White Sox Designate Hector Noesi For Assignment
The White Sox announced today that they have designated right-hander Hector Noesi for assignment and recalled fellow righty Scott Carroll from Triple-A Charlotte to fill his spot on the roster (Twitter link).
The 28-year-old Noesi soaked up 166 innings in the White Sox rotation in 2014 after Chicago claimed him off waivers from the Rangers, but he’s struggled greatly this season. In 32 2/3 innings, Noesi has produced a 6.89 ERA with 22 strikeouts against 16 walks. His spot in the rotation has been taken over by Carlos Rodon, the No. 3 overall pick from the 2014 draft.
Carroll, 30, has been up and down with the White Sox over the past two seasons, totaling 129 1/3 innings last season and 17 2/3 innings this year. His 2015 efforts at the Major League level have yielded a 3.12 ERA, although he’s fanned just seven hitters against seven walks in that time. Carroll has notched a 2.37 ERA with 5.3 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 in 30 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season and could serve as swingman in the Chicago bullpen.
Jhoulys Chacin Opts Out Of Indians Contract
Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin has opted out of his minor league contract with the Indians, the team announced. The former Rockies rotation stalwart was surprisingly released late in Spring Training and inked a minors pact with Cleveland in April.
Still just 27 years of age, Chacin pitched relatively well with Cleveland’s top minor league affiliate, posting a 3.21 ERA in 42 innings out of the Columbus rotation. However, he also continued a trend of diminished strikeouts, averaging just 5.4 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 with the Clippers. Chacin at one time looked to be a budding strikeout artist, whiffing 138 batters in 137 1/3 innings of 3.28 ERA ball with the Rockies’ big league club in 2010. Since that time, he’s averaged just 6.2 K/9 in the Majors.
All that said, Chacin would seem to represent a reasonable gamble for a club looking for options at the back end of its rotation. He’s been relatively successful at Triple-A this year and could be controlled for the 2016 season via arbitration in the event that he experiences a turnaround at the Major League level. (Chacin entered the season with five year, 12 days of big league service, so even jumping directly onto a big league roster would leave him about 50 days shy of six full years of MLB service time.)
It’s easy to say that a contending club in need of a fourth or fifth starter might prefer a more certain option than Chacin, but in a market with few sellers, that’s not necessarily something that one can easily acquire. Buyers are at a disadvantage on the current trade market, with only the Phillies and Brewers looking like definitive sellers. The A’s, White Sox and Reds may eventually join that group of clubs, but Cincinnati seems likely to wait until after it hosts the All-Star Game, and the Sox and A’s have seemingly yet to throw in the towel despite lackluster starts.
That lack of selling teams stands to benefit Chacin, in my eyes. As a pitcher with a reasonably sound Major League track record and some recent success at the Triple-A level, I’d think Chacin will draw some interest from contenders as well as rebuilding clubs like the Phillies that are simply looking to plus some quality innings into their rotation.
NL East Notes: Hamels, MacPhail, Mets, Fister
The Phillies announced today that a “mild” strain of his right hamstring will prevent Cole Hamels from making his scheduled start tomorrow. Right-hander Phillippe Aumont will be promoted from Triple-A to take Hamels’ place, which will necessitate a 40-man and 25-man roster move, per the team. That’s interesting in its own right, as the DFA of Dustin McGowan today should have opened a 40-man spot for Aumont, though perhaps the team has a different player in mind for that spot. (GM Ruben Amaro stated specifically yesterday that Aaron Nola would not join the team this weekend, ruling him out.) On a larger scale, any injury to Hamels is extra noteworthy as the trade deadline approaches. The Philadelphia ace will be among the most coveted trade chips on the market this July, if healthy. The ailment seems relatively minor at this time, but his health will be a situation to monitor in the coming days, as anything more serious could have serious ramifications.
Here’s more from the NL East…
- If the Phillies are serious about adding Andy MacPhail as their new club president, the team needs to make the hire sooner rather than later, opines Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Brookover notes that acting president Pat Gillick was unavailable for comment yesterday when he tried to reach him and calls it “reasonable to believe” that Gillick was in the process of negotiating with MacPhail at the time. Brookover points out that both assistant GM Scott Proefrock and director of player development Joe Jordan worked for MacPhail in Baltimore, so he does have some connections within the current front office. An expedited hiring process would maximize the amount of time for MacPhail or any other new president to evaluate the organization, top to bottom.
- Though a great deal of focus has been directed at the Mets‘ need to add another bat to the lineup, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes that the need to acquire a reliable setup man is perhaps just as important. Injuries to Vic Black and Rafael Montero have thinned out the team’s options, and Bobby Parnell‘s velocity is nowhere near its previous heights. Recent discussions about possibly moving Noah Syndergaard to the bullpen for 2015 ended with the conclusion that the promising rookie should remain in the rotation. Jenrry Mejia will soon return from his 80-game suspension, though even he is an imperfect option, because he’ll be ineligible for the postseason, should the Mets make it there. Martino notes that GM Sandy Alderson has been reluctant to trade for short-term upgrades in the past but wonders if the win-now nature of the current club makes someone like Tyler Clippard more realistic than he would have been in previous years.
- Doug Fister will return to the Nationals‘ rotation today, writes Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. While a healthy Fister should be a boon for the club, his return creates some questions in the rotation. Both Tanner Roark and Joe Ross have been in the rotation while Fister and Stephen Strasburg have been shelved, and it’s unclear which will be bumped to accommodate Fister. Skipper Matt Williams called those “good decisions” to have to make and said he couldn’t rule out Ross getting another turn, although Strasburg, too, is said to be nearing a return. A free agent at season’s end, Fister has extra incentive to rediscover his previous success. As Janes notes, his ground-ball rate is down nearly 10 percent from its career mark in 2015, and I’d add that his velocity has been a big concern as well. Fister has averaged just 86.1 mph on his heater this season, which is probably a factor in his rapidly declining strikeout rate (4.1 K/9).
Draft Signings: Nash Walters, Cody Poteet
Here are today’s notable mid-round signings (slot values courtesy of Baseball America)…
- Brewers third-round pick Nash Walters received an over-slot $800K signing bonus, tweets MLB.com’s Jim Callis. The prep righty out of Texas has an 88-93 mph sinker and a projectable 6’5″ frame, per Callis. Walters rated as the 332nd-best prospect in the 2015 draft on Baseball America’s Top 500, and their scouting report notes that he didn’t begin pitching until 2014, making him quite raw but full of athleticism and potential on the mound. BA felt that Walters might’ve been best-served to honor his commitment to Texas A&M but added that a team might pay for his upside, which the Brewers have done, going $136K over-slot on him.
- Right-hander Cody Poteet signed for the full slot value of $488.7K of the No. 116 slot at which the Marlins selected him, Callis tweets. BA ranked Poteet 190th in the draft, labeling him as an enigmatic prospect due to being used in a variety of roles. The scouting report from BA says Poteet has starter stuff, with two usable breaking balls when he’s pitching well. He doesn’t always control them well though, and his 90-92 mph fastball played up in a relief role, hitting 94.
Phillies Designate Dustin McGowan For Assignment
The Phillies announced today that they have designated right-hander Dustin McGowan for assignment and recalled left-hander Jake Diekman from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The 33-year-old McGowan has already been outrighted off the 40-man roster once this season but remained with the organization after he cleared waivers. He’ll have the option o elect free agency once again, if he is ultimately exposed to waivers and clears for a second time. The veteran swingman has struggled with his control this season, leading to a 6.94 ERA in 23 1/3 innings. McGowan’s 21 strikeouts in that time are a solid mark, but he’s also walked 20 hitters, and his ground-ball rate is down significantly from its peak — a trend that began last year in Toronto and has continued in 2015.
Diekman, 28, entered the season as one of the more intriguing arms in the Phillies’ bullpen mix but struggled to a 6.75 ERA through 21 1/3 innings before being optioned to Triple-A earlier this month. His brief trip to the minors was as encouraging as Phillies’ decision-makers could possibly have hoped, as he fired seven scoreless innings, allowing just five hits and a walk while punching out seven batters. Diekman whiffed 100 hitters in just 71 innings last year and posted FIP, xFIP and SIERA marks between 2.64 and 2.85, suggesting that he had performed much better than his 3.80 ERA otherwise indicated. He’ll likely rejoin Ken Giles as a setup option for closer Jonathan Papelbon, though he could move into a more prominent role in the Philly bullpen if Papelbon is ultimately traded.
Marlins Have Had Internal Discussions About Re-Signing Ichiro
The Marlins have had internal discussions about bringing Ichiro Suzuki back into the fold for the 2016 season, manager Dan Jennings told Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links). Jennings offered high praise for the 41-year-old Ichiro, calling him the “most prepared player” he’s been around and citing him as a good example for the club’s younger players.
From a purely offensive standpoint, Ichiro has hit well enough to remain a viable fourth outfielder. His overall production is about 10 percent below the league average due to a lack of power, but he’s hitting .289 with a .342 on-base percentage and a .338 slugging percentage.
In terms of defense and baserunning, however — two areas that were once arguably his greatest strengths — Ichiro has struggled. He’s 6-for-10 in stolen base attempts this year and rates out at one run below average on the basepaths, per Fangraphs. Both Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved feel that Ichiro is overmatched even in the corners at this point of his career, as DRS has him at -7 runs total (all three outfield spots combined), while UZR is a somewhat more favorable -2.6 (though that’s -15.2 when pro-rated to 150 games).
The net result of his play to this point has been sub-replacement level per both rWAR and fWAR, although there are certainly some marketing considerations that have to be considered in regards to Ichiro as well. In addition to his international popularity, the future Hall of Famer will likely be chasing his 3,000th Major League hit in earnest next season. Currently 115 hits shy with 2,885 already in the books, Ichiro’s current pace would leave him with 2,949 hits in his career at season’s end. Even if he falls shy of that mark, he’ll almost certainly be within 80-100 hits of 3,000, barring some form of injury.
It’s not known to what extent Ichiro reciprocates the Marlins’ interest, although he spoke late in Spring Training about feeling an immediate sense of loyalty to the Marlins after their offseason interest in him at this late stage in his career.
Phillies Notes: MacPhail, Sandberg, Nola, Lee
The Phillies’ pursuit of longtime baseball exec Andy MacPhail for a position in their front office is “quite real,” a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. (CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury first reported Philadelphia’s interest in MacPhail.) Rosenthal writes that adding MacPhail could create an interesting scenario, as it would potentially put MacPhail, who served as the Cubs’ president when Ryne Sandberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame, in position to fire Sandberg as the Phillies’ manager. Rosenthal writes that many within the industry feel that Sandberg is overmatched, but he adds that if current president Pat Gillick were going to dismiss Sandberg, he’d probably have done so by now. As such, the decision may fall to Gillick’s successor, who could make the move himself or hire a new general manager to do so.
A few more notes on a Phillies team that seems destined for change on the roster, in the front office and in the dugout in the coming months…
- GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters, including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, that he’s “fully supportive” of Sandberg and expects him to finish out the 2015 season as the team’s manager. Sandberg added that he’s not concerned about potentially being on the hot seat, telling reporters, “I worry about the game today and what has to be done today. That’s the focus and the mindset for me.”
- The Phillies placed Jerome Williams on the disabled list and have yet to announce a starter for Sunday’s contest, but Salisbury writes that it won’t be top prospect Aaron Nola. The No. 7 pick in the 2014 draft, Nola is slated to make his Triple-A debut tomorrow evening and will continue on that schedule. “We have to do what’s right for Aaron Nola and his development and that’s not going to change,” Amaro said of Nola. “And he’s going to be in the big leagues at some point this year. I don’t think there’s any question about that, if he continues to progress the way he’s progressed so far.”
- Within that piece, Salisbury also provides an update on the injured Cliff Lee. Following an exam on Tuesday of this week, it was recommended that Lee hold off from throwing for another three to four weeks. Amaro said that in about a month’s time, the team will have a clearer image of Lee’s future. The former Cy Young winner has been resting a small tear in his flexor tendon in an attempt to avoid a surgical repair that would come with a nine-month recovery timeline.
AL Central Notes: Buxton, Sox, V-Mart, Tigers, Young
Speaking about the team’s recent promotion of top prospect Byron Buxton, Twins GM Terry Ryan told Kris Atteberry of Twins Radio (audio link): “We brought up Buxton because he’s the best one we had available at the time. We have a few guys down there that we considered, but they aren’t as good as Buxton, so we brought up Byron to give him a shot. … I’m hoping that things go well enough that we don’t have to worry about it.” Based on Ryan’s comments, it seems that Buxton will have the opportunity to play his way into a regular role moving forward. A productive Buxton would certainly increase Minnesota’s chances of remaining in the hunt for the division and could also eliminate a potential area of need in trades — an upgrade in the outfield.
More from the AL Central…
- Asked by MLB.com’s Scott Merkin about the possibility of the White Sox becoming deadline sellers, David Robertson said that he would be understanding of any route that GM Rick Hahn felt was best for the team. “If that happens, you know, that’s just part of the game,” said the closer, who signed a four-year, $46MM contract this winter. “That’s obviously a decision that I’m not even involved in. The organization has to do what’s best for them. If that’s the way this season turns out, then so be it.” Robertson, however, feels that the Sox still have the pieces to contend and believes a turnaround is possible with strong performances against division rivals in Kansas City and Detroit. Chicago is currently seven games under .500 and nine back in the AL Central.
- Victor Martinez will rejoin the Tigers this weekend in New York and could be activated from the disabled list at that time, writes James Schmehl of MLive.com. Martinez has been out since May 19 but looked strong on a Triple-A rehab assignment to date, going 4-for-12 with a double in 12 plate appearances.
- In a mailbag column, Schmehl addresses potential trade scenarios for the Tigers this summer, reporting that the team will consider adding starting pitching. Johnny Cueto and Scott Kazmir are two seemingly speculative names tossed out by Schmehl. He adds that Detroit is likely to add a relief arm as well, though not an elite closer like Aroldis Chapman, as the team is happy with Joakim Soria in the ninth inning.
- In a piece for FOX Sports, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs examines the unique nature of Chris Young‘s ability to drastically outperform his FIP by virtue of consistently posting one of the lowest BABIP marks in baseball. While there’s a good amount of luck involved in BABIP, Young’s extreme fly-ball tendencies — specifically his ability to induce infield flies — has allowed him to post a .240 BABIP dating back to 2006. Cameron notes that in such a heavily analytical era, it’s not surprising that teams were so reluctant to gamble on a 36-year-old soft-tosser with a 5.02 FIP in 2014, but Young’s mastery of a rare skill set has made him a bargain.
Wil Myers To Undergo Left Wrist Surgery
Padres outfielder Wil Myers will undergo surgery to remove a bone spur from his left wrist tomorrow, writes Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union Tribune. It will likely be at least eight weeks before Myers is able to resume baseball activities, Lin adds, which seems to suggest that Myers could be sidelined through the end of August.
It’s been an injury plagued season for the 24-year-old Myers, who joined the Padres alongside Ryan Hanigan in a three-team trade that sent Joe Ross and Trea Turner to the Nationals while also sending Steven Souza, Burch Smith, Rene Rivera, Jake Bauers and Travis Ott to the Rays. Myers was tasked with playing center field despite not carrying a strong reputation even as a corner outfielder, and the results weren’t pretty, from a defensive standpoint (-9 DRS, -57 UZR/150 in 260 innings).
Myers, however, was acquired more for his bat than his glove, and he didn’t disappoint in that regard. In 159 plate appearances with the Padres this season, Myers has batted .277/.322/.459 with five homers, 10 doubles and a triple. When weighting that line to account for his home park, Myers has been about 22 percent above the league average (per wRC+ and OPS+).
Myers has missed significant time in both 2014 and 2015 with injuries to each of his wrists. A sprain and a fracture in his right wrist led to separate DL stints for Myers last season, and he’s been troubled by both inflammation and tendinitis in his left wrist this season — the same wrist that will now put him on the shelf for another two months or more. According to Lin, Myers has played through this bone spur since middle school, but it became increasingly problematic this year when a tendon near his pinkie finger became inflamed.
In Myers’ absence, the Padres will likely use a combination of Will Venable and Melvin Upton Jr. in center field, with Justin Upton and Matt Kemp handling corner outfield duties. The loss of Myers hurts the lineup, though it does allow interim manager Pat Murphy an avenue to insert a much-needed left-handed bat — Venable — into his lineup with regularity. Venable is hitting a strong .273/.331/.453 against righties this season and owns a lifetime .257/.322/.430 slash when holding the platoon advantage.
Myers did start five games at first base this season, so it shouldn’t be completely ruled out that hyper-aggressive GM A.J. Preller could pursue a trade for a center fielder, then use Myers at first base if he’s able to return in a timely fashion. Doing so could theoretically displace Yonder Alonso, who has enjoyed a .319/.406/.420 start to his season. Much of that is owed a to a .359 BABIP, however, as Alonso still offers little power, especially relative to his first base peers.
Royals Sign First-Rounder Ashe Russell
The Royals announced that they have signed first-round pick Ashe Russell (Twitter link). Russell, a high school right-hander out of Indiana, agreed to terms on a bonus of $2,190,200, which is $6K over the slot value for the No. 21 overall selection, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (on Twitter).
Callis and MLB.com colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked Russell as the top high school arm in the draft and the 14th-best prospect overall. Baseball America ranked him 17th, while ESPN’s Keith Law had him at No. 30, and Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel rated Russell 37th.
Russell works at 92-95 mph with a slider that can be a swing-and-miss offering in the 78-82 mph range, per MLB.com’s free scouting report. Late life on his fastball helps Russell to generate a large number of ground balls, BA writes, though he’s struggled to repeat the release point on his three-quarter arm slot at times. McDaniel rates him a bit lower due to only showing two plus pitches and command that’s “just alright,” and ESPN feels that his tendency to throw across his body and lack of a plus changeup will leave him vulnerable to lefties.