Phillies Rumors

Rangers Acquire Joely Rodriguez

By Jeff Todd | June 13, 2017 at 12:03pm CDT

The Rangers have acquired lefty Joely Rodriguez from the Phillies, per announcements from the organizations. Cash or a player to be named later will go back in return for Rodriguez, who was designated for assignment last week.

Rodriguez, 25, will head to Triple-A on optional assignment with his new organization. He’ll provide a depth option for a Texas club that has received strong contributions from southpaw Alex Claudio but may at some point see fit to add another lefty option to the pen.

After showing well in his first dozen major league games last year, Rodriguez opened the current season in the Phillies’ pen. But he struggled to a 6.33 ERA in 27 frames, coughing up 37 base hits while carrying a subpar 18:15 K/BB ratio. That said, Rodriguez has shown the capability to generate big groundball rates with his power sinker.

Phillies Place Cesar Hernandez On DL

By charliewilmoth | June 11, 2017 at 10:29am CDT

The Phillies have announced that second baseman Cesar Hernandez has been placed on the 10-day DL, as expected, with a left oblique strain. Righty Joaquin Benoit has been activated from the DL and will take Hernandez’s place on the team’s 25-man roster.

As CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury previously noted, Hernandez was injured while throwing on Friday. He was batting .277/.336/.399 for the Phillies this season after emerging as a key offensive and defensive contributor last year. Some Phillies fans might have hoped prospect Scott Kingery, who is batting .300/.377/.612 for Double-A Reading, might have been promoted to take Hernandez’s place, but the team will instead turn to longtime Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick, who will move in from the outfield to play second. The move could have implications for Kendrick’s status as a trade candidate; as Steve Adams noted in the Phillies entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory series earlier this week, Kendrick’s strong hitting so far this year could make him an attractive trade target for contenders later this summer. Daniel Nava could see more time in the outfield as a result of any playing time Kendrick might receive at second.

The Phillies placed Benoit on the 10-day DL last week due to a left knee sprain. The 39-year-old has a 3.68 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 over 22 innings thus far this season.

Injury Notes: Stanton, Hernandez, Dozier

By charliewilmoth | June 10, 2017 at 4:06pm CDT

Here are a few notes on developing injury situations throughout the league.

Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton left today’s game with what appeared to be a hand or wrist injury after being struck by a 95-MPH fastball by Trevor Williams of the Pirates, Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel and other reporters have noted. It appears, however, that Stanton and the Marlins have lucked out, as the team announced after the game that X-rays were negative and that Stanton only has a hand contusion. He is day-to-day. Losing Stanton would have been a significant blow to the Marlins — he’s in the midst of a healthy and terrific .288/.365/.566 season, and the team, as Healey notes, is already dealing with injuries to lineup regulars Justin Bour, Adeiny Hechavarria and Martin Prado.
Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez suffered an oblique or abdominal injury on Friday and appears likely to head to the disabled list, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury writes. Hernandez was not placed on the DL before today’s game, but he was not in the lineup. As Salisbury notes, the Phillies do have a good second base prospect in Scott Kingery who’s batting .304/.379/.621 at Double-A Reading, although Kingery has not yet played at Triple-A, so it’s unclear whether they would see him as a candidate to play second at the big-league level if Hernandez were to miss significant time.
The Royals have announced that OF/3B Hunter Dozier has been placed on the minor-league DL with a hamate fracture. Dozier, the eighth overall pick in the 2013 draft, currently ranks as the Royals’ top prospect, according to MLB.com. But he’s had a rough 2017 season, missing almost two months to start the season with an oblique strain and now dealing with his hamate issue, which will likely cause him to miss several weeks. Dozier batted .294/.357/.506 for Triple-A Omaha last season.

Taking Inventory: Philadelphia Phillies

By Steve Adams | June 9, 2017 at 9:08pm CDT

MLBTR is launching a new summer series entitled ’Taking Inventory,’ in which we’ll preview the potential trade chips that could become available on a number of likely and borderline selling clubs throughout the league.

Entering the season, the Phillies would’ve been on the short list of clubs that were near universally expected to be deadline sellers in 2017. Philadelphia’s rebuilding efforts have been well documented, and while there was plenty of promise thanks to young pieces such as Odubel Herrera, Maikel Franco, Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez, Jerad Eickhoff and Zach Eflin, that rebuilding effort was all but certain to continue.

Fast forward two months, and things in Philadelphia are more dire than nearly anyone could have predicted. At 21-37, Philadelphia has baseball’s worst record. They went 6-22 in the month of May. Their collective ERA is an MLB-worst 5.02, and they rank 26th in both runs scored and OBP. Suffice it to say, the 2017 season isn’t going well, and for a rebuilding team, that can only mean more trades to stockpile young talent. With that in mind, here’s a look at what the Phillies have to offer other clubs…

Rentals

Pat Neshek, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $6.5MM

Acquired in what amounted to a salary dump this offseason, Neshek has been the Phillies’ best reliever in 2017. Through 22 innings, he’s pitched to a pristine 0.82 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 and a 35.8 percent ground-ball rate. He’s always been a buzzsaw against right-handed opponents, but lefties have posted a woeful .143/.194/.176 batting line against the 36-year-old Neshek in 37 plate appearances this season. That’s obviously a small sample, but Neshek’s control against both lefties and righties has been markedly better in 2017 than in previous seasons, so some of the improvements against lefties could be legitimate.

Joaquin Benoit, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $7.5MM

Another bullpen stopgap, Benoit has pitched reasonably well when healthy enough to toe the rubber. He’s been on the disabled list since June 1 due to a knee sprain, but there’s no indication that the injury is serious in nature. Assuming he returns and demonstrates his health, Benoit should draw some interest for teams in need of middle relief and/or setup help. The 39-year-old veteran has totaled 22 innings of 3.68 ERA ball, averaging 7.8 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9 with a 30.9 percent ground-ball rate. Those numbers, of course, aren’t exactly outstanding, but virtually all of the damage against Benoit has been confined to two outings in 2017. He served up five runs in an epic meltdown on May 10 and another three on April 16. Benoit had tossed eight scoreless innings prior to his injury.

Jeanmar Gomez, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $4.2MM

The Phillies couldn’t drum up much interest in Gomez at last year’s trade deadline despite the fact that he was sporting a 2.77 ERA and 27 saves at the time of the trade deadline. Given his dismal 7.13 ERA and the loss of nearly one full mile per hour off his fastball through his first 17 2/3 innings this year, it’s not likely that Gomez will generate much intrigue. He’s posted a more encouraging 17-to-6 K/BB ratio (two of the walks being intentional) and a solid 52.8 percent ground-ball rate, though, so there’s at least some hope of a turnaround.

Jeremy Hellickson, RHP (starter) | Salary: $17.2MM

Like Neshek, Hellickson was acquired more or less as a salary dump — just one offseason prior. The former Rays top prospect had a rebound campaign with Philadelphia last year, tossing 189 innings with a 3.71 ERA, 7.3 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and a 40.7 percent ground-ball rate. However, Hellickson was somewhat surprisingly not traded at last year’s deadline and, in another surprise, accepted a $17.2MM qualifying offer rather than seeking a larger guarantee on a multi-year deal in a weak market for starters. His strikeout rate has absolutely plummeted, as he’s punched out just 28 hitters in 66 innings (3.8 K/9). Hellickson is still showing good control, and his 4.50 ERA is at least respectable, but metrics like FIP (5.82), xFIP (5.88) and SIERA (5.77) all scream regression.

Howie Kendrick, LF/RF/2B/1B | Salary: $10MM

Yet another low-cost pickup for GM Matt Klentak, Kendrick has been on an all-out tear since returning from a DL stint for an abdominal strain. The versatile 33-year-old (34 next month) is hitting .333/.378/.522 on the season. That production comes with a ridiculous and unsustainable .422 average on balls in play, but Kendrick has a pair of homers, five doubles and a triple on the season thus far to go along with three steals. With his versatility and experience, he could appeal to a vast number of contenders if he can sustain some of this production.

Michael Saunders, RF/LF | Salary: $9MM

With a .213/.262/.377 batting line through his first 195 plate appearances on the season, Saunders looks more like a release candidate than a trade candidate. But he’s not far removed from an outrageously good first half in 2016, and if he can rebound at the plate, the Phils could find a taker to absorb a bit of his salary. There’s an $11MM club option with a $1MM buyout attached to Saunders’ deal, but it’d take a remarkable turnaround for the Phillies or any other team to consider exercising it.

Daniel Nava, RF/LF/1B | Salary: $1.35MM

A minor league signee that has paid dividends thus far, Nava is sporting a high-quality .306/.429/.452 triple slash through a modest sample of 77 plate appearances. Nava’s not going to command much of a return even if he continues to hit well, but the veteran switch-hitter could be a nice bench piece for a contending club.

Andres Blanco, SS/2B/3B/1B | Salary: $3MM

Blanco was a quietly productive bench piece for the Phils from 2015-16, but he’s not going to draw much interest with a .180/.268/.260 line. He’s tallied just 56 plate appearances this year, so he can turn things around in a hurry. The switch-hitter crushed lefties in 2015 and hit righties well in 2016. If he turns it on before July 31, he, like Nava, could be a bench piece elsewhere.

Controlled Through 2018

Freddy Galvis, SS | Salary: $4.4MM

Galvis posted the worst OBP in baseball in 2016 (.274) and was still worth better than two wins above replacement due to sensational defense at shortstop and a surprise 20-homer season. The 27-year-old switch-hitter is showing some power once again and playing good defense as well. With a .245/.297/.420 batting line, he’s not an elite shortstop, but that triple slash paired with his glove and baserunning could help a club both this year and next. Unfortunately for the Phillies, there aren’t many contenders in need of a starting shortstop. However, injuries can change the marketplace in a hurry, and some clubs may like the idea of Galvis as a defensive-minded bench piece with some pop.

Longer-Term Assets

Cameron Rupp, C; Tommy Joseph, 1B ; Cesar Hernandez, 2B ; Hector Neris, RHP (reliever) | All pre-arbitration

None of this bunch stands out as especially likely to be moved, but the Phillies do have promising alternatives in the minors that could take their place if a rival club makes an enticing offer. Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro both represent potential long-term options at catcher. Rhys Hoskins has 52 minor league homers dating back to Opening Day 2016 and could step in for Joseph at first base. Second base prospect Scott Kingery is having a monster season in Double-A. The Phils have a number of enticing young arms that could slot into the ninth inning, with Edubray Ramos already in the Majors and several promising arms in the upper minors.

Rupp and Hernandez are controlled through the 2020 season, while Neris is controlled through 2021 and Joseph all the way through 2022.

Rays Acquire Taylor Featherston From Phillies

By Steve Adams | June 9, 2017 at 1:04pm CDT

The Rays have acquired infielder Taylor Featherston from the Phillies in exchange for cash and placed infielder/outfielder Rickie Weeks on the 10-day disabled list with a right shoulder impingement, the team announced. Tampa Bay also formally announced Kevin Kiermaier’s placement on the DL for a hip fracture and recalled Mallex Smith from Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The 27-year-old Featherston was not on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, though it seems that the Rays may immediately be bringing him to the Majors, as Tampa Bay also moved Matt Duffy to the 60-day disabled list, thus opening a 40-man roster spot.

Once a Rule 5 pick by the Angels out of the Rockies organization, Featherston has spent parts of two seasons in the Majors. However, in that time, he’s struggled to an unsightly .156/.207/.233 slash in 197 plate appearances. The defensively gifted shortstop, however, was off to a considerably better start with Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley this season, hitting .270/.370/.394 with three homers and eight doubles. He’s also a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts. Featherston has appeared at shortstop, second base and third base in the Majors, and he’s also seen action in left field and at first base in Triple-A this year.

NL East Notes: Baker, Nats, Cespedes, Therrien

By Steve Adams | June 8, 2017 at 9:12pm CDT

Dusty Baker wants to continue managing the Nationals beyond the 2017 season, but ownership has yet to make him an extension offer, reports Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. According to Janes, GM Mike Rizzo made a strong recommendation to ownership that the team extend its relationship with Baker, but nothing has materialized. Janes spoke to Rizzo, Ryan Zimmerman and Max Scherzer about Baker, with each offering praise and voicing a hope that he’ll remain beyond the current season. Scherzer, in particular, spoke on behalf of keeping Baker at the team’s helm. “We love him,” said the two-time Cy Young winner. “We want him here. They [ownership] want to be patient, but I hope they don’t mess with this clubhouse.” Janes notes that the Nats have a history of underpaying managers, which may have cost them a chance at Bud Black two offseasons ago. Baker acknowledged that he knew what he was getting into, financially speaking, when joining the Nationals but also suggested that he feels his current two-year, $4MM contract is a bit light. “…I think I’ve earned more than I’m being paid,” he said.

NL Notes: Phillies, Neshek, Reds, Syndergaard

By Connor Byrne | June 8, 2017 at 2:58pm CDT

Contract-year reliever Pat Neshek has enjoyed his season with the Phillies, but the right-hander expects to end up in another uniform by the trade deadline, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. “I would say yes,” Neshek said. “It would be really cool to stay around here. I like it here. I feel very comfortable here. But if that happens … I’m sure it will happen.” The 36-year-old joined the Phillies in an offseason deal with the Astros, and though Neshek’s now on a rebuilding team instead of a contender, he regards the trade as “the best thing that happened to me in a few years.” Given their impressive collection of relievers, Neshek understands why the Astros phased him out, but he was “miserable” in a diminished role last season. “I would almost rather retire than do a role like I was doing for them,” commented Neshek, who has taken advantage of a higher-leverage job in Philadelphia. One of the few Phillies to perform well in 2017, Neshek has pitched to a microscopic .82 ERA over 22 innings, also posting 8.59 K/9 against 1.64 BB/9. In doing so, the $6.5MM man has beefed up his trade value, as MLBTR’s Jeff Todd recently noted.

Phillies Select Casey Fien’s Contract

By Connor Byrne | June 8, 2017 at 1:38pm CDT

The Phillies have announced the addition of reliever Casey Fien to their 25- and 40-man rosters. Fien will take the place of fellow reliever Joely Rodriguez, whose designation for assignment is now official.

Philadelphia acquired the 33-year-old Fien in a cash trade with Seattle last month, which came after the Mariners outrighted him. The right-hander signed a $1MM deal with the Mariners over the winter and then posted disastrous results in six innings with the club, allowing 10 earned runs on nine hits and four walks, with six strikeouts. Fien also struggled in the majors last year across 39 1/3 innings with the Twins and Dodgers, combining for a 5.49 ERA despite logging 8.0 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9.

Unlike 2012-15, when he pitched to a 3.54 ERA over 223 2/3 innings with the Twins, home runs have been problematic lately for Fien. He gave up homers on 24.5 percent of fly balls last year and has yielded them at a 50 percent rate during his small sample of big league work this season. That could be an issue in the Phillies’ hitter-friendly confines, but there’s little harm in giving Fien an opportunity to reestablish himself in the majors. The 21-36 Phillies are already out of the playoff race, after all, and their bullpen has produced the majors’ seventh-worst ERA (4.74). Fien, for his part, fared well with their Triple-A affiliate before his promotion, throwing nine homer-less innings of two-run ball and adding 11 strikeouts against two walks.

Phillies Designate Joely Rodriguez For Assignment

By Mark Polishuk | June 7, 2017 at 10:01pm CDT

The Phillies have designated southpaw Joely Rodriguez for assignment, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury reports (Twitter link).

Originally acquired from the Pirates in the Antonio Bastardo trade, Rodriguez made his big league debut last season and pitched 27 innings out of the Phillies’ bullpen this year, posting a 6.33 ERA and barely more strikeouts (18) than walks (15). The lefty also allowed four homers in his brief time on the hill this season.

Ranked by Baseball America as the 23rd-best prospect in Philadelphia’s system prior to the season, Rodriguez is the curious combination of a hard-thrower who doesn’t generate many strikeouts. The 2017 Baseball Prospect Handbook describes Rodriguez as the owner of a 94-96 mph fastball that “can touch 98 with sink to help him get grounders.” These groundball tendencies have been on display even in his brief big league tenure, as Rodriguez has a 58.5% grounder rate over his 36 career innings. Over 647 1/3 frames in the minors, Rodriguez has a 4.24 ERA, 1.91 K/BB rate and just a 5.6 K/9.

Adam Morgan is the only left-handed remaining in the Phillies’ bullpen, so Triple-A southpaws Cesar Ramos and Hoby Milner stand out as the most obvious candidates to be called up as Rodriguez’s replacement on the 25-man roster. Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that the new player will likely not be on the 40-man roster (Ramos and Milner both fit this bill) and the Phillies won’t name the new player until Thursday.

NL East Notes: Garrett, S-Rod, Quinn

By Mark Polishuk | June 7, 2017 at 8:42pm CDT

It was on this day in 1966 that the Mets drafted catcher Steve Chilcott with the first overall pick of the amateur draft. A catcher out of Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, California, Chilcott’s seven-year pro career was plagued by injuries and he never reached the big leagues. Brien Taylor is the only other 1-1 selection to retire without ever making it to the Show; three more recent selections (Mark Appel, Brady Aiken and Mickey Moniak) are still in the minors and yet to receive their first taste of MLB action. The Chilcott pick doubly hurt the Mets since they took him ahead of a somewhat prominent player who was picked second overall by the A’s — Mr. October himself, Reggie Jackson.

Here’s the latest from around the NL East…

Marlins left-handed pitching prospect Braxton Garrett has a partial UCL tear in his throwing elbow and may need Tommy John surgery, Andre C. Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports. Garrett, who turns 20 in August, was selected seventh overall by the Fish in the 2016 amateur draft. He was ranked as a consensus top-100 prospect (42nd by ESPN’s Keith Law, 43rd by MLB.com, 71st by Baseball Prospectus, 76th by Baseball America) prior to the season and was considered easily the best minor leaguer within a thin Miami farm system. As Fernandez notes, Garrett would be the second top Marlins pitching prospect (after Tyler Kolek) to require Tommy John surgery within the last 14 months.
Sean Rodriguez has resumed some baseball activities and is working hard towards a return before the season is over, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Rodriguez and his family were in a horrific car accident in January that injured his two sons, required his wife to undergo wrist surgery amidst several other serious injuries, and seemingly ended Rodriguez’s season before it started due to shoulder surgery. Now, Braves manager Brian Snitker thinks Rodriguez could potentially be back as soon as August. The utilityman signed a two-year, $11MM contract with Atlanta last November and has been a constant presence at in the team’s clubhouse, working out with team trainers and his fellow players.
Phillies outfield prospect Roman Quinn has a UCL injury in his left elbow, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports (Twitter link). An MRI revealed the issue, and Quinn will visit Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion. While Quinn throws with his right arm, this still could be a significant setback for the 24-year-old, who made his MLB debut last year in 15 games with Philadelphia. Quinn, ranked as the 99th-best prospect in the game by MLB.com prior to the season, was expected to receive a longer look this summer as the Phillies continues their rebuilding process.

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