jays are promoting top outfield prospect Anthony Alford to the Majors this afternoon, reports Jason Munz of the Hattiesburg American. Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reported yesterday that the team has been debating a promotion for Alford.

Alford, 22, entered the season as a consensus Top 100 prospect in the game, topping out at No. 55 on the list of ESPN’s Keith Law. His early play has done nothing but further that status, as Alford was off to an impressive .325/.411/.455 start to the season with three homers and nine stolen bases through 33 games with Double-A New Hampshire. Baseball America recently bumped him to No. 34 on their mid-May update of the league’s top 100 prospects.

Of course, it’s not clear that Alford’s promotion will be long-term in nature. The Jays issued a two-game suspension to Kevin Pillar yesterday, so they’re a bit short-handed in the outfield at the moment. Alford will give manager John Gibbons another option in the outfield, but it’s also possible that he could return to New Hampshire once Pillar is reinstated. The Jays did promote outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. in place of Pillar yesterday, but outfielder Darrell Ceciliani suffered a shoulder injury in last night’s game and could potentially be looking at DL time.

The Jays probably don’t want Alford to occupy a bench role when he could be gaining vital everyday at-bats in the minors, and there doesn’t appear to be an everyday role in the Majors unless there’s an injury that the club has yet to announce. Ezequiel Carrera has hit well in left field thus far, while Pillar has been sensational in center. Jose Bautista got off to a slow start in right field, but he’s hitting .289/.394/.542 over his past 23 games.

Marlins Void Tom Koehler’s Optional Assignment, Place Him On Disabled List

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May 19: The Marlins announced that Koehler’s optional assignment has been voided due to the fact that he has been diagnosed with bursitis in his right shoulder. Rather than being optioned to the minors, he’s instead been placed on the Major League 10-day disabled list (retroactive to May 17).

Teams aren’t allowed to option a player to the minor leagues when he is injured, and Miami assuredly would’ve faced a grievance had Koehler been placed on the minor league DL rather than the Major League DL. He’ll now continue to accrue service time as he works back from his shoulder troubles, though there’s yet to be any indication as to how long he might be on the shelf.

May 16: The Marlins announced following tonight’s game that right-hander Tom Koehler has been optioned to Triple-A New Orleans. That’s a fairly surprising development not because of Koehler’s performance but simply due to the fact that the 30-year-old has been a mainstay in the Miami rotation since 2013. In fact, Koehler hasn’t thrown a single pitch in the minors since that 2013 campaign.

Over the winter, Koehler and the Marlins avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal that guarantees the right-hander a $5.75MM salary. Between that salary and the fact that Koehler has more than four years of Major League service time, he’s hardly the type of player that is typically optioned to the minors.

Of course, one would be hard-pressed to argue that Koehler didn’t pitch his way off the 2017 staff. The righty was tagged for eight runs on seven hits and four walks through just three innings tonight, causing his already unsightly ERA to balloon from 5.60 to 7.04. Koehler has already surrendered 10 home runs this year in just 38 1/3 innings, which has been the primary reason for his painful numbers.

The downturn in production for Koehler was rapid; prior to this season, he’d been a durable, albeit somewhat unspectacular rotation cog for Miami on a yearly basis. From 2013-16, Koehler worked to a 4.14 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 and averaged 30 starts and 175 innings per year. While his velocity and his K/9, BB/9 and ground-ball rates in 2017 have all remained similar to their 2016 levels, though, Koehler’s homer-to-flyball ratio has soared from 12.1 percent to 21.7 percent. While there’s likely at least some randomness at play there, his efforts can’t be aided by the fact that he’s seen a dramatic decrease in his first-pitch strike rate and his opponents’ chase rate.

Koehler will join fellow Opening Day rotation-mate Adam Conley in New Orleans, leaving Miami with a starting corps that consists of Edinson Volquez, Dan Straily, Justin Nicolino and Jose Urena. Left-handers Wei-Yin Chen and Jeff Locke are currently on the disabled list — there’s no timetable for Chen’s return — and the team is thin on options to replace Koehler. Conley could conceivably be a candidate, but he was only just optioned himself and didn’t pitch well in his first outing with New Orleans. Veterans Vance Worley and Odrisamer Despaigne are both with the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate (Despaigne is on the 40-man roster; Worley is not) and could merit a look.

From a service time vantage point, the demotion could have serious implications for Koehler, who entered the year with four years, 16 days (4.016) days of Major League service time. He’d need to accrue a fairly substantial 156 days of MLB service in 2017 to reach five years of MLB service and position himself to be eligible for free agency following the 2018 campaign, so if Koehler spends even a month in the Majors it’d push his free agency back by a year. Then again, if he can’t right the ship, his production to date would likely result in a non-tender following the year anyhow.

Tony Watson Hires Scott Boras

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Pirates closer Tony Watson has changed agencies and is now a client of Scott Boras, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. The soon-to-be 32-year-old lefty will be a free agent following the 2017 campaign.

Watson stepped into the ninth-inning spotlight for the Pirates last season following their trade of Mark Melancon to the Nationals, and he’s racked up 23 saves since that time. He’s posted a 1.62 ERA through his first 16 2/3 innings this season  with a career-best 50 percent ground-ball rate, though it’s also worth noting that there are some potential signs for concern. Watson’s velocity is down this year (though his 92.4 mph average fastball still has plenty of life for a lefty), and he’s also seen his K/9 and BB/9 rates trend in the wrong direction.

Those red flags notwithstanding, Watson has been among baseball’s most durable pitchers — he’s third in the Majors in appearances since 2014 — and left-handed relief help is always in demand near the trade deadline. Pittsburgh showed last season that it wasn’t afraid to deal Melancon even with a Wild Card spot still in reach, so even if the Bucs right the ship, Watson will be a similarly likely trade candidate this summer. The Pirates, after all, won’t be making a qualifying offer to the lefty, so they would stand to lose him for no compensation at season’s end if he’s not dealt this summer. Heyman notes that the Pirates view hard-throwing lefty Felipe Rivero (acquired in the aforementioned Melancon deal) as their closer of the future.

It’s obviously still quite early to be putting forth a firm contract estimate on an impending free agent, but a typical Watson season — he pitched to a 2.22 ERA with 7.9 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 from 2013-16 — would put the southpaw in line to cash in on a three- or four-year deal this coming winter.

Watson adds to a Boras free agent class that includes the likes of Jake Arrieta, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Carlos Gonzalez and Jeremy Hellickson (among others). His switch is now reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains agent info on more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players. If you see any notable errors or omissions within, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Heyman’s Latest: Nats, Cutch, Marlins, Cole, Cobb

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Jon Heyman of Fan Rag takes a look around the league in his latest notes columns. In addition to providing updates on every National League and American League team, he takes a particularly close look at the Nationals in separate posts. Let’s take a look at some of the items of particular relevance to the transactional landscape:

  • The Nationals are beginning to put in phone calls to rivals as they start the search for a new closer in earnest, Heyman writes. Among the players under consideration by the team, at present, are a variety of names with differing contract situations. David Robertson of the White Sox, Kelvin Herrera of the Royals, and A.J. Ramos of the Marlins all have two years remaining at less-than-bargain rates (the latter two via arbitration). Alex Colome of the Rays and Roberto Osuna of the Blue Jays, meanwhile, bring more years of cheap control — and, in all likelihood, astronomical asking prices. Then there’s old friend Mark Melancon, who is in the first year of the four-year pact he signed with the Giants — who evidently beat the Nats’ offer over the winter. Needless to say, there’s quite a lot that could change that picture over the coming months.
  • Looking back a bit, the Nationals came closer than any other team to landing Andrew McCutchen from the Pirates over the winter, Heyman adds.Per the report, the sides held talks that “revolved around three players, including Lucas Giolito and veteran Gio Gonzalez.” It’s not immediately clear what else might have been involved, and where things went south, but it’s interesting to hear those parameters. The Nats ultimately pivoted to Adam Eaton, of course, but he’s now out for the year. Perhaps it’s conceivable that the team could take another look at McCutchen, though no doubt the teams would need to start discussions anew with Giolito in Chicago, Gonzalez a key member of the Nats staff and McCutchen struggling.
  • The Marlins sale talks had seemingly been building, but Heyman writes that there’s no deal ready to be made at present. For one thing, there are whispers that the purchase price will continue to drop as the organization’s financial health comes under greater scrutiny. For another, there are still questions about where the money will come from on the buyer’s side. “[A]t least the Bush-Jeter group and maybe the Romney-Glavine group, too, [are] still seeking investors,” per Heyman.
  • Two significant recent investments made by the Marlins aren’t delivering value at present. Per Heyman, lefty Wei-Yin Chen is headed for a second opinion with his elbow issue still failing to progress. It seems the team could be bracing for a relatively lengthy absence. And Heyman notes that some in the baseball operations department weren’t thrilled at the idea of extending Martin Prado last year at $40MM over three years. He has been playing well enough, but is back on the DL with a recurring hamstring injury.
  • Pirates righty Gerrit Cole has looked strong in the early going, but Heyman says the team may not be interested in dealing him even if they continue to lag in the standings. “We’re not in any rush,” a club source tells him. “I don’t think we’re there yet.” The 26-year-old owns a 2.84 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 1.0 BB/9; while the peripherals are largely in line with his 2016 work, the improved results are supported by jumps in swinging-strike rate (9.9%) and average fastball velocity (a career-high 96.1 mph). With two more years of arb eligibility to go, Cole would likely command a big price at the deadline.
  • While the Rays entered play today just one game under .500, that doesn’t mean they aren’t readying for the possibility of selling. Of course, given the team’s pitching depth, it’s imaginable that the team could send out a veteran while still maintaining hopes of cracking the postseason. Per Heyman, Tampa Bay has “already begun calling to get a gauge on the value of Alex Cobb.” Rivals also think the club will be amenable to discussing both Jake Odorizzi and Chris Archer, he adds. Cobb, though, is the most obvious possible trade chip. The 29-year-old was homer-prone in his return from Tommy John surgery last year, but has looked solid through 56 1/3 innings this year — his last before reaching free agency. He carries a 3.67 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 to go with a 47.5% groundball rate. Cobb still isn’t getting swings and misses like he used to, but his velocity is better than ever and he has tamped down on the long balls thus far.

The Inner Monologue of @DimTillard Random Thoughts Vol. 1

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It’s 10:58am on Thursday May 18th, 2017.  I’m Milwaukee Brewers veteran MINOR league sidearm pitcher of over fourteen years, Tim Dillard.  Of course you haven’t heard of me, but that’s beside the point.  I’ve experienced a lot in my middlewhelming career, and have witnessed even more.

11:01am  Sometimes I write for MLB Trade Rumors… that is, when I’m not playing baseball, reciting Star Wars, making minute long Oscar-worthy short films, or continually watching Sherlock on Netflix.  And I have a beard… so yes, I am extremely wise.

11:04am  Though the beard wasn’t always so.  In fact, for my first ten years in professional baseball, I made sure I was clean-shaven.  I would shave before EVERY game as part of my pregame routine.  The reasoning for my “baby face” look was that… just maybe there’d be a scout in the stands, and he might mistake me for a young up-and-coming prospect!  So far I have no confirmation this was affective.  And when I turned thirty I thought… “Well, I fooled ’em as long as I could.”

11:08am  Anyway, I cordially invite you and thank you for going on this random minute-by-minute baseball journey with me! (I misspelled “cordially” four times before googling it)

11:10am  I play for the Triple-A Sky Sox, and we’re currently on a road trip in El Paso, Texas.  There’s a night game tonight, and then we bus to Albuquerque, New Mexico right after.  At the moment, I’m in the hotel just killing time before the maid kicks the door in and asks me to vacate the room. (checkout’s at noon)

11:13am  A few weeks ago I was checking out of a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee and I got an interesting text message.  It read, “When you get a chance give me a call! -Bobby Bo”

11:14am  Bobby Bo?  Now, I don’t know about you… but the only “Bobby Bo” I’ve ever heard of is the famous Major League All-Star Bobby Bonilla!  The same Bobby Bonilla who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the late 80’s and early 90’s!  The same Bobby Bonilla who I watched play at Pirate City every spring training growing up in Bradenton, Florida!  The same Bobby Bonilla that has one of his broken bats literally sitting in my parents’ garage right now!

11:18am  Anyway, yeah… same dude.

11:18am  Well I called him back and he totally answered!  We talked for, I don’t know… let’s say it was, twenty-three minutes and forty-seven seconds or so.  And I told him how I yelled “hey” to him across a crowded Brewers big league camp clubhouse in 2010, but he claimed he didn’t remember.

11:20am  Bobby Bo told me he loves the pointless videos I post on twitter, instagram, and the Infield Chatter app, and encouraged me to continue enjoying the clubhouse and making videos.  Bobby Bonilla!

11:22am  It was a very cool moment for yours truly because that guy is a household name, and a childhood hero of mine!  I have so much nostalgia from those years with him, Barry Bonds, Andy Van Slyke, Doug Drabek, and a before the Braves’ Sid Bream! (come to think of it… not sure where he got my phone number)

11:24am  Speaking of heroes, last week, I realized the true hero of the minor league bullpen.  And it’s a towel!  Yeah you read that right.  “It’s always good to bring a towel!”  I believe that every relief pitcher should bring a towel with them to the bullpen.

11:26am  There are so many uses for a towel:  It can act as a cushion for the buttocks… cause you could be down there awhile.  If the unergonomical flat metal bench is dirty or wet… wipe it down.  If there’s rain in the forecast… it can keep you dry.  If it’s, “Kinda hot in these rhinos.”… use it to wipe off sweat.  Cold?… bundle up. Don’t want to hold your glove?… wrap it up.  Too much red hot or atomic balm… scrub for dear life!

11:29am  Just heard the maid knock across the hall… I’m running out of time.  Realizing I spent too much time bragging to you my “Bobby Bo” story.

11:30am  So yeah, the towel is a bullpen friend.

11:30am  You know, one of the luxuries of being a relief pitcher in baseball is that you’re able to watch the game without pressure.  The pressure of playing every inning, the pressure of coaching, or the pressure of being a fan.  And in this role, I observe many happenings.

11:35am  Like those things you never noticed until someone points out… then you see it all the time.  For example, how Mark Wahlberg plays the exact same character in EVERY movie he’s ever been in, or how ALL minivans have dents. (just wait… you’ll see it)

11:37am  Or like baseball:  How in every game, at least one hitter will hit a foul ball between his legs.  Or like when time-out is called right before a pitch, the umpire will specifically show who asked for the time-out by pointing at the culprit. (still not sure why this matters)

11:39am  But that is what makes baseball so attractive!  There are so many things that happen, and you never know what you could possibly witness during a baseball game!

11:40am  Years ago when I was too old to play Mississippi high school summer ball, I played “semi-pro” baseball. It was an all-black league before my two older brothers and I started playing. (by the way, I’m a super pale white guy)

11:42am  To this day it’s one of the most competitive environments I have ever played in!  For me it was baseball in it’s purest form.  I experienced so many memorable moments out there that I have yet to experience again.

11:43am  We would play on amazing make-shift fields throughout the heartland of Mississippi.  Most had bleachers, and some had outfield fences.  One field had a giant tree in left-center.  And one field had a goat that would stand and balance itself atop a propane tank for the entire game.

11:46am  Every weekend was satisfying baseball!  And after each game, it was a gentlemen’s celebration!  Both teams covered in sweat would shake hands, hug, then sit talking and laughing about the game for hours.  We would eat fish sandwiches while some drank brews.  Stories would be shared, and legends would grow.

11:48am  I remember a shortstop for the Verona Black Sox who would place his cigarette behind second base in-between pitches.  And how the play-by-play announcer with a simple microphone and speaker would address my oldest brother Jeff as the “Godfather”.  I remember facing two brothers who played for Poplar Springs that could flat out hit!  And I had to throw 138 pitches over eleven innings to beat them during the playoffs! (shameless plug)

11:52am  Baseball is amazing in so many ways.  And there is amazing baseball being played all across this country and in many countries around the world.

11:53am  Mathematically, historically, universally, baseball is special.  It has it’s own timeline, and brings people together.  An incredible game that transcends every barrier the world can conjure!

11:55am  There’s the knock… time to checkout.

To Be Concluded…

Red Sox Designate Chase d’Arnaud, Select Hector Velazquez

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The Red Sox have designated infielder Chase d’Arnaud for assignment, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). He’ll make way for righty Hector Velazquez, whose contract was selected.

Boston also moved injured hurler Steven Wright to the 60-day DL. He was already expected to miss the entire season, so that was only a formality. The team now has one open 40-man slot.

Boston hardly utilized d’Arnaud after claiming him late last month from the Braves. He took just a single plate appearance, in fact. The versatile 30-year-old carries a .233/.289/.314 batting line over 448 plate appearances, with those spread over parts of six MLB seasons.

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Velazquez has quite an interesting story. He signed with the Red Sox after a lengthy run in the Mexican League, culminating with a breakout 2016 season. Thus far, he has impressed at Triple-A. Over 29 frames, he owns a 1.55 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 1.6 BB/9 while allowing only 18 base hits.

It’s worth noting that Velazquez is playing on a very unique contract arrangement. As Evan Drellich reported during camp, Velazquez received only a piece of the $30K bonus upon signing. But his deal includes an apparently newfangled provision that allows him to earn salary escalators based upon how many consecutive days he remains on the active roster.

2017-18 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings

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About 24% of the MLB regular season is in the books.  The Astros, Yankees, and Nationals currently reign supreme.  Familiar names Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Chris Sale top the WAR leaderboards.  Though we’re only in mid-May, there’s a subset of players who can’t help but look ahead: those eligible for free agency after the season.  Here, we attempt to rank the projected free agents based on their earning power.  For the full list of 2017-18 MLB free agents, click here.

1.  Yu Darvish.  Nine starts into his season, Darvish is not quite in vintage form.  His 2.76 ERA ranks 11th in the American League, though strikeouts are down and walks are up.  The key stat might be his 58 2/3 innings pitched, good for a second-place tie in the league.  Darvish’s second career 200-inning campaign would quiet concerns after his 22-month Tommy John layoff, possibly leading to the largest contract of the winter.  In the short term, the question is whether Darvish will be traded this summer.  The Rangers have climbed into the Wild Card discussion with an eight-game winning streak, though they’re already eight games behind the Astros for the division lead.

2.  Johnny Cueto.  In the early going of 2017, Cueto has posted his worst ground-ball rate since his 2008 rookie season.  He’s allowing home runs twice as often as last year and also has an abnormally low strand rate, leading to a 4.50 ERA.  I think his numbers will be fine in the end, and he’ll opt out of his remaining four years and $84MM.  The Giants may attempt to extend Cueto prior to that point, or they could wind up trading him this summer.  The slow-starting club already faces an uphill battle to reach the playoffs.

3.  Jake Arrieta.  As Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs put it in the headline of his article this week, “Jake Arrieta Has Not Been Good.”  The surface statistical reasons bear some similarity to Cueto: ground-balls are down, home runs are up, and he’s been stranding fewer runners on the bases.  5.44 ERA notwithstanding, Arrieta is still a quality pitcher in his present form.  He may settle in as a sub-4.00 ERA number three-type starter, which would only be disappointing compared to the dizzying heights of his 2015 Cy Young season.  Darvish, Cueto, and Arrieta should all by vying for five-year deals, and may shuffle spots in these rankings all year long.

4.  Jonathan Lucroy.  Since we last checked in, Lucroy’s bat has come alive with a .328/.380/.469 line in 71 plate appearances.  Talking to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, Lucroy did not attribute his April struggles to his impending free agency, as you’d expect him to say.  On the defensive side, Samuel Hale of WFAA wrote an article contending that Lucroy “used to be an elite framer, but that time has passed.”  Lucroy’s pitch framing numbers will be worth monitoring as we try to assess whether he will receive the largest contract for a catcher in free agent history.

5.  J.D. Martinez.  After suffering a foot injury on March 18th, Martinez made his 2017 Tigers debut last Friday.  He’s clubbed five homers in six games since then, so I’d say his foot is fine.  Martinez, 30 in August, may establish himself as the top free agent bat and move higher in these rankings.

6.  Eric Hosmer.  Don’t count Hosmer out yet.  The Royals’ much-maligned first baseman is hitting .347/.411/.484 in 107 plate appearances since we last checked in.  The 27-year-old has apparently been laying off inside pitches in recent weeks, to much success.  The Royals are in last place in the AL Central and are unlikely to make the playoffs, which could prompt a summer sell-off of impending free agents like Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Jason Vargas, and Alcides Escobar.

7.  Justin Upton.  Upton has posted a fine season so far, with a .248/.368/.504 line in 144 plate appearances.  Interestingly, he’s drawn a walk in 15.3% of plate appearances, though he’s never reached 12% in a full season and bottomed out at 8% last year.  Upton’s newfound selectivity and move toward becoming a Three True Outcomes hitter has been a net positive.  If he posts another 30 home run season but draws 90 walks instead of 50-60, Upton may be compelled to opt out of the remaining four years and $88MM on his Tigers contract.

8.  Masahiro Tanaka.  Tanaka has always been on shakier ground than the Big Three of this free agent class, given his health history, lower strikeout rate, and home run tendencies.  More than a fifth of the flyballs Tanaka has allowed this year have left the yard.  Those 10 home runs allowed in 45 innings have helped his ERA balloon to 5.80.  His last outing was particularly ugly, with four long balls leading to a second-inning exit on Derek Jeter Day.  There’s talk of a mechanical issue, and maybe this is nothing more than a blip on the radar.  With a rough year, Tanaka could have a tricky decision on his opt-out clause, since he has three years and $67MM remaining on his Yankees contract.

9.  Michael Pineda.  Tanaka’s rotation-mate has a home run problem as well, with a full quarter of Pineda’s fly-balls going for home runs.  Nonetheless, he’s posted a ridiculous strikeout-to-walk ratio accompanied by a solid 3.42 ERA through eight starts.  Despite the 10 home runs allowed, Pineda has been able to avoid disaster starts.  Has the 28-year-old actually “figured it out” and harnessed his considerable stuff?  Jake Devin of Pinstripe Alley asked that question earlier this week, and found the results to be inconclusive.

10.  Wade Davis.  Davis has been utterly dominant to start off his Cubs career, with 17 1/3 scoreless innings and 22 strikeouts against five walks.  Davis’ streak actually goes back another seven innings, into last September with the Royals.  He’s no stranger to this kind of dominance, having been unscored upon for 31 2/3 innings in 2014 (tied for the 17th-best scoreless streak for a reliever in MLB history).  If Davis continues to distance himself from last year’s flexor strain, he could surpass Mark Melancon’s four-year, $62MM contract from last winter.

While Davis moves into the No. 10 spot on the list, his former teammate, Greg Holland, is close behind. Holland has been dominant and needs to finish just 30 games to trigger a $15MM player option.  He entered the day with 18 under his belt already.  Perhaps Holland’s lengthy Tommy John layoff will make teams reluctant to give him four years, but he’s a few months younger than Davis and is quickly reestablishing himself. Reds shortstop Zack Cozart leads all impending free agents with two wins above replacement already, and he very nearly snagged the final spot on the list.  The 31-year-old has a shot at a four-year deal if his stellar play continues.  Athletics first baseman Yonder Alonso has also put himself on the radar by changing his approach and crushing 12 home runs in 137 plate appearances.  The Rays’ Logan Morrison, also part of the 2017-18 free agent class, is right behind him with 11 bombs.

With an OBP of .291, Mike Moustakas has fallen outside the top 10 for now.  He joins honorable mentions such as Lorenzo Cain, Chris Tillman, Lance Lynn, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Santana, Marco Estrada, and Alex Cobb.  Though the 34-year-old Jason Vargas is unlikely to obtain top 10 earning power, he warrants mention for his 2.03 ERA, which entered the day ranked third in the American League.

One last name you might be wondering about is Shohei Otani, the 22-year-old Nippon Ham Fighters two-way ace.  He’ll have a late start to his season due to a thigh injury.  While Otani aims to move from Nippon Professional Baseball to the Majors for the 2018 season, and that would be a huge story on MLBTR, he’s seemingly capped at about $10MM in earning power due to a change in the new CBA.

Braves To Sign James Loney

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5:12pm: It’s a minors pact, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets.

3:46pm: The Braves have agreed to a deal with veteran free agent James Loney, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports on Twitter. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney had just reported via Twitter that a deal was close. It’s unclear at this time whether it’s a MLB deal, though that certainly seems plausible in this case.

It is hardly surprising to hear of this match. Atlanta was in sudden need of a first baseman after losing Freddie Freeman for an extended stretch. And Loney had only recently been cut loose by the Tigers organization, where he had been playing at Triple-A.

Atlanta did also just promote corner infielder Rio Ruiz, though it seems he’ll likely remain at his natural third base for the most part. Understandably, the Braves did not have a natural replacement for Freeman, a fully established hitter who had stepped up to new heights thus far in 2017. Of course, the club had inked elder statesman Ryan Howard earlier this year, but he was released after a brief and unsuccessful run at Gwinnett.

It goes without saying that Loney won’t match Freeman as a middle-of-the-order threat. Even at his best, Loney delivered value by getting on base at a solid clip and playing good defense, not by delivering significant power. The 33-year-old has bounced around in recent years, most recently slashing .265/.307/.397 over 366 plate appearances last season for the Mets — who added him under similar circumstances to those now impacting their division rivals. While he has been a regular player at times in his career, Loney was hitting just .200/.351/.222 in his 57 trips to the plate at Triple-A thus far in 2017.

Blue Jays Suspend Kevin Pillar For 2 Games

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The Blue Jays have issued a two-game suspension to center fielder Kevin Pillar, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports (links to Twitter). The 28-year-old has acknowledged and apologized for his use of a homophobic slur during an argument in last night’s game.

Toronto handed down the decision after consulting with the league and player’s association, per GM Ross Atkins. The salary that Pillar will forego will be donated in some manner. Outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. will take Pillar’s roster spot for the time being, the club announced.

The Jays had already released a statement condemning Pillar’s comments, explaining that they were not “a reflection of the type of inclusive organization we strive to be.” But the team did also say that it views Pillar as “a respectful, high-character individual” who would hopefully “learn from this situation and continue to positively contribute and live up to our values on and off the field.”

While it’s obviously unfortunate that Pillar uttered the derogatory remark, he did take full responsibility in his own statement. By using the “inappropriate language,” he said, he “helped extend the use of a word that has no place in baseball, in sports or anywhere in society today.” For that, Pillar said, he is “completely and utterly embarrassed.” The outfielder offered his apologies to Braves reliever Jason Motte (the target of the slur) as well as to “the Braves organization and their fans, and most importantly, to the LGBTQ community” for what he called “the lack of respect I displayed last night.”

Rays Acquire Michael Martinez, Place Brad Miller On Disabled List

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The Rays have acquired infielder/outfielder Michael Martinez from the Indians in exchange for cash or a player to be named later and placed fellow infielder Brad Miller on the 10-day disabled list due to a left abdominal strain. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Martinez, Tampa Bay transferred Xavier Cedeno to the 60-day disabled list.

Martinez, 34, was designated for assignment by the Indians recently after collecting four hits and a pair of walks in 15 plate appearances this season. The versatile veteran can play all over the infield and outfield, though he batted just .238/.267/.307 last season and is a lifetime .200/.246/.270 hitter in the Majors (592 plate appearances). Miller has been the team’s primary second baseman this season, but Martinez can now step in and share time at that position with rookie Daniel Robertson.

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