David Robertson To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Phillies reliever David Robertson has suffered a setback in his recovery from a flexor strain and will require season-ending right elbow surgery, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer was among those to report. A Tommy John procedure is a possibility for Robertson.
One of the Phillies’ key offseason acquisitions, Robertson’s balky elbow has kept him out of action since mid-April. The 34-year-old struggled before landing on the shelf, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and six walks (with six strikeouts) in 6 2/3 innings. Now, if Robertson needs TJ surgery, he could miss most or all of next season. That would render the two-year, $23MM he signed with the Phillies last offseason a wash for the club.
It’s surprising to see the normally durable Robertson unable to take the mound. He entered the season with nine straight seasons of at least 60-plus innings with the Yankees and White Sox, which is undoubtedly one of the reasons the Phillies committed a significant amount of money to him. The deal has been a disaster to this point, though, and the Phillies may end up getting no value from it.
Phillies Acquire Corey Dickerson
2:43pm: The trade is now official. The Phillies designated outfielder Dylan Cozens for assignment to make room for Dickerson.
2:14pm: MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki tweets that the Phillies will send international bonus allotments and a player to be named later to Pittsburgh.
2:08pm: The Pirates will not receive a player in return for Dickerson, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports (on Twitter). It’s possible that Pittsburgh is picking up some international funds, then, or that Pirates ownership was simply happy to shed the remainder of his salary.
1:51pm: The Phillies have acquired outfielder Corey Dickerson from the Pirates, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter). He’ll add a quality bat to the Phillies’ outfield mix for the remainder of the season before becoming a free agent this winter.
Dickerson, 30, missed nearly two months with a shoulder strain earlier this season but has hit well since coming off the injured list. In 141 plate appearances, he’s posted a .317/.376/.556 batting line — capped by a two-homer, five-RBI performance last night in what proved to be his final start for the Pirates. A 2017 All-Star, Dickerson long carried the reputation as a defensive liability, but he surprised with 16 Defensive Runs Saved last season and took home a Gold Glove for his efforts. He’s earning $8.5MM this year and is still owed about $2.79MM of that sum over the final two months of the year.
The Phillies didn’t expect to need this level of outfield help in 2019 after signing both Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen in the offseason, but they’ve lost McCutchen to a torn ACL while center fielder Odubel Herrera has been suspended for the remainder of the season under the league’s domestic violence policy. Philadelphia tried to proactively address its needs with a June acquisition of Jay Bruce, but Bruce has been bitten by the injury bug as well and is currently out for weeks with an oblique injury.
Philadelphia is currently tied with the Cubs for the second NL Wild Card spot and is a somewhat distant but still-surmountable six games behind the Braves in the NL East. The Nationals sit just a half game in front of the Phillies in both those races, so Dickerson’s addition will prove impactful in what should be a tight race down the stretch.
Pitching Rumors: Reds, Bauer, Yanks, Phils, MadBum, Greene, Fish, Nats
The Reds just agreed to acquire right-hander Trevor Bauer from the Indians on Tuesday evening. Could the Reds now turn around and flip Bauer by Wednesday’s trade deadline? Not likely, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Meanwhile, two of Bauer’s new Cincinnati rotation mates – Alex Wood and the previously reported Tanner Roark – have drawn interest from the Phillies. Philly has “taken a very close look at” Wood, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Wood finally just made his season debut Sunday after months of back troubles, but the non-contending Reds could now attempt to get what they can for the pending free agent. The 28-year-old Wood, who’s on a $9.65MM salary, posted quality production with the Braves and Dodgers from 2013-18.
A smorgasbord of other pitcher-related rumors…
- Despite their recent run of excellence, the Giants are fielding calls and “engaging in negotiations” for starter Madison Bumgarner and reliever Will Smith, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The Astros are reportedly among the teams chasing Bumgarner, but Smith is the more likely of the two to find himself in a new uniform by Wednesday, Schulman suggests. Although he’s a pending free agent, it’s likely Smith would bring back a significant return. He’s affordable ($4.225MM salary) and enjoying a marvelous season as the Giants’ closer.
- Back to Bauer, who was reportedly one of the Yankees’ preferred targets in their search for starting help. That may have been overblown, though, as the Yankees and Indians didn’t engage in “serious talks” over Bauer, Andy Martino of SNY relays.
- The asking price for Tigers closer Shane Greene is “far more reasonable” than the requests for other high-end relievers around the league, Feinsand tweets. Feinsand points to the Pirates’ Felipe Vazquez, the Reds’ Raisel Iglesias, the Mets’ Edwin Diaz and the Padres’ Kirby Yates as relievers who would be much harder to acquire, which isn’t surprising.
- Reliever Nick Anderson is among Marlins hurlers garnering interest, though he’ll be difficult to pry loose, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes. As a 29-year-old rookie, the hard-throwing Anderson has put up a 3.92 ERA with a much better 2.73 FIP in 43 2/3 frames this season. While Anderson has only induced ground balls at a 27.3 percent clip, he has helped offset that by racking up a prodigious 14.2 strikeouts against 3.3 walks per nine. Adding to his value, Anderson’s on a league-minimum salary and won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2021 season.
- The Giants and Nationals “have discussed” southpaw Drew Pomeranz, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. Pomeranz, whom the Giants recently demoted to their bullpen amid a rough season, has also been drawing interest from elsewhere in recent days.
Phillies Move Zach Eflin To Bullpen
The Phillies are sending right-hander Zach Eflin from the rotation to the bullpen, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Eflin will “most likely” back up current rotation members Jake Arrieta and Vince Velasquez, though the Phillies could also use him in games started by other pitchers, according to manager Gabe Kapler (Twitter links).
Eflin may not be the last Phillies starter dropped from their rotation, which could acquire more help by Wednesday’s trade deadline. He’s moving out to make room for Jason Vargas, whom the Phillies acquired from the Mets on Monday. Philadelphia also picked up Drew Smyly in free agency earlier this month after he pitched so poorly with the starter-needy Rangers that they released him. Smyly did, however, pitch a gem in a win over the Pirates in his Phillies debut on July 21. As of this writing, Smyly has gotten off to a terrific four-inning start versus the Giants on Tuesday.
This season has represented a step back for the 25-year-old Eflin, who was more impressive during his first truly extensive action as a starter in 2018. Eflin pitched to a 4.36 ERA/3.80 FIP with 8.65 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 41.2 percent groundball rate in 128 innings then. His ERA (4.63), walk rate (2.48 per nine) and GB percentage (41.2) look much the same this season, but some of his other numbers have markedly declined. His K/9 (7.35) has sunk by almost a batter per inning, which has aided in a sizable FIP increase (4.86) and a noticeable uptick in home runs. Eflin yielded HRs on 11.2 percent of fly balls last year, but he’s up to 14.9 in that category this season.
Eflin, it should be noted, has seemingly been victimized by some poor fortune. His .316 expected weighted on-base average against looks far superior to the .338 real wOBA hitters have recorded off him. He also owned a 3.34 ERA as recently as June 29, but a horrid four-start stretch in July helped lead to his ouster from the Phillies’ rotation, at least for now.
Aside from Aaron Nola, the Phillies’ starting staff has been a general disappointment this year. Arrieta, who’s dealing with elbow issues, has fallen flat in Year 2 of a big contract. Velasquez and Nick Pivetta have shuffled between the rotation and the bullpen because of underwhelming performances, and the now-injured Jerad Eickhoff also couldn’t hold a starting job before going on the injured list with right biceps tendinitis in mid-June. The Phillies have brought in Vargas and Smyly as a result, though it’s fair to be skeptical that either will be able to cure what ails the playoff contenders’ rotation.
Phillies Designate Mitch Walding For Assignment
The Phillies announced Tuesday that they’ve designated infielder Mitch Walding for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to right-hander Blake Parker, whose previously reported signing has now been made official.
Walding, 26, was hitless in two plate appearances with the Phils and has struggled considerably with Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2019. Through 346 plate appearances there, he’s batted .204/.350/.366 with a sky-high 38 percent strikeout rate. Strikeouts were an issue for Walding last season as well, but not to this extent. The first baseman/third baseman hit .265/.390/.474 with the IronPigs a year ago and collected his first MLB hit when he reached the Majors (though he received just 19 plate appearances). Walding has a minor league option remaining beyond the current season.
Phillies To Sign Blake Parker
The Phillies have agreed to terms on a Major League contract with right-handed reliever Blake Parker, Ken Rosenthal and Matt Gelb of The Athletic report (via Twitter). The 34-year-old Parker was recently designated for assignment by the Twins and ultimately opted for free agency over an outright assignment to Triple-A Rochester.
Parker rejecting his outright assignment with the Twins meant walking away from the remainder of his $1.8MM salary, but he’ll now land with the Phils on a new big league pact and immediately jump back onto a roster that is vying for a postseason berth. He’ll also be reunited with righty Mike Morin, whom the Twins designated for assignment and traded to the Phillies earlier this month.
Parker logged a 4.21 ERA in 36 1/3 innings with the Twins but struggled more than that number would indicate. His velocity dipped to its lowest mark since 2014 (91.5 mph average fastball), and he averaged four walks per nine innings pitched — the worst mark of his career excluding a small 17-inning sample in 2016. Parker’s overall strikeout rate, swinging-strike rate and first-pitch strike rate were all down from his 2017 peak with the Halos, and he gave up far too much hard contact; Statcast put his 42.9 percent opponents’ hard-hit rate in just the 10th percentile among MLB pitchers and felt that he was actually fortunate to escape with a .246/.331/.442 opponents’ batting line (based on the quality of the contact he allowed).
All that said, Parker has a decent big league track record and plenty of high-leverage experience, making him a logical fit for a Phillies bullpen that has been torn asunder by injuries in 2019. In his last 170 MLB innings, Parker has a 3.18 ERA with 10.1 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 1.38 HR/9 and a 40.7 percent ground-ball rate. Much of that production came during the aforementioned career year in 2017, but there’s minimal downside to the Phillies taking an inexpensive look at Parker as a means of helping to patch a beleaguered relief corps.
Parker has fewer than five years of Major League service but will soon cross that threshold. As such, if he acquits himself well in his new environment, he can be controlled through the 2020 season via arbitration.
Pitching Chatter: Vazquez, Diaz, Ray, Colome, Greene
As the Dodgers continue to try to pry closer Felipe Vazquez loose from the Pirates, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (Twitter link) that the sides are at a bit of an impasse. It seems the Bucs would (quite understandably) like to receive soaring L.A. prospect Gavin Lux, a versatile infielder who has completely obliterated Triple-A pitching (.474/.553/.918 in 114 plate appearances with eight home runs and a 17:17 K/BB ratio) since a mid-season promotion. The clubs may well be engaged in a bit of a staring contest as the deadline draws near.
More news and rumors from the pitching market …
- The Rays may have faded in the AL East, but they’re not planning to go quietly. Olney tweets that the club is “doing work” on Mets reliever Edwin Diaz, making for an intriguing (if vague) connection. Beyond the obvious appeal of a high-charged young hurler who has shown a past ability to dominate like few others, there are a few other reasons to like this match. Diaz’s run of poor results will limit his arbitration earning power, boosting his appeal to the payroll-conscious Rays. And as Mike Petriello of MLB.com explains, there are plenty of reasons to believe that Diaz is every bit as good as ever before.
- Rival organizations “fully expect” the Diamondbacks to deal southpaw Robbie Ray, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). Arizona GM Mike Hazen continued to acknowledge his club’s tricky middle ground while avoiding a firm commitment to a particular course of action, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. The top baseball ops man did acknowledge that there’s a possibility the team could pull off enough sell-side moves that it wouldn’t make sense to reload in the offseason. At the moment, the Brewers, Astros, and Yankees are among the teams with active talks or interest in Ray, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter).
- With a real shot at a much-anticipated return to the top of the heap in the NL Central, the Cardinals could yet swing a big deal. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the St. Louis ballclub is interested in a controllable starter. Beyond that, the Cards’ precise plans remain a bit difficult to ascertain. The club is interested in lefty relief pitching, though that’s a trade deadline staple for many contenders. We haven’t seen the team connected prominently to any high-end hurlers, but a bold move seems tempting.
- We’ve seen the Yankees connected to a wide variety of hurlers in recent weeks, with the club focused primarily on starters but also entertaining relief upgrades. They’ve recently chatted with the Tigers about old friend Shane Greene, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (Twitter link). Most contenders are no doubt at least checking in on Greene, who’s among the likeliest players in baseball to be traded in the coming days.
- Similarly, the Phillies have cast an exceedingly broad net. Their relief situation remains problematic; now, there are indications that David Robertson‘s rehab may drag into September, as Nightengale was among those to tweet. Another name to add to the list of Phils possibilities: Alex Colome of the White Sox. Morosi tweets that there’s “continued interest” on the part of the Philadelphia organization.
Phillies Acquire Jason Vargas
4:46pm: The move is official. The Phillies designated righty Yacksel Rios to open a 40-man spot.
3:51pm: The Phillies have reportedly struck a deal to acquire veteran lefty Jason Vargas from the Mets. Catcher Austin Bossart is going to the New York organization in the swap. The Mets will cover the larger portion of the remaining contractual obligation to Vargas, ultimately saving $2MM.
This long-anticipated trade of Vargas clears a rotation spot for just-acquired righty Marcus Stroman. Though Vargas is far senior to Stroman in age and MLB service, they’re in similar contract situations. The former is earning $8MM this year with a $8MM club option. The latter is taking down a $7.4MM salary in 2019 and stands to earn a nice raise on that amount in the offseason, when he’ll go through the arbitration process for the final time. Viewed in the aggregate, the Mets will still end up taking on added salary (and giving up prospect capital), though they did get $1.5MM in salary relief as part of the Stroman swap. The New York org will remain on the hook for what’s left of Vargas’s remaining 2019 salary along with a $250K assignment bonus. The Phillies will be responsible for a $2MM buyout on the option.
It’s not surprising to see Vargas on the move. It’s mostly a salary-saving transaction, designed to help partially offset the new obligations to Stroman. The 26-year-old Bossart won’t really make up for the prospects sent to the Blue Jays. He’s in the midst of a rough campaign, his second at the Double-A level. In his 236 trips to the plate, he’s slashing just .195/.303/.335 with seven home runs.
The more interesting question for the Mets is whether any of the club’s other starters will end up following Vargas out the door. While there has never been any indication that the club is considering offers on Jacob deGrom, it is said to be interesting in moving Zack Wheeler and/or Noah Syndergaard. The latter two starters are indeed still on the block, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets.
There are questions, too, from the Phillies’ perspective. It seems fair to assume that Vargas will step into the rotation, though it’s not clear where the opening will come from. And it remains to be seen whether the club will also pursue other pitching upgrades.
Vargas, 36, won’t exactly be a marquee addition for the Phils, but he ought to help hold firm up the staff down the stretch. The soft-tossing southpaw has somehow managed to keep opposing hitters off balance despite averaging less than 85 mph with his fastball. He has bounced back from a terrible start to the season and steadily delivered solid work. He carries a 4.01 ERA through 94 1/3 frames, with 7.7 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Andy Martino of SNY.tv first reported that a deal involving Vargas was close (via Twitter). ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reported that the Phillies were the acquiring team (Twitter link). Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter) and Jon Heyman of MLB Network (in a tweet) reported on the return. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweeted that the Mets would be covering some of the remaining cost, with Sherman tweeting the financial details.
NL Injury Notes: Phillies, Mets, Dodgers
When we last checked in on Phillies reliever David Robertson four weeks ago, he was hoping to return from a right flexor strain by the end of this month. That isn’t going to happen, though. While Robertson is advancing in his recovery, he’s not “progressing as fast as we all had hoped he would,” manager Gabe Kapler said Saturday (via Matt Gelb of The Athletic). This continues a Murphy’s Law season for Robertson, whose impressive production and durability helped him secure a a two-year, $23MM with the Phillies in free agency last winter. The 34-year-old hasn’t pitched since April 14, though, and in the seven appearances he logged toward the beginning of the season, Robertson gave up four earned runs on eight hits and six walks (with six strikeouts) in 6 2/3 innings. His lack of availability is among the reasons the Phillies could decide to add to their bullpen by Wednesday’s trade deadline.
- The Mets have placed first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith on the injured list with a stress reaction in his left foot, per Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News. It’s unclear how much time Smith will miss, but for now, outfielder Aaron Altherr is up from Triple-A Syracuse to take his place. In what has been an unpleasant season for the Mets, Smith has been a legitimate bright spot. After a couple seasons of subpar major league production, the former high-end prospect has slashed .278/.352/.506 with 10 home runs in 196 plate appearances this year.
- In further unfortunate news for the Mets, injured outfielder Brandon Nimmo is “still a ways away from game action,” manager Mickey Callaway revealed Saturday (via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Nimmo shouldn’t return for “at least several weeks,” DiComo writes. The 26-year-old hasn’t played in over two months because of a bulging disc in his neck. Before that, Nimmo struggled to follow up on what looked like a breakout 2018 showing. He hit .200/.344/.323 with three HRs in 161 PA prior to landing on the shelf.
- The Dodgers are set to place utilityman Enrique Hernandez on the IL with a left hand issue, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times tweets. It hasn’t been a great year at the plate for Hernandez, who has hit .238/.309/.433 in 356 trips, but he has slugged 16 home runs on the season and been on a tear of late. Hernandez slashed .352/.417/.574 this month. His absence should primarily leave second base to Max Muncy.
- Phillies righty Jerad Eickhoff will begin a rehab assignment during the upcoming week, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. Biceps tendinitis has kept Eickhoff out of action since June 16. He slumped to a 5.71 ERA/6.51 FIP over 58 1/3 innings as a starter and reliever before his IL stint.
Phillies Acquire Jose Pirela
The Phillies have acquired Jose Pirela from the Padres for cash considerations, the team reports.
Pirela, 29, was designated for assignment Monday by the Friars. The one-time Yankee was a staple in the Padre lineup from 2017-18, a stretch bookended by an ugly .249/.300/.345 line in 473 plate appearances for the club. Pirela has experience at every position save catcher, shortstop, and center field, and has proven a capable defender at each. In 242 plate appearances for the mash unit that is the El Paso Chihuahuas this season, the 29-year-old did his best to stand out, slashing a hefty .353/.401/.674 with 18 homers for the club.
With the possible, small-sample exception of Brad Miller, Philadelphia’s secondary players haven’t offered much this season. Six of the Phils’ bench players have combined for -2.5 fWAR, a number that’ll surely need a boost if the club’s to nail down one of two hotly-contested NL Wild Card spots.
Righty Tommy Hunter was moved to the 60-Day IL to make room for Pirela on the 40-man.