Phillies Rumors

Latest On Marlins’ Rotation Targets

By Steve Adams | July 19, 2016 at 11:32am CDT

TODAY: Miami is also interested in Andrew Cashner of the Padres and Michael Pineda of the Yankees, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter). While New York is “not ready” to deal Pineda at this time, that presumably isn’t a limiting factor with regard to Cashner.

Both of these righties possess rather different profiles than does Hellickson. Cashner is also a pending free agent, but he arguably comes with a higher ceiling and a lower recent track record. Though he turned in his best start of the year recently, he is still carrying a lackluster 5.05 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 on the year. And Cashner has not only seen his fastball lose a full tick of velocity, but is running up a career-low 6.8% swinging strike rate.

Pineda has been similarly inconsistent, though perhaps there’s greater reason for optimism in his case. Despite a 5.56 earned run average, he’s carrying a robust 10.7 K/9 while issuing only 2.4 free passes per nine innings over his 100 1/3 frames on the year. That’s supported by the deeper peripherals: Pineda’s average heater is sitting at about 94 mph, and he is generating swings and misses on 13.7% of his pitches. Notably, too, Pineda comes with an added year of team control via arbitration.

YESTERDAY: The Marlins’ search for rotation help has spanned many targets over the past month, and MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro adds another name to the list today, tweeting that Miami is interested in division-rival Jeremy Hellickson of the Phillies. Marlins scouts and officials will get an up-close look at Hellickson this week, as he’s slated to pitch against Miami on Wednesday when the Fish are in Philadelphia. Notably, Frisaro adds that he does indeed expect Miami to make “a trade or two” prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline.

Hellickson, 29, is in the midst of his best season since 2012. The 2011 American League Rookie of the Year was brilliant early in his career after graduating from top prospect status, but he posted a 4.86 ERA from 2013-15 with the Rays and D-backs while battling elbow and hamstring injuries. This year, he’s taken the mound 19 times and posted a solid 4.03 ERA in 111 2/3 innings (despite a hitter-friendly home environment) while averaging 7.9 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 to go along with a 41 percent ground-ball rate. That type of work certainly doesn’t make him a front-line addition to a rotation, but the Marlins have reportedly been seeking a dependable source of innings to round out the back of their rotation as opposed to a top-tier starter to pair with ace Jose Fernandez. In that sense, Hellickson fits the bill.

The trouble for the Marlins, as we’ve noted in the past, is that their farm system is among the worst-regarded in all of baseball, and they already thinned it out by moving well-regarded right-hander — Chris Paddack — to pluck Fernando Rodney from the Padres. The organization’s top prospect entering the season, Tyler Kolek, underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year as well, though it’s unlikely that the Marlins would’ve been particularly fond of the notion of parting with him in exchange for a two-month rental. That same reluctance would presumably apply to 2015 first-rounder Josh Naylor — the club’s new top-ranked prospect.

None of that is to say that the Marlins can’t work out a trade for Hellickson (or another starter), of course. Even a weak farm system has intriguing names throughout its ranks, and the asking price on Hellickson is unlikely to be exorbitant. He’s earning $7MM in his final season before free agency, and while he’s a candidate for a qualifying offer, the Phils may not be keen on the idea of offering $16MM+ to a player they acquired as a salary dump. Hellickson has exceeded the expectations of most pundits, and the safer play for the Phillies would likely be to cash in on him now rather than face the QO dilemma in October.

The Marlins have also been connected to the likes of Jake Odorizzi, Matt Moore, Rich Hill, Chris Archer and Ervin Santana this summer, and they reportedly expressed interest in Drew Pomeranz and Bud Norris before their respective trades to the Red Sox and Dodgers. At 49-42, they’re six games back from the division-leading Nationals and in a tie with the division-rival Mets for the second NL Wild Card spot.

NL Rumors: Puig, Altherr, Bourjos, Conforto, Wheeler, Jay, Cashner

By Jeff Todd | July 19, 2016 at 8:20am CDT

The Dodgers are open to replacing Yasiel Puig at the deadline, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. That could well mean trading him to facilitate a deal, and it seems Los Angeles is at least weighing the possibility of such a move. As Rosenthal notes, it’s hardly certain that the Dodgers will make a move in the corner outfield, let alone that they’ll part with two more years of control over the talented 25-year-old to do it. That’s likely all the more true given that Puig is finally showing signs of life at the plate.

Here’s more from the National League:

Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr is nearing a major league return, and MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki says that an active roster spot could be cleared via trade. Peter Bourjos seems the most obvious candidate to be moved; indeed, the free agent-to-be cracked MLBTR’s most recent list of the top 25 trade candidates. Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin says the club is eager to get a look at Altherr, who has been out all year after undergoing wrist surgery this spring.
With Yoenis Cespedes asking to move out of full-time center field duties, the Mets are considering whether Michael Conforto can handle the position, ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reports. Manager Terry Collins said he was on board with moving Cespedes to the less-demanding, more familiar spot in left. The question is whether Conforto is up to the task given his lack of experience there. It seems, though, that he’ll receive a bit of a trial by fire at the major league level, potentially splitting time with Juan Lagares up the middle.
The Mets have received some promising news on righty Zack Wheeler, with Marc Carig of Newsday reporting that he’s been throwing bullpen sessions of late. That could set Wheeler up for a rehab assignment in relatively short order. New York won’t have much of a chance to assess his progress before the trade deadline, but can at least rest easy knowing that the talented righty is again making forward progress in his return from Tommy John surgery.
Padres outfielder Jon Jay tells Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link) that he anticipates returning to the majors within a “couple” of weeks. Of course, that almost certainly means he won’t be able to make it back in advance of the trade deadline, which was always the expectation when he went down with a fractured forearm. Jay could be moved in August, particularly if San Diego is able to get him through waivers early in the month — thus opening the possibility of getting a solid offer once he has returned to full health. Such a waiver placement could be risky, though, because the club might be forced to let him go, take a meager trade return if he is claimed, or pull him back while losing the chance to deal him later in the month. With just over $6MM in annual salary, Jay isn’t a terribly expensive piece for a team in need of outfield help, so it’s not inconceivable at all that a contender would roll the dice on a claim even before he’s at full health.
Meanwhile, the Padres are drawing stronger interest in Andrew Cashner than his spotty recent track record might suggest, Rosenthal reports in the above-linked piece. The righty did just throw a gem, and still carries a tantalizing arm, so perhaps it isn’t surprising to hear that multiple organizations are interested in a chance at harnessing the evident talent.

East Notes: Yankees, Hellickson, Rays

By charliewilmoth | July 16, 2016 at 10:36am CDT

Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently spoke to MLB Network Radio (audio link; some transcribed quotes are also available via Chad Jennings at the Journal News) about his team’s strategy heading toward the non-waiver trade deadline. The Yankees are currently 44-45 and 5 1/2 games back in the Wild Card race. Cashman notes that the team’s ultimate approach could be dictated in part by how the team performs in the next few series. For now, the Yankees are “having both conversations,” meaning that they’re considering both buying and selling. He lists the starting rotation and the front end of the bullpen as areas he’s already tried to improve, although offensive upgrades appear unlikely. Here are more notes from the East divisions.

The Phillies have Jeremy Hellickson’s turns in the rotation lined up with those of prospect Jake Thompson’s starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, as CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury notes. That’s potentially significant in that Thompson could slide into the big-league rotation if the Phillies deal Hellickson in the next couple weeks. Thompson, one of the prospects the Phillies acquired in last year’s Cole Hamels deal, has posted a 2.42 ERA and 2.6 BB/9, albeit with just 6.2 K/9, in 111 2/3 innings with Lehigh Valley this year. Hellickson, for his part, says he isn’t focused on the trade rumors surrounding him. “I’d love to be here the rest of the year, but obviously I’ve been through it before and know that side of the game,” he says. “But, yeah, my focus is on here and my next start right now.”
The Rays are attracting plenty of interest in their starting pitchers, as SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets — the Cubs, Rangers, Dodgers, Pirates, Yankees, Astros, Blue Jays, Orioles and Tigers have all inquired. Representatives from the Pirates and Dodgers, along with the Nationals, Red Sox and Marlins, were all on hand yesterday to watch Chris Archer’s start against the Orioles, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin (Twitter links). (It is perhaps worth noting that those teams might have been scouting the game for other reasons, not purely to watch Archer.) Archer seems perhaps less likely to be dealt than fellow Rays starters Matt Moore or Jake Odorizzi. Various recent reports have indicated that the Rays aren’t currently interested in trading Archer, who has struggled a bit this year and is under control for the next several seasons.

Edward Mujica Requests, Receives Release From Phillies

By Jeff Todd | July 14, 2016 at 9:43am CDT

The Phillies have released veteran reliever Edward Mujica upon his request, per a club announcement. Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, Mujica has been pitching at Triple-A.

Mujica, a 32-year-old righty, has turned in solid results at the minors’ highest level but has yet to receive a big league opportunity in 2016. Over 39 frames, he owns a 3.69 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and has issued only four free passes.

That formula has worked for Mujica in the past in the majors, as he carried a lifetime 3.75 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 1.4 BB/9 when he hit the open market after the 2013 season. Since signing with the Red Sox in the ensuing winter, though, things haven’t gone as well. Over his last 107 1/3 MLB frames, Mujica has allowed 4.28 earned per nine, with particularly rough results last year.

It’s somewhat notable that the Phils didn’t see fit to give Mujica a shot in their pen, since the team had every incentive to see if he can pitch his way into a trade piece. Nevertheless, he looks like a reasonable bet to provide some solid innings to an organization that’s in need of bullpen options.

NL Notes: Rupp, Guerra, Kang

By Jeff Todd | July 14, 2016 at 8:36am CDT

It’s quiet today, but baseball’s second half begins in earnest tomorrow. Over the break, a roster of American League All-Stars defeated an assortment of National Leaguers by a score of 4 to 2. Owing to one of the most confounding rules in all of sport, this means that the A.L. entrant in the World Series will own home-field advantage for the Fall Classic.

As the A.L. post-season hopefuls celebrate their victory, here’s the latest from the N.L.:

Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com writes that a breakout first half from Cameron Rupp has made him a potential trade chip for the Phillies. While the 27-year-old comes with another four years of club control beyond the 2016 season, he represents a rare, controllable option for teams in need of offense behind the dish. A number of contenders meet that criteria, Seidman notes, listing the Indians and White Sox as a pair of clubs that have received well below-average production from their backstops this season. While the Phils needn’t feel compelled to move Rupp, GM Matt Klentak showed with the offseason Ken Giles trade that he’s willing to move assets with considerably more club control than the typical trade candidate if the right offer presents itself.
Brewers righty Junior Guerra has been one of the game’s most remarkable stories in the first half, turning from a waiver claimee (in GM David Stearns’s first transaction) into a quality starter. As Gary D’Amato of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes, it was his discovery — and mastery — of the splitter that made him a Rookie of the Year candidate at 31 years of age. Harnessing that key offering “was a long process,” he says, explaining that he didn’t feel comfortable with it until about two years ago. Because of his age, Guerra is in a rather unique position with regard to contract rights; he also could be a more likely trade candidate than might otherwise be anticipated given his meager service time (though I didn’t feel compelled to include him in our list of potentially available starters). “Right now I’m not thinking about money,” he tells D’Amato. “I’m just thinking about working hard and providing for my family. I want to keep working hard in order to keep getting chances.” Field questions about his trade status is probably quite an unexpected luxury, but Guerra says he hopes to continue pitching in Milwaukee.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says that the league won’t take any action with regard to Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang until the Chicago police have advanced their investigation into allegations of sexual assault, Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. “We are aware of the situation and are working with law enforcement,” said Manfred. “We will make a decision when we have sufficient facts as to whether application of, for example, the administrative leave provisions in the new policy are applicable.” The league had moved more swiftly to place Hector Olivera on administrative leave earlier this season, but he was arrested and charged in the immediate aftermath of the incident in question. In many ways, Kang’s situation will represent a new challenge for the commissioner’s office, who has already dealt with several cases under a still-new policy addressing domestic violence and sexual assault. This is the first case falling under the latter rubric, and also the first involving an important player whose team is involved in a post-season race.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/13/16

By Jeff Todd | July 13, 2016 at 6:44pm CDT

Here are the day’s minor moves and outright assignments:

Outfielder Will Venable has cleared waivers been outrighted to Triple-A by the Dodgers, according to the transactions page at MLB.com. While Venable has enough service time to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, he’ll instead accept the assignment and head to Oklahoma City, reports MLBTR’s Steve Adams (via Twitter). Venable was designated for assignment by the Dodgers for the second time earlier this month after signing a minor league pact with L.A. in mid-June. He’s collected just one hit in 19 plate appearances this season but has a lengthy track record of hitting right-handed pitching well. The 33-year-old will look to get another shot with the big league club later this season.

Earlier Moves

The Phillies have outrighted recently-designated lefty Mario Hollands, per a club announcement. He’ll be assigned to Double-A. The 27-year-old was a regular contributor to the 2014 Phils’ bullpen, but he hasn’t been back since missing 2015 while recovering from a Tommy John procedure. While moving back up through the Philadelphia farm system this year, Hollands has thrown 26 13 innings of 3.76 ERA ball, with 8.5 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9.

Phillies Designate Mario Hollands For Assignment

By Connor Byrne | July 10, 2016 at 11:33am CDT

The Phillies have designated left-hander Mario Hollands for assignment, the team announced.

Hollands has thus far spent his entire career as part of the Philadelphia organization, which picked him in the 10th round of the 2010 draft. The 27-year-old’s only major league experience came over a fairly extensive sample size in 2014, as he amassed 47 innings of 4.40 ERA pitching to go with a 6.7 K/9, 4.02 BB/9 and 51.2 percent ground-ball rate. As a minor leaguer, Hollands has totaled 115 appearances (67 starts) and 431 1/2 innings. He owns a 3.92 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 outside the majors.

Cafardo’s Latest: BoSox, Royals, O’s, Jays, Yanks, Rays, A’s, Phils, Twins, Angels

By Connor Byrne | July 10, 2016 at 8:51am CDT

Scouts from the Red Sox, Royals, Orioles and Blue Jays were on hand to watch Athletics left-hander Rich Hill’s Thursday start, according to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, who writes that the 36-year-old would likely prefer a return to Boston. With the help of ex-major league pitcher Brian Bannister at Triple-A Pawtucket, Hill began reviving his career as part of the Red Sox organization late last summer after a stint in the independent Atlantic League.“Brian pointed out that (Clayton) Kershaw threw his curveball 45 percent of the time,” said Hill. “He basically emphasized that, take what you think are your best pitches and use them correctly. So with me, it was not only throwing the curveball but throwing it at different speeds, changing the shape of it as well as manipulating the spin on the fastball.” Hill took Bannister’s advice and has relied almost exclusively on his curveball and fastball since the Red Sox called him up last September. The results? Ninety-nine innings of 2.06 ERA ball to accompany a 10.8 K/9, 2.83 BB/9, 49.6 percent ground-ball rate and 17.9 percent infield fly mark. Hill could soon end up as the premier starter dealt by the Aug. 1 deadline, and the pitching-challenged Red Sox – who added Bannister to their coaching staff earlier this week – seem like a logical fit. For now, Hill is scheduled to start again Friday for the A’s, who bought low on him in the offseason (one year, $6MM) and have reaped the rewards.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Hill, Upton, Bruce, Hellickson, Stanley, Mets, Puig

By charliewilmoth | July 9, 2016 at 11:05pm CDT

Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a pair of videos on FOX Sports:

When the Athletics put Rich Hill on the market, they can be expected to charge a high price for him, Rosenthal says. Hill’s stats — if only for this season — compare favorably to David Price’s last year, and he might be amenable to an extension with his new team.
Prior to this season, there was no trade interest in Melvin Upton unless the Padres took on the rest of his contract. After a .268/.315/.464 performance this year, though, that’s changing, at least to a degree. San Diego still owes Upton a little under $40MM through 2017, but teams are now willing to give up talent, with the Padres’ return increasing depending upon how much salary they’re willing to take on. The Padres might be motivated to deal Upton and/or Matt Kemp to clear space for former first-round pick Hunter Renfroe, who’s batting .335/.362/.611 for Triple-A El Paso. Austin Hedges has also hit well for the Chihuahuas, which means the Padres could also look to move fellow catcher Derek Norris to clear space in the big leagues.
Jay Bruce to the Blue Jays would make sense, Rosenthal opines. Acquiring Bruce from the Reds would allow the Jays to move Jose Bautista (who’s currently on the DL with a toe injury) to DH and reduce playing time for the underwhelming Justin Smoak. The Jays have a greater need for pitching, but might play to the strengths of the market by acquiring hitting instead.
The Phillies could consider keeping Jeremy Hellickson, who’s in the midst of a solid season — he could eat innings for them down the stretch, with the Phillies perhaps gambling on him by extending a qualifying offer this coming winter and hoping to grab a draft pick as a result. But they would still “jump” at a good trade offer. Of their relievers, the Phils are more likely to deal David Hernandez or Andrew Bailey than Jeanmar Gomez, who they can control for 2017. Other Phillies candidates to be dealt include Andres Blanco and Peter Bourjos.
Rosenthal begins the second video with a brief discussion of an article of his from earlier today about former Cardinals minor leaguer Cody Stanley, who has already received a 162-game suspension and expects to receive a lifetime ban for repeatedly testing positive for the steroid Turinabol. Stanley claims to not know why he keeps testing positive. “I will never apologize for something I didn’t do,” Stanley said in a statement. “We will not stop searching for why all of this has happened.” Chris Colabello of the Blue Jays, Alec Asher and Daniel Stumpf of the Phillies and Boog Powell of the Mariners have all tested positive for Turinabol and received suspensions, and all claim not to know what happened. “Who would be stupid enough to take the same steroid again?” Stanley asks Rosenthal.
The Mets are likely to trade for pitching after a series of injuries to their hurlers, Rosenthal says. Recent injuries to Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard could have the team looking in different directions this month than previously anticipated, perhaps to starters, perhaps to relievers.
The Dodgers will consider dealing Yasiel Puig before the August 1 deadline, Rosenthal suggests. Whether they actually do deal him could depend, however, on the timing of Andre Ethier’s return and whether they acquire another outfielder.

Phillies Release Yoervis Medina

By Connor Byrne | July 9, 2016 at 10:40pm CDT

The Phillies have released right-handed reliever Yoervis Medina, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America (Twitter link). Philadelphia originally acquired Medina from the Pirates in exchange for left-hander Jesse Biddle over the winter.

Medina, who hurt his elbow in March, hasn’t appeared in the majors this season. The hard-throwing 27-year-old’s only action has come in rookie ball for Philly, where he tossed four innings. He previously threw a combined 21 major league frames as a member of the Mariners and Cubs last season, logging a 4.71 ERA, 6.86 K/9 and 4.71 BB/9. Medina is perhaps best known for the strong results he delivered with the Mariners from 2013-14. During that two-year stretch, he racked up 125 innings and recorded a 2.81 ERA, 9.4 K/9, 4.9 BB/9 and 53.5 percent ground-ball rate.

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