Rockies’ Tyler Chatwood To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Rockies hurler Tyler Chatwood will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, reports Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Given the timing of the procedure, and the fact that Chatwood has already had a UCL replacement, it seems likely that he will miss all of next season.
Chatwood, still only 24, had a promising 2013 season, posting a 3.15 ERA in 20 starts with 5.3 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9. He had been expected to play a major role in the Colorado rotation this year. But, like several other members of the staff, Chatwood has instead missed most of the year due to injury.
The injury certainly has ramifications beyond the season for the Rockies. Chatwood is set to qualify for arbitration eligibility for the first time next year, and the club will have to decide whether to commit to him while he rehabs. Of course, returning from a second TJ procedure is generally a longer and riskier undertaking. While Chatwood has been out since April 29, Saunders explains that he had been working to rehab what was diagnosed as a right flexor strain and elbow inflammation.
Blue Jays Designate Deck McGuire For Assignment
The Blue Jays have designated righty Deck McGuire for assignment, the club announced via press release. The move creates roster space for the claim of Brad Mills.
McGuire, a 2010 first-round draft pick, had struggled in his first exposure to Triple-A at age 25, posting a 5.56 ERA in 55 innings with 6.2 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9. The promotion to the highest level of the minors came after McGuire posted a 2.98 ERA over 60 1/3 innings in his fourth go at Double-A.
Meanwhile, the Mills claim appears to be part of a larger shakeup for the Jays’ staff. Top prospect Aaron Sanchez has been shifted to the bullpen at Triple-A in apparent preparation for filling a pen slot at the major league level, tweets Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News (h/t to John Lott of the National Post).
Brewers Claim Irving Falu, Designate Kevin Shackelford
The Brewers have claimed infielder Irving Falu off waivers from the Padres, the club announced. Milwaukee designated righty Kevin Shackelford for assignment to create roster space.
Falu spent about three weeks in the San Diego organization after he was claimed from the Brewers in late June. Now, he’ll head back to Milwaukee, where he signed over the offseason after 11 seasons with the Royals. On the year, Falu has just three hits in 35 MLB plate appearances but owns a .306/.364/.361 triple-slash (with seven stolen bases against six unsuccessful attempts) over 170 trips to the plate at Triple-A. He’ll be headed back down, as the club announced that he has been optioned.
Shackleford, 25, made it onto the club’s 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. But after dominating High-A hitters earlier this year, he has struggled to a 6.35 ERA through 28 1/3 Double-A frames with just 3.2 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. (In 29 1/3 innings at the level last year, he managed a 0.92 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.)
Blue Jays Claim Brad Mills From Athletics
The Blue Jays have claimed lefty Brad Mills off waivers from the Athletics, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Mills was designated for assignment on July 7 to make room for trade acquisition Jason Hammel.
In his first MLB action since 2012, Mills allowed eight earned runs in 16 1/3 frames while striking out 14 batters and issuing seven free passes. Before his acquisition by Oakland, Mills had impressed at Triple-A for the Brewers, compiling 75 innings of 1.56 ERA ball with 9.2 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9.
Toronto does not have rotation space for the out-of-options Mills unless it sends one of its younger arms (Drew Hutchison or Marcus Stroman) to the pen or the minors or pushes out J.A. Happ (another lefty). The Jays could presumably utilize Mills in a relief role, though the club has enjoyed reasonably effective performances from fellow southpaws Aaron Loup (3.20 ERA) and Brett Cecil (3.68 ERA), the latter of whom is also out of options.
Trade Market For First Basemen
Last year’s first base market was a quiet one, with Justin Morneau the only true full-time option to change hands. Of course, he was not dealt until the end of August. Several other players that have logged some innings at first also were swapped, including Michael Morse, Alberto Callaspo, and Michael Young, but none spent significant time at the position for their new clubs in 2013.
Will this year see more sluggers join contenders? Classifying the potentially available first baggers poses something of a challenge, but let’s see who might be available:
Current Starters
Justin Morneau (Rockies), Allen Craig and Matt Adams (Cardinals), James Loney Rays), Garrett Jones (Marlins), Ryan Howard (Phillies), Carlos Pena (Rangers), Ike Davis and Gaby Sanchez (Pirates), Justin Smoak and Logan Morrison (Mariners), Yonder Alonso (Padres)
- Morneau could well become the most impactful first bagger to be dealt for a second consecutive year — if, that is, the Rockies are willing to move him. Owner Dick Monfort has expressed a general unwillingness to part with the club’s veterans, though the recently-signed Morneau has not been singled out as being off limits. The veteran owns an .846 OPS, by far his best mark since a concussion derailed his run as one of the game’s premier hitters back in 2010. He is only owed the remainder of a $5MM salary this year, and comes with a $6.75MM guarantee for 2015 along with a $9MM mutual buyout ($750K buyout) for 2016.
- Speculation has it that the Cardinals might consider moving one of the team’s two cost-controlled first base bats, owing in part to something of a roster logjam. Trouble is, Craig has stopped hitting (.648 OPS on the year) and the $26.5MM he is owed from 2015-18 (including a buyout of a $13MM option in the last season) no longer looks terribly appealing. The opposite is true of Adams, who owns an .876 OPS and will not even be arb-eligible until 2016, but surely St. Louis would hesitate to deal him for anything less than an impactful return in the midst of a pennant chase.
- Loney, who owns a .275/.333/.372 line midway through the first season of a three-year, $21MM pact, seems fairly unlikely to be dealt by the Rays. That is especially true given that the club is said to be disinclined to conduct a sell-off that might prevent it from contending next year (if not this season as well). On the other hand, if things go south over the next two weeks and the demand is there — or, perhaps, if the Rays add a younger, MLB-ready replacement through some other moves — a Loney deal is not out of the question.
- Even if the Marlins’ contention hopes appear to be fading somewhat, the club seems inclined to keep a competitive product on the field. That could make Jones unavailable, and he would generate limited interest regardless. Jones has been useful at the plate this year against righties (.806 OPS), though he hovers at replacement level as a full-time first baseman. He is owed $5MM next year, as well.
- Howard, meanwhile, has continued to fall off and now owns a .220/.300/.381 triple-slash that is by far the worst mark of his career. Though he could have some appeal as a platoon partner and bench bat, he is actually performing worse against righties than lefties at this point (.671 OPS vs. .711 OPS). More importantly, the $60MM guarantee left on his contract after this season serves as something of a deterrent, to say the least. Odds remain low that he will be dealt, for that reason, but surely Philadelphia would listen if any other club showed any interest in taking any part of that deal.
- Pena has been poor in his first 16 games with Texas (.136/.190/.237) after inking a mid-season minor league deal to fill in for the injured Prince Fielder and Mitch Moreland. But surely the Rangers would be willing to move him as a bench piece if he can elicit interest with a turnaround.
- Thus begins the slippery slope in identifying possible first base trade targets. (“Well, if we include him, then surely … .”) Not one of the remaining names listed carries an OPS of above .700, and none appear particularly likely to be dealt as things stand. But all have shown promise at times in the past, and depending upon how their teams proceed and view these players’ future prospects, it is not inconceivable that they could be moved.
DH/Nominal First Basemen
Adam Dunn (White Sox), Kendrys Morales (Twins), Billy Butler (Royals), Chris Carter (Astros)
While each of these players could conceivably take the field at first, any club acquiring them would hope to keep them in batting gloves. The first three all appear somewhat over-paid for their current production levels, though Dunn (.798 OPS, $15MM annual salary) has at least been hitting, Morales (.582, $12MM) could be expected to improve after his late start to the year, and Butler (.679, $8MM plus $1MM buyout for 2015) is the cheapest of the trio and might offer a hint of upside through his deal’s $12.5MM club option if he has a big second half. (Of course, it remains to be seen whether Kansas City will be interested in dealing a one-time core player, but otherwise the price should be low to acquire one of these established bats.) Then, there is Carter, set to qualify for Super Two in his age-28 season, whose immense power (.465 slugging, 18 home runs) is as tantalizing as his whiff rate is discouraging (.281 OBP, 32.7% K%).
Buy-Low Candidates/Reserves/Bench Bats
Jesus Montero (Mariners), Mike Carp (Red Sox), Chris Colabello (Twins), Chris Parmelee (Twins), John Mayberry Jr. (Phillies), Tyler Moore (Nationals)
As with several players bunched at the end of the “current starters” category, many of these players fall in a grey area between intriguing former prospect and decent bench bat. Those currently playing on winning clubs might conceivably be included in a minor deal for a contender looking to add a reliever or more versatile bench piece, or as part of a larger swap. The others could present some appeal for teams hoping to add pop off the bench or take a chance on a future turnaround. (All the players listed here have multiple seasons of control remaining, though Carp, Parmelee, and Mayberry are already out of options.)
NL Notes: Papelbon, Mets, Cubs
Here’s the latest out of the National League:
- The Dodgers could potentially look to acquire Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, according to a tweet from Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. A source tells Saxon that he expects Los Angeles to pursue the 33-year-old righty, who is carrying a 1.21 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9 in his third year in Philly. Long considered one of the worst contracts in baseball, Papelbon’s deal is actually looking less onerous as he continues to produce results and its timeline shortens. On top of his $13MM salary this season, Papelbon is owed $13MM next year and comes with a vesting option at that same rate for 2016. The option would become guaranteed if he finishes 55 games next year or 100 total between 2014-15. He has topped 50 games finished in each of the last seven years and is on pace to do so once again.
- Did the Mets waste star third baseman David Wright‘s best years? That is the question posed by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who notes that the 31-year-old has battled injuries and is hitting well off of his career pace even after a hot streak. Though the club’s young talent has real promise of delivering a rebound for the franchise, Sherman wonders if everything will congeal while Wright is still a top-end contributor.
- For that reason and many others, Mets GM Sandy Alderson finds himself in something of a delicate position heading out of the All-Star break, as David Lennon of Newsday writes. While the club has pulled itself into shouting distance of the post-season picture, neither does it look like a prime time to buy. Selling players like Daniel Murphy and Bartolo Colon would not only run some public relations and attendance risks, but could lessen the club’s chances in 2015. On the other hand, standing pat might mean foregoing an opportunity to bolster the team’s talent base and opening payroll space for the coming offseason.
- While the Cubs appear to have a surplus of top position prospects, along with a few talented younger bats at the MLB level, that does not mean that there is any rush to move pieces around, writes Dave Cameron of Fangraphs. Not all prospects transition to the big leagues, of course, and in any event most of the team’s better pre-major league pieces appear to offer sufficient positional flexibility that Chicago will have plenty of options in the unlikely event that they all pan out.
Minor Moves: Mitch Lively, Hector Gimenez, Ryan Verdugo
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- Righty Mitch Lively has opted out of his contract with the Giants and inked a minor league deal with the Nationals, reports Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (Twitter links). He can opt out of his new contract on September 1, Cotillo adds. The 28-year-old had spent virtually all of his career in San Francisco, though he has yet to make a big league appearance. He began working as a starter last year after six years throwing exclusively from the pen. At Triple-A this season, Lively owns a 5.08 ERA through 90 1/3 frames (including 15 starts and seven relief appearances), with 8.0 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9.
- The Brewers have signed catcher Hector Gimenez after his recent release by the Blue Jays, tweets Cotillo. The 31-year-old switch-hitter has seen only limited MLB action, but has been fairly productive in the upper minors in recent years. That has not held in 2014, however: in 127 plate appearances with Jays and White Sox affiliates, he owns a .177/.260/.292 triple-slash.
- The Red Sox have acquired lefty Ryan Verdugo from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations, Kansas City announced on Twitter. The 27-year-old has only one MLB start under his belt — it did not go well — and has spent most of the last four seasons in the upper minors. Through 46 2/3 frames over 9 starts this year, he owns a 4.24 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9.
Bowden On Price, Hamels, Byrd, Angels, A’s, Reds, More
ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden (Insider subscription required and recommended) offers a bounty of information on the trade market as we draw to within two weeks of the deadline. While you’ll want to give the piece a full read, here are some of the many highlights:
- The Rays are in no hurry to deal ace David Price, and some possible trade partners increasingly believe that he will not change hands before the deadline. The club still wants to see if a post-season run remains possible; though the club sits 9.5 games back at the break, the division does still look somewhat vulnerable. If Tampa does look to move Price, arguably the best potential trade chip in baseball, it will demand more in return than the Cubs received for Jeff Samardzija — who, you may recall, was the key piece in a package that brought back one of the game’s elite prospects in Addison Russell. Needless to say, Price is a rare commodity, especially given his additional season of control, and his potential absence from the market (combined with the A’s early strike for two other top starters) could have interesting repercussions.
- One player whose trade attention would potentially rise if Price stays put is Cole Hamels of the Phillies, who of course has plenty of value regardless. Bowden says that GMs around the league get the sense that Philadelphia will be very hesitant to move their star lefty, however. (Fellow top southpaw Cliff Lee, meanwhile, looks more and more a potential August trade piece.)
- Ultimately, while the Phillies will not conduct a true fire sale, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has indicated through conversations with his peers that the club is prepared to sell. Outfielder Marlon Byrd is the most likely to go, says Bowden, though his contract presents some complications. While the Mariners are interested in him, Bowden says that the recent free agent signee will ask that the club guarantee his $8MM option for 2016, which Seattle is not currently willing to do. The Royals could also make sense as a partner, but also appear on Byrd’s four-team no-trade list and do not want to take on that level of mid-term commitment. It would appear that Byrd’s representatives at ACES advised their client well in selecting the relatively paltry number of teams to which he could refuse a trade.
- Angels owner Arte Moreno has enabled GM Jerry Dipoto to be aggressive in trade talks, says Bowden. In addition to Huston Street and Ian Kennedy (read more on them here), the Halos have asked the Padres about righty Tyson Ross, though the Super Two hurler is unlikely to be moved. Indeed, now in the midst of his second consecutive season of high-end production, the 27-year-old starter (and his three remaining years of control) would require a significant return.
- The Athletics remain aggressive on the second base market, with GM Billy Beane also said to be exploring more creative means of improving his club. Oakland is not inclined to deal away shortstop prospect Daniel Robertson after moving their top prospect, says Bowden, with the club’s internal evaluators believing that he could have as much future value as the more-hyped Russell.
- The Reds are still looking to add a hitter, with Ben Zobrist of the Rays making a perfect match on paper given his positional flexibility and the club’s current injury situation. (Of course, the same could be said of several other clubs.) With Josh Willingham of the Twins set to hit free agency, he has also been looked at by Cincinnati.
- Bowden provides several other interesting notes. Among them: the Braves have canvassed the market for a southpaw reliever and could be interested in James Russell of the Cubs and Oliver Perez of the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers will likely add a starter. The Cardinals are planning to scout Twins‘ catcher Kurt Suzuki as they assess things behind the plate. And the Giants remain interested in a second base addition in the event that Marco Scutaro cannot stay healthy and productive.
White Sox Claim Raul Fernandez From Rockies
The White Sox have claimed right-hander Raul Fernandez off waivers from the Rockies and assigned him to Class-A Advanced Winston-Salem, the team announced on Twitter. The 24-year-old Fernandez was designated for assignment last week to clear a roster spot for fellow righty Brooks Brown.
Fernandez ranked as Colorado’s No. 22 prospect heading into the season, according to Baseball America. As BA’s scouting report explains, Fernandez is a converted catcher that is new to pitching but boasts a power arm, including a fastball that touches 99 mph. However, he has little feel for pitching and needs to work on his changeup and slider as well as his command.
Clearly, his first run at Class-A Advanced didn’t go so well, as the Dominican righty posted a 7.00 ERA with a 20-to-15 K/BB ratio in 27 innings. He posted an equally troubling 6.29 ERA in 34 1/3 innings at Class A last season, though he had a much better 55-to-11 K/BB ratio in 2013.
Angels Don’t Match Up For Kennedy, Still Pursuing Street
The Angels and Padres don’t match up on a deal for right-hander Ian Kennedy, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but the two sides are still discussing closer Huston Street (Twitter link). Rosenthal notes that the Padres are still listening to offers from other clubs with interest in Kennedy.
The Angels have been connected to Street several times, and the pitcher himself even said he would welcome a trade to the Halos when asked by Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times. That’s not to say that Street wants to be traded to Anaheim — he’s said multiple times that he loves San Diego — but rather that if he is traded, he’d prefer it to be to a contending team. Street also told Shaikin how exciting the concept of playing alongside names like Mike Trout and Albert Pujols would be, and he offered high praise for manager Mike Scioscia.
According to Shaikin, the Angels prefer Street to Jonathan Papelbon and Joakim Soria. Street, who has pitched to a 1.09 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 33 innings this season, is earning $7MM and has a $7MM club option on his contract for 2015. As such, the price tag on him is likely to be fairly substantial, though not as steep as the presumed price tag on Kennedy.
As far as Kennedy goes, it’s not entirely surprising that the two sides don’t match up. The Angels’ weak farm system has been well documented, and there’s been a great deal of speculation that they could have trouble landing significant upgrades on the trade market. In a second piece, Shaikin spoke with GM Jerry Dipoto, who said that he doesn’t want to deal any pieces from his big league roster in trades.
That, of course, implies that a young player who could be of interest to a rebuilding club, such as slugging first baseman/DH C.J. Cron, isn’t likely to find himself as part of a trade. As Shaikin writes, Dipoto knows that means he doesn’t have the pieces to acquire David Price, but the team is still in active pursuit of pitching upgrades. Based on all of these reports, it seems that Street is the primary target for the time being, though I’d expect the Angels to cast a wide net over the next few weeks.