Braves Acquire Danny Santana From Twins For Kevin Chapman
The Braves and Twins have announced a swap that will send infielder/outfielder Danny Santana to Atlanta in exchange for lefty Kevin Chapman and cash considerations. Santana had been designated for assignment by Minnesota.
Atlanta will hope that Santana represents an upgrade for the team’s beleaguered bench. Lane Adams was optioned to open an active roster spot, while the club moved Micah Johnson to the 60-day DL to create 40-man space.
Santana, a 26-year-old switch-hitter, brings plenty of defensive versatility in the field and good speed on the bases. But he has struggled badly at the plate in recent years, posting a cumulative .225/.258/.310 batting line since the start of the 2015 season — with 131 strikeouts against just 19 walks. What remains tantalizing about him, however, was his debut campaign back in 2014, when he slashed .319/.353/.472 with seven home runs and twenty stolen bases.
Chapman has also shown both his talent and some limitations over the years. Across 55 total MLB frames, he owns a 4.09 ERA with 7.9 K/9 against 5.1 BB/9. He has shown bigger swing-and-miss potential at times in the upper minors, though. Since being claimed and outrighted by the Braves, Chapman has tamped down on the walks — a career-low 2.3 per nine — but has been touched for ten earned runs on 14 hits over 11 2/3 innings.
Mets Designate Adam Wilk, Add Tommy Milone To Active Roster
5:21pm: New York has added southpaw Tommy Milone to its active roster, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). He was claimed recently off waivers from the Brewers.
5:15pm: The Mets have designated lefty Adam Wilk for assignment, according to Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). The 29-year-old had just been called up to make his first appearance for the Mets in the wake of Matt Harvey‘s suspension.
Wilk was asked to step into a tough spot after a huge amount of travel, and it showed in the results. He was tagged for five earned runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. Over thirty total MLB frames, stretching back to 2011, Wilk owns a 7.20 ERA with 21 strikeouts against eight walks. Over parts of six campaigns at Triple-A, the southpaw has compiled a 4.15 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 over 663 frames.
Braves Release Ryan Howard
The Braves have released Ryan Howard, per a club announcement. He had joined the organization recently on a minor-league deal.
Howard, 37, headed to Triple-A after getting ready for the season. But he struggled through his first 42 plate appearances there, hitting just .184/.238/.263 with a single home run and 11 strikeouts.
Once named the National League’s Most Valuable Player, Howard’s strikeout issues and inability to hit lefties have steadily overtaken his power over recent years. Though he swatted 25 home runs in just 362 plate appearances last year in his final campaign with the Phillies, Howard managed only a .196 batting average and .257 on-base percentage on the season.
Blue Jays Place Russell Martin On 10-Day DL, Designate Casey Lawrence
The Blue Jays have placed catcher Russell Martin on the 10-day DL, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca was among those to report (Twitter links). Mike Ohlman will come up from Triple-A to take his roster spot, with the club designating righty Casey Lawrence for assignment to open a 40-man spot.
Martin is dealing with a nerve problem in his left shoulder that has been an ongoing issue since the spring, per the report. Though he has obviously been playing through it thus far, a recent collision made things worse and evidently pushed the team to give him a lengthier rest.
While it seems reasonable to hope that Martin won’t be out for long, the Jays will be left with a less-than-ideal situation in the interim. Ohlman will pair with Luke Maile, who was recently added via waiver claim.
The 26-year-old Ohlman is headed to the majors for the first time. He has had some strong years at the plate at times in the minors, and was off to an excellent start this year at Triple-A. Through 85 plate appearances, Ohlman is slashing .246/.388/.594 with seven home runs.
Lawrence, 29, has been utilized as an optionable swingman this year, providing some much-needed flexibility. But he had struggled through 13 1/3 innings, allowing 13 earned runs on 21 hits while recording just seven strikeouts against 11 free passes.
Marlins Place Martin Prado On Disabled List
The Marlins announced today that third baseman Martin Prado, who missed the bulk of the season’s first month due to a hamstring strain, has been placed back on the 10-day disabled list with another hamstring strain. Infielder J.T. Riddle has been recalled from Triple-A New Orleans to fill his spot on the roster.
[Related: Updated Miami Marlins Depth Chart]
There’s been no timetable given by the Marlins just yet, though Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel provided some context on the injury last night. Healey, who notes that Prado appears to have injured a different portion of the same hamstring, was able to walk on the injury after suffering a Grade 1 strain in the World Baseball Classic. This time, however, Prado told reporters that walking on the injury was more difficult. Prado was out through April 17 with the first hamstring strain.
In Prado’s previous absence, Derek Dietrich shouldered the workload at third base, and that’s likely to be the arrangement for the Marlins once again. Riddle could see some time at third base as well, although like Dietrich, he’s a left-handed bat, so there’s no opportunity for a platoon setup. To this point in the season, Prado had batted .290/.315/.406 in 73 plate appearances, whereas Dietrich has hit .224/.348/.293 in roughly the same sample size.
Blue Jays Outright Mat Latos
The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Mat Latos has cleared outright waivers. The veteran righty could have elected free agency following his outright but will instead report to the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo tonight, per the Jays.
Latos, still just 29 years of age, made three starts for the Jays after having his contract selected from Buffalo last month. Though he turned in one scoreless six-inning performance, his aggregate work in Toronto left plenty to be desired; Latos ultimately yielded 11 earned runs on 19 hits and eight walks with 10 strikeouts before being designated for assignment last week when the club claimed right-hander Cesar Valdez from the A’s.
Once one of the game’s more reliable young starters, Latos hasn’t turned in an effective season since a 2014 campaign that was shortened by knee surgery. Since that time, Latos has struggled to a 5.05 earned run average in 201 1/3 innings between the Marlins, Dodgers, Angels, White Sox, Nationals and Blue Jays.
Given the injuries the Blue Jays have experienced in their rotation this season, it’s feasible that Latos could once again be called upon as a depth option — especially if the Jays aren’t able to turn things around and elect to sell off some more marketable veteran assets at the trade deadline this summer (e.g. Francisco Liriano, Marco Estrada). The Jays are currently 11-20 and sit 10 games out of the division lead in the American League East.
NL East Notes: Cecchini, Cabrera, Nationals, Neris
The Mets will promote infielder Gavin Cecchini prior to tonight’s game against the Giants, Adam Rubin reports (on Twitter). A corresponding move for Cecchini’s recall is not yet known. Once considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, Cecchini’s stock has taken a step back, though he still entered the season rated as the Mets’ No. 6 prospect by both Baseball America and MLB.com. In addition to making his MLB debut last season and hitting a pair of doubles in seven plate appearances with the Mets last season, the 23-year-old turned in a solid year in Triple-A Las Vegas. In 499 plate appearances there last season, Cecchini batted .325/.390/.448. He’s off to a slower start in 2017, slashing .254/.316/.369.
More from the Senior Circuit’s Eastern Division…
- Flamethrowing reliever Mauricio Cabrera was activated from the disabled list by the Braves yesterday, though he was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Cabrera was one of Atlanta’s best relievers in 2016 and is touted as a potential closer, though as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets, he’ll remain in Triple-A to continue to hone his control. The reasons for the Braves’ apparent concerns with his control aren’t hard to see; in six minor league innings this season (he was previously pitching on a rehab assignment), Cabrera has issued four walks, hit a batter, and thrown three wild pitches. That said, it shouldn’t be hard for Cabrera to force his way back into the mix in short order if he begins to locate his pitches more effectively. Josh Collmenter, Ian Krol and Eric O’Flaherty all have ERAs north of 5.50, and the Braves’ relief corps as a whole has pitched to a 4.99 ERA in 95 2/3 innings this year.
- The Nationals are weighing whether to keep right-hander Jacob Turner in their struggling bullpen or use him as their fifth starter, writes Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. Turner has fired six shutout innings in the bullpen but has also impressed the team in a starting role, Castillo notes. The five-spot in the rotation comes up next on Thursday, and Washington’s other option for that outing in Baltimore is right-hander A.J. Cole. Castillo notes, however, that Cole was hit fairly hard by the Phillies this weekend despite escaping with just one run allowed. Right-hander Joe Ross, who was optioned to Triple-A last week, is slated to pitch for Syracuse tonight, so he’s seemingly not an option.
- Since surrendering back-to-back-to-back homers to blow a save against the Dodgers a bit more than a week ago, Hector Neris has once again ramped up the usage of his splitter, as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out. Gelb notes that 30 of the 43 pitches Neris has thrown since that meltdown have been splitters. The Phillies have “implored” Neris to throw his splitter, which is his best pitch, with more and more frequency, Gelb adds. “The more he uses it, the more hitters have to worry about it, and they can’t sit on his fastball,” says manager Pete Mackanin. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki notes that during Neris’ shakiest stretch this season, he was throwing 40 percent splitters against 60 percent four-seam fastballs. Neris looks to be back on track, and it doesn’t seem as if there’s any real thought in making a ninth-inning change in Philadelphia at this time. (Reminder to fantasy players: you can track all of the latest ninth-inning drama by following MLBTR’s @closernews account on Twitter.)
Jeremy Guthrie Not Pursuing Contract
Veteran right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, who elected free agency after being outrighted by the Nationals earlier this season, is not actively seeking an opportunity to sign with another team, according to MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman. The 38-year-old didn’t go so far as to use the word “retire” during an excellent, lengthy interview with Zuckerman, but he also spoke like a man whose playing days could be behind him.
Guthrie’s lone start with the Nationals was memorable, although certainly not in the way that any pitcher would want to be remembered. Pitching on his 38th birthday, Guthrie was rocked for 10 runs in just two-thirds of an inning — a disastrous outcome for a pitcher that had turned in an outstanding Spring Training and forced himself into consideration for a 40-man roster spot.
“That start has not been something easy for me to let go,” Guthrie tells Zuckerman. “I wanted to end on a good note. I wanted to go out on my terms.”
Prior to that outing, Guthrie had tossed 18 2/3 innings for the Nats in the spring, posting a 2.41 ERA with a strong 15-to-5 K/BB ratio. The performance was impressive enough, Zuckerman writes, that GM Mike Rizzo promised Guthrie he’d start the team’s fifth game of the season (despite not technically being placed onto the roster out of camp, thus allowing the Nats to briefly carry an extra reliever). Guthrie was well aware that he’d be designated and sent back to Triple-A no matter how he fared, Zuckerman continues, though he’d have been considered for future spot starts and opportunities with the club had he performed well.
“I had a conversation with Mike Rizzo during the game, in the clubhouse, where he was positive and kind,” Guthrie tells Zuckerman. “But he didn’t sugarcoat the devastating blow that game meant to my future.”
Similarly, Guthrie doesn’t sugarcoat his own take of his brutal start to the season, telling Zuckerman, ” I was realistic with myself enough to know that was the type of outing that could completely change what had transpired the prior six weeks.”
Zuckerman’s column is rife with honest, candid quotes from Guthrie that serve as a poignant reminder of the human component of the game that is often easy to forget. The decision not to return to Triple-A Syracuse does not seem like one which Guthrie took lightly, as he details the amount of thought that both he and his wife put into the decision.
I’d highly recommend that MLBTR readers give it a full read — especially those who were fans of Guthrie during his more successful years earlier. Nats fans, too, will want to give it a look, as Guthrie offers nothing but praise for the entire organization, from the front office to the training staff to the current roster of players in D.C. “I would tell every player, if they have the chance, to come play for them,” says Guthrie.
It’s possible that Guthrie again feels the urge to seek out one last shot at a Major League roster, but if this is indeed the end of his career, he has little to hang his head about. Guthrie spent parts of 13 seasons in the Major Leagues, pitching to a 4.42 ERA over the life of 1765 1/3 innings between the Indians, Orioles, Rockies, Royals and Nationals. He made three starts for the Royals in the 2014 postseason, including two in the World Series, and he received a World Series ring for his time with the 2015 Royals.
Guthrie may never have been a front-line starter, but he was a durable workhorse for the Orioles and Royals for the better part of seven seasons. From 2008-14, he averaged 32 starts and 201 innings per year. Guthrie earned nearly $47MM in his career, between his $3MM signing bonus as the No. 22 overall pick in 2002 and the player contracts he’d go on to take home. Baseball-Reference pegs his career at 17.9 wins above replacement, while RA9-WAR had him at 20.4.
AL East Notes: Wieters, Rays, Sanchez, Hanley
Matt Wieters will return to Baltimore tonight for the first time since signing with the Nationals, and he spoke with Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com about his offseason departure from the Orioles as well the emotions he’s feeling in advance of tonight’s return to Camden Yards. Wieters’ podcast appearance also included talk of Dylan Bundy‘s breakout and the experiences he’s had when being managed by two of our generation’s most successful managers: Buck Showalter and Dusty Baker.
Some more AL East-related notes…
- Though Rickie Weeks has gotten off to a dreadful start to his 2017 campaign with the Rays, the “clock isn’t ticking yet,” writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. It doesn’t appear that Weeks is on the brink of losing his roster spot, despite an ugly .163/.317/.286 batting line to open the season, though Topkin notes that he’ll need to turn things around sooner rather than later. Topkin also notes that the Rays face a decision when Matt Duffy returns from the disabled list late this month. Duffy is in line to be the starter, but the Rays will have to determine if Tim Beckham or Daniel Robertson is the better option to serve as a utility option.
- Both Aaron Sanchez and the Blue Jays were encouraged by a 33-pitch bullpen session yesterday, writes Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. Sanchez felt comfortable enough to throw his curveball — the same pitch that has led to the blister issues and a subsequent removal of part of his fingernail — and is now slated to pitch in an extended Spring Training game on Tuesday. If that outing goes well, he’ll be an option to return to Toronto’s rotation this weekend against the Mariners, per Nicholson-Smith.
- Hanley Ramirez has yet to appear in a game at first base this season due to a shoulder issue, but he’s ready to take the field for the Red Sox‘ upcoming interleague series in Milwaukee, writes Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. That should allow the Red Sox to deepen their lineup against left-handed pitching, he points out, with Chris Young sliding into the DH slot and Ramirez playing at first over the left-handed-hitting Mitch Moreland. While Moreland has more than held his own against southpaws in a small sample of work this season (.879 OPS in 24 plate appearances), he’s struggled against lefties throughout his career. And, as manager John Farrell points out to Mastrodonato, Moreland isn’t accustomed to playing first base on an everyday basis (due largely to his platoon issues), so the ability to keep him fresh by mixing Ramirez in at first base is important in multiple regards.
Quick Hits: Ozuna, K-Rod, JD Martinez, Darvish
New ownership would obviously lead to many changes for the Marlins, though it’s too early to speculate on what a possible sale of the team would mean for Marcell Ozuna‘s long-term future in Miami, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro writes as part of a reader mailbag. It seemed as if Ozuna had fallen out of favor with Jeffrey Loria two years ago, though Ozuna wasn’t dealt in the 2015-16 offseason after much speculation. Ozuna delivered a solid season in 2016 and is off to a great start this year, hitting .319/.380/.595 with nine homers in his first 129 PA. Since Ozuna isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2019 campaign, his future isn’t a pressing concern for whomever ends up running the Marlins, though an extension could be unlikely regardless since Ozuna is represented by Scott Boras. At the very least, the outfielder is lining himself up for a massive raise in his second year of arbitration eligibility after agreeing to a $3.5MM salary for 2017.
Here’s some more from around the big leagues…
- After two blown saves in as many days for Francisco Rodriguez, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus told reporters (including MLB.com’s Alex Espinoza) that the team is “going to have to have a discussion” about the closer role. Rodriguez has blown four saves in 11 opportunities this season, and his ERA ballooned to 8.49 after today’s ugly performance. K-Rod has seen a marked increase in hard contact this season (36.8%, as opposed to 29.2% last year) and he has lost a mile off his fastball from last season, now averaging 88.2mph on his heater. With that being said, there may also be some bad luck involved in Rodriguez’s poor start, such as a .405 BABIP, 29.3% grounder rate and 21.1% fly ball rate that all seem destined to eventually normalize. Set-up man Justin Wilson is off a very good start and could seem like the logical candidate to take over as closer if Rodriguez is indeed demoted. Be sure to check out @CloserNews (MLBTR’s affiliate Twitter feed) for all the latest updates on ninth-inning situations from around the majors.
- In other Tigers news, Ausmus told Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press and other media that J.D. Martinez could make his season debut next weekend. The slugging outfielder has been on the DL since suffering a Lisfranc sprain in Spring Training, and the Tigers announced today that Martinez will take the next step his minor league rehab process by moving from Class-A to Triple-A on Monday.
- The Rangers dropped to 13-19 after today’s loss to the Mariners, and if Texas can’t turn things around, Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron opines that Yu Darvish could be a major trade chip at the deadline. Darvish is only under contract through this season, though as Cameron notes, other rental starters dealt in recent years have still merited big returns, so the Rangers could look for something like the package the Tigers obtained from the Blue Jays for David Price in 2015. The Yankees and Cubs are best-equipped to afford this outlay of young talent (though it remains to be seen if Chicago will make another big deadline splash), with other teams like the Rockies, Astros and Red Sox also possible fits as trade partners.