AL Notes: Encarnacion, Bautista, Angels Stadium, Holland
Star Blue Jays first baseman/DH Edwin Encarnacion is facing a civil suit from a woman who claims that he knowingly infected her with sexually transmitted diseases, as TMZ recently reported. The unsettling allegations can be found here, courtesy of the Toronto Star. Encarnacion’s representatives have strongly denied any wrongdoing, with agent Paul Kinzer calling the lawsuit “frivolous,” as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. At this time, there is no indication either that a criminal investigation relating to the claims is being pursued, or that Major League Baseball will undertake its own investigation into the matter. One of the game’s best hitters, the 33-year-old Encarnacion is slated to become a heavily-pursued free agent at the end of the season.
More from the American League:
- There was some good news on the injury front for the Blue Jays, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. Second baseman Devon Travis needed a cortisone shot to address a hand injury, but is expected to be ready to go today. And slugger Jose Bautista may return from his knee sprain tomorrow, which is the first date he’d be eligible to come off of the 15-day DL. That’s great news for the Jays and the veteran outfielder, who ought to have a nice stretch of time available to burnish his free agent credentials. Bautista is putting up an above-average .222/.349/.444 batting line in his 355 plate appearances on the year, but that’s well off of his usual production levels and this is his second stint on the disabled list.
- Renewed talks between the Angels and the city of Anaheim on a new lease arrangement for Angels Stadium are off to something of a rocky start, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. While the Halos organization had objected to the construction of a 15-acre, multi-use development project that will be raised next to the ballpark’s parking lot. Despite the team’s claim that the complex would compete with the stadium’s own concessions — and, therefore, “fundamentally undermine the Angels’ negotiations to remain in Anaheim over the long term” — the Anaheim Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve it. Final approval still must be obtained from city council, and it’s still unclear just how much of an impediment this matter will prove to be, but it seems that the Angels and the city still have some differences to smooth out.
- While the Rangers lost their third straight ballgame yesterday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News finds a ray of hope: the performance of starter Derek Holland. In his first outing since June 20, the southpaw allowed just one earned run on four hits and a walk, striking out five over six solid frames that required only 73 pitches. When Texas ended up foregoing a starting staff upgrade at the trade deadline, it left the middle and back of its rotation somewhat exposed. But Grant wonders whether Holland might be able not only to solidify things down the stretch, but also win the third spot in a hypothetical but hopeful playoff rotation.
MLBTR Mailbag: Turner, Marlins, Brewers, D-Backs, Thames
Thanks to everyone who wrote in with mailbag questions this week. If yours wasn’t answered, you can ask again in this week’s two remaining MLBTR chats — this evening with Jason Martinez (6pm CST) or tomorrow with Jeff Todd (2pm CST).
On to the Q&A:
What kind of contract is Justin Turner looking at in free agency? Do you think the Dodgers will pay to keep him? — John T.
Turner’s production alone looks like the type that could result in a five-year deal for most free agents, but he’s never played more than 126 games in a season (he figures to do so this year) and will be 32 on Opening Day next year — both of which will work against him in free agency. Jeff discussed all of that in detail in a recent assessment of Turner’s likely free agent standing.
Despite the drawbacks, there’s enough appeal with Turner that four years aren’t just on the table but are a likely outcome. Chase Headley parlayed a rebound second-half with the Yankees in 2014 into a four-year, $52MM pact in free agency that winter, and a much older Ben Zobrist secured a four-year, $56MM contract with the Cubs this past offseason. I’d imagine both of those marks will be targets that Turner’s camp looks to surpass, and my expectation is that they’ll do just that. I’m stopping short of a fifth year for now, but with a big finish and/or postseason performance, it’s not unthinkable.
I’m wondering if and when the Marlins will get some pitching help? Time is running out and if they want to make a run of this, they need to get pitching. — Lou
Any pitching the Marlins get in August isn’t going to be the type that fuels a miraculous turnaround in the rotation, but it’s also not entirely clear that they need one. David Phelps has gone from out-of-the-blue dominant setup man to out-of-the-blue dominant starter in his first four outings in the rotation, and the Marlins could yet get Wei-Yin Chen and/or Adam Conley back before season’s end. I doubt they’d be able to acquire a starter that would pitch in their playoff rotation at this point, but picking up someone like Jorge De La Rosa to supplant Jose Urena for the time being would make some sense. Plus, while the team says that Jose Fernandez‘s innings won’t be an issue going forward, it wouldn’t hurt to be able to give him added rest if it’s possible to do so without jeopardizing the club’s post-season chances.
I’m just curious, where do you think the Milwaukee Brewers are in their rebuild? When the Astros and Cubs started their rebuilds, they basically started with weak farm systems and many overpriced veterans. It took the Cubs 5 years to finish their rebuild and the Astros 6 years. The Brewers rebuild started only last year, and they already have the top rated farm system in baseball (it was 25th beginning of the 2015 season) and many near MLB ready prospects. Will this be a short rebuild? — Hunter M.
They seem to be getting to a nice position, as you said, but there are at least a pair of rotation spots that need to be filled/improved upon (Wily Peralta, Matt Garza), and nothing has yet been proven at the MLB level by the players that the organization hopes will handle catcher, center field and shortstop. Meanwhile, Jonathan Villar will be hard-pressed to repeat his 2016 success (.400 BABIP, 25.8 percent strikeout rate). Some from the group of Andrew Susac, Lewis Brinson, Brett Phillips, Orlando Arcia, Josh Hader, Luis Ortiz, Phil Bickford and others will pan out, of course, but there figure to be some misses within the upper ranks of their well-stocked farm system, as is the case with any club. The Brewers also face the unenviable task of trying to leapfrog not only the division-leading Cubs but also the perennially excellent Cardinals and talent-laden Pirates.
Bottom line: Milwaukee is in good shape, and GM David Stearns and his predecessor Doug Melvin both deserve credit for the young talent they’ve accumulated, but they’re still a long shot to contend in 2017 from my vantage point.
If the Diamondbacks fire La Russa and Stewart, how has this disarray affect their ability to pursue quality front office personnel. If I was a GM candidate, I would not touch this job with a ten foot pole. — Doug B.
That’s a significant “if” at this point, as we still don’t know anything definitive about the fate of Arizona’s baseball ops staff. That said, most aspiring general managers in the game would surely leap at the opportunity to head up a team and attempt to build around Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, Jake Lamb and Zack Greinke. The D-backs just signed a $1.5 billion television contract in 2015, and they’re pursuing a new stadium as well. Setting aside that there are only 30 positions in the game for those who aim to head up a baseball operations department, there’s plenty of appeal to the D-backs gig.
Is Eric Thames a top 50 free agent if he is made available? The way KBO hitters have fared lately doesn’t seem to do him many favors. — Jake
For those that aren’t aware of Thames’ success overseas, the former Blue Jays/Mariners/Orioles outfielder has batted .355/.458/.737 with 120 homers in 367 games playing for Korea’s NC Dinos over the past three seasons. Thames’ ability to translate anything resembling that level of production to the majors will be met with extreme skepticism, of course, but if he hits the market this winter he’ll absolutely have a spot on our Top 50 free agent list. We determine that list based on earning power, so anyone with a chance at earning a two- or three-year deal with decent annual salary typically makes the cut. Thames’ market will be quite difficult to predict, but he’ll only turn 30 this winter, so he’s coming off some eye-popping production while still in the midst of his prime years.
As to the performance of players moving here from the KBO, there have obviously been some ups and downs, as you’d expect from any group of hitters, but the overall record is pretty good. While Byung Ho Park has struggled to adapt, he has at least shown that his power can play in the majors. And both Jung Ho Kang (.243/.326/.481) and Hyun Soo Kim (.317/.397/.432) have been quite productive this year.
Huston Street To Undergo Knee Surgery
Angels closer Huston Street‘s season is over, as he’ll undergo arthroscopic surgery due to “persistent medial knee pain,” tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The 33-year-old is expected to be healthy for Spring Training 2017. The Orange County Register’s Jeff Fletcher wrote over the weekend that surgery was possible and called it “likely” earlier this afternoon.
Street’s 2016 season has been a disaster, as the former Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star has struggled considerably since returning from an oblique issue that cost him a month earlier this year. Street yielded just one run through his first 7 2/3 innings before that oblique injury sidelined him for nearly all of the month of May. In the 14 2/3 innings that followed, Street surrendered 15 runs on 27 hits (four homers) and 10 walks with 10 strikeouts. The 88.2 mph he averaged on his fastball this season was the lowest average velocity of any season in his 12-year big league career, and his 5.6 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 were also career-worsts.
The 2016 campaign marked the first season of a two-year, $18MM contract extension signed by Street back in May of 2015. He’s guaranteed a $9MM salary next season plus at least a $1MM buyout on a $10MM club option for the 2018 season. That salary and Street’s experience (324 career saves) probably make him a lock to serve as the team’s closer in 2017, but the emergence of Cam Bedrosian could at least give the Angels some reason to consider a change next year. Bedrosian is currently on the DL himself due to a finger issue, but the 24-year-old broke out with a 1.12 ERA, 11.4 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 49.5 percent ground-ball rate in 40 1/3 innings this season.
The lost year for Street is just one entry in what is a seemingly endless list of things that have gone wrong for the Halos in 2016. The Angels have lost both Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano to Tommy John surgery, while Garrett Richards hasn’t taken the mound since May 1 due to a UCL injury of his own. C.J. Wilson never pitched for the Angels this year, and Jered Weaver has been a shell of his former self, working with an 82-84 mph fastball and surrendering a woeful 5.47 ERA.
Dodgers Place Scott Kazmir, Brett Anderson On Disabled List
The Dodgers announced that they’ve placed left-handers Scott Kazmir and Brett Anderson on the 15-day disabled list and optioned right-hander Josh Fields to Triple-A Oklahoma City. In a series of corresponding moves, the team has recalled infielder Charlie Culberson, left-hander Luis Avilan and right-hander Ross Stripling from Triple-A.
Reports earlier today suggested that Kazmir was headed for an evaluation of his ailing back and neck, and the Dodgers’ press release announcing the moves lists the reason for his DL trip as neck inflammation. Anderson, meanwhile, was forced to exit his most recent start early due to a blister on his left index finger. Kazmir’s DL placement, incredibly, pushes the Dodgers into a tie for the Major League record with 27 different players placed on the disabled list in a single regular season, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets.
The list of pitchers the Dodgers currently have on the disabled list is deeper and more talented than most teams’ entire rotations. Kazmir and Anderson will join Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-jin Ryu and Rich Hill on the DL, though Hill is lined up to make his Dodgers debut tomorrow. This latest pair of injuries means the Dodgers will rely on Hill, Kenta Maeda, Bud Norris and perhaps rookie Julio Urias in the next trip through the rotation, with Stripling, Brock Stewart and Carlos Frias each representing options for the vacant fifth spot.
The 28-year-old Anderson missed the first four-plus months of the season due to a back operation that he underwent in Spring Training, and he’s been roughed up for 11 earned runs in just four innings across two appearances since returning earlier this month. Certainly, he’ll hope for a minimal stay on the disabled list, both so he can return and help his club for the September postseason push and so that he can demonstrate at least some semblance of health prior to his arrival on the open market as a free agent this winter.
Kazmir, meanwhile, has been perhaps surprisingly durable for the Dodgers this year after signing a three-year, $48MM contract with an opt-out clause after the first year. The 32-year-old’s 25 starts lead the team, but he’ll soon cede that honor to Maeda. In 135 1/3 innings this year, Kazmir has posted a sub-par 4.59 ERA, and this injury presumably makes it less likely that he’ll be willing to roll the dice and opt out of his contract even with a weak market that is lacking in the way of top tier competition.
NL West Notes: Kershaw, Blanco, Rockies
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw tossed a 40-pitch bullpen session today and is slated to throw a 60-pitch simulated game against live hitters later this week, writes J.P. Hoornstra of the L.A. News Group. There was talk of Kershaw making a pair of rehab starts, manager Dave Roberts tells Hoornstra, but that number has been dropped to one. Kershaw could head out on a minor league rehab assignment in the next week or two, Hoornstra writes. Kershaw himself said that he felt comfortable between simulated innings — a positive step from where he was prior to his placement on the DL. Hoornstra’s piece includes a series of video clips of Kershaw discussing his health and rehab, for those who wish to hear a first-hand account of his progress.
More from the NL West…
- The Giants announced today that outfielder Gregor Blanco has been placed on the 15-day disabled list due to an impingement in his right shoulder. Blanco tells Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that he initially injured his shoulder all the way back in May, but it’s become so painful that it’s even impacting his ability to run (links to Twitter). The second half of the season has been a tremendous struggle for Blanco, who is hitting just .130/.203/.148 in 59 plate appearances since the All-Star break.
- In his latest Rockies mailbag, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post addresses the reasons behind the Rockies’ decision to hang onto trade candidates Boone Logan and Jorge De La Rosa. There was plenty of interest in Logan, per Saunders, but GM Jeff Bridich elected to hold onto the southpaw because the Rockies were still within arm’s reach of the playoffs and were playing quite well. Saunders adds that he heard very little in the way of interest in De La Rosa, who has performed admirably since returning to the rotation earlier this summer. The 35-year-old De La Rosa has a 3.56 ERA over his past 13 starts (78 1/3 innings) and, like Logan, is a free agent at season’s end. Both left-handers are logical trade candidates over the final eight days of the month, now that the Rockies are out of the playoff picture.
Huston Street Likely To Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery
AUG. 23: Fletcher now writes that Street is “likely” to undergo season-ending surgery on his right knee, which was set to be re-evaluated today before a final announcement is made.
AUG. 21: Angels closer Huston Street might have to undergo season-ending surgery on his right knee, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Street has been on the disabled list with inflammation in his knee since Aug. 3 and hasn’t pitched since July 31. Manager Mike Scioscia said Sunday that Street will go for a second opinion. If it’s determined then that surgery is the right path, it’s unlikely to affect the right-hander’s long-term availability, per Scioscia.
Whether the last-place Angels get Street back this year isn’t going to matter in the standings, but it could impact their offseason, notes Fletcher. If Street returns and fares well down the stretch, it would seemingly better the Angels’ chances of trading him during the offseason (the Giants were reportedly interested in him as of late July).
As things stand, Street’s injury, decline in performance and contract status make a deal unlikely. The 33-year-old is in the midst of a career-worst season, having logged two DL stints (one for an oblique strain) and posted a 6.45 ERA, 5.64 K/9 and 4.84 BB/9 in 22 1/3 innings. Street had been a reliable late-game option until this year, as the former Athletic, Rockie and Padre recorded a 3.18 ERA, 8.23 K/9 and 2.89 BB/9 in 62 1/3 frames last season. While all of those numbers are in line with Street’s career stats, his days as an end-of-game solution look to be in the past at this point.
Assuming the Angels aren’t able to trade Street during the winter, he’ll be on their books for $9MM next season. Street also has a $10MM club option for 2018, though that’s in serious danger of being declined in favor of a $1MM buyout. Should Street come back healthy next season, he might not have many opportunities to add to his 324 career saves thanks to the emergence of 24-year-old Cam Bedrosian. The hard-throwing righty has been among the most dominant relievers in baseball this season and at least has a chance to serve as the Angels’ near-term solution at closer. However, Bedrosian is on the DL with finger tendinitis and hasn’t made an appearance since Aug. 3.
“He’s feeling better but not quite where he’s ready to get back out there and get after it,” Scioscia said of Bedrosian. “Progress has been slow, but we’re getting more answers in the next couple days.”
Luis Valbuena To Undergo Season-Ending Hamstring Surgery
Astros infielder Luis Valbuena will undergo season-ending surgery on his hamstring, manager A.J. Hinch announced to reporters, including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart (Twitter link with video footage of Hinch’s comments included).
“Valbuena … got some bad news,” said Hinch. “He’s going to have surgery in the next couple days, and his season is over. His hamstring tendon needs to be worked on. He tried to play through it and see if he could rehab it, turns out he couldn’t. Surgery is the next consideration, and he’ll miss the remainder of the season.”
Valbuena went on the disabled list with a hamstring injury back in late July due to a hamstring injury but underwent a setback recently (as MLB.com’s Todd Karpovich wrote over the weekend). His absence will deprive the Astros of what has been a quietly strong left-handed bat, as Valbuena was in the midst of a career year at the plate. In 90 games and 342 plate appearances this season, Valbuena was batting .260/.357/.459 with 13 home runs, 17 doubles and a triple.
While the loss of Valbuena removes a well-above-average bat from the equation for Houston and depletes some of the their depth at both corner infield positions, the Astros are well-equipped to sustain the blow. The recent promotions of Alex Bregman and Yulieski Gurriel gives Hinch a pair of potentially high quality options at third base, while A.J. Reed brings plenty of upside across the diamond at first base. And while both Bregman and Reed got off to rocky starts as Major Leaguers, Bregman is hitting .312/.365/.558 in his past 18 games and Reed is hitting .282/.404/.436 in his past 13 contests.
From Valbuena’s standpoint, the injury is quite poorly timed, as he’s slated to hit free agency this winter and could have done so on the heels of that career-best production. While his overall numbers look plenty appealing, he’ll now need to convince teams of his health and that the hamstring injury he sustained won’t come with any lingering effects that will detract from his performance in 2017 and beyond.
Rangers Place Josh Hamilton On Release Waivers
The Rangers announced that they have activated outfielder Josh Hamilton from the 60-day disabled list and placed him on unconditional release waivers. Per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (links to Twitter), the move is somewhat procedural in nature, as the club could look to sign him to a minor league deal after the season, and Hamilton has previously expressed a willingness to return in such an arrangement. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, in fact, tweets that Hamilton said last month that he expected to be released and sign a minor league pact this winter.
Hamilton missed the entire 2016 season due to a knee injury that proved to be more serious than initially believed. Hamilton was originally diagnosed with a torn meniscus but ultimately underwent an ACL reconstruction as well. He appeared in 50 games with Texas last season, batting .253/.291/.441 with eight homers in 182 plate appearances.
“We plan to monitor Josh’s progress as he continues his rehab process and is medically cleared this winter,” GM Jon Daniels explained to reporters (Twitter link via Grant). “Given the rules in place, releasing him before the end of this month allows us to keep the door open to extending the relationship in the future.” Had the Rangers waited until the offseason to release him, Hamilton wouldn’t have been eligible to return to the Major Leagues with Texas until May 15 of next season.
Tigers Release Bobby Parnell
AUG. 23: The Tigers announced today that Parnell has cleared waivers and been released.
AUG. 18: The Tigers announced that they have designated right-hander Bobby Parnell for assignment and selected the contract of veteran outfielder Alex Presley from Triple-A Toledo. Parnell’s DFA creates a spot on the 40-man roster for Presley, and he’ll be added to the big league roster at the expense of outfielder Steven Moya, who has been optioned back to Toledo, per the club.
Parnell, 31, has tossed 5 1/3 innings for the Tigers at the big league level this season after inking a minor league deal in Spring Training. He’s allowed four earned runs (6.75 ERA) on seven hits and five walks (one intentional) in that time, with the rest of his work coming at the Triple-A level, where he’d been pitching prior to his DFA. Parnell’s work in the minors has been more respectable but still nowhere near the excellence he showed with the Mets from 2010-13, when he totaled a 2.79 ERA at the big league level and emerged as New York’s closer. In 43 1/3 innings with Toledo this season, he has a 3.98 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9.
The 31-year-old Presley opened the year with the Brewers and logged 129 plate appearances, adding to his already considerable big league experience. The left-handed hitter owns a lifetime .253/.296/.383 slash at the Major League level was hitting .293/.378/.398 with Toledo at the time of his promotion. Presley can handle all three outfield spots, so he’ll give skipper Brad Ausmus another option in center field with Cameron Maybin on the shelf. Moya, meanwhile, will head back to the minors to continue to work on his plate discipline. The 25-year-old demonstrated his above-average power by clubbing five homers in just 95 Major League plate appearances, but he also punched out an alarming 34 times against just five walks in that span.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.