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Josh Thole Elects Free Agency

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AUG. 30: Thole has cleared waivers and elected free agency, the team told reporters, including Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star (Twitter link). Kennedy adds that Thole is likely to be re-signed quickly, which would make sense in the event that the organization wants to keep him as depth and for a potential postseason spot in the event of an injury to Martin or Navarro.

AUG. 28: The Blue Jays placed catcher Josh Thole on irrevocable waivers following Sunday’s game, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star reports.  The newly-acquired Dioner Navarro will be activated on Monday to take Thole’s spot on the 25-man roster.  Thole will become property of any team that claims him within the 48-hour waiver period, and if he goes unclaimed, he will be released.  It should be noted that is different from the standard August waiver process, as those waivers are revocable; Griffin reports that Thole cleared those waivers earlier this month.

Griffin suspects the Jays have a verbal agreement in place with Thole to re-sign the veteran backstop once rosters expand on September 1, and in time for Thole to be behind the plate for R.A. Dickey’s next start.  Thole has almost exclusively served as Dickey’s personal catcher since both players came to Toronto prior to the 2013 season.  It’s not a stretch to say that Thole’s ability to catch the knuckleball has been the only thing keeping him on the Jays roster and perhaps in the majors as a whole given his poor hitting — Thole entered today’s action with just a .199/.275/.248 slash line over 465 PA as a Blue Jay.  Baseball Prospectus rates Thole as an above-average pitch framer, though StatCorner considers him to be a below-average defender on the whole.

Some type of shift to Toronto’s catching depth chart was imminent once the Jays traded for Navarro on Friday.  It is possible that one of the Jays’ AL rivals could claim Thole simply to prevent him from returning to the team, though that rival would have to use one of its own 25-man roster spots for Thole over the next couple of days.

If Thole does re-sign with the Blue Jays under the scenario Griffin outlined, he wouldn’t be eligible for postseason play since he’d be joining the team in September.  Navarro’s acquisition, however, pretty much closed on the door on any chance Thole had of making the playoff roster anyway.  Thole wasn’t included on the Jays’ postseason roster in 2015 when Russell Martin caught both of Dickey’s starts.  Given that the Jays will again have a six-man rotation when Aaron Sanchez returns, Dickey himself may not be a lock to make the postseason roster.

Injury Notes: Vizcaino, Kershaw, Cole, Marlins

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The Braves announced today that right-hander Arodys Vizcaino has been placed on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to Aug. 24) due to inflammation in his right shoulder. The 25-year-old Vizcaino spent the majority of the season as Atlanta’s closer and was an oft-speculated-upon trade target in advance of the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, but Vizcaino suffered an oblique strain in mid-July, which shelved him through Aug. 18 and removed the plausibility of a trade. Jim Johnson has taken over the ninth inning in his stead and handled the role fantastically, but Johnson is a free agent at season’s end, so Vizcaino will have the opportunity to reclaim the ninth inning next season. Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters, including Mark Bowman of MLB.com, that he believes Vizcaino will be able to be activated when he is first eligible on Sept. 9.

A few more notable injury situations from around the league…

  • Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw pitched two innings in a simulated game today and is likely headed for a minor league rehab assignment before rejoining the big league team, writes Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times. “I think it will take a little bit of time to build him up in a way for him to be strong through September and hopefully October, as well,” said president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. The hope is that he’ll only require a single rehab outing before returning to the big league club, which could put him in line for an early September date. McCullough also notes that Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson and Scott Kazmir all pitched simulated games as well, and Kazmir is the closest to returning. Kazmir threw five innings today and, unlike his injured peers, may not require a minor league rehab stint.
  • Renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache examined Gerrit Cole’s balky right elbow and found no ligament damage, bone spurs or bone chips, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Pirates ace had only inflammation in his elbow and is expected to return to the team before the regular season is over. Pirates athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk told Biertempfel that the direct source of Cole’s elbow discomfort isn’t known, though the possibility exists that an early-season rib injury led to some altered mechanics that brought about the pain. “I would say it’s tough to say that they’re not related,” said Cole of the rib injury, the triceps strain he suffered in June and the current elbow inflammation. “We do the same motion every time. Anytime that something causes you to alter that kind of thing, you run the risk of paying the price somewhere else.”
  • Marlins lefty Adam Conley has been cleared by doctors to resume throwing and played catch Tuesday for the first time since going on the disabled list, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. Barring any further setbacks in his recovery from tendinitis in his left middle finger, he could return to the Miami rotation in three weeks, Frisaro adds. Furthermore, he writes, lefty Wei-Yin Chen is progressing through a throwing program as he rehabs an elbow strain and is also a possibility for a late-September return. Getting either southpaw back would be a boon to a Marlins rotation that is trying to keep the team afloat in the Wild Card hunt. Miami dropped its fourth straight game today but is still a very manageable 3.5 games back from the second Wild Card spot in the National League.

Yasiel Puig Claimed On Revocable Waivers; Likelihood Of Deal Unknown

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9:40pm: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (via Twitter) that the White Sox attempted to claim Puig, but he did not make it to them on waivers. That would indicate that either a National League team or one of the few American League teams with a worse record than the ChiSox won the claim. Factoring in previous reports that the Marlins and Braves didn’t make the claim, the team that claimed Puig is one of the Angels, Athletics, Rays, Twins, Cubs, Nationals, Dodgers, Giants, Cardinals, Pirates, Mets, Rockies, Phillies, Brewers, Reds, Padres or D-backs. While that’s clearly an enormous slate of teams, Nightengale’s report does at least eliminate roughly a third of the teams in baseball as a possibility.

4:47pm: Neither the Braves nor the Marlins made the claim, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter) and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

4:05pm: Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig has been claimed on revocable waivers, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports on Twitter. It is not yet clear what organization placed the winning waiver claim — National League clubs would have priority, by inverse order of record — or whether there is any serious possibility of a transaction being worked out.

Los Angeles can, of course, simply allow the claiming team to assume Puig’s contract. Despite his struggles of late, however, it’s hard to imagine that taking place — particularly since the remaining amounts he is guaranteed ($6.5MM in 2017 and $7.5MM in 2018) represent a relative drop in the bucket for the Dodgers.

If anything, L.A. has proven more willing to spend top dollar on risky talent than have other organizations. Though the team’s up-and-down ride with Puig may have impacted its stance on the enigmatic Cuban star, he has done things at the major league level that most players can only dream of.

Puig was one of the best players in baseball in 2013 and 2014, and entered his age-24 campaign like one of the most valuable assets in the game. But he wasn’t quite up to his usual standard in 2015 and fell off even further this year. Since the start of 2016, he has accumulated 303 plate appearances of .260/.320/.386 hitting, thus earning a demotion to Triple-A.

Still, the talented 25-year-old retains plenty of appeal and looks like an intriguing upside play, especially since he is raking and drawing good marks for his clubhouse presence at the highest level of the minors. That he was claimed proves that other organizations aren’t afraid to roll the dice, but the Dodgers won’t likely give those rights away freely. We’ve heard suggestions that the team may yet call him back in September, or otherwise delay trade talks until the offseason, and there’s no indication as yet that a late-breaking August trade is particularly likely.

The Importance Of “Glue Guys”

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Ryan Spilborghs is a former big league outfielder. He is currently a color analyst for the Colorado Rockies on Root Sports Rocky Mountain and also works for MLB Network Radio. He came up in the Rockies organization and appeared for the club at the major league level between 2005 and 2011, playing a significant role in Colorado’s 2007 and 2009 post-season runs. Ryan also spent time with the Indians and Rangers organizations in 2012 before finishing out his playing career with Japan’s Seibu Lions in 2013. MLBTR is glad to welcome him as a contributor to its Player’s Perspective series.

The Dodgers are positioned to make a deep playoff run this season. They have been one of the best teams in baseball despite losing the best pitcher on earth in Clayton Kershaw, remarkably going 32-22 since his injury. The front office has found ways to push this team forward by using the waiver wire, trades, and roster manipulation, including using an obscene 14 different starting pitchers.

The Dodgers were even willing to demote the polarizing Yasiel Puig because they felt it made their team better. Puig had put a strain on the clubhouse chemistry. Given that decision, the recent trade of A.J. Ellis to the Phillies for Carlos Ruiz was a strange move. Ellis was the heart and soul of the Dodgers. Carlos Ruiz is a good player who was instrumental for the Phillies in their great run from 2007-2011. Ruiz remains an excellent pitch caller and a great teammate.  He can handle a pitching staff, and has better splits versus lefties than Ellis. We can dissect every advanced metric and acknowledge that this trade makes sense. However, I argue that no metric can place a value on what certain players mean to a team.

I expect the Dodgers to continue to play well. But from a player’s point of view, this trade fractures the team. There is now a disconnect between what is best for the team, and what the front office values for the group. In talking with various members of the media, reading the reactions of the Dodgers players (most notably Kershaw), and even if you ask opposing teams, everyone agrees: this trade made no sense.

I have played on two teams that have made the playoffs, the 2007 and 2009 Rockies. The ’07 team made it all the way to the World Series. Talent is always the separating factor. However, when a group of talented individuals play as a collective unit, the cliché  “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts” rings true. In order to have the collective whole play as a group, a bit of magic is required. Something must connect them. Most of the time it is a collection of “glue guys” who value the group more than themselves. These “glue guys” don’t have to be superstars, or even starting players. In 2007, Jamey Carroll, Yorvit Torrealba, Josh Fogg, and LaTroy Hawkins were as integral to the team as Matt Holliday and Troy Tulowitzki. The following year, when the Rockies did not bring back Carroll, Hawkins and Fogg, the team and clubhouse were not the same. The front office undervalued their on and off-field production. The 2008 team was the same core of starting players, a team that should have returned to the post season, but it was not the same “core” team. The value of “glue guys” can never be measured but should always be respected.

Baseball has grown enamored with statistics. But baseball is human, it is a grind. Teams spend months with mostly the same individuals sharing a common goal: get through the day. Most times the Major League life is not glamorous or filled with joy. Each day can become monotonous and difficult. Having the rare teammate who can grind with you, who can hold teammates accountable, and who can make people around him better is invaluable. Trading that human element for a better left-handed split makes the Dodgers fragmented and vulnerable. Can a backup catcher really mean that much to a team? The short answer: yes.

Players understand the game is about results and getting wins. A team will not flinch if a great starting pitcher with an ERA over 6 needs to go. Often times, a team will keep a struggling veteran but limit his role to where he can still help a team win. In the case of Ellis, we are discussing the value of a role player and his effect on the overall health of the team. Kershaw and Ellis “wept” when they heard the news. Is that a normal reaction toward a player getting moved?

There are no shirts that say A.J. Ellis was the “heart and soul” of the Dodgers team, but you don’t need one to know that he was. Look at the reactions around baseball. Look at the response of the players in that clubhouse and the media that follows them. Ellis was the last player the Dodgers expected to lose. This story has nothing to do with Carlos Ruiz as a player, and everything to do with how front offices value a team. The Dodgers can easily win the World Series this year, because the talent is there, but it will not change my mind: trading Ellis was a serious mistake. A piece of the Dodgers is sitting in a clubhouse in Philadelphia, and that piece, however small you value it, may be the most important.

Rays Release Desmond Jennings

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AUG. 30: Jennings has now cleared release waivers and is officially a free agent, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

AUG. 27: Tampa Bay has officially released Jennings, according to Bill Chastain of MLB.com.

AUG. 26: The Rays will release veteran outfielder Desmond Jennings tomorrow, the club has announced. He had been on the 15-day DL with a knee injury.

This isn’t the first time that Jennings has succumbed to leg problems. The 29-year-old was shelved earlier this year with a hamstring strain and underwent surgery last year on his left knee.

Injuries have coincided with a rather notable decline in performance of late, and Jennings no longer profiles as the quality everyday player he once was. Between 2011 and 2014, he contributed nearly 2,000 plate appearances of .249/.327/.402 hitting while swatting 47 home runs and stealing 86 bases. In the two seasons since, Jennings owns a .222/.295/.347 batting line with eight long balls and seven swiped bags in only 333 turns at the plate.

Jennings was earning $3.3MM in his second season of arbitration eligibility. Even if he catches on with another organization and makes it back to the majors this year, Tampa Bay will remain on the hook for the remainder of that less a pro-rated portion of the league minimum salary. Jennings profiled as a likely non-tender candidate at year end, but will instead hit the open market a bit early.

While there’s obviously plenty of reason for pessimism with regards to Jennings’s future in the game, there are still some positives. Defensive Runs Saved rates him as a quality defender, though that assessment wasn’t shared by UZR. And Jennings is still relatively youthful, as he won’t turn 30 until October. Clubs looking for a bounceback candidate or fourth outfielder will surely consider him this winter, at least assuming he is able to show that he’s back to full health.

Pirates Designate Kyle Lobstein For Assignment

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The Pirates announced that they have selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Kelvin Marte and, in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, designated fellow southpaw Kyle Lobstein for assignment. Additionally, the Bucs have recalled infielder Alen Hanson from Triple-A and optioned right-hander Jameson Taillon and lefty Steven Brault to their rookie-level affiliate in the Appalachian League. (That pair figures to be recalled in short order once rosters expand, of course.)

Lobstein, 27, was acquired by Pittsburgh in an offseason trade with the Tigers and wound up tossing 25 innings out of manager Clint Hurdle’s bullpen this season. The soft-tosser worked to a 3.96 ERA with a 15-to-12 K/BB ratio and a 50 percent ground-ball rate while holding opposing lefties to a comedic .083/.241/.083 slash line in an admittedly small sample of 29 plate appearances. Right-handed batters, consequently, tattooed Lobstein at a .324/.400/.507 clip in 81 PAs. In 128 career innings at the big league level, Lobstein has a 5.06 ERA with 5.2 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 49.8 percent ground-ball rate.

As for Marte, the 28-year-old will be making his big league debut if he gets into a game with the Bucs. The longtime Giants farmhand has pitched to a 3.67 earned run average in 73 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season and owns a lifetime 3.39 ERA in 790 2/3 minor league innings.

Pirates, Yankees Complete Ivan Nova Trade

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The Pirates and Yankes have completed the mid-summer swap that sent Ivan Nova to Pittsburgh, per an announcement.  Outfielder Tito Polo and lefty Stephen Tarpley are headed to New York in the swap as the players to be named later.

As MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth recently examined, Nova has been every bit the buy-low, bounceback candidate that the Bucs hoped he would be. Over five starts since coming to Pittsburgh, the 29-year-old has posted a 2.87 ERA over 31 1/3 frames with 22 strikeouts against one solitary walk. Pittsburgh will only get to enjoy the fruits of the turnaround for the next month, as Nova is set to hit the open market after the season, but he has helped keep the club in contention.

In return for Nova, the Bucs will end up parting with a reasonably interesting pair of young players, both of whom cracked MLB.com’s most recent top thirty organizational prospect list. Polo, who just turned 22, cruised through the Class A level but has seen his power dissipate over 247 plate appearances at High-A (.276/.351/.346). The 23-year-old Tarpley — a 2013 third-rounder who came to the Pirates in the deal that sent Travis Snider to the Orioles — has spent the entire year at the High-A level, posting a 4.32 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 over 100 innings.

Latest On Neil Walker, Steven Matz Injuries

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The Mets revealed a double dose of negative injury news today, with manager Terry Collins updating the health of second baseman Neil Walker and lefty Steven Matz.

Walker, it seems, has a fairly significant back issue that will need to be carefully managed for the rest of the season, Collins told reporters including Marc Carig of Newsday (via Twitter). The skipper declined to specify the precise issue, but suggested both that Walker will need regular time off and that it’s a matter of at least some long-term concern (via Mike Puma of the New York Post, on Twitter).

That’s pretty awful news both for the club and for Walker, who is a free agent after the season. The 30-year-old has been excellent in New York, slashing .282/.347/.476 over 458 plate appearances, and seemed primed to receive and decline a qualifying offer en route to a nice free agent payday. Instead, there’s now serious (albeit still largely-unknown) concern about his condition.

It’s a similar story with regard to Matz, who has suffered a setback in his effort to work back from shoulder issues. The problem isn’t believed to be a structural issue or major long-term issue, but Collins acknowledges that he’s concerned the young southpaw won’t be able to return in 2016, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets.

The 25-year-old Matz has been excellent when healthy, pitching to a 3.16 ERA over 168 frames since reaching the majors last year. But he has battled through lat, elbow, and shoulder issues already in his brief MLB career.

Notes On Tim Tebow In Advance Of Today’s Showcase

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Better known for his college football prowess and brief but intrigue-filled NFL career, former quarterback Tim Tebow is stepping onto the diamond today in an effort to show that he is worth developing as a corner outfielder. It’s questionable whether he can make the transition at the age of 29, which is about the time that many top major leaguers are reaching free agency. You can read more background and details of today’s showcase right here.

Here are the latest notes before scouts get their first look:

  • Tebow’s undertaking to pursue a late-breaking baseball career grew from a side consideration into a full-blown effort, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick writes. While Tebow has begun to make believers out of some of those who have worked with him — including former MLB backstop Chad Moeller and long-time big league pitcher David Aardsma — he still has some work to do in convincing scouts and front offices. But Crasnick explains that there are some in the baseball ops world who are genuinely intrigued by a player who did turn some heads back in his high school days — if mostly for his pure athletic ability and evident leadership skills. Those inclined to learn more about Tebow’s unique quest would do well to read all of Crasnick’s detailed, rather interesting piece.
  • Even before he hits the field today, Tebow has drawn an offer from a respected Venezuelan winter league team, the Aguilas del Zulia, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. The team’s general manager, Luis Amaro — brother of former Phillies executive and current Red Sox coach Ruben Amaro Jr. — says that Tebow is “a great talent.” While it remains to be seen whether his athletic ability can fully translate, Amaro says it’s worth finding out: “I know baseball is a hard game,” he said, “but he’ll either adjust and show he’s ready to play pro ball or not. I think it’s low risk, high reward for Zulia.”
  • Certainly, a Venezuelan winter ball assignment wouldn’t be the equivalent of leaping to the majors, but it represents a stiff test for any player. Many current and hopeful big leaguers hone their skills there and in other winter ball settings. Notably, too, Aardsma says that he believes Tebow is capable of reaching the Double-A level as soon as the 2017 season, the veteran reliever told Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News.

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