East Notes: Quintana, Escobar, Pomeranz, Pearce
On the night when the Yankees officially retired Derek Jeter‘s #2, let’s take a look at news from both the AL East and the NL East…
- The Nationals and Red Sox have had evaluators watching White Sox players, CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine reports. Both clubs have been scouting Jose Quintana, while the Nationals continue to have interest in closer David Robertson, and Levine figures the Sox could also be looking at Todd Frazier to address their need at third base. Chicago already completed major trades with both teams this past winter, of course, in deals that sent Adam Eaton to Washington and Chris Sale to Boston, so there is already a great deal of familiarity between these organizations. Quintana would fill the Nats’ revolving door in the fifth starter’s spot, though obtaining Robertson to help their struggling bullpen seems like the more pressing fit. The Red Sox could use Quintana and Frazier, though they seem likely to wait to see how David Price and their internal third base options return before deciding if upgrades are necessary.
- Asdrubal Cabrera tells Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that he is suffering from a torn ligament in his left thumb, and a DL stint could be possible if the thumb isn’t feeling better tomorrow. The Mets shortstop has been bothered by the injury for the last week, and while an MRI taken last week reportedly showed no ligament damage, Cabrera said he was told there was a tear. Cabrera continued to play (through mostly in pinch-hitting roles) over the past week, so it is possible his injury could have worsened. As Ackert notes, the Mets can hardly afford to lose Cabrera with so many other stars already on the disabled list. If Cabrera did require some DL time, it will renew calls for the Mets to promote top prospect Amed Rosario, though the team reportedly doesn’t want to rush the youngster to the big leagues.
- Drew Pomeranz left today’s Red Sox loss after three innings due to tightness in his left triceps. While the southpaw’s health has been a question mark since his trade to the Sox from the Padres last summer, Pomeranz told media (including Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal) that both his triceps and his lowered velocity this season were due to a problem in his mechanics, not due to any physical issues. Pomeranz will undergo an MRI tomorrow but said he believes he can make his next start.
- Steve Pearce left today’s Blue Jays victory with right calf tightness after sliding into second base on a double in the second inning. Manager John Gibbons told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and other reporters that Pearce will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. The veteran utilityman is off to a very slow start in his first season in Toronto, hitting just .205/.256/.373 through 90 PA, though he has somewhat gotten on track after a horrible April. Losing Pearce to the DL would be yet another blow to the injury-ravaged Jays, though they did get Aaron Sanchez back on the active roster today.
Injury Notes: Pollock, Peralta, Gomez, Choo, Polanco, Manaea
We’ve already learned today that Aroldis Chapman and Yunel Escobar could each miss roughly a month of action, and here’s the update on some more notable injury situations brewing around baseball…
- A.J. Pollock and David Peralta both left today’s Diamondbacks game with injuries, with Pollock suffering a right groin strain while running out a single. According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link), Pollock “sounded very frustrated” speaking with media after the game, which could hint at a significant absence. Pollock has battled problems with his left groin in Spring Training and at the end of last season; Pollock didn’t play after September 9 due to the injury, though he could’ve just been shut down since the D’Backs were well out of the race. Pollock entered today hitting .295/.331/.456 over 157 in his comeback season after appearing in only 12 games in 2016 due to a fractured elbow and the aforementioned late-season groin problem.
- Peralta was removed from the game with what the team described as tightness in his right glute. Peralta is also off to a good start for Arizona, carrying a .303/.354/.471 slash line into today’s action. The Diamondbacks have enough outfield roster depth in the outfield to handle going without both Pollock and Peralta for a game or even two, though obviously the team will be hard-pressed to sustain lengthy absences for both star outfielders.
- Carlos Gomez suffered a right hamstring strain while scoring a run (and awkwardly trying to avoid a bat while doing so) during today’s Rangers victory, and had to be removed from the game. The center fielder will undergo an MRI tomorrow, and he feels the injury is “not something I think is too serious,” comparing it to other hamstring problems he’s had in the past. (Hat tip to Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.) Gomez enjoyed a three-hit day before leaving the game, bumping his slash line up to .246/.331/.423 over 164 plate appearances.
- The Rangers had another regular out of action when Shin-Soo Choo was scratched from the lineup due to back spasms. Choo told Stevenson and other reporters that he wasn’t sure if he’ll be ready for Texas’ next game on Tuesday, though his back was feeling better later in the day than it did early Sunday. Lower back inflammation was the cause of one of Choo’s four separate trips to the DL in 2016, which limited him to just 48 games last season.
- Gregory Polanco is day-to-day after leaving today’s game with “left hamstring discomfort” while running out a grounder, as reported by MLB.com’s Adam Berry and others. The Pirates outfielder managed just a .671 OPS in April but has hit better in May as he tries to build on his breakout 2016 season. Polanco’s injury doesn’t sound particularly serious, which would be welcome news to a Bucs outfield that has already lost Starling Marte to a PED suspension.
- In some more positive injury news, Athletics left-hander Sean Manaea is scheduled to return from the DL and start tomorrow night’s game against the Mariners, A’s manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including MLB.com’s Dave Sessions) on Friday. Manaea hasn’t pitched since April 27 due to a strain in his throwing shoulder. The promising young hurler has a 5.18 ERA, 10.0 K/9 and a 2.25 K/BB over 24 1/3 IP for Oakland this season.
MLBTR Originals
Here’s the roundup of original content from MLB Trade Rumors over the last two weeks…
- In two outstandingly detailed pieces, MLBTR contributor Chuck Wasserstrom explores how the Rockies and Marlins constructed their initial rosters in the 1992 expansion draft, interviewing several executives, managers, scouts, and players from both franchises. Part one and part two are here, and the third and final entry of Chuck’s series on the ’92 expansion draft will be coming later this week.
- Also from Chuck, he continues his Inside The Draft Room series with a look back at the Yankees‘ 2006 draft and an interview with former Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer. This was a pitching-rich draft for New York, as the Yankees selected several very notable arms (including Dellin Betances, Mark Melancon, and David Robertson) who are still producing in the big leagues almost 11 years later.
- If Zack Cozart can keep up anything close to his tremendous start at the plate, the Reds shortstop will be in line for a big free agent payday this offseason, MLBTR’s Jeff Todd writes as part of a Free Agent Stock Watch piece.
- MLBTR’s Steve Adams looked at how players with vesting options in their contracts were progressing towards another guaranteed year (or more contractual freedom) in 2018. Of this group, the Nationals‘ Gio Gonzalez clearly seems the most likely to get his option to vest, though the southpaw will have to stay healthy and keep eating innings to reach the magic 180 IP threshold.
Yunel Escobar To Miss 2-4 Weeks Due To Hamstring Strain
The Angels will place third baseman Yunel Escobar on the 10-day DL with a left hamstring strain, as per a team announcement. Escobar is expected to miss between 2-4 weeks of action with the Grade 1 strain, which is the least-serious type of such hamstring injuries.
Escobar has delivered a solid .272/.324/.411 slash line over 170 plate appearances for the Halos, buoyed by a strong first week of the season and a red-hot May. The veteran already has five homers this season, tying his total from all of last season. Escobar’s early power surge is reflected in his .139 Isolated Slugging mark, which would be the highest of his 11-year career (his previous single-season high of .136 came in 2009, when he hit a career-best 14 home runs for the Braves).
The loss of such a productive bat is a significant blow to the Angels, who already rank in the bottom-third of most major offensive categories. Mike Trout is having another incredible season and Luis Valbuena has hit well since returning from the DL, though the Halos have gotten little from regulars like Albert Pujols, Kole Calhoun, Cameron Maybin and Danny Espinosa. Despite this lack of offense and an injury-ravaged rotation, however, the Angels are staying afloat with a 19-21 record, good enough to keep pace in the tightly-packed American League.
A corresponding move will be made once Los Angeles officially puts Escobar on the DL, though it seems like the Angels will simply keep Jefry Marte on the active roster, according to Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times. Marte had just been optioned to Triple-A earlier today, though if he’s sticking around in Anaheim, he and backup infielder Cliff Pennington are the logical candidates to handle third base while Escobar is sidelined.
Ross Detwiler Opts Out Of A’s Contract, Hits Free Agency
The A’s have released Ross Detwiler after the left-hander enacted a opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the club, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter link).
Detwiler originally came to Oakland last July after a trade from the Indians, and the southpaw posted a 6.14 ERA, 4.7 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 over 44 innings (seven starts in nine outings) in the green-and-gold. Detwiler signed a minors contract with the A’s over the winter but opted out of that deal at the end of Spring Training, only to sign a new deal with the club the next week.
Pitching exclusively as a reliever at Triple-A, Detwiler had a 7.50 ERA through 12 innings, though Slusser notes that the lefty had pitched better as of late, with just a 1.17 ERA in May. Still, it seems as if a call-up to the A’s roster wasn’t in the card, so Detwiler will now look for an opportunity elsewhere.
Best known for a productive stint as a swingman with the Nationals from 2009-14, Detwiler has struggled over the last two seasons, posting a 6.73 ERA over 107 IP with the A’s, Indians, Rangers and Braves. Never a big strikeout pitcher (only a 5.5 career K/9), Detwiler has had increased troubles allowing walks and homers for the last two years, reducing his margin of error to zero.
Athletics Release Andrew Lambo
The A’s have released outfielder/first baseman Andrew Lambo, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link). Lambo had been on the DL at Triple-A Nashville with a wrist injury, but had been recently cleared to play.
Lambo was limited to just 56 minor league games and one MLB game in 2016 after undergoing surgery to treat testicular cancer. The 28-year-old happily made a full recovery from that procedure and signed a new minor league deal with Oakland last October.
Originally a fourth-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2007 draft, Lambo has hit .189/.230/.295 over an even 100 career plate appearances in the majors, appearing in 60 games with the Pirates and A’s since 2013. He got off to a slow start in Triple-A this season (undoubtedly the wrist injury was a factor) but overall, Lambo has a .276/.342/.456 slash line in 3340 PA over his minor league career.
Quick Hits: Palermo, Rays, Reds, Giants
Major League Baseball umpire supervisor Steve Palermo passed away Sunday at the age of 67, the league announced. Palermo debuted as an American League umpire in 1976 and worked until 1991, when a gunshot wound to his spinal cord left him partially paralyzed. He suffered the injury bravely trying to assist two waitresses who were being mugged outside a Dallas restaurant. Thanks to arduous physical therapy, Palermo was able to defy the odds and walk again with the assistance of a cane.
“Steve Palermo was a great umpire, a gifted communicator and a widely respected baseball official, known in our sport for his leadership and courage,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “He had an exceptional impact on both his Major League Umpires and baseball fans, who benefited from his ability to explain the rules in our game. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Steve’s wife, Debbie, the World Umpires Association and his many friends and admirers throughout the game.”
MLBTR joins Manfred in sending its condolences to Palermo’s family and friends.
A few notes from both leagues:
- The Rays made the right decision in optioning southpaw Blake Snell to Triple-A Durham on Saturday, opines Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. While a significant decline in performance since last season is behind Snell’s demotion, there are also accountability issues with the 24-year-old, according to Topkin, who writes that Snell’s postgame comments “routinely drew eye rolls from others in uniform.” Snell apparently took the news in stride, though, with teammate Alex Cobb telling Craig Forde of MLB.com: “He seemed to have a good outlook. He seemed relieved to be able to go down, without the pressure, and work on what he knows he needs to work on. That’s a positive.” One problem Snell will work on in the minors is a lack of fastball command, suggested manager Kevin Cash, who assured reporters that the Rays still believe in the second-year hurler. “For us to be the kind of team we can be, Blake has got to be in our rotation,” Cash said.
- Left-hander Amir Garrett, whom the Reds optioned to Triple-A last Sunday, will rejoin the big league rotation during the upcoming week, manager Bryan Price said Sunday (Twitter link via C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer). Garrett has thrown two scoreless innings since the Reds sent him down to Louisville. Before that, the rookie impressed at the major league level with five quality starts in six opportunities. Aside from a dreadful April 24 showing against the Brewers, who teed off on Garrett for nine earned runs on eight hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings, the 25-year-old hasn’t lasted fewer than six frames or allowed more than two earned runs in any of his starts.
- The Giants are mulling a stint on the disabled list for right fielder Hunter Pence, relays Michael Wagaman of MLB.com. Pence, who has been on the shelf this weekend, underwent an MRI on Sunday that revealed a mild hamstring strain. The 34-year-old is among the many Giants who have started slowly this season, having hit just .243/.289/.338 in 149 plate appearances.
Mariners Outright Jean Machi
SUNDAY: Seattle has outrighted Machi to Triple-A, the team announced.
SATURDAY: The Mariners have announced that they’ve designated righty Jean Machi for assignment and selected the contract of fellow righty Ryan Weber from Triple-A Tacoma. Weber will start against the Blue Jays today.
The Mariners selected Machi’s contract just last week with the idea that he’d provide help for their bullpen. He did just that, allowing only two runs (one earned) over 7 1/3 innings, although he walked four batters and struck out just four. He also pitched 2 1/3 of those innings yesterday and therefore would probably not have been much help today, as Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune points out. The Mariners also plan to have fellow reliever Steve Cishek return from the disabled list in the coming days. It was the 35-year-old Machi’s first stint in the big leagues since 2015, when he pitched 58 innings for the Giants and Red Sox.
Weber will attempt to help a Mariners rotation that has lately been decimated by injuries to Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton and Drew Smyly, becoming the ninth starter to take the hill for Seattle this season. The only two healthy starters remaining from the team’s Opening Day 25-man (which itself didn’t include Smyly, who has missed the entire season thus far with elbow trouble) are Yovani Gallardo and Ariel Miranda.
The 26-year-old Weber made seven starts over parts of the 2015 and 2016 campaigns with the Braves. He had an 0.85 ERA and just 1.1 BB/9 in 31 2/3 innings with Tacoma, although with a modest 5.4 K/9.
Neil Ramirez Elects Free Agency
Reliever Neil Ramirez, whom the Blue Jays designated for assignment on Tuesday, has rejected an outright demotion to Triple-A in favor of free agency, per a team announcement.
The 27-year-old Ramirez didn’t last long with the Toronto organization, which claimed him off waivers from the Giants on May 4 and designated him less than a week later. Ramirez’s only action this year has come with San Francisco, with which he threw 10 1/3 innings and, despite racking up 18 strikeouts against four walks, allowed 15 earned runs on 16 hits.
Ramirez, once an effective option with the Cubs from 2014-15, is now primed to endure his second straight nomadic season. He was a member of the Cubs, Brewers and Twins a year ago, when his issued preventing runs first cropped up. Thanks to both a 21.1 percent home run-to-fly ball ratio and a 6.75 BB/9, Ramirez pitched to a 6.00 ERA in a combined 24 innings with those clubs.
Pitching Notes: Trade Market, Price, Bundy, Cecil
With so many starting pitchers potentially hitting the trade market in the coming months, don’t be surprised if teams begin selling off rotation pieces as early as mid-June, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. In the event they don’t rebound from subpar starts, unexpected sellers such as the Giants, Blue Jays and Rangers should hasten movement, per Sherman. Further, the new qualifying offer system (which no longer allows teams to receive first-round picks for departed free agents) will almost certainly lead to the Rangers marketing free agent-to-be Yu Darvish and the Blue Jays doing the same with impending free agent Marco Estrada, Sherman contends. The likeliest seller, though, appears to be the floundering Royals, who “are dying to declare,” one AL executive told Sherman. Kansas City could attempt to sell high on contract-year southpaw Jason Vargas, who has stunningly delivered a 1.01 ERA in 44 2/3 innings to begin his age-34 season.
- The rehab start Red Sox left-hander David Price was supposed to make for Triple-A Pawtucket on Sunday was postponed due to rain, so he threw a 75-pitch simulated game indoors, per Scott Lauber of ESPN.com. Price will start Pawtucket’s game Friday at Triple-A Buffalo, weather permitting, and could rejoin the Red Sox if that goes well. “We’ll re-evaluate following Friday and wouldn’t rule out his return to us if everything goes according to plan,” said manager John Farrell (via John Tomase of WEEI). Price hasn’t pitched yet this season on account of an elbow issue that cropped up in early March.
- Orioles righty Dylan Bundy has already thrown 51 2/3 innings in 2017, meaning he’s nearly halfway to the career-high 109 1/3 professional frames he tossed last year. That could be a problem for the recent Tommy John surgery recipient, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com points out. However, despite both Bundy’s innings total and the fact that he has amassed no fewer than 99 pitches in any of his eight starts, manager Buck Showalter isn’t overly concerned about the 24-year-old’s workload. “We’re careful. There is nobody more careful,” said Showalter. “I’m very proud about the health of our pitchers. It’s by design. It’s walk around and talk to them. Knowing their backgrounds. But to try to evaluate someone’s health on how many pitches or innings he’s thrown from one year to the next is a big excuse. It’s more about knowing the evidence and the person. Believe me, I’m concerned about it. I’ll put our track record of that part of it. … We’re watching everything Dylan does.”
- Cardinals lefty reliever Brett Cecil has fared poorly in the first season of the four-year, $30.5MM deal he signed as a free agent over the winter, having logged a 5.79 ERA and a 4.50 BB/9, and given up a 1.429 OPS to left-handed hitters. When speaking this weekend with reporters – including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Cecil used the word “embarrassing” multiple times to describe his performance, though he believes his problems stem from a fixable mechanical issue. “I know I have a good track record,” the ex-Blue Jay said. “Obviously, I know I can get guys out. And these are struggles I’ve dealt with before.”