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Tom Glavine Part Of Group Working To Purchase Marlins

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Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine may be part of the Marlins’ next ownership team. The former Brave and Met is a member of a faction that has put in a bid to purchase the franchise from owner Jeffrey Loria, reports Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg. Solamere Capital co-founder Tagg Romney, son of 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, is at the helm of the group. Notably, Mitt Romney is not involved in this venture.

The exact price of the Romney group’s bid isn’t known, though Soshnick relays that offers for the Marlins currently range between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion – an enormous increase over the $158MM Loria paid in 2002. Fifteen years later, Loria “wants to get out of it,” Glavine told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Glavine added that he feels “very good” about the Romney offer, though the 51-year-old declined to disclose whether he’s committed to putting forth any money (Glavine made just under $130MM as a player, per Baseball Reference). Glavine’s also unsure of how long a potential sale might take to go through, but he did reveal that his main purpose has been to woo investors to the Romney side.

The 305-game winner went into further detail in his discussion with Cafardo, saying: “It’s been a lengthy process. I was contacted a couple of years ago by some people to ask whether I’d have an interest in doing something along these lines, and I certainly did. This Marlins situation came about last summer. After casual conversations and kicking tires it became apparent we could put people together and raise money.”

If the Romney-led team does succeed in buying the Marlins, it’s unclear which role Glavine would take with the franchise, but he would “certainly want” some sort of position.

“I’m not going to say I’m the GM, but I know the game pretty well,” said Glavine. “I understand it. There’s a lot on the business side that I don’t understand, so I’m open-minded about what the best role for me would be and what I like to do the most.”

Glavine informed Cafardo that he believes at least three groups have made efforts to secure the Marlins. Quogue Capital founder Wayne P. Rothbaum is at the helm of one, per reports from both Soshnick and Douglas P. Hanks of the Miami Herald. However, Soshnick’s information differs from Hanks’ with respect to a couple of other prospective buyers, ex-Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Those two have teamed up to buy the Marlins, according to Hanks, but Soshnick notes that’s not yet the case. Instead, as of now, Jeter and Bush have only discussed working together, per Soshnick.

NL Central Notes: Freese, Garrett, Hendricks

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Pirates corner infielder David Freese has battled depression throughout his life, often making his reputation as a Cardinals World Series hero (and St. Louis-area native) feel like a burden, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes. Freese’s depression and difficulty defining himself in the wake of his 2011 World Series heroics led to a downward spiral. (Freese also had a previous history of alcoholism and alcohol-related arrests.) “You could tell something was not right,” says Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said. “I don’t know the bloody details what was going on, but I knew the path he was on was going to make life difficult for him to manage.” The Cardinals noticed the problem and provided counseling, but ultimately decided that it was best for both Freese and the team if he had a change of scenery. They then traded him to the Angels, where he wouldn’t have to deal quite so much with the social demands of his popularity in St. Louis. Freese also met the woman who became his wife. Now in Pittsburgh, he feels he’s turned his life around. “I used to be so afraid what would happen to me after baseball,” he says. Now, though, “I can’t wait to get out of bed in the morning. You wake up, and you’re ready to face the world.” Here’s more from the NL Central.

  • Lefty Amir Garrett, who’s off to a fast start as a big-league rookie this year, has been in the Reds system since they drafted him out of high school in 2011, but in an unusual arrangement, the team allowed him to play college basketball at St. John’s in his offseasons, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. Garrett averaged 6.2 points per game as a guard at St. John’s for two years while navigating the lower levels of the Reds’ farm system. “That experience, I’d never change it,” he says. “If I could do it all over again, I’d do the same thing. The education I got, becoming a better student, a better person. College taught me how to grow up and be a man.”
  • Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks’ fastball velocity so far this season has been in the 86 MPH range, about two MPH slower than usual, and he’s struggled so far, with 11 runs and four home runs allowed over 16 innings. The Cubs aren’t yet concerned about him, however, as Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune writes. They feel that when his velocity returns, he’ll have enough separation to make his usually devastating changeup effective again. “When he gets back to 87-88 (mph) then you’re going to see that greater separation,” says manager Joe Maddon. “There’s not a dramatic separation between the two pitches, and that’s where the disconnect for him is now.”

Rangers Return Rule 5 Pick Mike Hauschild To Astros

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The Rangers have returned Rule 5 pick Mike Hauschild to the Astros, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan tweets. That means Hauschild cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week, and the Astros paid the Rangers $50K to have him back in their system. He has been assigned to Triple-A Fresno.

The Rangers attempted to keep Hauschild on their roster this season as a long reliever, but he allowed ten runs and a remarkable five home runs over eight innings of work (although he did have seven strikeouts against only two walks, and he averaged a solid 92 MPH on his fastball). The Rangers ultimately opted to go with veteran Anthony Bass in that role instead.

The 27-year-old Hauschild had previously established himself as a worthwhile starting depth option in the Astros’ system, posting a 3.22 ERA, 7.7 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 with a 53.9% ground-ball rate in 139 2/3 innings with Fresno last season. He was the 16th pick in the Rule 5 Draft last December.

Phillies Acquire Ty Kelly From Blue Jays

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The Phillies have announced that they’ve acquired IF/OF Ty Kelly from the Blue Jays for cash considerations. To clear space on their 40-man roster, they’ve placed Clay Buchholz (who will miss the next four to six months after having flexor tendon surgery) on the 60-day DL.

The Jays designated Kelly for assignment yesterday when they added Mat Latos to their roster. Kelly had only been in the Blue Jays organization for two weeks, with the Jays claiming him from the Mets earlier this month.

Kelly is 28 and has just 72 big-league plate appearances to his name, but it’s not hard to see why he continues to draw interest on the waiver wire — he has nearly as many minor-league walks as strikeouts and a career .381 minor-league OBP, and he played every position but pitcher and catcher for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate last year. (He spends most of his time at second and third and in left, however.) The Phillies’ immediate plans for him aren’t yet clear, though it’s worth noting that left fielder Howie Kendrick’s recent abdominal strain might have been a factor in their pursuit of Kelly.

Latest On Luis Robert

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Here’s the latest on top Cuban outfield prospect Luis Robert, who became eligible for free agency this week and can sign with an MLB club beginning May 20:

  • The Braves have interest in Robert, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “Through the hard work of our international department, led by Gordon Blakely, we are in every game,” says GM John Coppolella. “We like Robert, and so do many other teams, so we will see where it goes.” O’Brien notes, though, that the Braves are “unlikely to get in a major bidding war” for Robert. The Braves were among the heaviest spenders in international free agency last season (nabbing top prospect Kevin Maitan and others), but can still make Robert whatever offer they like before mid-June, albeit with penalties for exceeding their bonus pool.
  • The White Sox, Padres, Cardinals, Reds and Astros are among the favorites to sign Robert, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez writes, echoing previous reports. Sanchez also lists the Athletics as a possibility, noting that the A’s have spent heavily on international talent (including Cuban outfielder Lazaro Armenteros) since July and have “strong interest” in Robert. Sanchez further notes that the A’s took the rest of MLB by surprise by signing another Cuban outfield phenom, Yoenis Cespedes, in 2012. Sanchez also tweets that A’s GM David Forst and other team officials are in the Dominican to scout Robert.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak confirms his team is interested, according to Derrick Goold and Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I know the math,” Mozeliak says. “I think we’ll be in the game.” The Cardinals think he is a “rare talent” who would be worthy of a top draft choice if he were eligible for the draft, Goold writes. Like other teams likely to be involved in the bidding, the Cardinals have already spent heavily on international free agents this signing period,  giving seven-figure bonuses to outfielders Jonatan Machado, Randy Arozarena and Victor Garcia as well as pitcher Johan Oviedo.
  • The Padres have also confirmed their interest, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “We have seen him multiple times and will continue to scout him aggressively until he signs,” says Padres international scouting director Chris Kemp. Including penalties, the Padres since July 2 have already spent an amazing total of nearly $80MM on a large collection of international amateur talent headlined by Cuban lefty Adrian Morejon. Lin notes that sources tell him the Padres might not have much more to spend on amateur talent after such an incredible expenditure (although it should also be noted that the team’s international spending has been balanced by a remarkably cheap big-league payroll). The Padres might see Robert as a special opportunity to add top talent, however, particularly given that their ability to spend will be restricted once the current spending period ends.
  • At his Twitter page, Baseball America’s Ben Badler has videos explaining which teams look most likely to sign Robert and which teams don’t seem likely. One obstacle for some teams, Badler notes, is that they already have unofficial deals in place with players who are not technically eligible to sign until the start of the next signing period on July 2. Signing Robert before that would cause those teams to incur penalties, thus jeopardizing existing agreements. Such deals are not binding, but backing away from them would be seen as negotiating in bad faith.

Tigers Place Miguel Cabrera On 10-Day DL

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The Tigers have announced that they’ve placed first baseman Miguel Cabrera on the 10-day DL with a right groin strain. To take his place on the active roster, they’ve recalled catcher John Hicks from Triple-A Toledo, perhaps with the idea that he could back up James McCann behind the plate while Alex Avila takes over for Cabrera at first.

Cabrera left yesterday’s game as a result of the groin strain and, as MLB.com’s Jason Beck and other reporters have noted on Twitter, had an MRI today. It’s not yet clear how long he’ll need to be out. Obviously, an extended absence would be a significant blow to the Tigers. Cabrera made his seventh straight All-Star game in 2016 while batting .316/.393/.563 and swatting 38 home runs. The former Triple Crown winner and two-time MVP currently has 449 career homers, second only to Albert Pujols among active players. Cabrera’s present stint on the DL is his first since July 2015, when he missed about six weeks due to a calf strain.

West Notes: Bumgarner, Jefferies, Athletics, Mariners

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Madison Bumgarner’s injury could mark the end of an era for the Giants, Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News writes. The short-term implications of the injury are clear — Bumgarner’s dirt bike crash will make it that much harder for the Giants to climb out of the 6-11 hole they’ve already dug. But Kawakami doesn’t suggest the injury even extinguishes the Giants’ playoff hopes. Rather, he thinks the rather silly cause of the injury upends Bumgarner’s nearly mythical status — Kawakami compares the old Bumgarner, the one who helped the Giants to three World Series wins and carried the team on his back  in 2014, to Paul Bunyan. It also suggests that the Giants as a team no longer warrant the presumption that they’ll win just because they’ve done so in the past. Here’s more from the West divisions.

  • Athletics prospect Daulton Jefferies will undergo Tommy John surgery, Scout.com’s Melissa Lockard writes. Jeffries was the 37th overall pick in last year’s draft out of UC-Berkeley despite missing part of the 2016 season due to a shoulder injury. The righty made five brief starts in rookie ball last year and had made two appearances with Class A+ Stockton this season. MLB.com currently rates him at the Athletics’ No. 8 prospect, praising his athleticism and delivery and noting he could eventually become a No. 4-type starter in the big leagues.
  • Yesterday, the Athletics promoted 1B/OF Matt Olson and optioned righty Cesar Valdez to the minors, MLB.com’s Jane Lee tweeted. Olson gives the A’s an extra bench option, with Valdez heading to the minors after a spot start Thursday (a start that was, remarkably, his first big-league action since he was with Arizona in 2010). Once one of the Athletics’ top prospects, Olson’s stock has fallen somewhat as he’s risen through the system, but he still has an impressive 105 career minor-league home runs, and his abilities to play first and right field, and perhaps third base in a pinch, could help the A’s.
  • Before last night’s game, the Mariners announced that they recalled righty Chase De Jong from Triple-A Tacoma and optioned righty Dan Altavilla to Tacoma. Altavilla had allowed three runs the previous night against the A’s, and De Jong had fared well in two Triple-A starts. The Mariners acquired De Jong from the Dodgers near the beginning of Spring Training, and he figured to contribute to their starting depth after pitching 147 innings with a 2.82 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in a strong 2016 season in the high minors of the Dodgers’ system.

5 Key Stories: 4/15/17 – 4/21/17

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Here are the key stories from this week of coverage here at MLBTR.

Madison BumgarnerMadison Bumgarner out six weeks or more after dirt bike accident. Madison Bumgarner recently injured his ribs and shoulder while riding a dirt bike, further dampening the hopes of the Giants, who were already off to a 6-11 start. It’s unclear when Bumgarner will be able to return, but estimates range from six weeks to more than two months.

Starling Marte receives 80-game suspension for positive PED test. Another struggling NL team received bad news this week as the league suspended star Pirates outfielder Starling Marte for 80 games for a positive test for an anabolic steroid. The Bucs have shifted Andrew McCutchen back to center field after previously bumping him to right in favor of Marte.

Injuries, injuries everywhere. Bumgarner’s injury was hardly the only consequential one this week. The lengthy list of players who made injury news this week includes Clay Buchholz (who could miss most or all of the remainder of the season after having flexor tendon surgery), Logan Forsythe (fractured toe), Rich Hill (blister), Aaron Sanchez (blister), J.A. Happ (elbow inflammation), Zach Britton (forearm strain), Marcus Semien (fractured wrist), Brandon Finnegan (trapezius strain), Jarrett Parker (broken clavicle), Melvin Upton Jr. (who will miss at least about two months after having surgery on a torn thumb ligament), and Josh Hamilton (who was released by the Rangers and will undergo knee surgery).

Kris Bryant, Francisco Lindor not nearing extensions. This week, it emerged (via a report from Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci) that the Cubs had tried to sign Kris Bryant to a long-term deal last winter but made no progress. It appears Bryant and another young star from last year’s World Series are in the same boat — Francisco Lindor reportedly turned down an extension offer of around $100MM from the Indians last winter, and there are no active extension talks between the two sides at this time.

Angel Pagan to sit out 2017. Longtime Met and Giant Angel Pagan remains a free agent after a reasonably productive 2016 season and has been the object of speculation for fans of a number of teams with questionable outfield depth. Pagan has reportedly turned down Major League offers, however, and says he plans to spend the 2017 season at home with his family. The 35-year-old is not ruling out a return at some point in the future, however.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AL Central Notes: Twins, Bonifacio, Mondesi, Hosmer, Kipnis

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Twins vice president and assistant general manager Rob Antony appeared on Darren Wolfson’s 1500 ESPN Podcast earlier this week (audio link, with Antony talking Twins aroung the 35:00 mark) and covered a number of topics. Antony talks about the current lack of bench options and an unfortunate early injury to Byung Ho Park, Phil Hughes’ early lack of velocity, Jose Berrios’ timeline back to the Majors and the possibility of once again demoting the struggling Byron Buxton.

Antony adds that “there was never any thought” of eating some of the money on Ervin Santana’s contract to facilitate a trade. “I think he’s on a really good contract, and he’s pitched that way,” says Antony. “You look up his numbers since the midway point of last season or almost the course of almost the last entire year, he’s been one of the best pitchers in the league, and he does it day-in and day-out.” Indeed, Santana has a 2.99 ERA over the past calendar year and a ridiculous 2.06 ERA in his past 22 starts dating back to June 19 of last year.

Here’s more from the AL Central…

  • The Royals announced on Friday that they’ve optioned Raul Mondesi and Paulo Orlando to Triple-A Omaha and recalled left-hander Matt Strahm and outfield prospect Jorge Bonifacio from Omaha. Bonifacio, the younger brother of veteran big leaguer Emilio Bonifacio, rates as the organization’s No. 12 prospect at MLB.com, No. 10 over at Fangraphs and No. 9 on the lists from both Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law. He’s pegged mostly as a corner outfielder with a nice hit tool but questionable power and limited defensive prowess. The demotion of Mondesi is obviously something to which the Royals were not hoping to resort with their top-regarded minor leaguer, but his .103/.167/.179 batting line through 46 plate appearances may have left them with little choice. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez first reported that Bonifacio was on his way up.
  • Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer rates as one of the upcoming offseason’s most interesting free agents, but he isn’t a particularly good player and should consider accepting a qualifying offer if the Royals extend one, FanGraphs’ David Cameron argues. Hosmer has been well below average offensively over the past year, exacerbating mediocre overall hitting with a glaring tendency to ground into double plays, Cameron writes. Overall, Hosmer’s production is comparable to that of Mitch Moreland, who mostly went overlooked on the free-agent market last winter and ultimately signed a $5.5MM deal with the Red Sox. Hosmer is still young and could potentially improve, but there have been few recent indications of that happeneing. It will be interesting to see how teams value him next winter.
  • Second baseman Jason Kipnis is back for the Indians, as Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reported on Twitter. He had been slowed by a shoulder injury, but will now try to pick up where he left off in a solid 2016 season in which he hit a career-high 23 home runs. Yandy Diaz, who had filled in at third, is heading back to Tripe-A to clear room. He struggled to a .236/.295/.255 batting line in his first 61 MLB plate appearances.

Injury Notes: Miggy, Jays, Rox, Britton, Griffin, Reds, Morin, Richards, Cedeno, Kazmir, Garza

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Star Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera left tonight’s game with a groin strain, as Evan Woodberry of MLive.com reports on Twitter. For now, there’s no real indication of the severity of the injury; Detroit will take a closer look tomorrow.

Here’s more on the injury front:

  • Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca provides an update on some injured Blue Jays hurlers. While there had been some hope that J.A. Happ would be able to return after missing just one start, he was still feeling elbow discomfort when he played catch yesterday. There is still hope, though, that Aaron Sanchez will be ready to return from his blister issues to re-take his turn in the rotation.
  • The Rockies have received promising updates on the injury front, as Nick Groke of the Denver Post reports. Ian Desmond’s hand has healed to the point that he was able to hit off of a tee. He’ll soon be followed by David Dahl, whose latest medical check-brought positive news.
  • Likewise, the Orioles have reason to hope they’ll welcome back closer Zach Britton in short order. As Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets, manager Buck Showalter says that Britton’s MRI results were very promising. Britton, who hasn’t been quite his dominant self thus far in 2017, hit the DL with forearm soreness.
  • Rangers righty A.J. Griffin is heading to the 10-day DL with what the team is describing as ankle inflammation caused by gout. It doesn’t seem likely to require an extended absence, but the issue arises at an unfortunate time for the 29-year-old (and the struggling ballclub). Griffin is off to a solid start, having allowed seven earned runs on nine hits — and an excellent 16:4 K/BB ratio — over 15 1/3 innings.
  • There were a few updates from the Reds, as provided by Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter links). Righty Homer Bailey could be ready for mound work as soon as the end of the month, per skipper Bryan Price. Bailey has made just eight starts since the start of the 2015 season; he’s working back from surgery to remove bone spurs. Southpaw reliever Tony Cingrani, meanwhile, was placed on the 10-day DL with an oblique strain, with outfielder Phil Ervin taking his place on the active roster.
  • Alex Meyer made a start tonight for the Angels, taking the roster spot of reliever Mike Morin, who is headed to the DL with neck stiffness, as Maria Guardado of MLB.com tweets. Morin, who’ll soon turn 26, has been hit hard in his 6 2/3 frames to open the season.
  • Meanwhile, Angels righty Garrett Richards is said to be making some progress but isn’t yet able to begin throwing, Guardado tweets. Continued biceps weakness is still the culprit. The Halos are understandably taking care to ensure that Richards is at full health before pushing him forward.
  • Rays lefty Xavier Cedeno is experiencing forearm tightness will require at least a brief DL placement, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. It’s not seen as a significant injury, but the loss of Cedeno does leave Tampa Bay without a southpaw in the pen. The 30-year-old has not looked sharp early; as Topkin notes, he has struggled to prevent inherited runners to score. And Cedeno has surrendered four walks without recording a single strikeout in his seven appearances.
  • Dodgers lefty Scott Kazmir is still dealing with hip tightness that is preventing him from progressing back to the hill, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. The veteran southpaw is not yet nearing a rehab stint, per the report.
  • The Brewers will welcome back righty Matt Garza from the DL to make a start on Monday, per a team announcement. Garza was not ready to open the year due to a groin strain. He’ll bump southpaw Tommy Milone to the bullpen.

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