Trade Chatter: Jays, Braves, O’s, ChiSox, BoSox, Bucs, Dodgers, Tigers
While the Blue Jays got off to a terrible start in 2017, their strong play from late April through early June has them back in the mix for a Wild Card spot, writes MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand as part of a look at numerous trade-related topics. As such, the Jays don’t seem like obvious sellers at the moment — a sentiment that GM Ross Atkins himself suggested to Feinsand. “Obviously we’re not pleased with our record, but we’re pleased with the fact that our team was able to dig out of a significant hole,” the GM said. “…Now we’re very much in it. We can’t climb back into one of those holes, because there’s not as much time left.” The Jays fell to 35-37 with tonight’s loss, though they’re still just five back in the AL East and 2.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot. Feinsand notes that the injury to Devon Travis makes second base the biggest need Toronto faces between now and the trade deadline and lists a few speculative targets for Toronto, including Ian Kinsler and Jed Lowrie.
A bit more from Feinsand and some other trade chatter to close out the night…
- The Braves have already received interest in Jaime Garcia, Brandon Phillips and Jason Motte, Feinsand reports, but the Braves are likely to hold for now as they seek to generate interest from additional clubs. Garcia was hit hard for the second straight start tonight, but he’s been solid for the majority of the season and could step into the back of a contender’s rotation as a reliable source of league-average innings. Phillips, meanwhile, has been quietly productive in his first season with Atlanta, and the Reds are on the hook for nearly all of his salary. And Motte, since inking a minors pact with the Braves, has turned in a 2.14 ERA through 21 innings, albeit with some very unappealing peripherals (5.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, .179 BABIP, 5.89 FIP, 5.09 SIERA).
- Despite a lack of starting pitching and a very rough stretch over the past month, the Orioles still view themselves as contenders, GM Dan Duquette tells FanRag’s Jon Heyman. “We have a number of players who are capable of playing better and contributing more to the 2017 team than they have to date,” says Duquette. “…They have all played to a much higher level than they have played at so far this season. We are still contenders and we look forward to these players contributing to the club.” Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman, Zach Britton, Mark Trumbo and Darren O’Day are among the rebound candidates listed by Duquette, whose Orioles are 13-28 in their past 41 games.
- While the White Sox are known to be open for business, Heyman reports that there isn’t presently much of a market for Todd Frazier or Melky Cabrera. He hears that the Sox would “have to practically give [Frazier] away” or at eat virtually all of his salary in a trade. Frazier’s swinging a hot bat in June (.269/.351/.537, five homers), so perhaps he’s beginning to turn it around and boost that stock. Cabrera, meanwhile, is hitting quite well in 2017 after a slow start to the year, as he’s slashed .331/.386/.480 over the past calendar month. I’d imagine, however, that his $15MM salary and defensive shortcomings limit his market despite the improved production. Also of ChiSox note: Heyman writes that there’s no evidence of recent talks with the Nationals regarding David Robertson.
- The Red Sox should be able to add about $9MM to their payroll this summer without crossing the luxury tax barrier, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. While around $2MM of that sum could be set aside for the salary that’ll need to be paid for internal promotions, Boston should have the remaining funds to address one, if not two needs, provided they don’t break the bank for a starting pitcher. Speier again lists Todd Frazier as a possibility, and Heyman linked the Red Sox to the Royals‘ Mike Moustakas in his aforementioned column. Feinsand notes that Boston is indeed “in the market” for third base help as well, with Pablo Sandoval back on the DL and not playing well even when on the field.
- MLB.com’s Jon Morosi runs down a host of trade-related topics in his latest column, echoing recent suggestions from FOX’s Ken Rosenthal that the Pirates are likelier to trade Andrew McCutchen than Gerrit Cole. However, execs around the game do expect Pittsburgh to at least listen to offers on Cole, Morosi writes, though it may be hard for the Bucs to sell low on Cole.
- The Dodgers are more focused on adding rotation help than landing a significant bat due largely to the emergence of Cody Bellinger, per Morosi. According to Morosi, though, the Tigers have eyes on Dodgers prospect Alex Verdugo and would like to come away from the 2017 trade deadline with a center field option for the 2018 season, if they emerge as sellers. (Detroit hasn’t yet made that determination, he adds.) Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez, Morosi points out, could be among the targets the Dodgers look at if they do elect to pursue a right-handed-hitting outfielder, though that connection is made speculatively, and I’d expect the Dodgers to be rather reluctant to part with a near-MLB-ready asset such as Verdugo in order to land a rental like Martinez.
Twins Sign Dillon Gee
10:55pm: In a change of course, the Twins are actually set to select the contract of Gee prior to tomorrow’s game, reports La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (via Twitter). Minnesota was pummeled in a 9-0 loss to the White Sox today, as starter Nik Turley didn’t escape the first inning. Given the excess work required of the ‘pen, Gee will be immediately summoned to the Majors.
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN also tweets that the Twins will select the contract of Trevor Hildenberger, who ranked among the team’s top 20 or so prospects entering the season and has turned in a 2.05 ERA with 10.3 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 with a 54.4 percent ground-ball rate through 30 2/3 innings in Triple-A.
JUNE 22, 5:29pm: The Twins have announced the signing, noting that Gee will pitch for Rochester tomorrow. Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (via Twitter) that Gee has a July 15 opt-out date in his contract and will earn a pro-rated $1MM salary if he’s called up to the Majors.
JUNE 20: The Twins have agreed to a minor league pact with free-agent right-hander Dillon Gee, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN was the first to report that the two sides were in talks, and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweeted soon after that the two sides were “very close” to an agreement. Gee is a client of SSG Baseball.
Gee, 31, elected free agency after being outrighted by the Rangers over the weekend. The longtime Mets righty had pitched to a 4.15 ERA through 13 big league innings as well as a 3.88 ERA in 51 Triple-A innings with the Rangers this season. That follows up the 4.68 ERA, 6.4 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and 41 percent ground-ball rate that Gee logged in 125 innings as a member of the Royals in 2016.
Gee underwent thoracic outlet surgery back in October but hasn’t shown any lasting effects from that operation thus far in 2017. Gee will head to Triple-A as a starter, though it would seem likely that he’d emerge as a viable option for the big league rotation before long. Outside of Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios, Minnesota starters have struggled through a disastrous 2017 season. Despite the strong work of the team’s top two starters, the Twins’ rotation currently owns a 4.79 ERA that is the eighth-highest of any team in the Majors.
[Related: Minnesota Twins depth chart]
Phil Hughes, Hector Santiago and Trevor May are all on the disabled list, while longtime rotation member Kyle Gibson had to be optioned to Triple-A earlier this season as a result of his early struggles. (Gibson has shown some improvement since returning from Rochester, though he’s yet to rediscover his 2015 form.) Promising young lefty Adalberto Mejia has made a handful of starts thus far, but he hasn’t yet replicated his solid minor league numbers as a big leaguer.
All of that has contributed to a revolving door in the back of the Minnesota rotation, which has led to starts from journeymen Adam Wilk and Nik Turley — both of whom took the hill in a critical weekend series that resulted in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Indians. With that sweep, Cleveland leapfrogged Minnesota and took hold of the division lead.
Royals To Sign Neftali Feliz
The Royals have reached an agreement with free-agent right-hander Neftali Feliz, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Feliz was designated for assignment and released by the Brewers over the past week.
The 29-year-old Feliz inked a one-year, $5.35MM deal with the Brewers this winter and got off to a red-hot start as Milwaukee’s closer. Through his first seven appearances, he allowed just a run on two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts while showing upper-90s velocity — looking every bit like the dominant arm that was once the American League Rookie of the Year.
However, Feliz cratered in epic fashion following that impressive start, pitching to a 7.17 ERA with 21 hits and 13 walks against 14 strikeouts over his final 21 1/3 innings in a Brewers uniform. Feliz served up seven home runs in those 21 1/3 frames and ultimately ceded the ninth inning to emergent bullpen buzzsaw Corey Knebel, who now looks like a potential long-term weapon in the Milwaukee ‘pen.
While it’s not known if Feliz is headed directly into the Kansas City relief corps or will first make a stop in Triple-A Omaha, he figures to eventually join a group of relievers that is headed by Kelvin Herrera and Joakim Soria and has generally been far shakier than expected in 2017. Travis Wood, Peter Moylan and Chris Young each have ERAs north of 6.00, while both Matt Strahm and, more surprisingly, Herrera, are sitting at an even 4.50 mark.
From a broader perspective, the addition of Feliz at least somewhat signifies that the Royals aren’t quite ready to concede the 2017 season yet. While he won’t cost them anything — Kansas City need only pay Feliz the pro-rated portion of the league minimum, with the Brewers paying the remainder of his $5.35MM salary — bringing in another veteran piece rather than taking a look at younger arms suggests that the team’s recent improvements have at least staved off an early fire sale. The Royals are 13-6 in the month of June and have won nine of their past 11 contests to surge back to a 35-36 record. Even if they do ultimately sell off pieces, a revitalized Feliz could net them a younger piece if the Kansas City coaching staff is able to get the hard-throwing righty back on track.
Nationals Among Teams With Interest In Pat Neshek
The Nationals have shown interest in Phillies righty Pat Neshek, reports FOX’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link). Other clubs are interested in the veteran setup man as well, he notes, which comes as little surprise given Neshek’s affordable salary and strong work thus far in 2017.
Indeed, the 36-year-old Neshek has been nothing short of exceptional for the Phillies since being acquired in an offseason swap with Houston. Through 28 innings out of manager Pete Mackanin’s bullpen, the side-armer has worked to a minuscule 0.64 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 1.3 BB/9 and a 36.8 percent ground-ball rate. Though he’s had issues against left-handed batters in recent years, Neshek has held them to a mere .163/.205/.244 slash through an admittedly small sample of 45 batters faced in 2017. He’s had some good fortune on balls in play against lefties, but he’s also significantly dipped his walk rate against hitters that hold the platoon advantage.
Neshek is earning $6.5MM in 2017, and he’s still owed roughly $3.6MM of that sum through season’s end. While trades between division rivals aren’t especially common and are often trickier to work out, Neshek’s status as a rental likely makes it a bit easier for the two sides to align. And, it should of course be noted that the Nats and Phillies have lined up on trades in the past, with Philadelphia recently trading Jonathan Papelbon to Washington in a 2015 swap that netted the Phils right-hander Nick Pivetta.
Much of the focus on the Nationals has been on their need for an established closer, but in reality the team could benefit simply from adding multiple quality relievers. While names like David Robertson, Alex Colome and AJ Ramos may well be kicked around in connection with Washington, the Nats have seen what were perhaps projected as their top four arms — Blake Treinen, Koda Glover, Shawn Kelley and Joe Blanton — each post an ERA north of 5.00 this season. Deepening the relief corps as a whole, and not merely fortifying the ninth inning, figures to be the priority for the Nationals over the summer.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/22/17
Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the game…
- Right-hander Tyler Cloyd has been outrighted to Triple-A by the Mariners after clearing waivers, per a club announcement. The former Phillies farmhand made his return to the Majors for the first time since 2013 this season, though he made just one appearance with Seattle before being designated for assignment. Cloyd, 30, spent the 2015 season in Korea and has pitched well in Triple-A and indy ball since returning stateside. Through 19 1/3 innings with Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate this year, he allowed just three earned runs on 12 hits and two walks with 16 strikeouts.
- Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets that Padres right-hander Zach Lee cleared waivers and has been sent outright to Triple-A El Paso. The 25-year-old Lee allowed five runs in eight innings for the Padres this year, and he’s tallied more walks than strikeouts in both the Majors and minors in 2017. While Lee was once regarded as one of the game’s best pitching prospects, he’s never excelled in the upper minors or in the Majors. The former Dodgers prospect owns a 4.94 ERA across 435 1/3 career innings in Triple-A.
- Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the Rays have signed right-hander Mike Broadway to a minor league contract and will assign him to Double-A Montgomery. Broadway was released by the Nationals earlier this season after serving up 20 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings with their Triple-A club. The 30-year-old did carry a 2.96 ERA in 127 2/3 career Triple-A innings into the 2017 season, however, and he’s shown a knack for missing bats and limiting walks throughout his minor league tenure. He has brief big league experience as well, though he’s managed just a 6.75 ERA through 22 2/3 innings in a small sample of games with the Giants.
AL West Notes: Street, Shoemaker, Astros, Vogt
The Angels announced today that right-hander Huston Street has been activated from the disabled list. The 33-year-old Street has been out all season with a strained right lat muscle — an injury that initially led to just a two- to three-week shutdown in Spring Training but ultimately cost him more than a third of the season. The remainder of the season will be key for Street, who struggled throughout the 2016 campaign due in part to a knee injury and now has roughly three months to prove his health before the guaranteed portion of his contract ends. While his $10MM club option seems very likely to be bought out for $1MM at present, a strong finish to the year could still position him nicely as a free agent.
More from the American League West…
- Angels righty Matt Shoemaker, currently on the disabled list due to tightness in his forearm, underwent an MRI that didn’t reveal any structural damage, GM Billy Eppler tells reporters (via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). Shoemaker has played catch twice this week and is hoping to return on Sunday, but skipper Mike Scioscia suggested that the Angels will proceed fairly cautiously to avoid worsening the issue. Shoemaker is fourth on the Angels in innings pitched and third in starts made, though he’s sitting on a pedestrian 4.52 ERA through 77 2/3 frames.
- The Astros are seeing the fewest four-seam fastballs of any team in recent history but are also throwing the fewest number of four-seamers as a team, observes Eno Sarris of Fangraphs. Houston players such as George Springer, Brad Peacock, Brian McCann and Josh Reddick all chatted with Sarris about the trend, offering potential explanations for the manner in which they’ve been pitched. Peacock, who is having a breakout season, described his deviation from the four-seamer as “playing keepaway,” and Sarris points out that Mike Fiers‘ season turned around sharply when he began incorporating a sinker into his fastball mix. Springer suggested to Sarris that the move away from four-seamers is a league-wide trend — the Angels, for one team, have been moving away from four-seamers — while McCann suggests that perhaps the trend is merely part of the natural ebb and flow of pitching trends that takes place throughout the league every few years. It’s an interesting read with very good insight from several players that’s well worth a full look.
- The decision to move on from Stephen Vogt was an immensely difficult one for the Athletics organization, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Vogt was beloved by his teammates, the coaching staff, front office, media and fans in Oakland, but the return of the younger Bruce Maxwell from an oblique injury and Vogt’s struggles at the plate forced the issue. Slusser reports that GM David Forst actually informed Vogt prior to yesterday’s game that it was likely to be his last with the team. “That’s what he deserved,” Forst tells Slusser. The GM adds that the move was so difficult “entirely because of who Stephen is.” Lefty Sean Doolittle calls Vogt the “unquestioned captain” of the A’s, and a number of teammates lauded his contributions to the team over the years.
Agency Changes: Delgado, Ramirez, Robles, Polanco
Here at MLBTR we do our best to cover notable agency changes while keeping tabs on player representation through our Agency Database. Here are a few recent moves:
- D-backs right-hander has hired Dan Lozano of MVP Sports as his new representative, writes FanRag’s Jon Heyman as part of his weekly NL Notes column. Once one of baseball’s top prospects, Delgado didn’t pan out as a starter but has become a solid piece in the Arizona bullpen in recent years. He’s made four starts this year and fared nicely, but he’s back in the ‘pen and is on his way to perhaps his best season. Through 51 2/3 innings, Delgado has a 3.48 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 and a 46.3 percent ground-ball rate. Delgado, 27, is controllable for one more year before hitting the open market after the 2018 campaign.
Earlier Notes
- Indians utilityman extraordinaire Jose Ramirez will move his representation to the Wasserman Media Group, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. It seems that Ramirez is sticking with agent Rafa Nieves, who just joined Wasserman. Ramirez has only just embarked upon a new, four-year deal with Cleveland that was inked late in Spring Training. With two options included, the contract covers all of Ramirez’s potential arbitration eligibility and allows the organization to control the switch-hitting 24-year-old through his age-31 season. He had earned the deal after a strong 2016 season, but his stock has risen yet further after opening the 2017 campaign with a .322/.376/.557 slash through 290 plate appearances. Notably, Ramirez has already swatted 11 long balls, matching last year’s tally in less than half the trips to the plate.
- Also moving to Wasserman is top Nationals prospect Victor Robles. Though he only just reached his twentieth birthday and hasn’t yet reached the upper minors, Robles received consensus top-ten leaguewide prospect billing entering the current season. He hasn’t disappointed, slashing .296/.393/.505 with six home runs and 13 steals through 233 plate appearances at the High-A level. While it seems unlikely that Robles will make it to D.C. before the 2018 season, he could be a foundational piece for the organization.
- Meanwhile, Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco will take his business to Octagon and agent Ulises Cabrera, according to 1500ESPN.com’s Darren Wolfson (via Twitter). The 23-year-old switch-hitter entered the current season with 105 days of MLB service, meaning he won’t be able to qualify for arbitration until at least 2020 and can’t qualify for free agency until 2023. Polanco was a highly regarded prospect who raised expectations with a solid performance in his first extended MLB stint last year. He has struggled thus far in 2017, though, with a .242/.294/.338 batting line through 219 plate appearances.
Michael Martinez Elects Free Agency
JUNE 22: Martinez has cleared waivers and elected free agency, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times.
JUNE 19: The Rays announced that they have designated infielder/outfielder Michael Martinez for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 25-man roster for Trevor Plouffe, who was acquired from the Athletics over the weekend. Matt Andriese was already moved to the 60-day DL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, so the Rays now have an open 40-man spot with Wilson Ramos and Brad Boxberger both nearing returns from the 60-day DL.
The 34-year-old Martinez has been a seldom-used bench piece for the Rays since being acquired from the Indians in exchange for cash. He was set to be designated for assignment nearly two weeks ago, but an injury to Brad Miller prompted the Rays to cancel Martinez’s DFA and instead place Miller on the disabled list. That series of events bought Martinez another 12 days on the big league roster, but the team has now formally announced that he’s been removed from the 40-man.
In a combined 43 plate appearances between the Indians and Rays this season, Martinez is hitting just .162/.262/.189 with 15 strikeouts. Although he’s never hit in the Majors (.194/.243/.261 through 621 plate appearances), Martinez has nonetheless found his way onto big league rosters for part of each of the past seven seasons. He has experience at second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions in the Majors, though he’s been primarily a second baseman/third baseman as a big leaguer.
Check Out Hoops Rumors For NBA Draft Coverage
Draft day is here for the NBA, and it appears tonight’s event will be the culmination of a wild week. Jimmy Butler, Paul George, and Kristaps Porzingis remain with their respective teams for now, despite plenty of trade rumors, but two former All-Stars (Dwight Howard, Brook Lopez) and 2015’s second overall pick (D’Angelo Russell) have already been involved in deals this week — as has this year’s first overall selection.
Over at Hoops Rumors, we’ll be keeping tabs on all the latest NBA news and rumors tonight, in addition to tracking each of this year’s 60 draft picks. With the draft upon us and free agency right around the corner, this is the most eventful time of year for the NBA rumor mill, so be sure to visit Hoops Rumors and follow @HoopsRumors on Twitter for all the latest updates.
Cubs Designate Zac Rosscup For Assignment
The Cubs have designated left-hander Zac Rosscup for assignment, the team announced to reporters (Twitter link via CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney). Rosscup’s DFA will open a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Mark Zagunis, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Iowa today.
Rosscup, 29, made just one appearance for the Cubs this season and recorded two outs. However, he logged a fairly significant amount of time with the club from 2013-15 and has totaled 47 1/3 innings as a member of the Chicago ‘pen dating back to that 2013 season. In that time, the former 28th-round pick owns a 5.32 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 6.1 BB/9. Rosscup has had his share of troubles against right-handed opponents (.287/.384/.611), but he’s been very good against left-handed opponents, limiting them to a terrible .162/.303/.284 batting line in 90 career plate appearances.