Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Brian Dozier On Potential Future In Minnesota

By | at

Twins second baseman Brian Dozier would like to stay in Minnesota for the long haul, but he realizes the rebuilding club might not feel the same way.

“You need to see after the season who is going to be our GM, which obviously plays a huge part in it,” Dozier told Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

The Twins are in the midst of a front office shakeup and are looking for both a president of baseball operations and a general manager. Interim GM Rob Antony is a candidate to take over as president, and he’s aware of Dozier’s desire to remain with the Twins.

“I know talking with (interim GM Rob Antony) he knows I’d love to be here for a very, very long time,” Dozier said. “We made that clear the past three or four years as we’ve been talking about extensions and that kind of thing. But there’s way too many (questions) and there’s a lot of other things involved that have to take place rather than just for me to say, ‘Hey, I’m open. Let’s do it.’ ”

Antony was working under then-GM Terry Ryan when the Twins signed Dozier to a four-year, $20MM extension prior to the 2015 season. That contract has been a bargain for the Twins, especially this season. After slashing .240/.322/.425 with 69 home runs and 47 stolen bases in 2,034 plate appearances from 2013-15, during which time he combined for 10.5 fWAR, Dozier’s performance has reached an higher level in 2016. The 29-year-old has belted 41 homers, becoming just the fourth second baseman to hit 40 or more in a season, to accompany a .282/.354/.577 line across 641 PAs. Dozier has also added 15 steals on 17 attempts and accumulated 6.2 fWAR, the majors’ eighth-highest total among position players.

Given both his on-field excellence and cheap remaining control (two years, $15MM), the last-place Twins will have a highly appealing trade chip on their hands if they choose to shop Dozier in the offseason. Before putting Dozier on the block, the Twins would likely approach him about an extension, according to Berardino. Not only would locking Dozier up be costly, but the possibility of the team being a fair distance from returning to contention could make retaining him for the foreseeable future all the more difficult.

“I want to win,” Dozier said. “I want to win more than ever. It’s a point in my career that I want to have everybody on the same page — to be dedicated to win and make sure to do that. That comes first.”

With the offseason approaching, plenty of opposing scouts have been on hand at Twins games this month to watch Dozier, per Berardino. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported last week that the Twins would likely want front-line pitching in return for Dozier, for whom they have a potential successor in Baseball America’s 97th-ranked prospect, Jorge Polanco. While mostly playing shortstop for the Twins, the 23-year-old has held his own with a .294/.344/.431 line in 217 trips to the plate this season.

Related:

Mariners Want Nori Aoki Back In 2017

By | at

After joining the Mariners on a one-year, $5.5MM deal during the winter, left fielder Nori Aoki began the season in dreadful fashion. The former Brewer, Royal and Giant hit just .245/.323/.313 over his first 284 plate appearances, which led the Mariners to option him to Triple-A Tacoma on June 24. The demotion proved effective for Aoki, who returned to the majors in late July and has since slashed .317/.363/.468 in 136 trips to the plate. As a result, the Mariners hope Aoki sticks around in 2017, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune.

“He’s been awesome,” said general manager Jerry Dipoto. “I don’t think he was ever out of our plans (for 2017). When we sent him to Triple-A, we explained to him that we were going to let him play. And whatever happens, happens.”

The Dipoto-led Mariners sent Aoki to the minors again in late August, but that trip only lasted 10 days and came on account of roster issues, per Dutton.

Whether Aoki is a Mariner in 2017 could come down to his player option. The soon-to-be 35-year-old needs another 60 PAs this season to trigger his $5MM option for next season, notes Dutton, who expects Aoki to see plenty of action during the final 15 games of the Mariners’ campaign as they try to overcome a three-game deficit in the American League wild-card race. Collecting 60 more plate trips could be difficult for Aoki, but it’s in his favor that Seattle is set to face plenty of right-handed pitchers, as Dutton writes. Aoki has slashed .292/.357/.413 and walked nearly as much as he has struck out (21 to 27) in 316 PAs versus righties this year.

“I’m doing a lot of things different,” Aoki said of his second-half success. “It’s not just one thing. I changed my bat. I changed my helmet. I changed the way I see the ball. I changed a lot of things.”

In addition to Aoki, the statuses of fellow Mariners outfielders Seth Smith and Franklin Gutierrez are also up in the air as the offseason nears. Seattle has a $7MM club option for Smith, while Gutierrez is scheduled to hit free agency. Among Mariners outfielders, those three trail only designated hitter/right fielder Nelson Cruz and Leonys Martin in plate appearances. The club has also given outfield time to younger options Guillermo Heredia and Ben Gamel, an August trade acquisition, but they’ve struggled in limited work.

Carlos Carrasco Done For Season

By | at

7:30pm: Carrasco is done for the year, manager Terry Francona announced Saturday (Twitter link via Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal).

5:49pm: In what could be a serious blow to the Indians’ World Series hopes, the team announced Saturday that right-hander Carlos Carrasco has a nondisplaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal on his pitching hand, Jason Beck of MLB.com was among those to tweet. There’s no timetable for Carrasco’s return, which is particularly troubling with the playoffs approaching.

Carrasco suffered the injury during the Indians’ matchup with the American League Central rival Tigers on Saturday. The 29-year-old started for Cleveland, but Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler hit a line drive off Carrasco’s hand in the first inning and caused him to exit after only two pitches.

At 85-62, the Indians are theoretically in great shape. Their record trails only the Rangers’ for the AL’s best, and they lead second-place Detroit by seven games in the Central. However, losing Carrasco for an extended period of time could be crippling come October. Carrasco, who’s the Indians’ second-best starter behind Cy Young contender Corey Kluber, threw 146 1/3 innings prior to his injury and registered a 3.32 ERA, 9.23 K/9, 2.09 BB/9 and 48.5 percent ground-ball rate. Health has been an issue, though, as Carrasco missed six weeks earlier in the year with a strained hamstring.

Before Carrasco went down, the Indians were already set to finish the regular season without fellow righty Danny Salazar, who has a forearm strain. Salazar’s return next month would be welcome news for the Indians if it happens, but it’s up in the air how effective he’d be in the wake of both the injury and the 7.44 ERA he posted over 32 2/3 second-half innings. Therefore, not having Carrasco would leave Cleveland with only one front-line option, Kluber. Otherwise, their next best choices include Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin and Mike Clevinger. No one from that trio has managed a sub-4.00 ERA this year, though Bauer has provided 170 2/3 respectable frames.

Latest On Angels’ Garrett Richards

By | at

Angels right-hander Garrett Richards’ May decision to eschew Tommy John surgery in favor of a stem-cell therapy treatment on his elbow has produced positive results thus far. Richards threw his first bullpen session since May 1 on Saturday and came away from it encouraged about his chances to make an impact in 2017, saying, “There’s no doubt in my mind I’ll be able to pitch” (Twitter link via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register).

Richards’ next milestone is to face live hitters Oct. 1, per Fletcher, who adds that the 28-year-old will then pitch in instructional league if that goes well. Should Richards emerge from those steps unscathed, he’ll have an opportunity to help the Angels next year. That Richards has currently progressed to such a degree is remarkable, as it appeared he was headed toward Tommy John surgery after receiving word in May that he had a significant tear in his elbow. Surgery is still a possibility if Richards’ recovery hits a snag, of course, and that would substantially delay his return to a big league mound. However, had Richards chosen surgery over stem-cell therapy in the first place, he would have had difficulty coming back in 2017, anyway. By taking the route he has, Richards has given himself a chance to pitch next season.

Before succumbing to injury, Richards posted mostly stellar numbers this year, logging a 2.34 ERA, 8.8 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 34 2/3 innings. Over the previous two seasons, Richards started 58 games and recorded a 3.18 ERA, 8.14 K/9 and 3.09 BB/9 across 376 frames. Injuries to him and fellow starters Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano have helped sink the Angels this year and could damage the team’s odds of bouncing back next season.

Heaney underwent Tommy John surgery in July after first attempting an unsuccessful stem-cell treatment. Tropeano, meanwhile, required the surgery in August after tearing his UCL in July. With few contributions from those three and Tyler Skaggs, who has only thrown 48 innings this year and had his own Tommy John scare earlier this week, the Angels have stumbled to a 63-84 mark. Their record puts them last in the American League West and tied for second worst in the AL.

While Heaney and Tropeano will most most or all of next season, Richards is so far on track to return to the Angels’ rotation. Richards should be in line for an increase over his $6.425MM salary as he makes his third of four possible trips through arbitration in the offseason. Of course, a serious setback before then would leave the Angels to decide whether to tender Richards a contract for next year.

Mets Activate Lucas Duda

By | at

6:20pm: To make room for Duda on their 40-man roster, the Mets placed left-hander Jon Niese on the 60-day disabled list, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. Niese underwent knee surgery Aug. 24, and it’s possible he has thrown his last pitch as a member of the Mets. New York will likely decline Niese’s $10MM club option after the season, per Rubin.

5:26pm: The Mets have activated first baseman Lucas Duda from the 60-day disabled list, per a team announcement. Duda will now return after going on the DL in late May with a stress fracture in his lower back. However, Duda will likely only serve as a bench piece for the rest of the year, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Duda worked his way back at the Mets’ facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla., but he didn’t appear in any rehab or instructional league games, as DiComo writes.

For the Mets, the activation of Duda comes on the same day they lost star right-hander Jacob deGrom for the season because of an elbow issue. Injuries have beset the Mets throughout the season, but the defending National League champions have still managed a 78-69 record and a two-game lead on the final wild-card spot. The absence of Duda has hurt the club, though, as fill-in James Loney has been among the majors’ worst regulars at first base this year.

Loney, whom the Mets acquired from the Padres as a result of Duda’s injury, has hit a meek .264/.305/.382 with seven home runs in 335 plate appearances. Duda was in the midst of a slow start before he landed on the shelf, having batted .231/.297/.431 in 145 PAs, but he still swatted as many homers as Loney (seven) in 190 fewer plate trips. The Mets are actually second in the NL in long balls (199), yet they’ve scored the third-fewest runs in their league (579). Only the bottom-feeding Braves and Phillies, two fellow NL East teams, have crossed home plate less.

Although he’s unlikely to fill a prominent role over the next several weeks, Duda’s comeback could help the 30-year-old remain in a Mets uniform past this season. He’s currently on a $6.725MM salary and is scheduled to make one more trip through arbitration, which will leave the Mets to decide whether to tender him in the offseason. That seems likely, as the powerful Duda combined to hit an easily above-average .249/.349/.453 with 97 homers in 2,340 PAs from 2011-15.

Cardinals Shopped Jaime Garcia Before Trade Deadline

By | at

The Cardinals offered left-hander Jaime Garcia in talks with other clubs prior to the August 1 trade deadline, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports (subscription required).  Garcia was deemed expendable since Alex Reyes and Luke Weaver are ticketed for roles in next year’s St. Louis rotation; indeed, both young starters have already stepped into starting roles, with Reyes recently taking Garcia’s spot.

It has been an up-and-down year for Garcia, who has a 4.70 ERA, 7.8 K/9, 2.54 K/B rate and 56.7% ground ball rate over 166 2/3 innings for the Cards this season.  On the bright side, that innings total is the second-highest of Garcia’s eight-year MLB career, an encouraging sign for a pitcher who has been plagued with injuries in recent years.  Unfortunately, Garcia also has a career-high home run rate (19.2%) that has inflated his ERA.  Advanced metrics such as SIERA (3.99), FIP (4.43) and xFIP (3.82) indicate that Garcia has been a bit unlucky to post that 4.70 total, though he hasn’t helped himself with some rough recent outings.  Garcia has an 8.28 ERA over his last 29 1/3 innings, a cold streak that forced the Cardinals’ hand in moving Reyes into the starting five.

Despite these issues, Garcia certainly still has some value to other teams.  It’s possible that with a full season under his belt after years of shortened campaigns, Garcia will be better suited to avoid a late-season fade in 2017.  The Cardinals have a $12MM club option on the 30-year-old for 2017 and Olney notes that some in baseball believe St. Louis will decline that option to part ways with the lefty and allocate that money elsewhere.

This winter’s starting pitching free agent market, however, is so incredibly thin that it might be worth it for the Cards to exercise their option and shop Garcia during the offseason, rather than let him go for nothing.  As Olney observes in his piece, the Cardinals will face some difficult decisions in addressing their defense and one-dimensional offense in the winter, so Garcia’s presence gives the club an extra trade chip.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Wieters, Cardinals, Leon, Twins

By | at

Some news items from the latest Full Count video clip from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal…

  • The Orioles are meeting with Matt Wieters’ agent Scott Boras this week to discuss a contract extension, though Rosenthal is doubtful Wieters will remain in Baltimore.  The Nationals will have interest in signing Wieters if their own notable free agent catcher (Wilson Ramos) leaves, and Rosenthal also cites the Mets, White Sox and Braves as possible candidates to pursue Wieters.  The Braves have perhaps a bit of a geographic advantage, as Wieters is from South Carolina and played college ball at Georgia Tech.
  • The Cardinals aren’t likely to lose draft picks as punishment for the data breach of the Astros’ computer network.  The league would have to negotiate a reduction of draft picks (and, perhaps most importantly, the Cardinals’ available draft bonus spending pool) with the players’ union since the draft rules are part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Rosenthal believes that the league could instead punish via the Cards via other methods, such as a fine.
  • Nobody saw Sandy Leon’s slugging breakout with the Red Sox coming, including the Nationals, who dealt Leon to Boston in a minor cash deal in March 2015.  Rosenthal notes that the Nats are hardly the only team who missed on Leon — literally any club could’ve claimed him when the Sox designated the catcher for assignment in July 2015.
  • Cubs senior VP Jason McLeod (whose mother is from Samoa) is the only known minority candidate in the Twins’ front office search.  Rosenthal figures more are probably in the mix, given that Minnesota has hired the same search firm used by Major League Baseball itself last year to prepare female and minority candidates for baseball operations jobs.

Jacob deGrom Shut Down For Season, Likely To Undergo Right Elbow Surgery

By | at

The Mets have shut down Jacob deGrom for the remainder of the 2016 season, GM Sandy Alderson told reporters (including MLB.com’s Barry W. Bloom).  DeGrom will likely undergo surgery on his right ulnar nerve, though Alderson didn’t consider the surgery to be too serious in nature (via ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin).

DeGrom has been bothered by forearm and elbow soreness for the last two weeks and hasn’t pitched since September 1.  He was tentatively scheduled to start tomorrow and went through a successful bullpen session on Friday, though after deGrom felt pain while shagging fly balls, it isn’t any surprise that the club chose to shut down the 28-year-old.  Since surgery isn’t confirmed yet, Alderson didn’t provide any timeline, though Rubin notes that the general recovery period seems to range from three to six months.

Needless to say, losing deGrom is a big blow to the Mets’ postseason chances.  The right-hander has continued to post good results in his third MLB season, with a 3.04 ERA, 8.7 K/9, 2.19 BB/9 and 45.6% grounder rate over 148 innings.  DeGrom had suffered a loss of velocity over his last couple of starts, which is quite likely related to his injury.

The Mets roster has been plagued by injuries to major names all season, and yet the team is still hanging steady in the postseason race, beginning the day with a two-game lead on the Cardinals for the final NL wild card slot.  The Mets have won nine of their last 12 games thanks to unexpected contributors like young righties Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo, who may now be tasked with playoff starts should New York get past the wild card game.  Steven Matz could possibly still be a factor, though he is facing his own health problems in the form of a shoulder injury and bone spurs in his elbow.

Royals Designate Chien-Ming Wang For Assignment, Activate Jason Vargas

By | at

The Royals have designated Chien-Ming Wang for assignment, the team announced via Twitter.  The move clears roster space for Jason Vargas, who was activated from the disabled list to start tonight’s game.

[Updated Royals roster at Roster Resource]

Wang was himself on the DL recovering from biceps tendinitis.  Before being sidelined at the end of August, Wang posted a 4.22 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 1.67 K/BB rate and 49.4% ground ball rate over 53 1/3 relief innings for K.C. this season.  It was Wang’s first taste of big league action since 2013, as he spent the previous two seasons bouncing around the minors with the Reds, White Sox, Braves and Mariners.  Never a big strikeout pitcher even his heyday as a starter with the Yankees, Wang allowed too much contact in the form of hits and homers over the last several years, though his modest numbers in those categories this season (1.01 HR/9, 10.1 H/9) still represented some improvement.  Wang also averaged 91.1 mph on his fastball, his highest velocity since 2009.

The 36-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Royals last season that guaranteed him a $1MM salary if he cracked the Major League roster.  Another $250K was reportedly available for Wang to earn via relief appearance bonuses, and one would think he likely surpassed or came awfully close to unlocking those bonuses given his substantial workload.

Vargas is making his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2015.  Since signing a four-year, $32MM deal with Kansas City prior to the 2014 season, Vargas has a 3.76 ERA, 2.92 K/BB rate and 6.1 K/9 over 230 innings as a Royal.

No Extension Talks Between Rockies, Carlos Gonzalez

By | at

The Rockies haven’t been in contact with Carlos Gonzalez about a contract extension, the outfielder told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.  Gonzalez noted that he is interested in exploring his options as a free agent following the 2017 season, though it’s worth noting that he told Saunders last week that he is still open to the idea of an extension to remain with the Rockies.  Earlier this summer, Gonzalez denied asking for a trade and expressed excitement over the idea of remaining in Colorado to play alongside the young players who could lead the Rockies back into contention.

Almost all of the chatter about Gonzalez’s future in recent years has been centered around a possible trade, particularly after the Rockies dealt another high-priced cornerstone star in Troy Tulowitzki in 2015.  Gonzalez’s original extension (the seven-year, $80MM pact that runs through 2017) with the team raised quite a few eyebrows at the time, though it would be even more of a surprise if he re-upped for another long-term deal with the Rockies.  One would think the Rockies would have to show some significant progress on the field in 2017 to entice Gonzalez to stay, unless the team pays a premium to extend him this offseason and keep him from reaching the open market.

Overpaying to lock up a player with a significant injury history for his age-32 season and beyond may not be a great idea for a team with a limited budget like Colorado.  Elsewhere in Saunders’ mailbag piece, however, he floats the idea of the Rockies re-signing Gonzalez and then using him as a first baseman (with occasional outfield work).  The move would help keep Gonzalez healthy while also freeing up a crowded Colorado outfield situation that also includes Charlie Blackmon, David Dahl and Gerardo Parra.

Gonzalez rebounded from several injury-plagued seasons to deliver healthy and very productive campaigns in both 2015 and 2016, and he looks to be one of the top hitters available in the 2017-18 free agent class.  J.D. Martinez leads the market, though other available bats (Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas and potentially Justin Upton if he opts out of his Tigers contract) carry some health question marks or lack Gonzalez’s strong track record.  The market could shift if Jose Altuve, Ian Kinsler or Logan Forsythe become available, though all seem like no-brainers to have their club options exercised.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top