Mariners Release Erik Kratz After He Opts Out Of Deal
TODAY: Kratz opted out of his deal when he learned he would not receive a promotion, per a tweet from his representatives at J.M.G. Baseball.
YESTERDAY: The Mariners have released catcher Erik Kratz, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Kratz had been playing at Triple-A since being released by the Royals and signing a minor league deal with Seattle.
Given this morning’s report that the Mariners were nearing a deal to acquire a backstop, it would appear that this move is designed to allow current backup Jesus Sucre to return to Tacoma. It remains unclear whether a deal will get done, but the release of Kratz certainly lines up with that outcome. Nevertheless, Divish notes on Twitter that his sources tell him there are no trade talks that can be characterized as being “close.”
Kratz, 35, owns a .211/.276/.400 slash over 105 Triple-A plate appearances on the season. He also briefly appeared at the major league level with Kansas City. Over parts of six seasons in the big leagues, beginning in 2010 when he was already thirty years of age, Kratz has put up a .217/.270/.400 slash with 23 home runs in 537 turns at bat.
Braves To Sign Jason Frasor
The Braves will sign free agent reliever Jason Frasor, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. The Royals recently released the 37-year-old righty, who drew fairly wide interest upon hitting the market.
[RELATED: Jason Grilli Out For Season With Achilles Injury]
Frasor worked to a 1.54 ERA in his 23 1/3 innings on the season, and his fastball velocity is even up a shade over last year, but his bottom-line results were not quite supported by the peripherals. He walked 15 batters (against 18 strikeouts) over that span. And ERA estimators were down on his contributions, with SIERA valuing those innings at a decidedly negative 4.71 mark.
Of course, Frasor has had better overall numbers in the not-so-distant past. He was outstanding down the stretch and in the postseason for the Royals last year, and ended the 2014 campaign with a 2.66 ERA and 8.8 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 to go with a 46.9% groundball rate.
Atlanta has experienced rather pronounced struggles in its pen this year, and currently carries the league’s second-worst bullpen ERA (just ahead of the Coors Field-challenged Rockies). And the second-half outlook is even worse, now that the team’s best reliever — closer Jason Grilli, who had been outstanding — is shelved for the season.
Frasor won’t replace, Grilli, of course, but he will offer some promise of quality innings for a shallow pen. It’s not a move intended to push the team over the top, but it does improve the outlook at a minimal cost: the remainder of the league minimum annual salary, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter).
The addition will also provide the organization with flexibility in managing its younger arms. And it doesn’t hurt, of course, that Frasor fits the sturdy veteran mold that John Hart & Co. have relied upon in building out their roster.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Rodriguez, Orioles, Yankees
Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino told WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan this morning that he still thinks it’s “too early to put a definitive conclusion to this season” or to make a final evaluation as to whether the team’s offseason moves were wise. That being said, he also acknowledged that at least some judgments will need to be made in short order, as the trade deadline looms.
Here’s the latest out of Boston and the rest of the American League East:
- As the Red Sox come out of the break, hopeful of maintaining a recent surge, the club faces tough questions regarding the management of Eduardo Rodriguez‘s workload, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Rodriguez has been a huge boon to the team’s chances, but has yet to top 145 innings as a professional. Boston has yet to arrive at a number that the 22-year-old will be allowed to approach this year, according to pitching coach Carl Willis, but expects to at some point. “We’ve looked into it, really just scratching the surface, looking at his innings, looking at the schedule going forward to kind of be prepared when that time starts to present itself,” says Willis. “Knowing how to manage it, whether it be moving him back in the rotation, or utilizing off days. Obviously how we’re playing as a club factors in, but the most important of the equation is Eddie and keeping him going through the end of the season, wanting him to pitch through to the end. Collectively [manager] John [Farrell], myself, [GM] Ben [Cherington], we’ll look at that. But his best interest takes precedence.” While Boston wants to be mindful of the hope of having him in the postseason, per Willis, it has a long road even to get there.
- The Orioles do not seem to have the same overall chemistry that they have in years past, Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun writes. While Baltimore has frequently utilized roster moves in recent seasons to squeeze value out of its payroll, without ill effect, Schmuck now sees signs of friction. As he puts it, the “emotional equation” is different this year with several veterans being cut loose and numerous others playing in contract years. (Two examples cited are the roster-driven Wei-Yin Chen optional assignment and the question of moving Bud Norris to the pen.) It’s an interesting piece regarding a hard-to-assess element of the transactional process.
- One area that has not worked out as hoped for the Orioles is the outfield, as Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun explains. It was never going to be easy for the team to fill in for departed veterans Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis, but the team’s efforts have obviously not quite panned out — as demonstrated by the fact that both Alejandro De Aza and Delmon Young ended up on the DFA ledger. Now, despite having a variety of options still on the roster, executive VP Dan Duquette indicates to Connolly that an outfield addition is on the table.
- Looking ahead by looking back, the Yankees are more likely to attack the deadline with their purse than their prospects, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Taking on big contracts in exchange for lesser-regarded prospects has become a Brian Cashman MO, says Sherman. And the team has also tended to eschew the acquisition of major stars in favor of adding useful pieces to deepen its roster. Sherman says he expects a quiet deadline this time around.
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Are you the kind of photoshop expert we’re looking for? If so, we want you to create a sample submission based off of one of the concepts below and send it to MLBTRonInstagram@gmail.com.
- NL MVP: Bryce Harper vs. Paul Goldschmidt
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- Who Will Win the AL East?
- Should The White Sox Trade Chris Sale?
To get an idea of what we’re looking for, please check out @TradeRumorsMLB to see some of our previous images. Of course, we also invite creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. All samples should be 1080px by 1080px.
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Quick Hits: Astros, Expansion, Ballparks, Draft
Speaking to the press at the All-Star game, union chief Tony Clark addressed the question whether the Astros computer hacking scandal may have impacted the club’s free agent efforts last winter, as Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. It doesn’t sound as if Clark has any particular concern in that regard, though he emphasized that he would wait to pass judgment until the investigation is completed. “We have bits and pieces and some understanding,” he said, “but at this point in time, from what we understand, that concern [of market manipulation] isn’t there. Doesn’t mean it may not be there when all is said and done, based on the information we get, but right now it’s not there.”
- Commissioner Rob Manfred also spoke with reporters, of course, and mentioned that he was open to the concept of expanding the league’s number of teams, as ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick writes. “Maybe one of the reasons I got this job is, I’m bullish on this game,” Manfred said. “I think we are a growth business, broadly defined. And over an extended period of time, growth businesses look to get bigger. So yeah, I’m open to the idea that there will be a point in time where expansion may be possible.”
- Of course, any idea of expansion is likely a fair ways off, and there are more pressing franchise issues in the near-term — particularly, the stadium concerns of the Rays and Athletics. Manfred said that the league remains optimistic that neither team will need to move, but did indicate that his office was planning to look into new cities as alternatives. Per Manfred, MLB will “examine [new markets’] viability, think about what we can do to make them more viable, so that we have business alternatives that are available to us.”
- The draft is always exciting, but it can be hard to contextualize the players chosen. Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper took a preliminary stab at placing recently-picked players alongside existing prospects, in a reader Q&A. All said, he only sees about a half dozen players from this year’s class warranting consideration among the top-fifty prospects league-wide, with top picks like Brendan Rodgers, Dansby Swanson, Dillon Tate, and Alex Bregman likely falling “in that 20-35 range.”
- We are, of course, coming down to the wire on draft signings. Players must agree to terms by Friday afternoon. The first overall selection, Swanson, has yet to sign, although most reports indicate that a deal is likely. But Twins competitive balance selection Kyle Cody is a question mark, with Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweeting that he’ll have to decide whether to accept a lower offer than he probably hoped for. Indeed, ESPN.com’s Keith Law adds on Twitter that he believes Cody will head back to college along with Dodgers comp pick Kyle Funkhouser (among other draftees). And the Brewers appear out of the race to land 29th-round flier Donny Everett, as Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets that the talented righty will honor his commitment to Vanderbilt (as expected).
NL East Notes: Mets, d’Arnaud, Freeman, Desmond, Marlins
The Mets aren’t likely to acquire an outfielder in advance of the trade deadline, sources tell Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (Twitter link). Collectively, the Mets outfield has batted .236/.297/.369 this season, with much of that production coming courtesy of Curtis Granderson‘s very solid .243/.340/.417 batting line. The offensive contribution from Mets outfielders has been roughly 10 percent worse than the league-average batting line when accounting for park factors, evidenced by their wRC+ of just 90. Michael Cuddyer, Juan Lagares and John Mayberry Jr. have all provided little to no contribution with the bat, leaving considerable room for an upgrade. The Mets do have one of the best outfield prospects in baseball in the form of 2014 first-rounder Michael Conforto, though to this point all media reports pertaining to a Conforto promotion have indicated that such a move is not close.
Elsewhere in the National League East…
- The return of Travis d’Arnaud to the Mets‘ anemic lineup would be another way to boost the club’s run production, and Marc Carig of Newsday tweets some positive news on his recovery. D’Arnaud is out of the brace he had been wearing on his injured elbow and is participating in “limited baseball activities,” GM Sandy Alderson tells Carig. The timetable on d’Arnaud’s return remains cloudy, but the update is nonetheless encouraging for Mets fans.
- News on the Braves‘ injury front isn’t as positive, as president of baseball operations tells Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Freddie Freeman may be sidelined into the month of August. The Braves had hoped Freeman would be activated right after the All-Star break. “It’s more serious than we expected,” said Hart. “…He’s working hard to get back but it’s a slow-healing injury and it still gives him pain when he swings. … We gave him an injection and thought he would be back in two or three days but it was no better. We did further tests and found it was more serious than we thought.” A prolonged absence for the club’s best hitter does little to instill confidence that the 42-47 Braves can right the ship.
- On the heels of a dismal first half for shortstop Ian Desmond, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo gave a vote of confidence to the struggling star. “He’s our shortstop, he’s gonna be our shortstop,” said Rizzo to James Wagner of the Washington Post. “He’s a leader of the ballclub. He’s a three-time Silver Slugger that we think he’s going to be Ian Desmond in the second half. He’s got a great attitude, a great work ethic.” The strong words seem to indicate that there are no present plans for a changing of the guard at short, even an internal switch such as giving the revitalized Danny Espinosa some more at-bats at shortstop. Desmond, of course, is a free agent at season’s end, so the poor first half comes with serious financial implications.
- Though Marlins players generally like manager Dan Jennings, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the GM-turned-skipper did upset some of the club’s pitchers when stating that pitching help was on the way in the form of Jose Fernandez. Some within the clubhouse took the comment as a slight. Jackson hears that some within the clubhouse think Jennings’ motivational tactics are better suited for a room of executives than a group of players.
AL Central Notes: Montas, Twins, Tigers, Almonte
The White Sox will promote highly touted right-hander Frankie Montas as the 26th man in Friday’s double-header, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan first reported (via Twitter). Acquired along with Avisail Garcia in the three-team trade that sent Jake Peavy to Boston and Jose Iglesias to Detroit two years ago, Montas’ stock has soared over the past 24 months. MLB.com ranked him as the game’s No. 91 prospect heading into the season, and the hard-throwing Dominican hurler hasn’t disappointed at the Double-A level. He’s posted a 2.47 ERA in 15 starts at the level at the age of 22, averaging 7.6 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9. That performance comes on the heels of a 1.44 ERA across three levels in 2014. Montas tossed a seven-inning no-hitter earlier this season and appeared in the Futures Game in Cincinnati during this year’s All-Star festivities. Though his promotion looks to be brief, he’ll give ChiSox fans a glimpse of what the team hopes is a long-term contributor.
More from the AL Central…
- Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press runs down the Twins‘ three biggest problems as the trade deadline approaches and looks at some possible solutions for the club. Setup relief, catching and shortstop have been the club’s most glaring weaknesses in 2015, writes Berardino. In looking at catchers, he notes that the Twins made contract offers to both A.J. Pierzynski and Dioner Navarro before signing Kurt Suzuki in the 2013-14 offseason, so either backstop could again become a consideration. Both the Braves and Blue Jays figure to be open to dealing their veteran catcher.
- Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN also examines the Twins‘ needs and speculates that rolling the dice on a Jimmy Rollins acquisition could be worthwhile for Minnesota. Neither Danny Santana nor Eduardo Escobar has played well enough to hold a firm grasp on the club’s starting shortstop role, and the Dodgers may want to clear the way for Corey Seager to jump to the Majors at short. Mackey, of course, notes that Rollins hasn’t played well in 2015. He’s hitting only .213/.266/.338 on the season and is expensive — owed about $4.48MM through year’s end. But, that price tag and those struggles mean he won’t cost much in a trade. Rollins’ track record as a productive player and 2015 BABIP woes make him an intriguing low-risk gamble that could rebound in the second half, Mackey concludes.
- The next 10 days or so are critical to the Tigers‘ direction at the trade deadline, writes Jason Beck of MLB.com. Beck writes that the Tigers realize the division crown is a long shot at this point, so the question for Detroit becomes whether or not they feel pursuing a Wild Card berth “as more than a crapshoot.” Contending clubs continue to ask the Tigers what their plan is going to be, Beck writes, but Detroit’s minor league clubs are also still being scouted by potential sellers like the Reds and Padres in the event that they move to add big league help. Even if the Tigers decide to buy at the deadline, payroll will be a factor, according to Beck. He also reminds that while David Price can net a compensatory draft pick this offseason if he signs elsewhere, Yoenis Cespedes cannot, due to a contractual stipulation.
- The Royals have promoted right-hander Miguel Almonte from Double-A to Triple-A and hope that the top prospect can emerge as a bullpen option in September, reports Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star. The 22-year-old Almonte entered the season ranked 84th among prospects by MLB.com and 56th by Baseball Prospectus. His production in the Double-A rotation was a bit underwhelming, as he worked to a 4.03 ERA with 7.4 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9. McCullough notes that part of the reason for Almonte’s declined strikeout rate (he averaged 8.7 K/9 from 2013-14) is that he’s been tasked with focusing on improved fastball command and is thus using his above-average changeup less. A lot will change between now and September, but Almonte’s not on the 40-man roster, so the team would need to make a corresponding roster move if he proves worthy of another promotion.
Luhnow, Hinch On Astros’ Roster, Trade Deadline
Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow finds himself in an unfamiliar position this trade season, as he’s now in the driver’s seat of a club that’s looking to buy, writes Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. Drellich spoke to both Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch about the club’s roster and the needs they face entering the July 31 trade deadline.
Per Drellich, starting pitching remains a priority, and the team is likely focused on adding a front-line starting pitcher. Luhnow specifically mentioned a desire to strengthen a potential playoff rotation. “I still think if we are fortunate enough to make the playoffs, having a pitcher that can pitch in those first few games of the playoffs will make a difference,” the GM said. He’s made similar remarks in the past, but the stated importance of strengthening the front of his rotation with the trade deadline so near is nevertheless notable. (Of course, I wouldn’t think that Luhnow and the Astros would shy away from adding a fourth or fifth starter type either.) Manager A.J. Hinch also weighed in on the need for a pitcher: “You always feel like an extra pitcher or two would be ideal, and some of that is out of just strengthening a strength, and some of it is not really knowing what’s in store moving forward on a couple different spots on our team.”
Drellich writes that there’s little indication of serious interest in Cole Hamels, but Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija remain names of interest to the Astros. Houston faces competition in acquiring either free-agent-to-be, with a source telling Drellich that other teams vying for Cueto include the Blue Jays, Yankees, Dodgers, Giants and possibly the Royals. Many have speculated that it could be difficult for Luhnow to strike a deal with former colleague Walt Jocketty — the two “butted heads” while working together in St. Louis, Drellich notes — but multiple sources indicated to Drellich that previous transgressions between the two won’t impact the Astros’ chances so long as they make the best offer.
Regarding possible trade chips on the Padres, Drellich feels that Tyson Ross could be too expensive to pry away due to his remaining club control (through 2017), but Andrew Cashner‘s one-and-a-half years of control are a more reasonable target. Ultimately, however, he notes that the Astros are expected to land a pure half-season rental.
One potential area of need that hasn’t received much focus for Houston is first base. Luhnow was candid in pointing out that Chris Carter‘s production “hasn’t been there” and “it’s frustrating because we know what he’s capable of doing.” Luhnow, though, adds that Carter’s production in 2014 was particularly potent in the second half. The GM doesn’t specifically state it, but it seems like the club may entertain an upgrade at first base if Carter and Jon Singleton stumble out of the gates in the second half. “He hasn’t achieved it yet, and I’m not sure we can wait all year for something to come if it’s not coming,” said Luhnow of Carter’s production. “I believe he will get off to a quick start after the break and give us the production we need.” Drellich adds that Luis Valbuena has been taking grounders at first and could see some time there when Jed Lowrie is healthy.
Adam Lind and Adam LaRoche are oft-speculated first base trade candidates, though Drellich also wonders about a possible match with Yonder Alonso, who doesn’t hit for much power but also rarely strikes out and has a connection to Hinch, who previously worked in the San Diego front office. Michael Morse and Ryan Howard represent more expensive options that, of course, haven’t lived up to their respective contracts.
Houston certainly has the prospects to deal in order to facilitate a trade for a big name, and Drellich, interestingly, writes that the club may be more willing to move right-hander Mark Appel than top outfield prospect Brett Phillips. (Phillips ranked 21st on Baseball America’s midseason Top 50 prospects list, while Appel was 39th.)
The current iteration of the Astros’ front office is indeed in somewhat uncharted water, and they’re currently being challenged by a surging Angels club that moved into first place on the final day of the first half. As things currently stand, the Astros and Twins — perhaps the two most surprising clubs in baseball — would square off in the Wild Card playoff if the season ended today. Based on comments from Luhnow and reported information from Drellich (whose full article should absolutely be read in its entirety), it doesn’t seem like the Astros will take a passive approach and hope that the eventual returns of Lowrie, George Springer and Scott Feldman will be enough to propel them to a division title.
Rangers To Release Ross Detwiler
JULY 15: The Rangers have requested unconditional release waivers for Detwiler after he rejected an outright assignment, tweets Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
As a player with more than five years of big league service, Detwiler has earned the right to reject his minor league assignment without having to forfeit the remaining $1.55MM of his 2015 salary. The Rangers will remain on the hook for that amount, less the pro-rated portion of the league minimum for any time he spends on another club’s active roster.
If there’s a silver lining on Detwiler’s rough season, it’s that he’s still held left-handed hitters in check quite well. Same-handed batters have posted a meager .220/.283/.317 batting line in 46 plate appearances versus Detwiler this season. Over the course of his career, he’s held them to a similarly weak .232/.305/.301 line. Perhaps, then, a club in need of left-handed relief help will show interest in Detwiler once he officially becomes a free agent.
JULY 11: The Rangers have announced that they’ve designated lefty Ross Detwiler for assignment. The move clears space on the Rangers’ active roster for righty Roman Mendez, who has been promoted from Triple-A Round Rock.
The Rangers acquired Detwiler from the Nationals for two prospects in December. He got off to a poor start in Texas, with a 10.95 ERA through his first three outings, and never really righted the ship. He still had a 6.95 ERA in mid-May when he went on the DL with shoulder trouble, and he continued to struggle after returning a few weeks later. Overall, Detwiler posted a 7.12 ERA with 5.9 K/9, 4.2 BB/9 and a career-low 36.4% ground-ball rate in 43 innings split between the rotation and the bullpen. His $3.45MM salary will likely prevent him from being claimed.
Prior to 2015, Detwiler enjoyed six modestly successful years with the Nationals, who made him the No. 6 overall pick in the draft in 2007. For his career, he has a 4.10 ERA, 5.5 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 514 innings.
Yankees Sign First-Rounder James Kaprielian
2:32pm: New York has announced the signing.
12:52pm: The Yankees have agreed to an above-slot bonus with first-round pick James Kaprielian, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports on Twitter. The 16th overall selection will earn a $2.65MM payday to forego his final season at UCLA if and when he passes his physical.
Heading into the draft, ESPN.com’s Keith Law had the highest grade on the power right-hander, ranking him 13th among draft-eligible players. Law profiles Kaprielian as a mid-rotation starter in future outlook, saying he has a chance to deliver four solid offerings that will play up if he can harness his command to his full potential.
Other draft observers ranked Kaprielian slightly further down their lists, but all saw him as a clear first-round pick. MLB.com placed him 22nd, praising his “pitchability,” while Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs put him in the 21st slot and Baseball America ranked him 19th.
Callis had calculated that the Yankees had up to $2,676,450 to use on Kaprielian, but the team was able to get things done for slightly less. That won’t leave much left over to use on other picks, of course. The slot value for his selection was $2,543,300.