NL East Notes: Nats, Mets, Conforto, Phils, Utley, Braves
The Nationals have yet to play to expectations and are dealing with several injury and performance issues, as Jonah Keri of Grantland explains (in addition to breaking down several other clubs, particularly the A’s, Rays, and Pirates). In terms of potential deadline moves, the area that Keri highlights as needing improvement is first base. As he explains, Ryan Zimmerman has not performed at the plate and is now in the midst of a DL stint of indeterminate length as he deals with plantar fasciitis. Keri suggests that the Nats could go after a rental such as Adam Lind, reserving longer-term questions for the future. From my perspective, adding a left-handed power bat makes a good deal of sense: such a player could boost the team’s production now while ultimately serving as a bench bat and/or platoon mate for Zimmerman, depending upon how things progress, while also supplying some injury insurance.
Here’s more from the NL East:
- Even as the Mets continue to try to practice responsible roster-building, the club risks legitimate criticism if it can’t find a way to improve its chances while the Nationals look vulnerable, Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests. There are plenty of possibilities for bold action, of course, but Sherman says not to expect a change of manager. The promotion of young lefty Steven Matz is not the panacea some might think, says Sherman, but could make a difference. (From my perspective, that still seems the single most likely move to inject talent onto the big league roster.) As for trades, Sherman writes that the club may need to get creative, but should be prepared to turn in some of its resources (payroll & prospects) to make something happen.
- Of course, some have suggested that the Mets really ought to be taking a look at 2014 first-round draft pick Michael Conforto to help boost the team’s sagging offense. But the club is “not considering” that move at this time, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. That’s probably not too surprising, really. Conforto is still only 22 and has less than a full season of professional plate appearances on his resume. He has been raking at Double-A, but has not even seen 100 turns at bat at that level and was producing solid but hardly overwhelming numbers at High-A.
- If the Phillies are serious about building an organization that can succeed in the long run, then they should open their upper management search up broadly before making a decision, writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. President Pat Gillick was never expected to stay at the helm of the organization for very long, and it seems that one key function of his office is to find a more permanent replacement. One name that has come up, of course, is former Orioles, Cubs, and Twins executive Andy MacPhail. Murphy says that MacPhail may or may not be the best person to take over, but the club ought to make that determination through a process that includes “a thorough examination of other top candidates throughout the sport.”
- Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg says he is aware of Chase Utley‘s vesting clause terms but won’t allow it to dictate his lineups, as Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News reports. The struggling veteran has lost time to Cesar Hernandez recently. Utley will be guaranteed $15MM next year if he reaches 500 plate appearances this season. He’s just one PA shy of the halfway mark, easily putting him on pace. But as things stand — Utley is slashing .179/.257/.275, and his hard contact and line drive rates have plummeted — the organization would be amply justified to curb his playing time.
- The Braves are not likely to sell off any significant pieces at the deadline, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes in response to a fan question, though they could ship out a few one-year veterans if they fall well out of the picture. Atlanta could still be a limited buyer, Bowman suggests, with the team potentially looking to bolster its bullpen.
Prospect Notes: Appel, Judge, Margot, Toussaint
Mark Appel may have thrown his last pitch at the Double-A level, as Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports that the 2013 No. 1 overall pick is likely to be promoted to Triple-A following a strong Double-A showing on Sunday. Appel’s overall numbers aren’t great due to a pair of ugly starts in May, but as Drellich points out, the Stanford product has worked to a 2.17 ERA with a 24-to-8 K/BB ratio in 29 innings over his past five starts. Appel’s production at Triple-A will be worth monitoring, as Drellich also adds that the Astros want to assess their internal starting pitching options before exploring a trade for an upgrade.
Here’s more on Appel and some other top prospects filtering up toward the big leagues …
- Appel spoke with MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart about his desire to join close friends and former Double-A teammates Lance McCullers, Vincent Velasquez and Carlos Correa in the Majors. He tells McTaggart that the key to his turnaround has been establishing his fastball earlier in counts in order to get ahead of hitters — something on which he has worked repeatedly with pitching coach Doug Brocail.
- The Yankees have announced that slugger Aaron Judge will move up to Triple-A Scranton, as Jack Curry of the YES Network was first to report on Twitter. The massive outfielder cracked top-100 lists to start the year, and has performed well thus far in his first run at Double-A, slashing .284/.350/.516 with 12 home runs in 280 plate appearances.
- Red Sox outfielder Manuel Margot has received a bump up to Double-A, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe tweets. The 20-year-old has slashed .282/.321/.420 and added twenty steals over his 198 turns at bat at the High-A level this year. Baseball America rated him the organization’s seventh-best prospect entering the year, crediting Margot with the potential to develop into a true five-tool performer who can play center field. We heard some chatter this spring that the Phillies were eyeing the interesting prospect as a possible piece in a Cole Hamels deal.
- We saw a fascinating deal last weekend involving the effective sale of young righty Touki Toussaint from the Diamondbacks to the Braves. Over at Fangraphs, Dave Cameron discusses the deal in terms of prospect valuation. He reckons that Toussaint is probably worth about $20MM based on consensus prospect evaluations. While Arizona’s internal assessment may well have been lower, as Cameron notes, it still seems puzzling that the team cut bait given the organization’s current standing.
- Diamondbacks chief baseball officer Tony La Russa weighed in on the Toussaint deal, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. La Russa says the move was all about opening budgetary space to improve the big league roster in the relatively near future. “The ability to to have some payroll flexibility is critical to adding a couple of pieces,” said La Russa. “I don’t think we’re going to need a lot of pieces because we’re going to develop with this core. But if you can make the right move or two with somebody, that brings a lot to the table. Payroll flexibility is important.” Toussaint was a ways off from contributing at the big league level, said the club’s top baseball decisionmaker, while the D’Backs “think [their future] is sooner rather than later.” All said, La Russa indicated that the club simply preferred to move the salary of Bronson Arroyo to holding onto the lottery ticket of a young arm. “We’re not pushing a five-year plan, which is what Touki is,” he said. “Does that mean, just in retrospect, since I was there, should I have told (former scouting director Ray Montgomery), ‘Ray, don’t draft a Touki?’ Maybe I should have, but that was my first draft.” The 19-year-old (as of two days ago) Toussaint, of course, was the first name that Arizona called in last year’s amateur draft. Notably, as Piecoro has observed, this year’s selections were heavy on collegiate players.
Draft Signings: Davis, Degano, Williams, Matheny
Here today’s notable draft signings, with slot value information via Baseball America:
- The Dodgers went well over slot to sign fifth-round pick Brendan Davis, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports on Twitter. Davis gets $918,600, which is $605K north of the 162nd pick’s assigned slot value. Baseball America placed him just inside its top 500 list, noting that Davis was expected to attend Cal State Fullerton after missing much of his senior high school season with a broken wrist. A “smooth athlete” with good instincts and solid power and hit tools, the shortstop had been a fairly highly-valued prospect before the injury intervened. Los Angeles has yet to sign its top two picks, Walker Buehler and Kyle Funkhouser, and presumably expects to find some savings from those prospective deals to make up for the Davis overage.
- Meanwhile, the Yankees will realize some savings on second-rounder Jeff Degano, according to Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). The southpaw will earn a $650K bonus after being taken 57th overall ($1,074,400 slot value), freeing $424,400 for New York to apply toward other picks. ESPN.com’s Keith Law was high on Degano, ranking him the 54th-best player available. Law credits Degano with a low-90s fastball, sweeping slider that could grow into an above-average offering, and reasonably promising change. Degano does have some injury questions and already has undergone Tommy John surgery.
- Phillies third-round pick Lucas Williams has agreed to an at-slot, $719,800 bonus, Mayo tweets. The high school shortstop was not considered an early-round option by many prospect hounds coming into the draft, but still commanded a full-slot bonus to forego his commitment to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
- The Red Sox have agreed with outfielder Tate Matheny, son of Cards skipper Mike Matheny, to a $512,700 bonus, per Callis (via Twitter). That is the full slot value for the 111th overall pick. Matheny, an outfielder from Missouri State, rated 107th on Baseball America’s list. BA noted that he lacks any notable tools, but has average abilities in several areas and makes the most out of them with plus makeup.
Phil Coke Declines Optional Assignment, Elects Free Agency
Lefty Phil Coke has declined an optional assignment with the Blue Jays, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca tweets. As was his right given his 6+ years of service, Coke has elected free agency.
Coke, 32, had allowed just one earned run in 2 2/3 innings in Toronto, striking out three but walking two. Combined with his stint with the Cubs earlier in the year, he owns a 5.68 ERA with 8.5 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 on the year.
Though he’s continued to bounce around, Coke figures to have another big league shot in relatively short order. His velocity is down a tick from last year, but he still brings 92 to 93 mph heat from the left side and has fairly promising peripherals. SIERA values his contributions this year at a 3.15 earned run equivalency, while FIP likewise shows him at a promising 3.39 mark.
Reds To Sign Second-Rounder Antonio Santillan
The Reds have agreed to a slightly-above-slot $1.35MM bonus with second-round pick Antonio Santillan, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports on Twitter. He was taken 49th overall, which came with a $1,227,800 pool allocation.
Santillan rated as high as 63rd on pre-draft boards, with MLB.com giving him that slot. His fastball can reach the upper nineties at times and he possesses a big breaking ball, giving the high school righty plenty of upside. But MLB.com says Santillan has a long way to go in smoothing and repeating his delivery, as well as adding a legitimate third pitch.
The big hurler ranked somewhere within the top 100 on all major draft pundits’ lists, but only barely: Baseball America pegged him right at the century mark. Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs had Santillan at 69th overall while ESPN.com’s Keith Law rated him 84th, noting the high ceiling but adding that Santillan is most likely to end up a reliever.
Santillan was committed to Texas Tech, but Cincinnati reached a bit over $100K over slot to nab him. The Reds had racked up some savings with lower-round choices, and still appears to have some additional space to work after signing its first four picks. Fifth-rounder Miles Gordon and sixth-rounder Ian Kahaloa — both high schoolers — are the highest Cinci picks whose bonus agreements remain unreported.
Nats Interested In D-Backs’ Middle Infielders
The Nationals have been connected to Ben Zobrist in recent weeks, and he’s apparently not their only infield target, as the team has also expressed interest in the Diamondbacks’ middle infield depth, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The D-Backs have quite a few middle infield options, as Chris Owings, Nick Ahmed and Cliff Pennington are all capable of handling either shortstop or second base. Aaron Hill, though expensive, comes with quite a bit of experience at second base.
The Nats have seen Ian Desmond struggle for much of the season, and Anthony Rendon has missed a good chunk of the year as well. Despite that fact, though, the team does seem to have a relatively full infield picture. Rendon and Yunel Escobar can both play second and third base, Danny Espinosa is quietly having a very strong rebound season and is defensively gifted at both middle-infield positions. And, of course, despite the 2015 struggles, Desmond has been one of the team’s best overall players, if not one of the best overall players in the National League over the past few seasons.
There was at least some talk of Washington trading Desmond, a free-agent-to-be, this past offseason, so it stands to reason that the notion isn’t completely off the table for the Nationals as the trade deadline approaches. The team may feel that Desmond can be traded for more than a qualifying offer would return, though his .222/.266/.341 batting line hardly helps his trade value.
As for the players that the D-Backs could theoretically trade, Pennington and Hill would seem to be the most logical candidates. Pennington is owed $3.275MM in 2015 but has struggled at the dish, batting a mere .192/.297/.218. Hill is earning $12MM in 2015 and again in 2016, so Arizona would need to eat a lot of salary in order to facilitate a deal, but the veteran isn’t part of the team’s long-term picture.
The D-Backs have been willing to go to similar lengths in the past, keeping about half of Trevor Cahill‘s remaining salary and sending a Competitive Balance draft pick to the Braves. The D-Backs and Braves again matched up on a trade intended to save Arizona some money over the weekend when the Braves acquired Bronson Arroyo (and the remaining $10MM he’s owed) and top prospect Touki Toussaint in exchange for utility infielder Phil Gosselin. That move essentially proved to be the D-Backs selling Toussaint for about $10MM. Put more concisely, Arizona has shown a clear interest in getting out from underneath a portion of the large contracts they have on their books.
As for Owings and Ahmed, either one would figure to be significantly more expensive than their veteran counterparts. Owings is struggling greatly in 2015, hitting just .235/.252/.330, but he was an NL Rookie of the Year candidate in 2014 before shoulder troubles ended his season. Ahmed’s .227/.306/.319 batting line isn’t worlds better, but the 25-year-old is an elite defensive option at shortstop. Owings can be controlled through at least the 2019 season, while Ahmed is controllable through at least 2020.
Indians Sign Brady Aiken
JUNE 22: The bonus is for $2,513,280, Callis tweets.
JUNE 19: 5:25pm: The precise bonus value is not yet known but will be above the slot allotment, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports on Twitter.
11:10am: The Indians announced the signing of Aiken, noting that he’s already completed a medical evaluation with the team and is rehabbing at the club’s Spring Training complex in Goodyear, Ariz.
11:00am: The Indians have signed left-hander Brady Aiken, the No. 17 overall pick in this year’s draft, reports Jordan Bastian of MLB.com (on Twitter). Terms of the bonus are unknown, although the 17th overall slot comes with a value of $2,393,600, according to Baseball America.
Aiken, of course, has been in baseball headlines for more than a year. Selected with the first overall pick by the Astros in the 2014 draft, Aiken was widely expected to sign and even headed to Houston to take a physical and finalize his contract. However, the Astros came away from the physical feeling uneasy about the status of the ulnar collateral ligament in Aiken’s left elbow and reduced their bonus offer from roughly $6.5MM to $5MM. Aiken elected not to sign and in the offseason enrolled at the IMG Academy in Florida in order to be eligible again for the 2015 draft.
Aiken’s season at IMG didn’t last long, however. He left his first start of the season, stating afterward that “something felt a little wrong” in his throwing elbow, and further tests revealed that he had torn the UCL that had given the Astros pause. Aiken underwent Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter.
The injury naturally caused Aiken’s draft stock to drop a bit, but the mystery surrounding his elbow may have caused his stock to slip a bit further. Multiple reports headed into the draft indicated that there was general concern surrounding Aiken’s elbow because his Tommy John surgery and UCL were both said to be abnormal. Houston was said last summer to be concerned by general size of Aiken’s UCL — said to be smaller than a standard elbow ligament — and the difference from that of a straightforward Tommy John case created genuine befuddlement among draft experts as to where he might be selected and which team might take the gamble on Aiken’s highly talented left arm.
Cleveland stepped up and took that gamble, and the potential reward they face if Aiken is fully healthy and can have a normal career moving forward is sizable. Aiken was widely labeled as one of the top talents in each of the past two draft classes. Despite the injury, Aiken was ranked 17th in this year’s draft by Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs, 22nd by Baseball America, 24th by MLB.com (Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis) and 27th by Keith Law of ESPN.com.
Aiken sits in the low 90s with his fastball and has topped out at 96-97 mph, and McDaniel labels three of his pitches — fastball, curveball and changeup — as future plus pitches, giving each an average-or-better grade at present despite his age. Mayo and Callis praised his advanced command and a curveball that added more power and depth late in Aiken’s prep career. BA termed Aiken a “standout athlete,” noting that the former high school quarterback also comes with an ideal 6’3″, 210-pound frame. ESPN noted that as good as Aiken’s pure stuff is, his delivery is one of the cleanest they’ve seen out of a high school pitcher in quite some time (making the injury concerns all the more confounding).
Diamondbacks Option Addison Reed To Triple-A
The Diamondbacks announced today that they’ve optioned former closer Addison Reed to Triple-A Reno. His spot on the roster will go to right-hander Enrique Burgos, who has been activated from the disabled list.
The option is the latest event in what has been a stark decline for Reed, who was acquired from the White Sox two offseasons ago in exchange for well-regarded third base prospect Matt Davidson. Reed’s first season with the D-Backs didn’t go as well as he’d hoped, but the San Diego State product held the closer’s job all season and saved 32 games, albeit with a mediocre 4.25 ERA.
Though Reed’s ERA wasn’t stellar, stats like xFIP (3.26) and SIERA (2.68) loved Reed’s skill set in 2014. He averaged a career-best 10.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 last season, creating some reason for optimism heading into the 2015 campaign. However, things have gone worse in just about every facet for Reed this year. In 24 1/3 innings, he’s sporting a 5.92 ERA, and while in 2014 he was plagued by an elevated homer-to-flyball ratio, he’s actually been lucky in terms of home runs allowed this season. Reed is averaging just 7.4 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9, and while he’s had his share of bad luck on balls in play (.363 BABIP), Reed’s skills seem to have genuinely taken a step back in 2015.
The D-Backs and Reed agreed to a one-year, $4.875MM salary to avoid arbitration this offseason. Even with a poor season likely holding down a potential raise, Reed’s already-notable salary will make him a non-tender candidate this winter if he’s unable to right the ship and rediscover the form that made him an attractive trade chip to Arizona in the first place.
The amount of time that Reed spends in the minors will also be worth keeping an eye on. The 26-year-old entered the year with three years, 27 days of Major League service time, meaning he needed an additional 145 days to stay on track to hit free agency following the 2017 season. To this point, he’s accrued 77 of the necessary 145 but still needs 68 days in the Majors to reach four full years of service. Entering play tonight, there are 106 days of the Major League season remaining. That seems like plenty of time for Reed to be recalled and accumulate the necessary service time, but an extended stay in the minors could theoretically impact his timeline to six-year free agent status.
With Reed no longer in the ninth inning, closing duties have fallen to Brad Ziegler, who has performed well in his limited time in the role. Since being called upon for his first save on May 21, Ziegler has worked to a 2.31 ERA and saved 10 games in 11 2/3 innings, although an even 4-to-4 K/BB ratio in that span leaves something to be desired.
Darryl Hamilton Killed In Shooting
In a tragic piece of news, former Major League outfielder and current MLB Network analyst Darryl Hamilton was found dead in his Texas home today as the victim of an apparent murder-suicide, according to the Houston Chronicle. Just 50 years old, Hamilton suffered multiple gunshot wounds, according to the report. Monica Jordan, 44, was said to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Players, coaches and media members alike are mourning the loss of Hamilton today, with those who knew and worked with him praising his consistently positive personality and recalling the joy that he brought to all those around him. Commissioner Rob Manfred issued the following statement:
“All of us at Major League Baseball are shocked and saddened by this tragedy. Darryl followed a successful 13-year career on the field by assembling a multifaceted career in our game, working for MLB Advanced Media and in our Baseball Operations Department before moving on to MLB Network. He was a talented and personable individual, and we were proud to call him a member of the Baseball Family. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest sympathies to Darryl’s family and his many friends throughout our game.”
Hamilton spent parts of 13 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Brewers, Mets, Rockies, Giants and Rangers. Following his playing days, he did broadcasting work for the Angels and Brewers in addition to his fine work with the MLB Network. We at MLBTR express our deepest condolences to Hamilton’s family as well as those who had the good fortune to work alongside him and the privilege to call him a friend.
Minor Moves: Solano, Parrino, Magill, Ka’aihue
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Marlins announced that recently designated catcher Jhonatan Solano has been outrighted to Triple-A New Orleans after clearing waivers. The 29-year-old catcher was designated on Saturday to clear room for starter Justin Nicolino. Solano has been designated and outrighted twice in 2015 alone, and as a player who’s previously been outrighted, he’ll have the option of rejecting the assignment in favor of free agency.
- Similarly, the Athletics announced today that Andy Parrino, who was designated for assignment last week, has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A. The 29-year-old infielder has a .524 OPS in 131 games spent in very pitcher-friendly home environments (San Diego, Oakland). He has a solid .745 OPS in parts of five seasons at the Triple-A level. He, like Solano, has been previously outrighted and has the option to elect free agency.
- In his latest Minor League Transactions roundup, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy runs down a significant amount of undrafted free agents that have signed with teams this week. He also, as usual, has several previously unreported minor league signings and releases. Among the notable names in this week’s roundup are right-hander Matt Magill and first baseman Kila Ka’aihue. Magill, who underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year, re-signed on a minor league deal with the Reds to continue his rehab. He’d been released to clear a 40-man spot. Ka’aihue, who was released by the Nationals, signed a minor league pact with the Marlins. The Hawaiian slugger hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2012 and struggled through 140 PAs with the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate. He hit .258/.358/.443 over the past two seasons in Japan with the Hiroshima Carp and has a strong minor league track record.