Assessing The August Trade Period
Trade deadline? What trade deadline? Though arranging deals during the August waiver period is more complicated the swinging deals prior to July 31, that didn’t stop teams from perhaps the single busiest August ever in terms of notable trades. Several major names that didn’t switch uniforms on or before July 31 ended up going to new teams last month, promising big repercussions during pennant races and into October (or beyond, given how many notable non-rental players were dealt).
We’re only looking at trades here, not straight waiver claims — such as the last-minute moves by the Astros to add Cameron Maybin and the Phillies to nab Juan Nicasio. Here are the most significant swaps of August 2017 (in alphabetical order, by category):
Rentals
Mariners acquire Andrew Albers from Braves for cash (link): Picked up as inexpensive pitching depth, Albers has three wins and a 3.43 ERA over four starts (21 IP) for the M’s.
Mariners acquire Yonder Alonso from Athletics for Boog Powell (link): The Mariners addressed a big need at first base by acquiring Alonso, who has provided solid production since the deal. Powell has also played well in regular action for the A’s, giving Oakland another potential outfield candidate as the club looks toward 2018.
Indians acquire Jay Bruce from Mets for Ryder Ryan (link): With Michael Brantley still on the DL and Lonnie Chisenhall just back in action, the Tribe added a big power bat to right field, and Bruce has continued his hot hitting since the deal.
Astros acquire Tyler Clippard from White Sox for cash or PTBNL (link): Thought to be focusing on left-handed relievers in trade talks, Houston instead added a righty in the veteran Clippard.
Red Sox acquire Rajai Davis from Athletics for Rafael Rincones (link): Jackie Bradley‘s injury likely inspired the Sox to add some extra outfield depth in Davis, a respected veteran who brings speed and postseason experience to the roster.
Rangers acquire Miguel Gonzalez from White Sox for Ti’Quan Forbes (link): Texas gained some rotation depth while the White Sox parted ways with yet another veteran player.
Dodgers acquire Curtis Granderson from Mets for Jacob Rhame (link): The Mets’ fire sale continued as Granderson was sent to L.A. Joc Pederson‘s struggles and demotion created an opening for a left-handed outfielder, and Granderson has seen significant playing time on the stacked Dodgers roster.
Angels acquire Brandon Phillips from Braves for Tony Sanchez (link): Second base has long been a problem area for the Angels, and the team hopes Phillips can be the answer for at least the next month as the team pushes for a wild card berth.
Brewers acquire Neil Walker from Mets for PTBNL (link): Walker has done nothing but rake since coming to Milwaukee, giving the surprising Brewers the boost they needed at second base in the wake of Jonathan Villar‘s disappointing season.
Future Contract Rights
Athletics acquire Chris Hatcher from Dodgers for international pool money (link):
Oakland gets a change-of-scenery candidate for the bullpen, though the $500K acquired by the Dodgers could lead to a bigger headline. Every little bit of international pool money is important to a team that has designs on landing Shohei Otani this offseason.
Blue Jays acquire Tom Koehler from Marlins for Osman Gutierrez (link): Koehler had made one start in four appearances for Toronto and may be called on to eat some more innings as the Jays play out the string.
Mariners acquire Mike Leake from Cardinals for Rayder Ascanio & international pool money (link): Perhaps the most surprising trade of the month saw the Cards part ways with Leake less than two years after signing him to a five-year, $80MM free agent deal. (St. Louis will send $17MM to Seattle as part of the trade.) The Cards now have extra flexibility with both their payroll and the rotation, while the M’s pick up a durable long-term arm.
Cubs acquire Leonys Martin from Mariners for cash or a PTBNL (link): The Cubs added some speed and versatile outfield defense for September and, potentially, the postseason roster.
Pirates acquire Sean Rodriguez from Braves for Connor Joe (link): The popular veteran hit a walkoff homer in his first game back in a Pittsburgh uniform and seen time at six different positions so far as one of the Pirates’ top utility options.
Angels acquire Justin Upton from Tigers for Grayson Long (link): The Angels added a much-needed lineup upgrade to bolster their AL wild card chase. Upton could be a rental if he opts out of the remaining four years/$88.5MM on his contract, though if not, the Halos will have added another expensive long-term asset to join Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.
Astros acquire Justin Verlander and a PTBNL from Tigers for Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron and Jake Rogers (link): The month’s biggest blockbuster went down just minutes before the August 31 deadline, as the Astros made a late move to bolster their rotation with the former AL Cy Young Award winner. Verlander’s vesting option for the 2020 season was also waived as part of the deal, and the Tigers sent just over $17.35MM to help facilitate the $60.66MM owed to Verlander through the end of the 2019 season.
Notable Minor League Depth Trades
- Mariners acquire Ernesto Frieri from Rangers for cash (link)
- Yankees acquire Erik Kratz from Indians for cash (link)
- Mets acquire Travis Snider from Rangers for cash (link)
Rosenthal’s Latest: Herrera, Upton, Verlander
FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal shares some hot stove items in his latest Full Count video…
- It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Royals dealt Kelvin Herrera this winter, as the closer is in line for a big salary bump in his last year of arbitration eligibility. Rosenthal estimates Herrera will earn something in the $7.5-$8MM range in 2018, up from the $5.325MM Herrera earned this season. Brandon Maurer or Ryan Buchter could take over as Kansas City’s closer if Herrera is dealt. Herrera drew some trade buzz earlier this season as one of the many bullpen options the Nationals were exploring, and surely he would garner interest this offseason, even if Herrera hasn’t quite been as dominant this season as in recent years. This all assumes, of course, that Herrera’s current forearm issue doesn’t prove to be anything serious. With Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer all potential leaving K.C. in free agency this winter, a Herrera trade could further portend the start of a rebuild for the Royals.
- The Angels were one of Justin Upton‘s targets when he was a free agent two winters ago, and he has a home in Arizona, which could facilitate remaining on the west coast if he doesn’t opt out of his contract. Ultimately, Upton’s September performance will decide whether or not he chooses to stick with the Angels or opt out of the four years and $88.5MM remaining on his deal. In an MLBTR poll from Thursday, just under 56% of respondents feel Upton will indeed opt out and look for a bigger deal this winter.
- Reports have suggested that Justin Verlander was initially hesitant to waive his no-trade clause and join the Astros, as he would’ve preferred to instead be dealt to the Cubs or Dodgers. As Rosenthal notes, “there’s no guarantee” either Chicago or L.A. would have looked to acquire Verlander in the offseason, so the former Cy Young Award winner decided to join a contender now rather than stay with the rebuilding Tigers. Rosenthal also points out the interesting fact that Minute Maid Park has been the most depressed run-scoring environment of any ballpark in the league since the start of the 2016 season, belying its hitter-friendly reputation.
MLBTR Originals
Here’s a roundup of original content from MLB Trade Rumors over the last seven days…
- In the latest edition of the MLBTR Mailbag, Steve Adams answers your questions about such topics as Carlos Gonzalez, Yoan Moncada, Kevin Pillar, Mike Moustakas and the Mets’ offseason needs.
- Twins reliever Trevor May is back with his latest contribution to the Player’s Perspective series, discussing how his time away from baseball (due to Tommy John rehab) has allowed him to revisit his childhood fandom of the sport.
- Jeff Todd lists the seven best waiver claims of the last 12 months, including three names (Doug Fister, Blake Parker, Stephen Vogt) that have made strong contributions to playoff contenders.
- The newest edition of Jason Martinez’s Knocking Down The Door series looks at some promising minor leaguers who could soon be appearing in the bigs as September callups. In fact, since Jason’s piece was published last Monday, two of the names mentioned (the Marlins‘ Brian Anderson and the Cubs‘ Dillon Maples) have been promoted and made their MLB debuts.
- Will Masahiro Tanaka opt out of his contract after the season and test free agency, or will he remain with the Yankees for the final three years (and $67MM) of his current deal? Connor Byrne posed the question to the readership in an MLBTR poll, with a slight majority (53% of respondents) believing that Tanaka will indeed opt out.
- Connor Byrne lists the top five contenders for the AL MVP Award, with the Astros‘ Jose Altuve looking like the favorite going into the season’s final four weeks.
Quick Hits: Verlander, Marlins, Angels, Dodgers
Right-hander Justin Verlander met with reporters Sunday and explained his decision to waive his no-trade clause to go from the Tigers to the Astros in a stunning Aug. 31 trade. Given that Verlander had been in the Detroit organization since it drafted him second overall in 2004 and evolved into a Tigers icon, it was understandably difficult for him to leave. “At one point I was kind of pacing back and forth in my living room — it was just [fiancée] Kate [Upton] and I — and I’m going, ‘Trust your instincts, trust your instincts. What are your instincts telling you?'” Verlander said (via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). “I was just so caught in between with emotion and excitement of a new ballclub, and ultimately, it came down to winning and joining an organization that’s set up to win for a long time.”
For the teams involved, the Verlander deal was a tough one to work out, as Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press details in a fascinating piece. The Tigers rejected multiple proposals from the Astros on Thursday, when the trade ultimately went down late at night, and it looked as if the sides would table talks until the offseason. The clubs finally agreed on a return, and Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow called Tigers GM Al Avila around 11:30 p.m. ET to inform him that Houston would pick up $16MM of the remaining $58MM left on Verlander’s contract. Then, the Tigers dispatched two baseball operations officials to Verlander’s house so he’d provide a signature agreeing to waive his no-trade rights. Verlander did, of course, but he initially had reservations about going to the Astros. While Fenech reports that the 34-year-old never rejected a trade to Houston, he had concerns about shifting to their ballpark. Discussions with Astros owner Jim Crane and manager A.J. Hinch did enough to assuage Verlander, however, and the longtime ace then called Avila to inform him he’d accept the trade, paving the way for a blockbuster that came in barely before the 11:59 p.m. ET waiver deadline.
More from around the game:
- It doesn’t appear that the Marlins’ low-spending ways will change when their new ownership group takes over, but their fate would have been different had local businessman Jorge Mas purchased the team, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Unlike owners-to-be Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter, Mas would not have planned to slash payroll had he put forth the winning bid for the franchise. Mas finished as the runner-up to Sherman and Jeter, who are at the helm of a faction that agreed last month to buy the Marlins from Jeffrey Loria for $1.2 billion.
- Not long ago, it looked as though the Angels were going to continue wasting Mike Trout‘s presence, but both the present and near future suddenly look bright in Anaheim, Joel Sherman of the New York Post observes. Having traded for all-world shortstop Andrelton Simmons and big-hitting left fielder Justin Upton during his two-year run as the Angels’ general manager, Billy Eppler has given Trout a pair of quality position player complements who, like the center fielder, are under contract through 2020, Sherman notes (though Upton may well opt out after the season). The Angels could add to that group with a free agent like Eric Hosmer or Mike Moustakas during the offseason, writes Sherman, who also names Alex Cobb as a potential offseason target for their rotation. Additionally, Sherman lauds Eppler for improving a farm system that was nearly barren upon his arrival. Regardless of whether the playoff-contending Angels qualify for the postseason in 2017, then, they’re beginning to look like a team that could capitalize on having Trout before his contract expires.
- The Dodgers plan to recall outfielder Joc Pederson sometime this season, manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, on Sunday (Twitter link). “I would expect Joc back. Nothing is set in stone,” Roberts said of Pederson, whom the Dodgers optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Aug. 19. The 25-year-old has batted a shockingly poor .158/.222/.281 in 63 minor league plate appearances, continuing a disappointing sseason that has seen him hit .215/.329/.418 in 295 PAs with the Dodgers. P ederson’s major league line this year has been average, not bad, but it still represents a clear drop-off from his production during the prior two seasons.
Rays Designate Adam Kolarek
The Rays have designated left-hander Adam Kolarek for assignment, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter). Topkin suggests that Kolarek’s vacated 40-man spot will go to infielder Trevor Plouffe, whom the Rays designated Aug. 22 and then outrighted to Triple-A Durham on Aug. 26.
The 28-year-old Kolarek, an 11th-round pick of the Mets in 2010, joined the Rays organization prior to the 2016 campaign and made his major league debut this season. Kolarek struggled over 8 1/3 innings before his designation, giving up six earned runs on nine hits and four walks, with four strikeouts. He made his 12th appearance with Tampa Bay on Sunday and surrendered an earned run on two hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning. That was enough for the Rays to remove him from their 40-man roster.
While Kolarek’s time in the majors has been a struggle thus far, he has turned in excellent work in the minors. Kolarek has posted a 2.73 ERA and logged 9.4 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9 in 89 Triple-A innings. Across 43 2/3 frames with Durham this year, he has ridden an incredible 72.6 percent groundball rate and 9.4 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 to a microscopic 1.65 ERA.
Yankees Place Aaron Hicks On DL
3:54pm: The Yankees are optimistic that Hicks’ latest oblique injury isn’t as serious as his previous one, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (on Twitter). They believe he’ll be able to resume swinging within the next 10 days.
11:47am: The Yankees announced that they have placed outfielder Aaron Hicks on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain and recalled left-hander Caleb Smith from Triple-A Scranton.
This is the second oblique-related DL placement of the summer for Hicks, who suffered a right oblique strain June 25 and didn’t return until Aug. 10. A similarly lengthy absence this time could mean the Yankees won’t have Hicks again this year, given that the 72-63 club is 2.5 games up on a wild-card spot and no sure thing to advance well into October.
Having seen his OPS drop 83 points since his initial DL stint, Hicks has slumped at an inopportune time for the Yankees. However, despite his recent struggles and injury woes, Hicks has surprisingly been one of the Yankees’ top players this year. After trudging through a disastrous 2016, his first season in the Bronx, the switch-hitting former Twin has slashed .265/.367/.463 with 13 home runs and eight stolen bases in 342 plate appearances. Hicks has combined that above-average offensive output with terrific work in the field (14 DRS, 5.7 UZR) to account for 2.7 fWAR – more than three times the total he posted from 2013-16 (0.8).
With expensive reserve Jacoby Ellsbury on hand, the Yankees are decently equipped to replace Hicks, though the former Red Sox star hasn’t exactly thrived this season. The Yankees’ outfield as a whole now looks much weaker than it did earlier in the season when Hicks and Aaron Judge were at their best. Judge is in the middle of a well-documented nosedive since the All-Star break, while Brett Gardner has also declined somewhat during the second half and Clint Frazier has been on the DL since Aug. 10 with an oblique strain of his own.
NL Notes: Marlins, Stanton, Bucs, Freeman, Nats
While the Marlins’ Jeffrey Loria era will soon end, the franchise’s low-payroll ways won’t, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter agreed to purchase the team from Loria for $1.2 billion ($400MM of which will come from Sherman), but they don’t have the type of money necessary to spend big on a roster, according to a potential investor who spoke with Jackson. Sherman and Jeter informed Jackson’s source that they plan to pare down payroll from $115MM to either $80MM to $85MM or $55MM in 2018, depending on whether they trade high-priced MVP candidate Giancarlo Stanton. Slashing spending won’t sit well with Marlins fans who have witnessed the team go on a late-season run and Stanton turn in an awe-inspiring 2017 performance, Jackson notes. And Jackson adds other details that likely won’t please fans, either, as the investor told him Jeter’s set to pay himself $5MM per year until he recoups his $25MM investment and get a company credit card so he can cover expenses from his home in Tampa Bay to Miami. Further, Jackson suggests that FOX won’t be renegotiating the Marlins’ television contract, the least valuable in baseball, before its expiration at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign.
More from the National League…
- The Pirates placed utilityman Josh Harrison on the disabled list with a broken left pinky finger and recalled fellow infielder/outfielder Chris Bostick from Triple-A on Sunday, per a team announcement. The injury, which is the result of a hit by pitch from Reds right-hander Tyler Mahle on Saturday, will end Harrison’s season, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review. The 30-year-old Harrison currently leads the majors in HBPs (23, two more than Anthony Rizzo) and closes 2017 having produced 3.2 rWAR/2.5 fWAR and a .272/.339/.432 batting line with 16 home runs and 12 stolen bases across 542 plate appearances. Depending on whether the struggling Pirates elect to rebuild over the winter, it’s possible Harrison has played his last game as a Buc. The versatile veteran is reasonably priced through 2020, including a pair of club option years, and could be a trade candidate.
- The Braves will check first baseman Freddie Freeman‘s left wrist for structural damage on Monday, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. “There’s no pain. I just have no strength,” said Freeman, who fractured his wrist May 18 and didn’t return until July 4. While the superstar has hit an outstanding .294/.375/.520 since coming back, that output pales in comparison to Freeman’s otherworldly .341/.461/.748 pre-injury line. Freeman told Mark Bowman of MLB.com and other reporters Saturday that he has been swinging a “wet newspaper,” has “nothing left,” and that his “bat speed is absolutely gone.” The left-handed slugger also revealed that facing hard-throwing southpaws has recently presented a challenge from a mental standpoint because of his wrist issue. Even though he’s clearly less than 100 percent and the Braves aren’t in contention, Freeman insists he’s not going to shut it down early this year, per O’Brien.
- Righty Edwin Jackson‘s unexpected success with the Nationals is the result of diligent work he has done with trainer Kevin Visser dating back to the offseason, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post details. “He was adamant that he didn’t think he had peaked yet,” Visser said of his initial meeting in December with the 33-year-old Jackson. The two quickly began making adjustments to Jackson’s mechanics, dropping his elbow 135 degrees and having him land toward home with his shoulders squared to the plate, Castillo explains. The changes didn’t immediately yield positive results, evidenced by Jackson’s very brief and difficult stint with the Orioles earlier in the season, but he has gotten more comfortable as the year has progressed. In his second go-round with Washington, which signed Jackson to a minor league deal in June, the veteran of 12 teams has logged a 2.49 ERA across 49 innings (eight starts) and recorded his lowest walk rate (2.76 BB/9) since 2012.
MLBTR Poll: Masahiro Tanaka’s Future
Whether Angels left fielder Justin Upton opts out of his contract will serve as one of the most intriguing storylines during the early part of Major League Baseball’s upcoming offseason. The same opt-out question applies to Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, who may have an easier decision than Upton. While Upton has four years and $88.5MM left on his contract, Tanaka’s remaining pact consists of fewer years and dollars (three and $67MM, respectively). But that doesn’t necessarily make it a slam-dunk call for Tanaka, who, unlike Upton, has had a bit of a rocky season in what could amount to a platform year.
Tanaka, who emigrated from Japan on a seven-year, $155MM agreement in 2014, emerged as a front-end starter in the Bronx from the get-go and entered 2017 off a strong three-season stretch. Over 75 starts and 490 innings, the splitter-loving Tanaka logged a 3.12 ERA with 8.17 K/9 against 1.54 BB/9 and a 47.4 percent groundball rate. The only full-time American League starters to post a better ERA during that span were Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, Felix Hernandez and Garrett Richards, while just nine outdid Tanaka’s combined 10.0 fWAR.
Judging solely on fWAR (2.3), Tanaka is having another good season, though the 28-year-old trails 41 other major league starters in that category. Meanwhile, among the 112 hurlers who have thrown at least 100 innings this year, Tanaka is a below-average 73rd in ERA (4.54, tied with fellow opt-out candidate Johnny Cueto).
Fortunately for Tanaka, the run prevention problems he has had in 2017 aren’t nearly as dire as they appear. A bloated home run-to-fly ball rate (20 percent, up from 14.1 percent over the previous three years) is the main culprit, but Tanaka has only yielded eight long balls in 78 innings dating back to June 17, when his ERA sat at 6.34 and his HR total was already at 21 through 76 1/3 frames. Since then, Tanaka has notched nine quality starts in 12 outings – including a gem against the Red Sox on Saturday – pitched to a 2.77 ERA and racked up 82 strikeouts against 15 walks. Those are ace-like numbers, and a newfound reliance on his slider is among the reasons for Tanaka’s summer success, as FanGraphs’ Eno Sarris explained Friday.
Thanks in part to his adeptness over the past month-plus, Tanaka ranks 13th among starters this season in strikeout-walk percentage (18.7), 13th in infield fly ball rate (11.2 percent) and 15th in the grounder department (49.3 percent). Those are all encouraging signs, clearly, as is the fact that his velocity looks normal. Tanaka should hit the 30-start mark for the second straight year, too, which is especially positive for someone who hasn’t been the picture of durability during his career. He combined for 44 starts in his first two seasons and has dealt with a laundry list of arm issues over the years, the most serious of which being a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. Tanaka has managed to pitch through the UCL tear over the past couple seasons, though teams could be wary of it in free agency. As such, it’s something Tanaka’s going to have to consider when choosing whether to vacate the remainder of his contract.
Should he opt out, Tanaka figures to reject a qualifying offer from the Yankees before officially reaching free agency, which could also negatively affect his market to some degree. Still, along with a pair of over-30 hurlers in Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta, Tanaka would be among the most sought-after starters available. And in a league that has seen starters with more questionable track records (Rich Hill, Jeff Samardzija, Mike Leake and Wei-Yin Chen, to name a few) rake in sizable paydays in recent winters, it’s reasonable to guess Tanaka will indeed venture to the open market in hopes of outdoing the $67MM he’d make by sticking with his current deal.
(Poll link for Trade Rumors App users)
Will Masahiro Tanaka opt out after the season?
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Yes 53% (3,086)
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No 47% (2,785)
Total votes: 5,871
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AL Notes: Astros, Tigers, Angels, Rays
One of the premier players in baseball, Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, will make his return Sunday against the Mets, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Correa hasn’t played since tearing a thumb ligament on July 17, before which the 22-year-old put himself in American League MVP consideration by hitting an excellent .320/.400/.566 with 20 home runs and posting 4.1 fWAR in 375 plate appearances. While Houston was a juggernaut prior to Correa’s injury, it went backward during his absence. The team jumped out to a 62-31 start with Correa in the fold, but it went just 20-22 when he was on the shelf. Still, the Astros hold an insurmountable 12.5-game lead in the AL West and should have a realistic World Series shot now that their best player is back.
Elsewhere around the AL…
- Although the Tigers went into a full rebuild this week when they traded Justin Verlander and Justin Upton, 35-year-old second baseman Ian Kinsler wouldn’t be averse to staying in Detroit. “I have no problem being part of a rebuilding team if that’s what the Tigers wish. I don’t know what they wish,” Kinsler told Evan Woodbery of MLive.com and other reporters Saturday. “I don’t know if they want me a part of it or if they don’t want me a part of it right now. If they do want me a part of it, I’m fine with that. I have no problem trying to pass my experience along as best I can to the younger players and help anyway that I can.” Kinsler’s having a down 2017 (.236/.316/.387 in 510 plate appearances), but the Tigers fielded an offer for him last month, and he’s likely to draw offseason interest as an affordable player entering the final year of his contract ($10MM club option). While Kinsler has a 10-team no-trade clause, he suggested his fate mostly lies in general manager Al Avila’s hands.
- Angels right-hander Garrett Richards will make his long-awaited return to their rotation Tuesday against Oakland, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to report. Richards hasn’t started since April 5, his lone outing of the year, on account of biceps nerve irritation. The 29-year-old will be on a 50-pitch limit in his upcoming start and will gradually increase the count toward 100 by the end of the regular season, Fletcher relays. Both Richards and manager Mike Scioscia are confident the front-end starter is healthy and will fare nicely when he comes back, even though injuries have limited him to 39 1/3 innings since 2016.
- The Rays sent representatives to Japan to watch Nippon Ham Fighters ace Shohei Otani‘s start last week, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Along with the Rays and the Yankees, there were around a dozen other teams in attendance to watch Otani, whose fastball hit 100 mph, Buster Olney of ESPN reports. The changes in the collective bargaining agreement could theoretically give low-payroll teams like Tampa Bay a better chance to land the two-way phenom, though the Rays already spent $3.825MM of their available international money ($5.25MM) on Dominican shortstop Wander Franco on July 2.
NL Notes: Padres, Brewers, Rockies, Marlins
The Padres fired hitting coach Alan Zinter on Friday, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. Zinter lasted less than two seasons in the position, having taken the job in November 2015. The Padres’ offense ranked toward the bottom of the majors during Zinter’s run, but he didn’t exactly have a world of proven talent at his disposal. Manager Andy Green explained to Lin that he’s seeking a “different voice” for the role. Meanwhile, GM A.J. Preller told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com that the Padres will begin searching for a successor immediately, but he indicated there’s no rush to hire a replacement (Twitter link).
Here’s more from the National League:
- The Brewers’ rotation was rife with question marks entering the season, but it now appears the surprise contenders have at least three legitimate building blocks in Jimmy Nelson, Chase Anderson and Zach Davies, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel observes. The emergence of that cost-controlled trio has been especially important to a team that’s not able to spend big on free agents, and Haudricourt points out that the Brewers may even have a couple more promising young starters on hand (Brandon Woodruff and Josh Hader). It’s possible they’ll go into 2018 with those five comprising their rotation, Haudricourt notes.
- Rockies outfielder David Dahl is resigned to the fact that he won’t be able to contribute this year, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes. Dahl hasn’t appeared in a major league game this season, and he hasn’t played in a minor league contest since July 31, thanks to the rib injury he suffered during spring training. Now, Dahl doesn’t expect to swing a bat again until December, according to Saunders. “The thing I really need is rest, to let it heal completely, because every time I would start swinging, I would start feeling it again,” said the 23-year-old Dahl, who excited the Rockies last season with a .315/.359/.500 batting line in a 237-plate appearance rookie campaign.
- A partial UCL tear in Wei-Yin Chen‘s left elbow has kept him from taking the mound since May 1, but he’ll return to the Marlins in the coming days, Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. While Chen will finish 2017 as a reliever, the Marlins expect to slot him back into their rotation next season. After this fall’s World Series, Chen will be able to opt out of the remaining three years and $52MM left on the five-year, $80MM contract he signed with the Fish in January 2016. That’s obviously not going to happen, though, as the ex-Oriole has struggled with injuries and turned in mediocre results during his two years in Miami.