Rays Considering Dealing Starting Pitchers
The expectation is that this summer’s trade market will be largely devoid of quality starting pitchers, but last-place Tampa Bay could change that. The Rays, who are 33-47 and 10 games out of a Wild Card position, are discussing putting some of their young starters on the block well in advance of the Aug. 1 trade deadline, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links). One member of the group unlikely to go anywhere is underachieving right-hander Chris Archer, whose team-friendly contract might be too difficult for the Rays to part with, per Rosenthal.
With Archer probably staying in a Rays uniform and top prospect Blake Snell seemingly a poor bet to go anywhere, that leaves Jake Odorizzi, Drew Smyly, Matt Moore as rotation members Tampa Bay could shop. Each is likely attainable if the right offer comes along, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reported Saturday afternoon.
Odorizzi, who has backed up a respectable ERA (3.91) with solid strikeout and walk ratios per nine innings (8.59 and 2.96, respectively) across 94 1/3 frames this year, has already drawn interest from the Marlins. In 468 2/3 big league innings dating back to 2012, Odorizzi has held his own – 3.80 ERA, 8.45 K/9, 2.84 BB/9 and a 10 percent infield fly rate – though his 34.5 percent grounder rate (39.2 percent this year) is well below average. The 26-year-old right-hander is playing this season on an ultra-cheap $520,700 salary and has three years of arbitration eligibility remaining.
Smyly, 27, has run up a sky-high strikeout rate for the second straight year (10.09), improved his walk rate from 2.7 to 2.24, and continued generating a large amount of infield pop-ups (13.5 percent). Nonetheless, the southpaw’s run prevention has taken a significant hit. Through his first 96 1/3 innings this season, Smyly has recorded a 5.33 ERA – which is more than two runs worse than the excellent 3.11 mark he put in 66 2/3 frames last year.
Notably, Smyly missed a large portion of 2015 with a torn labrum and opted against season-ending surgery in favor of rehabilitation through rest, which proved successful then. However, research done for MLBTR during the offseason by Bradley Woodrum and Tim Dierkes showed that Smyly remains at relatively high risk of eventually needing Tommy John surgery. That could hurt his value, then, even though he logged a 3.45 ERA, 8.51 K/9 and 2.54 BB/9 in 55 starts with the Tigers and Rays from 2012-15 and is on a palatable salary ($3.75MM) with two more arbitration trips on the docket.
Moore has mimicked Smyly in having trouble preventing runs (4.67 ERA ) despite amassing strikeouts (8.61 per nine) and limiting walks (2.62), though he’s coming off a terrific June in which he threw 38 2/3 frames of 3.72 ERA ball. The former top prospect was an eminently useful starter from 2012-13 before injury issues – including April 2014 Tommy John surgery – kept him sidelined for the vast majority of the previous two campaigns. Moore, who’s making $5MM this year, has three affordable club options of $7MM, $9MM and $10MM left on his deal before he’ll become a free agent at the end of the 2019 season. The Rangers are reportedly among the teams interested in acquiring the 27-year-old.
Given the youth and team control Odorizzi, Smyly and Moore offer, their presences on the block could hugely impact the trade deadline. Several playoff contenders (other than the aforementioned Marlins and Rangers) are likely to be on the hunt for starters, which should put each member of the trio in demand.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Nats, Kershaw, Brewers, Rangers, BoSox
In an ideal world, the Nationals would like to acquire a right-handed hitter before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, but they’re considering pursuing Reds left-handed slugger Jay Bruce, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video links). Bruce, who has hit .275/.319/.557 with 17 home runs in 313 plate appearances this year, could be a possibility in the outfield or at first base for the Nationals – to whom he can’t block a trade. Bruce is also familiar with Nationals manager Dusty Baker from the skipper’s time in Cincinnati, notes Rosenthal, who adds that the team recalling highly touted prospect Trea Turner to play center field is also an option.
Here’s more inside information from Rosenthal:
- The back issue that sent the best pitcher in baseball, Dodgers southpaw Clayton Kershaw, to the disabled list Friday will likely keep him out for at least a month. LA now has solid reinforcements in its rotation in newly acquired righty Bud Norris – who had a terrific debut with the team Friday – and returning 2015 Tommy John surgery recipient Brandon McCarthy, though no one would confuse either with Kershaw. Prior to landing on the DL, Kershaw threw the second-most innings in the majors (121), led the league in ERA (1.79), and was on track to set the single-season K/BB ratio record for a starter with a ridiculous 16.11 mark. Not only will Kershaw’s absence hurt the playoff-contending Dodgers, who currently sit in a Wild Card position, but it could also damage his NL MVP chances.
- With a slew of trade candidates in catcher Jonathan Lucroy, left fielder Ryan Braun, infielder Aaron Hill, relievers Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith, and their young starters, the Brewers are a team to watch as the deadline nears. Teams have inquired about Lucroy – who’s the most appealing asset of the bunch – though talks haven’t gotten serious to this point.
- Athletics left-hander Rich Hill could be the most realistic starting pitcher trade target around the deadline for the Red Sox. The 36-year-old spent some of last season in Boston, where he shockingly pitched like an an ace in September before parlaying that four-start run into a $6MM contract with the A’s in the offseason. Hill has also been outstanding in Oakland (2.25 ERA, 10.41 K/9, 48.1 percent ground-ball rate in 64 innings), though he hasn’t started since May 29 because of a groin injury. He’s now off the disabled list in time to become relevant for the deadline, though.
- The Rangers had discussions with the Padres about right-handed reliever Fernando Rodney before San Diego traded him to Miami, but Rosenthal opines that Texas needs a left-handed bullpen option more. In addition to their interest in relievers, the Rangers are also in the market for a young, high-end starter and would be willing to part with just about anyone on their roster if the right deal came along.
- Speaking of Rodney, his contract includes $3.25MM in incentives for games finished and a $2MM club option for 2017 that will increase in value based on the bonuses he receives, so the Marlins will save money by continuing to use him in a setup role.
- There’s interest around the league in Angels lefty Hector Santiago, including from the division-rival Astros, tweets Rosenthal. The Halos aren’t inclined to deal Santiago for an underwhelming return, notes Rosenthal, as the $5MM man has another year of arbitration eligibility remaining. Team control aside, with a 5.15 ERA, 5.38 FIP and 5.02 xFIP in 87 1/3 innings this season, Santiago hasn’t exactly made a case that he’d be worth a quality haul in a trade.
Yankees Notes: Miller, Hicks, Eovaldi
The latest on the Yankees:
- With the Aug. 1 deadline closing in, the 39-40 Yanks have arguably the most valuable rumored trade chip in the majors in left-handed reliever Andrew Miller. Nevertheless, indications are that he won’t even hit the market, reports George A. King III of the New York Post. The Yankees, who are currently three games out of a Wild Card spot, aren’t planning on moving the 31-year-old, a source told King. “They are saying no on Miller. But there is a lot of time left,” said the source. Miller, who’s signed through 2018 at a reasonable $9MM per year, has torn through the opposition with a league-best 21.33 K/BB ratio and a 1.30 ERA in 34 2/3 innings this season.
- The Yankees will sit Aaron Hicks on Saturday against Padres left-hander Drew Pomeranz, leading Chad Jennings of LoHud.com to wonder if New York’s confidence in the right fielder is wavering. When the Yankees acquired Hicks from the Twins for reserve catcher John Ryan Murphy during the offseason, their expectation was that he’d serve as an offensive asset against southpaws. Hicks has instead posted a horrid .167/.233/.242 line, albeit over a minuscule 66 plate appearances. In 334 career trips to the plate versus lefties, the soon-to-be 27-year-old has hit a usable .248/.332/.401.
- Given right-hander Nathan Eovaldi‘s struggles since May ended, the Yankees will have to consider pulling him from their rotation if Triple-A call-up Chad Green fares well in his Sunday start, opines Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media. Eovaldi, who looked like a quality mid-rotation starter through May, has allowed 31 earned runs on 45 hits and 12 walks in 30 innings going back to June 3. He has also struck out just 19 hitters during that six-start span, which is a drastic decline from the 57 batters Eovaldi fanned in the 61 innings he amassed in his first 10 starts. The 26-year-old currently owns the majors’ fourth-worst ERA (5.58). Green, on the other hand, has put up a 1.54 ERA, 9.04 K/9 and 2.09 BB/9 across 81 2/3 Triple-A frames in 2016.
NL Notes: D-backs, Braves, Bucs, Dodgers
Diamondbacks right-handed prospect Yoan Lopez left Double-A Mobile on Wednesday for the second time in as many seasons, this time with the intention of giving up the sport, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The Diamondbacks have since convinced Lopez to avoid making a definitive decision on his future for the time being, per general manager Dave Stewart, who conceded that the 23-year-old is “not having a good time” and is dealing with “serious emotional issues.” Lopez signed with the D-backs for a sizable $8.27MM bonus in January 2015, but the Cuba native has since posted subpar numbers (4.89 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9) across 116 minor league innings. That could at least be thanks in part to Lopez’s traumatic experience immigrating to the United States, as Stewart pointed out: “It’s the escaping, crossing the water in a raft — or however he got here — living in Haiti and then going to the Dominican, leaving family members — it’s all of it.” As of now, Stewart and the organization are working to help Lopez get back on track.
More from the National League:
- Newly signed 16-year-old Braves prospects Kevin Maitan and Abrahan Gutierrez might not be as far from the majors as their youth suggests, general manager John Coppolella told David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I think when you look at Andruw Jones hit two home runs in the World Series at age 18, both these kids are 16,” Coppolella said of Maitan and Gutierrez, who combined to sign for $7.75MM. “I’m not saying they’re going to hit two home runs in the 2018 World Series, but we think that they’re special talents that won’t take six or seven years. They could be here fairly quickly and they could have a big impact on the Braves.” Coppolella also stated that he hopes the two begin 2017 in the Gulf Coast League.
- The Pirates’ frustration with scuffling left-hander Francisco Liriano has begun to manifest itself, details John Perrotto of Today’s Knuckleball. Pitching coach Ray Searage became so irked at Liriano during a recent bullpen session that the former ended up leaving and storming back into the clubhouse, according to Perrotto. Part of Searage’s frustration stems from Liriano’s refusal to abide by the Pirates’ wish for him to pick one side of the rubber and stick with it consistently. The 32-year-old Liriano, a potential trade candidate who’s owed $13MM next season, has followed three straight stellar campaigns with an ugly 2016. So far, Liriano has logged a bloated ERA (5.33) and walk rate (5.88 per nine innings) in 82 2/3 frames, and ERA estimators like FIP (5.46), xFIP (4.75) and SIERA (4.93) are also noticeably down on his performance.
- When the Dodgers took on Dian Toscano from the Braves as part of the Bud Norris deal, the club agreed to absorb only a portion of the $3MM left on his contract, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The 27-year-old outfielder is struggling at Double-A and has not shown any signs of providing value to Atlanta. It’s not known how much of the balance will transfer to L.A.
East Notes: Arroyo, Venters, Kelly
Veteran starter Bronson Arroyo made his second rehab start with the Nationals‘ Gulf Coast League affiliate today, allowing no earned runs and two walks while striking out three over five innings. The 39-year-old is making his way back from partial rotator cuff tendon tears, and he still hopes to return to the big leagues in 2016, as MLB.com’s Bill Ladson tweets. It would be quite a comeback for the vet, who hasn’t appeared in the Majors since pitching 86 innings with the Diamondbacks in 2014. Here’s more from the East divisions.
- The Rays have announced that reliever Jonny Venters has a “left UCL injury,” and the injury is in fact a UCL tear, the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin writes (Twitter links). Venters briefly appeared in a rehab assignment in Class A+ this season. It’s been a brutal series of events for the lefty, who was attempting to come back after having Tommy John surgery for the third time. He is unsure whether to retire or continue to try to return to the Majors. Venters hasn’t appeared in the bigs since 2012, when he whiffed 69 batters in 58 2/3 innings for the Braves. Venters’ career stat line — 2.23 ERA, 10.1 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, and a ridiculous 68.4% ground-ball rate — is borderline dominant, but he can’t seem to make his way back to the mound.
- The Red Sox have moved hard-throwing righty Joe Kelly to the bullpen, Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com writes. “Power arm,” says manager John Farrell. “[T]his will be the first time that we’ve shifted him to that role here. This is for multiple reasons — for the time it would take to stretch him back out, potential of shorter stints, the stuff playing up, possibly more productive.” Kelly is currently returning from a groin injury and has not pitched since early June. He’s struggled badly in six big-league starts this season. Farrell believes Kelly can make it back to the bigs just after the All-Star break. As Hannable implies, Kelly’s move to the bullpen reinforces the likelihood that the Red Sox will look for starting pitching help later this month.
Nick Swisher To Sit Out Rest Of Season
Nick Swisher has announced via his Facebook page that he will sit out the rest of the 2016 season to be with his family following the birth of his second child. He emphasizes that he is not retiring — he will continue to train and will determine over the winter whether he will play next year.
This season must have been frustrating for Swisher. The Braves released him in late March, and he quickly signed a minor league deal with the Yankees, only to be passed over repeatedly as one Yankees first baseman after another went down with an injury. That said, it’s not hard to see why the Yankees apparently weren’t comfortable with Swisher as a big-league option — he batted just .196/.312/.320 with Cleveland and Atlanta last season, then hit a modest .255/.297/.377 in 236 plate appearances for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2016.
Swisher is making $15MM in the last season of a contract he initially signed with the Indians. (He has a vesting option for 2017 that obviously won’t be picked up.) The Braves are responsible for that total, although they were paid a significant sum by the Indians when they dealt for Swisher in an exchange of bad contracts last year. The 35-year-old Swisher is a career .249/.351/.447 over a dozen years in the big leagues.
This Week’s 5 Key Stories
Here at MLBTR, we’re revamping our weekly look back to include key news and rumors rather than focusing purely on transactions, as we did in our prior Week In Review feature. Here’s a glance at five narratives that were most crucial to our coverage since last Saturday.
Marlins, Dodgers strike deals for pitchers. Two contenders attempted to upgrade their pitching staffs via the trade market this week, as the Marlins traded pitching prospect Chris Paddack for Padres closer Fernando Rodney, and the Dodgers acquired Bud Norris from the Braves in a five-player deal. As for the reasons the Dodgers felt the need to acquire Norris, read on …
Pitcher injuries everywhere. This was a tough week to be a pitcher. The Dodgers placed ace Clayton Kershaw on the DL with “mild disc herniation” in his back. Kershaw won’t require surgery, but the loss of a player in the midst of an historic season is a significant blow to the Dodgers, particularly given all the other pitching injuries with which they dealt. Kershaw wasn’t the only pitcher about whom injury news was reported this week — Andrew Heaney of the Angels needs Tommy John surgery, the Twins’ Phil Hughes will miss the rest of the season after having shoulder surgery, Phillies prospect Mark Appel is out for the season after having surgery to remove a bone spur, Mets starters Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz are pitching with bone spurs themselves, and Athletics reliever Sean Doolittle hit the DL with a shoulder strain. Meanwhile, the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg landed on the DL with an upper back strain, leading to the promotion of top prospect Lucas Giolito.
Matt Moore rumors build. Rays starter Matt Moore still hasn’t returned to his 2012-2013 form after having Tommy John surgery in 2014, but he’s attracting trade interest, with the Rangers one of several interested clubs. The Rays could be motivated to deal Moore in part because they could soon have a starting pitching surplus.
Veterans try to make their way back. A number of former stars latched on with new teams this week, signing minor league deals in the hope of making their way back to the Majors. Mat Latos, who was released by the White Sox earlier this season, signed with the Nationals, while veteran second baseman Omar Infante will start anew with the Braves after being released by the Royals. Jose Reyes, meanwhile, reunited with the Mets after being released by the Rockies in the wake of his domestic violence scandal.
Braves, Padres, Athletics, Nationals land big July 2 hauls. The international signing season opened today, and, as has increasingly been the case in the past few years, most of the top talent went to just a few teams. The Braves got not only Kevin Maitan, widely regarded as the top overall prospects, but several other well-regarded prospects as well. The Padres landed six prospects who received bonuses of at least $1M. The A’s got Cuban outfielder Lazaro Armenteros and several other top players, while the Nationals paid a combined $5.2MM to land infielders Yasel Antuna and Luis Garcia. The Reds and Cardinals also made splashes. The Red Sox, meanwhile, were banned from spending on international bonus pool-eligible players this year and had several contracts voided as penalty for the use of a “package deal” mainly designed to ink outfielder Albert Guaimaro last July.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Nationals To Sign Yasel Antuna, Luis Garcia
The Nationals have agreed to a $3.9MM deal with Dominican shortstop Yasel Antuna, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets. They’ve also come to terms with fellow Dominican shortstop Luis Garcia for $1.3MM, via the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes (on Twitter).
The 16-year-old Antuna ranks No. 14 on MLB.com’s list of the top international prospects, winning praise for his mature approach as both a hitter and fielder. He’s a switch-hitter with gap power and strong overall offensive potential, via MLB’s scouting report, and he has solid range and an improving arm and could eventually become an everyday big-league shortstop. The Nats had long been connected to the young infielder.
MLB.com is even higher on Garcia, which it rates the No. 7 prospect available, praising his contact ability and athleticism. Baseball America likes him even more, rating him the signing season’s No. 3 prospect and noting in its subscribers-only scouting report that the 15-year-old has become one of the best pure hitters available this year. He could stick at shortstop, or move to second base or center field at some point.
The Nationals’ international bonus pool is just $2,235,000, so Antuna’s deal alone would move them into penalty territory. They have also been connected to Venezuelan shortstop Jose Sanchez, also a top prospect.
Athletics Agree To Terms With Lazaro Armenteros, Others
As expected, the A’s have agreed to terms with Cuban teenager Lazaro Armenteros on a $3MM deal, as MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez writes. (Baseball America’s Ben Badler wrote yesterday that the A’s were expected to sign Armenteros.) They also agreed to sign Dominican shortstops Yerdeluis Vargas and Marcos Brito for $1.5M and $1.1M, respectively, as Sanchez also notes. The A’s also added two more high-six-figure players to their signing class in outfielder Kevin Richards ($600K) and third baseman George Bell ($500K).
These moves all but assure that Oakland will take on the maximum penalties for exceeding its cap, which is just over $3.8MM. That will mean that the team won’t be able to spend over $300K for any single prospect for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 periods. Additionally, the club would pay a 100% overage tax for whatever amount goes over its limits.
Armenteros is, in many ways, in the same situation as the other young players who’ll soon sign. But he has long drawn added attention because of his immense physical tools, Cuban heritage, and perhaps also the recent case of another highly athletic young player from the island in Yoan Moncada.
As Badler explains, the bonus suggests that Lazarito rates as a top traditional July 2 prospect. But he’ll come nowhere near the $31.5MM contract given to Moncada (which cost double that with the penalty). Per the scouting report, Armenteros shows good power and speed, but has a ways to go in developing his hit tool and is likely to end up as a corner outfielder in the long run.
MLB.com ranks Vargas the No. 21 prospect available this signing period, praising his projectable frame, good contact ability and strong arm. Brito ranks No. 23, with MLB.com noting that the switch-hitting 16-year-old has solid bat speed and contact ability. Baseball America rates Richards the 39th-best international prospect available during this signing period, noting in its subscribers-only scouting report he’s very athletic and fast but currently has questionable offensive ability. Bell, who does not appear in either the MLB.com or BA lists, is the son of the former MLB star of the same name.
Latest On Red Sox’ International Signing Ban
Yesterday, it emerged that MLB had banned the Red Sox from signing international amateur talent for the 2016-17 signing season, and had voided contracts to which the Red Sox had agreed with outfielders Albert Guaimaro and Simon Muzziotti, righty Cesar Gonzalez, and infielders Antonio Pinero and Eduardo Torrealba. Under the terms of MLB’s ruling, those players will get to keep the bonuses they received from Boston. MLB’s ban punished the Red Sox for using “package deals” during the last signing period to get around previous penalties for having exceeded their international pool while signing Yoan Moncada in 2014-15. Those penalties prevented the Sox from signing any player for more than $300K, but the team allegedly circumvented that penalty by paying bonuses that did not exceed the $300K threshold to multiple players with the same agent but then funneling more of those funds to the best regarded player. Here’s the latest on that story.
- Other teams are not yet allowed to negotiate with the players who had their contracts voided, Baseball America’s Ben Badler writes (all Twitter links). The players will be eligible to pick new teams during the signing period that began today, but for now that process is on hold, while the league works with the players’ union to find the players new agents.
- Guaimaro was the primary recipient of the Red Sox’ extra funds, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs notes, writing that he would rate Guaimaro the 17th-best international prospect for this signing season. Muzziotti projects as a fringe prospect, while the other three players look like organizational types. Still, Longenhagen notes, the Red Sox’ ban for this year is limited in scope because the team did not have a huge signing season last year or project to have one this year (although they were connected to a few prospects, including Venezuelan outfielder Roimar Bolivar).
- An informant helped MLB gather evidence the Red Sox were violating spending rules, reports Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. The case could prove to be significant in that it could set precedent for similar situations in the future, Drellich notes. “Other clubs would completely lose confidence in the system if MLB learned stuff like this was happening and did nothing,” a source close to the investigation told Drellich. “It’s been an important issue.”