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Phillies Extend Pete Mackanin

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The Phillies have announced an extension of the contract of skipper Pete Mackanin. He’ll receive a two-year deal that covers this year and next, with the club holding an option over one additional season.

Pete Mackanin

Mackanin had agreed to a similarly structured deal in the spring of 2016, which left the Phils committed for two seasons with an option for 2018. Now, the sides have effectively pushed that arrangement out another year, with the option season arising in 2019.

The 65-year-old Mackanin took the helm in Philadelphia as an interim replacement for Ryne Sandberg back in 2015. His performance with a club in transition earned him a longer stint, and he’s now entering his second full season running the dugout.

There hasn’t been much in the way of on-field success since Mackanin was named manager; the club carries a rough 121-161 record. But immediate results are far from the top priority for the rebuilding Phils, who are hoping rather to develop a core of young players who’ll help drive an organizational resurgence in the seasons to come. As ever, there have been some ups and downs in that pursuit, but it seems the organization’s brass remains favorably disposed toward Mackanin’s handling of the clubhouse.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AL East Notes: HanRam, Sandoval/Holt, Ramos, De Leon

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Red Sox slugger Hanley Ramirez departed tonight’s contest with what the team is calling a “right trap muscle spasm,” Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald tweets. There’s no real reason to expect it’s a significant problem, though Boston will surely wish to make sure that Ramirez doesn’t rush back and end up shelved.

Here are a few more notes from the AL East:

  • While the Red Sox have been walking a fine line at third base, the team may soon have a fuller set of options, as Mastrodonato also recently reported. Pablo Sandoval is nearing a minor-league assignment now that his knee is improving. And Brock Holt is moving even faster with his symptoms of vertigo finally clearing. It’s still not exactly clear how the playing time will sort out once those two are back, but presumably they’ll join Josh Rutledge in some kind of platoon situation at the hot corner, with both Rutledge and (especially) Holt also representing options elsewhere around the diamond.
  • Rays catcher Wilson Ramos is making strides in his rehab from ACL surgery, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay  Times reports. Ramos says he is “very excited” about how his surgically repaired knee is progressing, with hopes that he can begin a rehab stint before the end of May. Ramos is not only running and hitting but will soon be allowed to ramp up his work with the mask on. Tampa Bay will no doubt look forward to seeing whether Ramos can follow up on his big 2016 season, as current regular Derek Norris has struggled to a .202/.263/.303 batting line to open the year.
  • The Rays will soon get a look at another important offseason acquisition, too. As Topkin tweets, righty Jose De Leon is preparing for his first start of the year at the High-A level. He’ll presumably move up to Triple-A as his rehab from flexor mass issues continues to progress. While De Leon did reach the majors last year, the timing of his return to the bigs is currently unclear. In addition to completing his development and ensuring his health, the Rays will also be looking for the best way to boost De Leon’s workload. He still has yet to throw more than 114 1/3 innings in a given season.

Orioles Sign Adam Walker

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The Orioles have signed first baseman/outfielder Adam Walker to a minor-league deal, according to Rock Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). Walker was evidently cut loose by the Braves, who had claimed him off waivers from the O’s over the winter.

Walker, 25, took a ride around the league on the waiver wire before settling in Atlanta, where he ended up being outrighted. But the Braves didnt see much out of the high-power, high-K slugger. Through 99 plate appearances, split between Triple-A and Double-A, he managed just 11 base hits and eight walks while going down 39 times by way of strikeout.

Though there’s no questioning Walker’s power — he has handily topped twenty home runs in each of his full minor-league seasons — it’s highly questionable whether he’ll ever make enough contact and draw enough walks to make it to the majors. With a lifetime .305 on-base percentage in the minors, and little in the way of value on the bases or in the field, he’ll have to make strides to earn his way onto the O’s roster. That said, the Baltimore organization has perhaps relied more on such players than any team in baseball in recent years, so it seems a rather ideal fit for Walker.

David Price Scheduled For First Rehab Start

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The Red Sox finally seem to have a clear path for the return of star lefty David Price, who has been working back from an elbow ailment. He’ll make his first rehab start on Sunday at Triple-A, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (Twitter links).

It seems the Sox feel that Price has already done much of the preliminary build-up, as he’s scheduled to throw about five innings or 70 to 75 pitches. Assuming things go well, he’ll then look to move up from there in a second outing.

While Red Sox skipper John Farrell made clear that Price will need to make at least two rehab starts, he did suggest it’s possible he won’t need a third. If Price can push up to around 90 pitches in his second outing, he could then be activated for MLB duties, in which case he might be back in Boston before the month is over.

The first stretch of the season hasn’t been perfect for the Red Sox, but they have managed to remain in a decent position despite missing a pitcher who was expected to deliver big value from the front of the rotation. The timing is helpful, too, as Steven Wright was just lost for the rest of the year due to knee surgery.

All things considered, the club has to feel relatively fortunate in Price’s trajectory, given the somewhat worrying signals that were given when his elbow issues first came up. So long as he can return and maintain his health from here on out, at least, this absence will be looked back upon mostly as a blip.

When he does get back on the big league hill, Price will be looking to improve upon a tepid first season with the Sox. After inking a record-setting seven-year, $217MM contract in free agency, Price compiled a 3.99 ERA over 230 innings — his worst single-season earned run average since way back in 2009.

Andrew Toles Diagnosed With Torn ACL

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Dodgers outfielder Andrew Toles has been diagnosed with a torn right ACL, the club announced and Ken Gurnick of MLB.com was among those to tweet. He’ll require surgery to repair the ligament that seems likely to keep him out for the remainder of the season.

For the time being, at least, Brett Eibner will take his place on the active roster, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group (Twitter link). Also coming up is Scott Van Slyke, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links), with reliever Adam Liberatore also hitting the DL with a groin strain. The two new additions to the roster, however, both hit from the right side.

The left-handed-hitting Toles, 24, hurt himself chasing down a flyball in the left field corner in an attempt to preserve an ongoing no-hitter. But he couldn’t make the catch and had to be helped off the field after going down awkwardly.

Today’s news represents the worst-case scenario. While Toles should have every hope of returning to full health after his ACL is repaired, the recovery time required makes it all but certain he won’t return in the present season.

Toles had engineered a meteoric rise to the majors last year, finally (and suddenly) making good on his promise. He had previously been a third-round pick of the Rays who washed out of baseball and ended up sitting out the 2015 season. But he hit at every level in 2016, including the majors, where he slashed .314/.365/.505 in 115 plate appearances.

That late-season showing made Toles a clear part of the Dodgers’ plans for the current campaign. If anything, though, his importance has increased: Toles is one of six Dodgers players who has accumulated more than 100 plate appearances thus far. Though he’s not quite hitting at last year’s pace, Toles is sitting at a productive .271/.314/.458.

Of course, that offensive work has come almost exclusively against right-handed pitching, as the Dodgers prefer to use him in a fairly strict platoon role. But he was a highly useful piece, and one that will be missed. While Los Angeles is fortunate in that top prospect Cody Bellinger has opened his career with a bang, and is capable of playing a corner, he had been slated to spend most of his time at first base with the struggling Adrian Gonzalez resting his ailing forearm. Instead, Bellinger will occupy left field for the time being, skipper Dave Roberts told reporters including Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). He added that the organization will look to accelerate Gonzalez’s rehab timeline in the wake of the injury.

Looking ahead a bit, Andre Ethier could ultimately take over as the primary left-handed-hitting platoon corner outfielder, though he’s still a ways away from returning and features quite a different skillset than Toles. Ultimately, there are still plenty of scenarios for the Dodgers to have quite a productive outfield unit. So long as Gonzalez can return to take the lion’s share of time at first, the team can allow Bellinger and Yasiel Puig a chance to hold down near-everyday jobs in the corners, with platoon pieces such as Ethier and Franklin Gutierrez on hand to pick up any slack.

Padres’ Chairman Ron Fowler On Weaver, Preller, Szczur

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Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler made an appearance on Mighty 1090 AM radio yesterday and spoke with host Dan Sileo about a number of topics, including Jered Weaver’s struggles, last year’s investigation into the team’s medical processes, the trade for outfielder Matt Szczur, and the strong performances of Wil Myers and Yangervis Solarte (audio link to the interview). You’ll want to give it a full listen, but here are some of the highlights.

Most notably, Fowler was unusually candid about his disappointment in Weaver’s struggles and suggested that the veteran right-hander wouldn’t be given much longer to turn things around.

“We’ve had several performances from Jered that have been not very good, and Jered owns them,” said Fowler. “… I think it’s a short leash, and we’ve got to make some decisions. … We’re hoping there’s something left, but the last several performances don’t give us much cause to be positive.”

Fowler offered praise for Weaver’s accountability on multiple occasions, and the right-hander indeed has been frank with the media about his poor performance. But that doesn’t seem likely to change the analysis from the team’s perspective, with Fowler saying he expects “decisions ill get made in the not-too-distant future.”

As for the thought process that went into signing the light-tossing veteran, Fowler forthrightly acknowledged it was a roll of the dice that has not really panned out.

“We did take a chance on him,” he said. “We were hoping we’d get some more, that there was more left in the tank, and at this point in time, it doesn’t appear that we were right. We’re not going to let it continue for a long period of time. We like the way he’s owning it at least and not trying to walk from it.”

Those surprisingly frank words likely won’t offer much comfort to Weaver, who has indeed been hit hard thus far. Through seven outings, he carries a 6.81 ERA and has been touched for 14 long balls.

San Diego is obviously looking to find value where it can, and that has continued into the season. The team’s recent acquisition of Szczur out of DFA limbo, though, was also driven by need.

“He’s an outfielder that we think is very strong from a defense standpoint,” said Fowler. “He hasn’t performed offensively as well as the Cubs would’ve liked, but he’s a high character guy. … Right now we’re down two guys in the outfield, and we need to probably give [Hunter] Renfroe some time off. [Manuel] Margot is playing literally every game. We just need someone out there.”

That said, it seems that Szczur has been on the club’s radar for some time. Fowler says that the Pads tried to pry him loose from the Cubs in the spring but were rebuffed.

Also of note were Fowler’s comments on the fallout of the suspension of GM A.J. Preller for mismanaging the sharing of medical information at last year’s trade deadline. He acknowledged that there is some ongoing impact, though he suggested it likely won’t prove a significant barrier.

 

“I’m not saying there’s nothing lingering,” Fowler explained. “I think there’s some teams out there that might still have some issues. But it comes down to, if we have players they want, I think they’re going to deal with us.” He also made clear (as the organization has stated many times before) that the problems with the team’s medical information systems have been corrected. “We own it, but I don’t think there’s any lingering problems in how we’re managing those areas.”

Twins Claim Adam Wilk From Mets

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The Twins announced that they’ve claimed left-hander Adam Wilk off waivers from the Mets. Wilk will join the Twins tomorrow, per the team’s press release, at which point Minnesota will announce a corresponding roster move. Minnesota does have an open 40-man spot that Wilk will fill, so only a 25-man roster move needs to be made tomorrow.

The 29-year-old Wilk made his first appearance in the Majors since 2015 and just his second since 2012 over the weekend when he made a spot start for the Mets. Wilk’s outing came under sub-optimal circumstances, to say the last, as Fred Kerber of the New York Post detailed. The lefty flew from Las Vegas to Albuquerque (with a stop in Denver) last Saturday, only to learn he was needed in the Majors, at which point he flew to Los Angeles and took a midnight flight to New York to start against the Marlins at 1pm. The results weren’t pretty, as Wilk was roughed up for five earned runs on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 3 2/3 frames.

In total, Wilk has just 30 Major League innings under his belt, but he could potentially get a start for Minnesota on Saturday, per MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (Twitter link). His big league efforts have resulted in an unsightly 7.20 ERA, but Wilk has a more palatable 4.15 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 in parts of six Triple-A seasons (663 innings). He’s also had some success in the hitter-friendly Korea Baseball Organization, having pitched to a 4.12 ERA with 70 strikeouts against 27 walks in 91 2/3 innings for the NC Dinos back in 2013.

Royals Designate Christian Colon, Peter O’Brien For Assignment

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The Royals announced on Wednesday that they’ve selected the contracts of right-handers Seth Maness (as Derrick Goold first reported earlier this morning) and Al Alburquerque from Triple-A Omaha. In order to clear spots on the 40-man roster, Kansas City designated infielder Christian Colon and minor league outfielder Peter O’Brien for assignment. Additionally, righty Jake Junis was optioned to Omaha.

Kansas City was obviously looking to get some fresh arms into the bullpen, and they’ve chosen two veterans who are looking to get their careers back on track. Maness has been a steady contributor but was non-tendered after undergoing a primary repair procedure (a Tommy John alternative) last year. Alburquerque has plenty of MLB experience, too, though he only received two major league frames last year.

Colon, 27, was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft but never lived up to that billing. He looked to have potentially carved out a spot on the Royals’ roster back in 2015 when he slashed .290/.356/.336 through 119 plate appearances as a rookie, but he followed that performance up with a lackluster .231/.294/.293 in a larger sample of 154 PAs last year. Thus far in 2017, Colon had played sparingly, logging 19 PAs and hitting and going 3-for-17 at the plate.

The 26-year-old O’Brien drew plenty of attention in Spring Training after clubbing seven homers and posting a 1.112 OPS, but the slugger’s production wilted in Omaha, where he got off to an unsightly .162/.235/.276 start through 115 plate appearances. The former catcher has long intrigued fans and MLB clubs with his considerable power, but strikeouts and a lack of defensive contributions have limited O’Brien’s opportunities. He did receive 79 MLB plate appearances with the D-backs in 2015-16, though he turned in a .176/.228/.446 batting line and punched out 32 times.

Marlins Place Adeiny Hechavarria On DL, Designate Joe Gunkel For Assignment

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The Marlins announced that they’ve placed shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria on the 10-day disabled list due to a left oblique strain. In his place, they’ve selected the contract of Stephen Lombardozzi from Triple-A New Orleans. Right-hander Joe Gunkel has been designated for assignment in order to clear a roster spot for Lombardozzi.

It’s been a rough week for the Marlins’ infield, as they’ve now lost both of the starters on the left side of the infield and their primary utility option to the DL. A hamstring strain sent Martin Prado to the 10-day DL on Monday, while a fractured thumb will cost Miguel Rojas several months of the season.

With Hechavarria, Prado and Rojas all sidelined, it seems that the Marlins will utilize Derek Dietrich at third base, J.T. Riddle at shortstop and Lombardozzi in a utility role. Though Hechavarria doesn’t offer much with the bat, his stellar glovework at shortstop will be missed during his absence. Miami hasn’t provided any type of timeline for Hechavarria to return to action, but oblique injuries can often keep players out of action for a month or more.

[Related: Updated Miami Marlins Depth Chart]

For Lombardozzi, this will mark his first big league action since a brief 12-game stretch with the 2015 Pirates. The former Nationals farmhand was once regarded as one of the better prospects in Washington’s minor league ranks, though he’s never cemented himself as a regular bench option in the Majors. A second-generation big leaguer — his father, also named Steve, spent parts of six seasons in the Majors — Lombardozzi is a career .263/.294/.336 hitter in 840 plate appearances. He can play second base, third base, shortstop and in the outfield corners.

Gunkel has bounced around the league quite a bit in the past month or so, going from the Orioles to the Dodgers to the Marlins in a series of minor transactions. Miami will hope that he’s able to clear waivers, but given that Gunkel is an upper-level starter with minor league options remaining, he could certainly be appealing to a team in need of rotation depth.

The 25-year-old Gunkel has not yet made his Major League debut but has a solid minor league track record. He’s posted a 2.99 ERA in 150 1/3 career innings at the Double-A level and a 4.07 ERA in the exact same number of Triple-A innings. While he doesn’t miss many bats (6.0 K/9 in Triple-A), Gunkel has excellent control (1.1 BB/9) and keeps the ball on the ground at a roughly 40 percent clip.

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