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NL Notes: Howard, Blanco, Urias, Peavy

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In light of the Phillies’ surprising start to the season, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports kicks off his latest 10 Degrees column by writing that the Phillies can ill afford to continue carrying Ryan Howard and his .161/.233/.381 batting line. The “loyalty-vs.-pragmatism” battle which the Phillies currently face would be easier to ignore if the Phillies were toiling in or near the cellar of the NL East as many anticipated, but the club has other options at first base and is no longer playing Howard regularly. Even against right-handed pitching, Howard is hitting just .163/.246/.385 in 118 plate appearances, making it fair to question his viability even as a platoon option. Passan also revisits the Phillies’ puzzling decision to sign Howard to a five-year, $125MM extension in the first place despite the fact that he was already under control for two more seasons (and his age-31 campaign).

Here’s more from the NL…

  • Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke to Phillies manager Pete Mackanin about the importance of utility infielder Andres Blanco to the club. “There might be guys that are better, but as far as all-around defense, hitting, clubhouse character, this guy has been a special player for us,” said Mackanin. “It’s a tough role. It’s tough to find.” Blanco keeps four gloves — infield, outfield, first base mitt and catcher’s mitt — in his locker in order to be ready in any role and draws rave reviews from his teammates for his attitude and his production in his role. The 32-year-old has batted .286/.351/.491 in 372 plate appearances as a part-time player with the Phils dating back to 2014 and is earning his first seven-figure salary this season after agreeing to a $1.45MM deal this winter. As Breen notes, it’s a considerable bump up from the $3,000 signing bonus he took as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela when the Royals were the lone Major League club to make him an offer at all.
  • Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi isn’t tipping his hand as to when lefty Julio Urias will be promoted to the Majors, writes Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Zaidi said the 19-year-old top prospect will be in a Dodgers uniform “at some point” but elected to leave it at that for the time being. Manager Dave Roberts tells Plunkett that despite Urias’ dominance of Triple-A hitters at such a young age, he hasn’t lobbied with the front office to have the left-hander added to what has been an inconsistent Major League bullpen. The Dodgers have reportedly been considering Urias as a bullpen option, which could help them continue to gradually increase his workload, Plunkett notes. To this point in his career, Urias has never thrown more than six innings in a start or more than 87 2/3 innings in a season, so his workload is understandably a concern. Urias has already thrown 41 innings this year, including a streak of 27 shutout innings that is still intact.
  • Giants manager Bruce Bochy tells Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area that he doesn’t have a leash on Jake Peavy despite the right-hander’s considerable struggles in 2016. There was some hope that Peavy may have turned a corner after a solid start in Arizona last weekend, but he lasted just 1 2/3 innings and surrendered five runs on Friday, causing his ERA to balloon to 8.21. “I think he’s close,” said Bochy. “The stuff is fine. He’s healthy and he’s close. He’s just got to be a little more consistent with execution.” The Giants have maintained that stance on Peavy and fellow right-hander Matt Cain throughout the duo’s problems this year. Cain has indeed turned a corner over his past three starts, but it’s hard not to wonder how long the Giants will stick with Peavy if he cannot undergo a similar resurgence in the very near future.

Cafardo’s Latest: Markakis, Bruce, McLeod, Fernandez, Lincecum, Reddick

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Here are some hot stove items from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe…

  • The Royals and Phillies are among the teams looking at Braves outfielder Nick Markakis.  “The money is an issue there, especially with the Royals,” Cafardo writes; Markakis is owed $10.5MM in each of the next two seasons and roughly $7.25MM remaining on his 2016 salary.  Markakis entered Sunday hitting .252/.362/.348 in 185 PA, and his near-total power dropoff over the last two seasons has surely hurt his trade value, as MLBTR’s Connor Byrne pointed out earlier today.  While both K.C. and the Phils could use help in right field, Markakis has delivered only replacement-level production this season, with an even 0.0 fWAR.
  • The Reds’ Jay Bruce is another target for the Royals and other teams looking for a left-handed hitting outfielder.  Bruce’s terrible defensive metrics (-9 Defensive Runs Saved, -34 UZR/150) have his overall value at below replacement level (-0.2 fWAR) though he’s enjoying a good year at the plate, hitting .270/.327/.518 with eight homers through 156 PA.  Bruce is under contract only through the 2016 season, owed approximately $8.1MM more in remaining salary plus a $1MM buyout of a $13MM club option for his services in 2017.  Cincinnati has been shopping Bruce for months, including one proposed offseason trade that nearly saw him get shipped to the Blue Jays.
  • Jason McLeod, the Cubs’ senior VP of player development and amateur scouting, would eventually like to run his own front office but is content to remain with Chicago, having already turned down interviews with the Mariners and Padres in recent years.  McLeod figures to be one of the game’s most sought-after GM candidates should he decide to pursue a general managing position.  Between his stints running the scouting departments for the Cubs, Padres and Red Sox, several well-regarded young prospects and currently stars were drafted on McLeod’s watch.
  • Cuban infielder Jose Miguel Fernandez is eligible to sign at any time, though he could possibly have to wait until the offseason simply due to awkward timing.  Though Fernandez is 28, an eight-year veteran in Cuba’s top league and is pitched by his agent Alan Nero as a Ben Zobrist or Dustin Pedroia type of player, he won’t be able to immediately help an MLB club.  Fernandez hasn’t played since 2014 so he’ll need some minor league time to get back into game shape.
  • As per “a couple of GMs” and at least one AL talent evaluator, Tim Lincecum made a mistake in coming to the American League to sign the Angels.  “I just don’t see his style of pitching at this juncture in his career working in the AL,” the evaluator said.  “The designated hitter makes a big difference, and when you have a guy who relies on having to be pinpoint, that makes it a tough league to succeed.”  Lincecum was known to prefer pitching for a West Coast team so his choices were somewhat limited in that sense, especially given that the two-time Cy Young Award winner also wanted to start.
  • As of last week, Josh Reddick told Cafardo that there wasn’t any progress towards an extension with the Athletics.  Much has changed, of course, since Reddick’s chat with Cafardo, as the outfielder suffered a fractured left thumb and will miss several weeks of action.

East Notes: Storen, Red Sox, Howard, Harvey

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The Blue Jays have told teams that right-handed reliever Drew Storen is available, reports Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. Storen, whom the Jays acquired from the Nationals for outfielder Ben Revere in the offseason, is on an $8.38MM salary this year and is then slated to become a free agent. Formerly a capable late-game option with the Nats, Storen has already allowed 13 runs on 22 hits in his first 15 innings with the Jays. To his credit, the 28-year-old has continued his career-long trend of posting quality strikeout and walk rates (9.6 and 2.4 this season, respectively), but PITCHf/x indicates that his velocity is down a couple miles per hour.

Now let’s check in on some other clubs from baseball’s two East divisions:

  • If lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez and right-handed reliever Carson Smith don’t serve as adequate in-season reinforcements, the 26-17 Red Sox are open to acquiring outside talent and increasing their $201MM-plus payroll in the process, writes Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. Team ownership is “as committed as ever” to putting a winner on the field after enduring back-to-back last-place finishes, said club president Sam Kennedy.
  • The Phillies’ front office has put Pete Mackanin in a tough position with first baseman Ryan Howard, whom the manager is hesitant to bench, opines Ryan Lawrence of Philly Voice. Howard is hitting a paltry .161/.233/.381 in 133 plate appearances, but he’s a popular figure in the clubhouse and Mackanin doesn’t want to send the wrong message by removing him from the lineup in favor of recent call-up and platoon mate Tommy Joseph. Thus, writes Lawrence, the front office should step in and handle it for Mackanin. Howard, 36, has long been in decline and is likely in his last year with the Phillies, who will buy him out for $10MM at season’s end in lieu of paying him $23MM to remain on the team in 2017. Considering both that and Howard’s weak output, it would make sense for the Phillies to give Joseph the lion’s share of time at first.
  • A scout who has followed Matt Harvey since his amateur days offered his assessment of the struggling Mets right-hander to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. “There’s no deception in his delivery. “He is throwing across his body and the hitters are getting a good look at everything,” said the scout, who added that Harvey looks out of shape and is presenting “no fear factor, no intimidation.”

Rosenthal’s Latest: Astros, A’s, Indians, Phillies

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If the Astros don’t recover from their 17-26 start, they could become interesting sellers as the trade deadline approaches, says FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). As pending free agents at season’s end, outfielder Colby Rasmus, right-handers Doug Fister and Scott Feldman, and catcher Jason Castro could all be on the move. Center fielder Carlos Gomez’s deal is also set to expire, though his value is close to nonexistent at the moment, according to Rosenthal. Gomez has rapidly fallen from grace since the Astros surrendered a handful of youthful pieces for him and righty Mike Fiers at last year’s deadline. Thanks to both that trade and the offseason acquisition of reliever Ken Giles, the Astros have lost several young players and could replenish their system this summer by moving at least some of the aforementioned veterans.

More of the latest rumblings from Rosenthal:

  • Athletics lefty Rich Hill, third baseman Danny Valencia and reliever John Axford are all potential deadline chips, reports Rosenthal. The only member of the trio unsigned beyond this season is the 36-year-old Hill, who is on a $6MM salary and has performed like an ace since his red-hot September with Boston in 2015. Valencia is currently making $3.15MM and has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining, and he has been quietly spectacular going back to last season. Over his past 475 plate appearances, Valencia has slashed .302/.352/.531 with 24 homers. With third base prospect Matt Chapman waiting in the wings, the A’s could sell high on Valencia, per Rosenthal. Axford, meanwhile, has gotten solid results in 18 2/3 frames this year (2.89 ERA) while recording a career-worst strikeout rate (5.79 per nine) and a personal-best walk rate (1.45). He’s making $4.5MM this season and is set to rake in another $5.5MM in 2017.
  • The Indians could try to upgrade their bullpen by acquiring a left-hander or a dominant late-inning arm, but two factors are working against them: Other contenders will be in the hunt for similar help, and the Indians are “notoriously cautious” when discussing trades.
  • The Phillies are prepared to deal right-hander Jeremy Hellickson if a solid offer comes along, though they’re also focused on limiting the innings thrown by some of the younger members of their rotation. Thanks to Charlie Morton’s season-ending injury, the 28-year-old Hellickson is now the elder statesman of a Phillies rotation that has been among baseball’s best in 2016. Hellickson, who’s on a $7MM salary and is scheduled to become a free agent at season’s end, has put up a 3.99 ERA to accompany significantly improved strikeout and walk rates (9.06 and 2.36, respectively) in 49 2/3 innings this year.

NL Notes: Phillies, De La Rosa, Harvey

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The Phillies have been lucky to get solid work from a cheap bullpen this season, Matt Gelb of Philly.com writes. Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon are now gone, but journeyman Jeanmar Gomez has been effective in the closer’s role, and Hector Neris and David Hernandez have also been terrific. The team could also soon receive reinforcements, with Michael Mariot and Mario Hollands perhaps joining the bullpen after returning from injury. Another possibility, Gelb suggests, might be Edubray Ramos, a 23-year-old who now has a 1.54 ERA, 24 strikeouts and just one walk in 23 1/3 innings split between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. Here’s more from the National League.

  • Jorge De La Rosa will return to the Rockies’ rotation on Tuesday against the Red Sox, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding tweets. Jon Gray will pitch Wednesday and Eddie Butler on Thursday. De La Rosa struggled this season before missing almost a month due to a groin strain, but if he can approach something resembling his 2015 form (when he posted a 4.17 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9), he’ll provide a boost to a Rockies pitching staff that has already recently added help in its bullpen.
  • Matt Harvey has struggled to the tune of a 5.77 ERA this season (albeit with a reasonable 8.0 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9). But his agent, Scott Boras, says Harvey’s tough year is the result of the typical ups and downs experienced by pitchers returning from Tommy John surgery, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports. He compares Harvey (who had TJ surgery in 2013) to Stephen Strasburg, who underwent the procedure in 2010 and has had bumps in the road (including some struggles at the beginning of last season) since then but recently signed a $175MM extension. “This Tommy John dynamic carries with it unknowns,” says Boras. “It’s amazing that Harv and Stras pitched against one another (Thursday night). You go back a year ago and who’s who? I’m sitting on the phone (then) talking about Strasburg’s career and no one is saying anything to me about Matt Harvey’s brilliance and dominance. Now the roles are reversed.” Boras suggests that former Tommy John patients experience trouble locating pitches.

Draft Notes: Phillies, Reds, Puk, Pint

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With the 2016 MLB Draft approaching on June 9, here’s a quick roundup of links on how the first round might play out.

  • The Phillies will take Florida lefty A.J. Puk with the top overall pick, MLB.com’s Jim Callis projects. Callis also suggests California high school outfielder Mickey Moniak or Mercer outfielder Kyle Lewis could also be possibilities, with the team likely saving significantly against their draft pool regardless of who they select. If the Phillies do pick Puk, Callis suggests, the Reds could go with Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel. (Puk, by the way, left early in his start against LSU yesterday, but as Ross Dellenger of the Advocate writes, that was due to a stomach illness, not an injury.)
  • ESPN’s Keith Law (Insider-only), meanwhile, predicts the Phillies will take Puk, with the Reds taking Lewis. Law also lists Louisville outfielder Corey Ray and California high school outfielder Blake Rutherford as possibilities with the top pick.
  • Baseball America lists Puk as its top talent on its list of the draft’s top 500 prospects, noting his mid- to high-90s fastball, which plays up due to his 6’7 frame. Coming in second is Kansas high school pitcher Riley Pint, suggesting in the accompanying subscriber-only scouting report that he’s a “much better version” of Marlins prospect and former second overall pick Tyler Kolek. Pint throws 97-98 MPH, can hit 102, and has a changeup, curve and slider that could all potentially be good pitches.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/20/16

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Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…

  • Southpaw Phil Coke has been outrighted by the Yankees after he was designated for assignment on Tuesday, Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees Blog tweets. Coke wasn’t effective in his six innings over three appearances on the year, though he did show that he’s still capable of delivering his fastball at around 93 mph. The veteran bounced around last year after a five-year run with the Tigers ended followiing the 2014 season. He’ll accept the assignment, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets.
  • The Indians released righty Felipe Paulino so that he can pursue an opportunity in Japan, the club announced. A six-year MLB veteran who last appeared in the majors in 2014 with the White Sox, Paulino had converted to full-time relief work with Cleveland. Over his 13 frames, he allowed just four earned runs and five hits, though his 10:5 K/BB ratio was somewhat less promising.
  • The Angels have acquired infielder Ryan Jackson from the Phillies in exchange for cash considerations, the Phillies announced. Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times tweets that Jackson will be assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake. Jackson, 28, returns to the Angels organization after pending the majority of the 2015 season playing for their Triple-A affiliate (he also went hitless in 14 plate appearances for their big league club last season). Jackson split last season between the Royals and Angels organizations and hit a combined .294/.372/.374 in 362 plate appearances. He’ll give the Halos some depth at shortstop with both Andrelton Simmons and Cliff Pennington on the disabled list — a pair of injuries that has forced the club to acquire Brendan Ryan from the Nationals and bring Gregorio Petit up from Salt Lake. Jackson was not on the 40-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary for the Halos.

NL East Notes: Alderson, Braves, Cespedes, Phillies

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Mets GM Sandy Alderson underwent surgery last week as part of his ongoing battle with cancer and described the operation as “fantastically successful,” as Danny Knobler writes for MLB.com. “From where we were to where we are today, I’m still on a road to full recovery,” said Alderson. “I’m not running a four-minute mile at the moment, and my mouth is still dry from time to time, but that’s what happens when you have surgery.” Alderson added that he expects to be at Citi Field for at least part of nearly every day, and he’s been in close contact with other members of the Mets’ baseball ops staff when he’s been forced to be away. Alderson has also undergone chemotherapy as part of his treatment but said the doctors, at present, do not have any additional chemo or surgery planned. We at MLBTR wish Alderson continued health and success in his fight against cancer.

More from the NL East…

  • Both Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com and Mark Bowman of MLB.com wrote forward-looking pieces pertaining to the Braves and potential long-term successors for Fredi Gonzalez following the skipper’s dismissal this week. Crasnick lists former Braves infielder Mark DeRosa, currently an MLB Network analyst, as a possibility, noting that a pair of execs with different clubs each mentioned him. Internal candidates include Bo Porter, Eddie Perez and Terry Pendelton, he adds. Furthermore, Crasnick hears that Chipper Jones isn’t interested in managing the Braves in 2017 but is thought to be a big fan of DeRosa. Bowman also mentions DeRosa as a candidate and also casts some doubt on early speculation that former Padres manager Bud Black could be a candidate, writing that the Braves “have never provided any indication that he is currently viewed as a potential candidate.” Bowman notes that interim manager Brian Snitker’s decision to make Pendleton his bench coach positions him to show the front office how he can handle an increased role in the dugout as well.
  • While there was quite a bit of chatter regarding Yoenis Cespedes and the Nationals this offseason, Cespedes said earlier this week that such talk was overblown, writes ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. “I was never close to signing with the Nationals,” said the outfielder (via interpreter). “From the start I was pushing my agent because I wanted to come back to the Mets.” The Nats reportedly made Cespedes a five-year offer that topped $100MM but also came with heavy deferrals prior to his re-signing with the Mets on a three-year, $75MM deal (with an opt-out clause after the 2016 season).
  • Phillies GM Matt Klentak tells Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that if the Phillies can continue their surprising start and remain in the playoff picture, he’ll certainly be willing to seek upgrades on the summer trade market. “There will be nobody happier than me if we are still in playoff contention in July, and if that happens we’re going to do everything we can to help this team improve and get better and make a run at it,” said Klentak. The GM did preach some caution, noting that only one quarter of the season has been played, and he also explained that he’s been hesitant to go through too much early turnover, hoping instead to allow the players on the roster to settle into roles with which they feel comfortable. The Phillies did make a minor move, promoting Tommy Joseph in an effort to increase the club’s offensive output, but Klentak also acknowledged what has helped his team to its current place in the standings: “We continue to be open-minded towards any types of additions and ways to improve, but right now the success of our team has been built on pitching and defense and we’re going to continue to respect that.”

NL East Notes: Baker, Matz, Paredes, Altherr

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Nationals manager Dusty Baker is known as a motivator more than as an in-game tactician, but James Wagner of the Washington Post suggests that the veteran skipper may be under-sold in the game management department. Numerous players say that they are believers in the way that Baker has operated, and he has managed to coax plenty of quality innings from his rotation while making situational use of his pen. Baker also chatted with MLB.com’s Bill Ladson about his first six weeks at the helm of the division-leading Nats. He says he’s pleased with the construction of the ballclub and intends to remain steady with the approach that has worked for the team out of the gates. Baker praised GM Mike Rizzo for his work and said their relationship has been very positive thus far.

More from the NL East…

  • The Mets are relieved to have received good news on the elbow of left-hander Steven Matz, reports Newsday’s Marc Carig (via Twitter). Per Carig, tests on Matz’s elbow revealed that he does not have any ligament damage or any form of serious injury in his pitching elbow. The 24-year-old missed his most recent start due to some soreness in the elbow, but it sounds for now as if Matz has avoided a prolonged absence from the active roster. The Mets will make a more formal announcement on Matz’s health tomorrow, Carig notes. Matz has a 2.86 ERA through his first 34 2/3 innings of the season.
  • The Phillies placed a claim on infielder Jimmy Paredes, who was claimed by the Blue Jays earlier today, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). However, the Jays had an earlier crack at Paredes due to the league-specific nature of outright waivers at this juncture of the season, though Kubatko points out that even if the order were based on record, the Jays would’ve had priority over Philadelphia due to the Phillies’ surprisingly strong start. The Phillies hired former Orioles special assistant Ned Rice as an assistant general manager the offseason, so it’s perhaps not surprising that Philadelphia would have interest in the now-former Orioles infielder/designated hitter.
  • Meanwhile, the Phillies got some positive news on outfielder Aaron Altherr, as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Altherr is two weeks away from picking up a bat, meaning he’s progressing as hoped, though Gelb says he could still land at the longer end of the four-to-six month timeline he was given for a full return. Philadelphia obviously still can’t count on much from the 25-year-old in the current season. With a surprising run out of the gates coming in spite of dreadful production from the corner outfield, it will be interesting to see whether the team is able to do anything to boost its lineup even while staying committed to a rebuilding effort.

Phillies Grant J.P. Arencibia His Release

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The Phillies have released veteran catcher/first baseman J.P. Arencibia from their Triple-A affiliate at his request.

Arencibia, 30, signed a minor league pact with Philadelphia this offseason on the heels of an excellent run with the Rays, during which he batted .310/.315/.606 with six homers in 73 plate appearances. Even in the midst of that outburst, however, Arencibia showed many of the characteristic red flags with which he has come to be associated throughout his big league tenure — namely striking out on 22 occasions (30.1 percent) and walking just once. This year with the Phillies, he’s been unable to replicate that 2015 production, batting .167/.167/.271 in 48 plate appearances.

Arencibia, a former top prospect and once the Blue Jays’ regular catcher, has plenty of power but has long struggled with strikeouts and a lack of on-base skills. He’s a .212/.258/.412 hitter in 1687 plate appearances at the Major League level and a .255/.300/.501 hitter in a similar sample of 1615 PAs at the Triple-A level.

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