AL East Notes: Price, E-Rod, Rays, Posey, Blue Jays
Here’s the latest from around the AL East…
- David Price insists that his seven-year, $217MM contract with the Red Sox isn’t playing any part in his struggles this season, the star lefty told reporters (including the Boston Herald’s Evan Drellich). “Every 14 or 15 days when we get paid, I don’t know what my paycheck looks like,” Price said. “I’m not going to ask my agent. I’m not going to sit down and do the math. I don’t spend money. I don’t live a lavish lifestyle….I’m the same guy. I’m not going to let my struggles affect me. The amount of money that I make, I’m not going to change.” Price’s Red Sox career is off to a rough beginning, though he feels he may have discovered a mechanical reason for his problems thanks to a tip from Dustin Pedroia.
- Boston manager John Farrell said it’s possible Eduardo Rodriguez‘s next outing could be with the Red Sox, Stephen Hewitt of the Boston Herald writes. Rodriguez is still working his way back from a knee injury that sidelined him for around a month during Spring Training and greatly set back his offseason training. The southpaw tossed his third rehab start in the minors today, and Farrell said the club will speak to Rodriguez tomorrow to gauge whether he’s ready to escape the DL.
- Catcher has been an area of need for the Rays throughout virtually their entire franchise history, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes in a look at how the Rays have tried many methods of acquiring or developing a solid everyday catcher with little success. While Tampa is far from the only team who has struggled to find consistent help behind the plate, the Rays’ decision to take Tim Beckham ahead of Buster Posey in the 2008 draft looms as perhaps the franchise’s biggest what-if scenario. “To me, there’s no draft miss like the Posey miss in the last decade….Anyway, no one with the Rays ever has admitted it, but it feels like the organization has been trying to make up for it ever since,” Baseball America editor-in-chief John Manuel tells Topkin.
- The Blue Jays suffered another late-game breakdown today, and bullpen help could soon become a need for the club unless the relief corps improves, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith writes. Drew Storen and Brett Cecil, expected to be Toronto’s chief setup men, have instead struggled badly — Storen has an even 9.00 ERA over 11 innings after allowing two runs today, while Cecil has a 5.59 ERA over 9 2/3 frames.
NL Notes: Cardinals, Belt, Bucs, Lincecum
In 2012, before shortstop Aledmys Diaz had left Cuba, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak wondered why the Redbirds hadn’t been active in the Cuban market and pushed for organizational changes, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details. “I was trying to find different ways to look at the future, and we were hearing a lot about Cubans signing, all the time, and not hearing much from us,” Mozeliak said. He added that the Cardinals “needed boots on the ground wherever a Cuban team played. We needed more information. We needed to learn more about the market so we could make better decisions.” The organization’s newfound focus on Cuba eventually led it to Diaz, whom it signed to a four-year, $8MM deal in March 2014. The Cardinals were patient with Diaz (now 25) – as evidenced by the fact that he didn’t make his major league debut until this year – which was a factor in his decision to sign with them. “I think in the end you’re looking for a good bonus, a good contract, but you also want a good reason (to sign),” Diaz said. “They showed me a lot. They gave me a lot of time.” Diaz has repaid the Cardinals’ patience with an astounding .400/.436/.695 batting line, five home runs and nearly as many walks (six) as strikeouts (eight) through his first 101 major league plate appearances.
More from the National League:
- With a .324/.447/.552 line in 132 PAs, Giants first baseman Brandon Belt has been one of the majors’ premier hitters this year. Belt has long been a terrific offensive player, but he’s easily on track for his best season and his 2016 outburst has come thanks to some notable changes, writes FanGraphs’ Owen Watson. Belt has shown remarkable strike zone mastery in walking 18.9 percent of the time and striking out at a 14.4 percent rate. Those marks are significantly better than his career rates (10.3 percent and 23.8 percent, respectively). He’s also swinging at far fewer pitches outside the strike zone (and fewer pitches in general) while making more contact with the offerings at which he does swing. The 28-year-old now clearly holds his hands lower than he used to before the ball is thrown and isn’t standing as upright – two adjustments that could be helping him see the pitch longer – Watson notes. Belt’s also combating defensive shifts, which teams commonly deploy against him, by hitting the ball to the opposite field more often.
- The Pirates sent a scout to watch Tim Lincecum‘s showcase Friday and have done their “due diligence” on the free agent right-hander, general manager Neal Huntington said Sunday (Twitter link via Dan Zangrilli of 93.7 The Fan). Given Ray Searage’s reputation for reviving pitchers, it would be fascinating to see how Lincecum would fare as a Pirate. A Searage-Lincecum union probably isn’t in the offing, though, as Orioles GM Dan Duquette said earlier Sunday that Lincecum is likely to sign west of the Mississippi. That would obviously rule out Pittsburgh.
Minor MLB Transactions: 5/8/16
Here are Sunday’s minor moves from around the majors:
- The Padres announced that they have placed second baseman Jemile Weeks on the 15-day DL with a right hamstring strain and recalled Jose Pirela. Prior to suffering the injury Saturday, Weeks collected 57 PAs and hit just .140/.204/.200. Pirela, also a second baseman, has slashed .306/.352/.447 at the Triple-A level in 2016. He was with the Padres earlier this season and appeared in four games, racking up five PAs and a double.
- Catcher Adam Moore, whom the Indians designated for assignment earlier this week, will stay in the organization after accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus, tweets Tribeinsider.
- The Astros reinstated catcher Max Stassi from the DL and optioned him to Triple-A Fresno, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle was among those to report (Twitter link). Prior to undergoing surgery on the hamate bone in his left wrist in mid-March, Stassi was expected to team with Jason Castro to form the Astros’ catching tandem. The club is now preparing Evan Gattis for a role behind the plate, however, lessening the need for Stassi – whom Baseball America ranked as Houston’s 19th-best prospect entering the season.
- The Cubs have activated right-hander Neil Ramirez from the bereavement list and optioned righty Spencer Patton to Triple-A Iowa, the team announced. Ramirez has amassed six innings of three-run ball this year (seven strikeouts, four walks), while Patton made his sole big league appearance of the year Saturday and faced two batters – one of whom walked, the other of whom doubled.
- The Athletics have optioned right-hander Jesse Hahn to Triple-A Nashville and recalled righty J.B. Wendelken, per a team announcement. Hahn threw 17 2/3 innings in the minors this year before the A’s recalled him at the end of last month. He made two starts with Oakland, allowing four earned runs in 12 innings while walking six and striking out four. Hahn had a rough start Saturday, surrendering eight hits, four earned runs and four walks in 5 1/3 innings of work in a loss to Baltimore. Wendelken, 23, is now in position to make his major league debut after racking up 315 2/3 innings in the minors, where he has posted a 4.08 ERA, 9.2 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.
- The Reds announced that they have sent outfielder Scott Schebler to Triple-A Louisville and recalled outfielder/first baseman Kyle Waldrop. Schebler’s demotion is the result of the Reds wanting to give him playing time, which he hadn’t been receiving enough of in the majors lately because of the success of left fielder Adam Duvall. Schebler hit just .188/.246/.344 with a home run in 69 plate appearances prior to his demotion. Waldrop, not to be confused with the former major league reliever of the same name, has hit .276/.322/.437 in 2,445 career minor league PAs. The 24-year-old got his first taste of big league action last season, though he accrued only one at-bat.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Glasnow, Goldschmidt, Harper
Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere:
- The Point Of Pittsburgh analyzes why the Pirates haven’t yet promoted elite pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow and determines that their decision to wait, although painful now, will pay long-term dividends.
- NatsGM has a podcast interview with FiveThirtyEight writer Ben Lindbergh, the author of “The Only Rule Is It Has To Work,” which details the experience Lindbergh and Baseball Prospectus’ Sam Miller had running the baseball operations of an independent league team last year.
- About Sports chats with ESPN’s Buster Olney.
- Jays From The Couch highlights what has gone wrong offensively for Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin this year and provides an answer regarding whether panic is in order.
- Inside The ‘Zona features a similar piece concerning Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who hasn’t quite been himself early this season.
- Super Two Sports applauds Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper‘s “Make Baseball Fun Again” campaign.
- BP Toronto sees Fantex as good for players and bad for front offices.
- Chin Music Baseball names the six most disappointing players of the young season.
- The Runner Sports explains that it might make sense for the Astros to promote dominant Double-A pitching prospect Joseph Musgrove to the majors, noting that the team set a precedent last year by bringing up two now-prominent starters from that level.
- Pirates Breakdown wonders why the Bucs are shifting less this year, which correlates with (and could be partially to blame for) a downturn in performance by their pitchers.
- MLB DFS Weather examines what the weather projections for this summer could mean for offense around baseball.
- OutfieldFlyRule lists ways Major League Baseball can reach out to the next generation of fans.
- Camden Depot offers an outside-the-box way for the Orioles to fix their biggest flaw: their starting pitching.
- Same Page Team goes 25 deep with the Blue Jays and delves into the struggles of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and reliever Brett Cecil.
- Big Three Sports profiles the Pirates’ two best pitching prospects – the aforementioned Glasnow and Jameson Taillon – and provides insight on when the two will make their major league debuts.
- Think Blue PC interviews Dodgers pitching prospect Chase De Jong.
- Pinstriped Prospects writes that 26-year-old Double-A pitcher David Kubiak is living the dream as a member of the Yankees organization.
- Outside Pitch MLB is perplexed by the underrating of Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
- Innings Eaters weighs in on whether the rebuilding Braves should trade first baseman Freddie Freeman.
- Sports Heaven looks at Giants ace Madison Bumgarner‘s chances of going down as the best hitting pitcher in the history of baseball.
- RSN Stats evaluates some of the numbers the Red Sox have put up during their solid start.
- FantasyPros doesn’t think there’s anything fluky about Mets outfielder Michael Conforto‘s early season excellence.
- Notes From The Sally scouts Giants right-hander Phil Bickford.
- Chris Zantow reminisces fondly on the 10th anniversary of then-Brewer Bill Hall‘s Mother’s Day walk-off home run in 2006.
- Baseball Hot Corner believes more playing time is in order for Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak.
- The Wayniac Nation explains that the surprising Phillies must not lose sight of the future.
- isportsweb investigates what’s in store for those Phillies in May.
- Jays Journal has a favorable opinion of Blue Jays backup catcher Josh Thole.
Two Cuban Veterans To Work Out For ML Scouts
Two Cuban veterans, outfielder Alexei Bell and infielder Ramon Lunar, will work out for major league scouts in Cancun a week from Monday, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (Twitter link). Bell previously held a February showcase for scouts in Mexico, where 13 big league clubs sent representatives to take in his workout.
Bell, who isn’t a free agent yet, left his homeland in January in hopes of landing in the majors. Because of his age (32) and vast experience playing in Cuba, Bell won’t be subject to international bonus restrictions after hitting .319/.417/.547 in 3,441 career plate appearances with Serie Nacional. Bell helped his cause in Cuba by demonstrating a mastery of the strike zone, walking just eight fewer times (431) than he struck out (439). His production declined last season as a member of the Capitales of Quebec, a Canadian-American Association club, as he slashed .317/.363/.424 with two home runs, 24 strikeouts and 14 walks. Defensively, he has a plus arm and could fit in right field, Ben Badler of Baseball America wrote in January 2015.
Lunar is already a free agent, and his age (29) and playing experience in Cuba also make him exempt from international bonus restrictions. Lunar has played both corner infield positions – as well as left field – and he posted quality offensive numbers with Serie Nacional, batting .313/.414/.489 in parts of seven seasons. Impressively, he bettered Bell in Cuba by walking more than he struck out (244 to 238). Lunar is now playing for Los Tigres de Quintana Roo in the Mexican League, where he has hit a robust .458/.567/.542 with six walks and a single strikeout in his first 30 trips to the plate this season.
Big-Name Rumors: Chicago, Braun, Angels, Orioles, Lincecum
The latest rumblings on a slew of established players who could change uniforms in the coming months:
- The White Sox have $13MM to spend as a result of Adam LaRoche‘s March retirement and are in need of another left-handed bat, which means they’re a potential fit for outfielders Jay Bruce, Brett Gardner, Carlos Gonzalez, Seth Smith and Nick Markakis, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Angels could also be in on those players, per Cafardo. It’s difficult to imagine a pitching-devoid team with a barren farm system dealing assets for an outfielder, however, especially considering the respective price tags those five players carry. The least expensive player of the group is Smith, who is making $6.75MM this season and has a $7MM club option for 2017, but he’s a solid part of a first-place Seattle team that’s trying to break a 14-year playoff drought and fend off the Angels, among others, in the AL West.
- Like their crosstown rivals, the Cubs could also pursue Bruce, Gonzalez and Markakis, in addition to Ryan Braun and Josh Reddick, reports ESPN’s Jim Bowden. The 23-6 Cubs don’t look like a team in need of a major acquisition, though they did lose a highly useful outfield cog early in the season when Kyle Schwarber suffered a catastrophic knee injury. In Schwarber’s absence, the depth-laden Cubs have divvied up left field playing time among star third baseman Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler and Matt Szczur.
- Orioles general manager Dan Duquette told Bowden on MLB Network Radio that the team is monitoring the Tim Lincecum market, but he expects the two-time Cy Young Award winner to sign somewhere west of the Mississippi (Twitter links).
Rangers Place A.J. Griffin On DL With Shoulder Stiffness
The Rangers have placed right-hander A.J. Griffin on the disabled list with shoulder stiffness, tweets the team’s executive vice president of communications, John Blake. In a corresponding move, Texas recalled left-handed reliever Alex Claudio from Triple-A Round Rock.
Griffin will undergo an examination Monday in Arlington, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link), after exiting his start in the third inning Saturday. Injury troubles are nothing new for Griffin, who missed the previous two seasons because of elbow and shoulder problems. Griffin bounced back well prior to his latest issue, posting a 2.94 ERA, 7.49 K/9 and 3.74 BB/9 in 33 2/3 innings, and will leave a void in a Rangers rotation whose results (3.57 ERA) have been vastly superior to its peripherals (4.52 FIP, 4.67 xFIP).
With Griffin unavailable for what might be an extended period of time, the Rangers could aggressively pursue free agent Kyle Lohse, in whom they’re reportedly interested.
AL Notes: Chapman, Trout, McCullers, Severino
Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman will be eligible to make his season debut Monday after serving a 30-game suspension (29 because of a rainout) for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. The league disciplined Chapman for firing eight shots from a gun into his garage wall after an argument with his girlfriend last October, but the 28-year-old is adamant that he did nothing wrong. “I didn’t do anything. People are thinking that it’s something serious; I have not put my hands on anyone, didn’t put anyone in danger,” he told Billy Witz of the New York Times. Chapman shrugged off the fact that his frightened girlfriend called 911 while hiding in the bushes, saying, “It was just an argument with your partner that everyone has. I’ve even argued with my mother. When you are not in agreement with someone, we Latin people are loud when we argue.” Chapman added that he believes Latino ballplayers are targets because of their wealth and their lack of familiarity with the customs in the United States, though he didn’t specify whether he thinks they’re targets of the league, the police or both. “It’s easier to hurt someone who is not from here than someone who is. People think we don’t know what the laws are and they try to hurt you. Many people want money. We have to take care of ourselves,” he said.
Here’s more from the American League:
- With the Angels lacking talent at the major league level and possessing baseball’s worst farm system, some pundits have begun weighing whether the team should trade the best player in the game, center fielder Mike Trout. Sports On Earth’s Brian Kenny is vehemently opposed to the Angels moving Trout, arguing that no player they could realistically get in return for the 24-year-old would come close to approaching his otherworldly production. Kenny cites Bill James’ theory that talent is not distributed evenly; instead, it’s to be thought of as a pyramid, and Trout – given both his output and durability – is at the very top of it.
- Astros right-hander Lance McCullers could finally be nearing his 2016 major league debut, which has been delayed because of a shoulder injury. The flame-throwing 22-year-old logged five innings (64 pitches) in a Triple-A rehab start Saturday and struck out seven, according to Angel Verdejo Jr. of the Houston Chronicle. That might end up as McCullers’ only start at that level if his body responds well in the coming days, per Verdejo. McCullers’ return will be a significant development for the Astros, whose rotation – like the team itself – has regressed from one of the league’s best last year to among its worst this season.
- CC Sabathia‘s presence on the disabled list won’t preclude the Yankees from demoting right-hander Luis Severino to the minors if his struggles continue, writes Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media. “His development isn’t going to have much to do with CC’s injury,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild told Kuty. “I think what he does is what a lot of young pitchers would do and that’s try to power their way through it instead of pitching their way through it,” he continued. Severino has followed his strong 62 1/3-inning major league debut in 2015 with 25 2/3 frames of 6.31 ERA ball this season. The 22-year-old’s strikeout rate has plummeted from 8.09 per nine innings last season to 5.61, and his BABIP has risen 98 points from .265 to .363. Both of those factors have hurt Severino’s cause, though there are some positive signs: He’s walking far few hitters (1.75 BB/9 compared to a 3.18 mark in ’15) and continuing to generate ground balls over 50 percent of the time.
MLBTR Originals
Here’s a look back at MLBTR’s original analysis and reporting over the past seven days:
- With the season’s first month in the books, Tim Dierkes updated his free agent power rankings for next offseason, listing the 10 players who appear poised to earn the most money if they hit the open market over the winter. Tim also included two honorable mentions who could crack the top 10 if their current performances continue.
- Mark Polishuk examined four low- to mid-tier players who improved their respective stocks with strong first months in their contract years. The group is headlined by Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler, who has been among the majors’ top players in the early going.
- Steve Adams countered Mark by detailing eight contract-year players who dug themselves early holes in April. Steve focused on players who entered the campaign looking primed to land deals of at least three years in length during free agency next winter.
- On this week’s edition of the MLBTR Podcast, Steve joined host Jeff Todd to discuss the hype surrounding Tim Lincecum‘s showcase, the outstanding performance the Phillies’ young pitching staff has delivered so far, and the upswing in financial mechanisms (particularly Fantex) that players may be able to use to secure guaranteed money while retaining future earning upside. A new episode of the podcast is released every Thursday and can be accessed on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher.
Rays Designate Jhan Marinez For Assignment
The Rays have designated right-hander Jhan Marinez for assignment, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Marinez’s roster spot was needed for righty Matt Andriese, who will start the Rays’ game against the Angels today.
Marinez, 27, logged 3 2/3 innings for the Rays prior to his designation and allowed one run and two hits while striking out three. It was his first big league action since he racked up 2 2/3 innings with the White Sox in 2012. Marinez, who has nine major league innings to his credit, has totaled 456 frames across 11 minor league seasons and owns a 4.00 ERA, 9.8 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9.