Cafardo’s Latest: Fernandez, BoSox, Yanks, Jays, Dodgers, Cubs
The Marlins and agent Scott Boras appear unlikely to negotiate an extension for ace Jose Fernandez early in the offseason, according to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, who reports the team could shop the right-hander as a result. Several of the majors’ high-payroll clubs, including the Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees and Cubs, would have interest in acquiring and extending Fernandez, per Cafardo. The 24-year-old is scheduled to hit free agency after the 2018 campaign and has thrown a career-high 174 1/3 innings this season. Along the way, Fernandez has posted dazzling numbers – 2.99 ERA, 12.44 K/9, 2.84 BB/9 – which has been the norm since he debuted in 2013.
More from Cafardo:
- Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is likely to remain with the Red Sox in 2017 unless they can get a No. 1-caliber starter for him during the winter, writes Cafardo. The Red Sox and White Sox reportedly discussed Bradley and top starters Chris Sale and Jose Quintana in advance of the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, but Boston wasn’t willing to part with Bradley then. Dealing him in the offseason would give the Red Sox more time to find a replacement, though Bradley has been an integral part of the club in 2016 and could continue to serve as a key piece going forward. The 26-year-old has slashed .273/.354/.501 with 25 home runs in 585 plate appearances and graded well both on the base paths and in the field.
- Plenty of teams will look to hire ex-Twins general manager Terry Ryan as a special advisor in the offseason, a major league source told Cafardo. The Twins fired Ryan in July, but the 62-year-old’s overall body of work has earned him respect from his peers.
- In the event the Blue Jays move on from manager John Gibbons after the season, Cafardo lists Torey Lovullo, Eric Wedge and Bud Black as potential successors. Lovullo, Boston’s bench coach, was an assistant in Toronto from 2011-12. Wedge, who previously managed the Indians and Mariners, now works in player development with the Jays. Black managed the Padres from 2007-15 and is currently a special assistant to Angels GM Billy Eppler.
- Teams will have offseason interest in Red Sox reliever Koji Uehara, an impending free agent, a major league source informed Cafardo. One of those clubs could be the Red Sox, though Cafardo notes that Uehara would need a strong finish to return to Boston for a fifth season. The soon-to-be 42-year-old should also end up with a salary far below the $9MM he’s making now. At 3.95, Uehara has logged his highest ERA since 2009, but his 6.33 K/BB ratio is seventh among relievers who have thrown at least 40 innings this year. Uehara has amassed 41.
Brewers Shut Down Junior Guerra
With nothing to play for the in the standings and only 13 games remaining in their season, the 67-82 Brewers have shut down right-hander Junior Guerra for the year, manager Craig Counsell announced Saturday (Twitter link via Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).
Guerra missed most of August with an elbow injury, but he’s now healthy, Counsell said. Nevertheless, the club has elected to end the 31-year-old rookie’s season after he threw a combined 148 1/3 innings, his most with a major league organization, with Milwaukee and Triple-A Colorado Springs . He could next partake in winter ball.
“That will be discussed,” stated Counsell (Twitter link via Rosiak).
To conclude his year, Guerra spun six shutout innings and allowed five base runners (three hits, two walks) against six strikeouts in a 7-0 win over the Reds on Wednesday. In all, he recorded a sparkling 2.81 ERA, 7.4 K/9, 3.18 BB/9 and 45.3 percent ground-ball rate in 121 2/3 major league innings to serve as an unexpected bright spot this season for the Brewers.
Guerra bounced around the Braves, Mets and White Sox organizations form 2006-15, but he only amassed four major league innings – all of which came in Chicago last season. Amazingly, he didn’t pitch for any major league organizations from 2009-14, instead dividing his time among the Venezuelan Winter League, independent American Assocation and Mexican League. Guerra’s stint with the White Sox led him to the Brewers, who claimed him off waivers from Chicago last October and have since reaped the rewards. Notably, claiming Guerra was general manager David Stearns’ first transaction atop the Milwaukee franchise.
Despite his age, Guerra’s lack of service time means he’s nowhere near free agency and won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2018 season. That could make him either a cheap candidate to continue in the Brewers’ rotation or a trade chip. FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reported prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline that the Stearns-led Brewers weren’t in any hurry to deal Guerra and would have wanted a significant haul for him.
Brian Dozier On Potential Future In Minnesota
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.
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Mariners Want Nori Aoki Back In 2017
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.”
Carlos Carrasco Done For Season
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
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
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
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
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
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.