Nationals Notes: McCutchen, Gio, Harper, Fedde, Ross
Last December’s Andrew McCutchen trade talks between the Nationals and Pirates included top prospect Lucas Giolito and left-hander Gio Gonzalez, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Heyman notes that talks between Pittsburgh and Washington centered around three players, and he reported back in December that Giolito and minor league righty Dane Dunning were a part of McCutchen talks. Some combination of Giolito, Dunning and Gonzalez (whose salary is roughly similar to that of McCutchen) certainly seems like a nice haul for the Pirates, though to be fair, Heyman hasn’t specifically listed that trio in a singular report, nor is it clear that said trio was ever actually offered. Furthermore, it’s not known whether the Nationals or the Pirates are the team that backed out of talks before Washington sent Giolito, Dunning and Reynaldo Lopez to the White Sox in exchange for Adam Eaton. McCutchen is off to an ugly .214/.286/.393 start at the plate, though Giolito hasn’t fared much better in the minors. Through 34 1/3 Triple-A innings, he’s posted a 6.55 ERA with 9.4 K/9, 5.0 BB/9 and a 43.3 percent ground-ball rate.
More notes on the Nats…
- Asked about what type of money Bryce Harper will command in free agency, the GM of another club tells Heyman that he believes Harper will command closer to $500MM than $400MM on the open market. Furthermore, he stated a belief that $400MM is the “baseline” for a Harper contract in free agency. There’s been plenty of consternation among fans about whether Harper has truly lived up to the hype surrounding him in his career, though his 2015 NL MVP and .376/.491/.744 start to the 2017 campaign are undeniably strong points in his favor. Harper won’t turn 25 until the season comes to a close, and he’s already been worth 24-26 wins above replacement (depending on one’s preferred version of the metric). Whether that makes him worth an investment approaching half a billion dollars is, of course, another debate, but he certainly looks to have rounded back into form after reports of a shoulder injury that plagued him throughout a “down” season (by his standards) in 2016.
- Nats general manager Mike Rizzo explained the team’s decision to move top prospect Erick Fedde to a bullpen role this season to Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. Washington felt it would have to limit Fedde’s innings this year one way or another, and keeping him in a rotation role would’ve meant shutting him down in the minors at some point. However, by moving him to the ‘pen, the Nats can not only manage his innings but also take a look at the former first-rounder on the Major League roster at some point. “If he was farther away from the big leagues in our mind, we probably would just shut his innings down when they were over, and utilize that,” said Rizzo. “…We thought all along that if we were to see Fedde in the big leagues this year, it would probably be in a relief role … as the bullpen struggled and we had three guys on the disabled list at one time, we thought this was a good time to use the transformation to get him into the bullpen.”
- Rizzo also explained to Zuckerman that the Nats consider right-hander Joe Ross “too valuable” as a starting pitcher to consider a similar shift to the bullpen. Rizzo stated that Ross’ stuff is “too good” and referred to him as a “proven starter,” though the Nationals do currently have Ross in Triple-A in an effort to improve his effectiveness against left-handed opponents. Rizzo notes that Ross is “100 percent” healthy but may have been losing his release point as he worked deeper into starts.
Jameson Taillon Undergoes Surgery For Testicular Cancer
MAY 18: Taillon’s pathology report did indeed come back positive for testicular cancer, reports MLB.com’s Adam Berry. While there’s no timetable for his return to the mound, Taillon has been cleared to resume light baseball activities, according to Berry, which is certainly good news. Taillon has been at PNC Park with his teammates this week and has played catch in addition to participating in some light cardiovascular work. Taillon is slated to be re-examined next week.
MAY 8: Pirates righty Jameson Taillon has undergone surgery for what is suspected to be testicular cancer, according to a team announcement. MLBTR sends Taillon its very best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.
At present, the ensuing treatment plan has yet to be decided. “Further testing” will be required before a course is charted, according to the team, with updates to be announced “as appropriate.”
Needless to say, Taillon’s overall health and well-being are much more important than his playing status, but it seems reasonable to anticipate that he’ll be sidelined for at least some time. Pittsburgh had already called up Josh Lindblom to take the roster spot of Taillon, who has been placed on the 10-day DL.
The news immediately calls to mind the situation of Rockies righty Chad Bettis, another promising young starting pitcher who has battled testicular cancer. In his case, the hope was that an offseason procedure would clear the way for a full return to health both on and off the mound. Unfortunately, Bettis ultimately required chemotherapy when it was discovered that the cancer has spread. He is expected to miss most or all of the current season.
The hope remains both that Bettis will get back to full health and that Taillon’s own course will be more straightforward. In the meantime, it’s a good reminder for everyone to monitor for these and other ailments. As Bettis said upon his initial diagnosis: “This only reinforces my belief that each of us needs to be totally in tune with our own physical health, and that taking action sooner than later when we feel like something is off can sometimes literally be the difference between life and death.”
Taillon’s own statement is also well worth a full read (via his Twitter account). This challenge, like others he has faced, has “just added fuel to my burning fire,” he writes, continuing: “Today I lost a piece of my ‘manhood.’ But, today I’m feeling like more o a man than I ever have.”
Jung Ho Kang Loses Appeal Of DUI Sentencing
A South Korean court has denied the appeal of infielder Jung Ho Kang over his sentencing in an offseason DUI charge, reports Jee-ho Yoo of Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. According to Yoo, the Seoul Central District Court upheld a suspended eight-month prison sentence for Kang, which now jeopardizes Kang’s career with the Pirates.
Kang was charged with his third DUI in South Korea this offseason and admitted guilt, which ultimately led to an early-March sentencing of eight months in prison. However, the sentence was suspended for two years and allows Kang to avoid serving any actual jail time so long as he does not violate the terms of the suspended sentence that were set forth by the court. Kang had sought to reduce the suspended sentence to a fine, but today’s ruling quashes that hope.
The 30-year-old Kang has been on the restricted list for the Pirates all season, meaning he has not accrued any Major League service time, nor has he received any of this season’s $2.75MM salary. To this point, he’s been unable to secure a work visa after the United States Embassy rejected his initial application, per Yoo.
Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a statement issued shortly after Kang’s sentencing that the Pirates would “continue to work with him and his representatives in an effort to secure his work visa so that he may resume his career as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.” Coonelly’s statement also indicated that the team would have a “serious discussion with him on this issue and how he has and will change those behaviors that led to the very serious punishment” and that further comments or team-issued discipline would be withheld until the team has had a chance to speak with Kang on the matter.
The Pirates originally signed Kang to a four-year, $11MM contract after submitting a posting fee of $5,002,015 to his former club, the Korea Baseball Organization’s Nexen Heroes, in the 2014-15 offseason. Kang’s contract calls for a $2.75MM salary in 2017, $3MM in 2018 and a $5.5MM club option or $250K buyout for 2019. It is now unclear, however, if Kang will be able to obtain a work visa to continue his playing career with the Pirates at any point throughout the duration of the upheld suspended prison sentence.
Pirates Place Gregory Polanco On 10-Day DL
The Pirates have placed outfielder Gregory Polanco on the 10-day DL, as Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets. The move was made retroactive to May 15th, and Pittsburgh has recalled Danny Ortiz to take his place on the active roster.
Polanco is dealing with a left hamstring strain, which added to the shoulder troubles that have seemingly hampered him in the first six weeks of the season. It’s not clear at this point how long he’ll miss. It’s promising, on the one hand, that the team thought he might avoid a DL stint; on the other, the injury evidently did not respond as immediately as might’ve been hoped.
The 25-year-old has thus far struggled to a .252/.336/.370 batting line over 135 plate appearances. While he has dramatically improved his plate discipline with just 18 strikeouts against 14 walks, he has fallen well off of last year’s pace in the power department (one home run; .118 isolated slugging).
Injury Notes: Pollock, Peralta, Gomez, Choo, Polanco, Manaea
We’ve already learned today that Aroldis Chapman and Yunel Escobar could each miss roughly a month of action, and here’s the update on some more notable injury situations brewing around baseball…
- A.J. Pollock and David Peralta both left today’s Diamondbacks game with injuries, with Pollock suffering a right groin strain while running out a single. According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link), Pollock “sounded very frustrated” speaking with media after the game, which could hint at a significant absence. Pollock has battled problems with his left groin in Spring Training and at the end of last season; Pollock didn’t play after September 9 due to the injury, though he could’ve just been shut down since the D’Backs were well out of the race. Pollock entered today hitting .295/.331/.456 over 157 in his comeback season after appearing in only 12 games in 2016 due to a fractured elbow and the aforementioned late-season groin problem.
- Peralta was removed from the game with what the team described as tightness in his right glute. Peralta is also off to a good start for Arizona, carrying a .303/.354/.471 slash line into today’s action. The Diamondbacks have enough outfield roster depth in the outfield to handle going without both Pollock and Peralta for a game or even two, though obviously the team will be hard-pressed to sustain lengthy absences for both star outfielders.
- Carlos Gomez suffered a right hamstring strain while scoring a run (and awkwardly trying to avoid a bat while doing so) during today’s Rangers victory, and had to be removed from the game. The center fielder will undergo an MRI tomorrow, and he feels the injury is “not something I think is too serious,” comparing it to other hamstring problems he’s had in the past. (Hat tip to Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.) Gomez enjoyed a three-hit day before leaving the game, bumping his slash line up to .246/.331/.423 over 164 plate appearances.
- The Rangers had another regular out of action when Shin-Soo Choo was scratched from the lineup due to back spasms. Choo told Stevenson and other reporters that he wasn’t sure if he’ll be ready for Texas’ next game on Tuesday, though his back was feeling better later in the day than it did early Sunday. Lower back inflammation was the cause of one of Choo’s four separate trips to the DL in 2016, which limited him to just 48 games last season.
- Gregory Polanco is day-to-day after leaving today’s game with “left hamstring discomfort” while running out a grounder, as reported by MLB.com’s Adam Berry and others. The Pirates outfielder managed just a .671 OPS in April but has hit better in May as he tries to build on his breakout 2016 season. Polanco’s injury doesn’t sound particularly serious, which would be welcome news to a Bucs outfield that has already lost Starling Marte to a PED suspension.
- In some more positive injury news, Athletics left-hander Sean Manaea is scheduled to return from the DL and start tomorrow night’s game against the Mariners, A’s manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including MLB.com’s Dave Sessions) on Friday. Manaea hasn’t pitched since April 27 due to a strain in his throwing shoulder. The promising young hurler has a 5.18 ERA, 10.0 K/9 and a 2.25 K/BB over 24 1/3 IP for Oakland this season.
Heyman’s Latest: Miller, Marlins, Cole, Tigers, Agency Changes
Last August, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the Diamondbacks and Marlins were in talks regarding a possible Shelby Miller trade that was ultimately vetoed by D-backs owner Ken Kendrick. Roughly nine months later, FanRag’s Jon Heyman adds some more context to the story, noting that the two sides were in talks regarding right-handers Luis Castillo, Jose Urena and Austin Brice were all being discussed as potential pieces for Arizona to acquire, as was left-hander Dillon Peters (not necessarily all four, though Castillo and Urena were likely the centerpieces). One D-backs source tells Heyman the trade was never close, though Heyman cites others who agreed with Nightengale’s report, stating that Kendrick did indeed veto the deal when it was close to fruition. Miller, of course, remained with the D-backs and looked better in 2017 than he did in 2016 before suffering a torn UCL and undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Heyman’s weekly American League and National League Notes columns reveal a few more interesting hot stove items…
- Despite the fact that multiple reports suggest the bidding price for the Marlins is around $1.3 billion, some have suggested to Heyman that the team’s lack of revenue and significant financial commitments to Giancarlo Stanton, Wei-Yin Chen, Martin Prado and others will ultimately lower the sale price after a full financial examination. Heyman adds that despite prior reports, he’s been told that Alex Rodriguez was never actually offered a spot in the Tagg Romney/Tom Glavine group that is vying to purchase the Marlins. Whether A-Rod was made an offer or not, the key takeaway is that it appears he won’t be involved in the sale.
- Rival executives believe that Pirates ace Gerrit Cole could land on the trade market this summer, per Heyman. The former No. 1 overall pick would make for an extremely interesting addition to the summer trade market, though Bucs certainly needn’t feel compelled to trade him. Cole is controlled through the 2019 season and is earning a perfectly reasonable $3.8MM this season (though that number will spike in his second trip through arbitration this winter). Nonetheless, with two and a half years of club control left, Cole would fetch a significant haul of young talent if he were actually made available. It seems quite likely that the Bucs will listen on Andrew McCutchen and Tony Watson this summer (Watson, like Mark Melancon last year, is a pending free agent), but Cole would have the most significant value of the bunch.
- Even if a closer upgrade were available to the Tigers at the moment, they don’t have the money to make an addition (or at least wouldn’t be willing to spend it). Detroit recently demoted Francisco Rodriguez from the ninth inning in favor of Justin Wilson following a brutal start to the season for K-Rod, and their bullpen has once again been a weak spot. Heyman notes that GM Al Avila at one point made a trip to Triple-A Toledo and “read the riot act” to right-hander Bruce Rondon, who has responded by dropping 15 pounds. Rondon was once viewed as a potential closer of the future, but he’s yet to establish himself and has had issues with his conditioning and effort level.
- Heyman also reports a pair of agency changes, noting that Red Sox top prospect Rafael Devers is now a client of Rep 1 Baseball, while Dodgers top prospect Yadier Alvarez is now repped by Wasserman. Neither has made his MLB debut yet, though both are considered among the game’s top 25 to 50 prospects and could theoretically surface in the Majors within the next calendar year or so (Devers, who is already in Double-A, appears closer than Alvarez, who has just 18 innings in High-A). Both changes are now reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains representation info on roughly more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players. If you see any inaccuracies or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.
NL Central Notes: Davis, Pirates, Shaw
The Reds announced this morning that right-hander Rookie Davis has been optioned to Triple-A Louisville. The 24-year-old Davis, acquired in the trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Yankees, had a nice season in Double-A last year and performed well in Spring Training, but he’s been hit hard through five starts in the Majors. Davis has worked a total of 19 innings, yielding 16 earned runs (7.58 ERA) on 29 hits and 13 walks with 15 strikeouts. A corresponding move hasn’t been announced, though Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets that a Triple-A arm is likely to be recalled to join the rotation rather than turning to Robert Stephenson for a spot start.
A couple more notes from the NL Central…
- The Pirates have, incredibly, deployed 30 different lineups and 29 different defensive alignments (not including the starting pitcher) thus far in 2017, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A large portion of the shuffles have been borne out of necessity, as Nesbitt also points out that the Bucs are currently carrying nine rookies on their roster. “There’s not always experienced guys to go get,” said manager Clint Hurdle of the team’s youthful composition. “With what’s happened to us, this wasn’t the plan coming in. This is an adapt, improvise and overcome situation.” While many Pirates fans have clamored for the team to pursue outside help, Hurdle suggested that improvements aren’t available at this time. “We don’t feel there have been better options outside,” said the manager.
- Nesbitt also writes that the Pirates now seem to have entirely scrapped their offseason outfield realignment, as Gregory Polanco has been shifted back to right field. The suspension of Starling Marte led Pittsburgh to move Andrew McCutchen back to center field, and Polanco’s shift back to right field is tied to the revolving door that the Bucs have had at that spot. “He’s done fine. Pretty average metrics in left,” said Hurdle of Polanco. “But we keep shuffling guys into right, and we’ve already got a guy who has played right pretty well.” Of course, Polanco’s move across the outfield could lead to similar issues in left field. Asked if he’ll keep Polanco in right field once Marte returns from his suspension, Hurdle said the team hasn’t yet made that decision.
- Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw and Red Sox right-hander Tyler Thornburg were swapped for one another this offseason but are in very different places as Milwaukee takes on Boston in interleague play, notes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Shaw has settled in as the Brewers’ cleanup hitter, and his seven homers, 24 RBIs and .544 slugging percentage would all lead the Red Sox. Thornburg, meanwhile, has yet to pitch in a game for the Sox due to a shoulder impingement that has him on the disabled list. Thornburg expressed frustration about his injury and his subsequent inability to face his former team, while Shaw admitted that the games against his former team mean a bit more. “Everybody is a competitor,” Shaw told Haudricourt. “You want to kind of show your old team up.” The trade looks to be a good one for the Brewers at present, though a healthy Thornburg could certainly balance out the scales. The 28-year-old logged a 2.15 ERA and averaged better than 12 strikeouts per nine innings pitched with Milwaukee last year.
Pirates Place Jameson Taillon On DL, Select Josh Lindblom’s Contract
The Pirates have placed right-hander Jameson Taillon on the disabled list, retroactive to Thursday, with groin discomfort, per a team announcement. To take Taillon’s roster spot, the Pirates have selected righty Josh Lindblom‘s contract from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Fortunately, the 25-year-old Taillon’s injury is not related to the hernia surgery he underwent in 2015, according to the Pirates, but his absence will nonetheless be a blow to the scuffling club’s rotation. Although Taillon’s walks per nine have risen from 1.47 per nine innings as a rookie last season to 3.31 this year, the hard thrower still ranks first among Pirates starters in ground-ball percentage (52.9), second in ERA (3.31) and third in innings (35 1/3). Taillon, Gerrit Cole and Ivan Nova have formed 60 percent of a formidable rotation, but the team’s other two starters, Chad Kuhl and Tyler Glasnow, have struggled.
For now, Taillon’s rotation spot will go to Trevor Williams, who debuted in the majors last season and has come out of the bullpen in 12 of 13 appearances. In six relief outings and 11 2/3 frames this year, Williams has logged a 5.40 ERA, 7.71 K/9, 5.4 BB/9 and a 27.8 percent grounder rate.
The 29-year-old Lindblom, meanwhile, is now in position to make his Bucs debut after signing a minor league deal with the organization over the winter. The former Dodger, Phillie, Ranger and Athletic has served almost exclusively as a reliever, having made just six starts in 110 appearances, and has recorded a 3.82 ERA, 7.97 K/9, 3.82 BB/9 and a 33.3 percent grounder mark over 136 2/3 innings. Lindblom hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2014, when he tossed 4 2/3 frames with Oakland.
Pirates Outright John Bormann
The Pirates have outrighted catcher John Bormann, per a club announcement (h/t John Dreker of PiratesProspects.com). That leaves Pittsburgh with a pair of open 40-man spots.
Bormann, 24, received his first MLB call-up recently when the organization had a sudden need for a backstop. He did get a single plate appearance, though he struck out. Of course, Bormann wasn’t expected to see the majors anywhere near so soon as this. He has only just reached the High-A level and had struggled there in the early going.
Pittsburgh already moved earlier this week to install a more viable replacement, recalling Elias Diaz. The club is carrying three catchers while waiting for Francisco Cervelli to return to health.
Starting Pitching Notes: Harvey, Cole, McCarthy, Greinke, Hellickson
Starting pitchers could dominate talks leading up to this summer’s trade deadline, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes in his latest Insider-only column. In addition to long-discussed trade candidates like White Sox southpaw Jose Quintana, struggling would-be contenders like the Mets, Blue Jays, Royals, and Pirates could put some of their own arms on the market if they’re fully out of the pennant race by July. Olney’s column is well worth a full read for his listing of every potential name on the market, though here are a few of the particular hot stove notables…
- Some evaluators believe the Mets would listen to offers for Matt Harvey if they fall out of the running in the NL East. The former ace has been whispered in trade rumors for a couple of years due to both off-the-field controversy and a seeming likelihood that he will test the free agent market after the 2018 season (Scott Boras is Harvey’s agent). Of course, Harvey’s stock has dropped due to an injury-plagued 2016 campaign, and the righty has been only average (4.25 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 1.8 K/BB rate) over 29.2 IP and five starts this season. Harvey has been been homer-prone this season and his average fastball velocity is 93.8 mph, two full miles down from his 2015 velocity. Still, as long as Harvey stays healthy, one would think he’d still receive a lot of deadline attention given his past history.
- Gerrit Cole is also a Boras client, and since “there is a wide expectation” that Cole won’t stay with the Pirates when his current deal is up after 2019, the righty could be a deadline chip. Olney writes that some teams felt Pittsburgh was even willing to listen to offers for Cole last year. With two-plus years of team control left, Cole could well be the most sought-after name on the market if the Bucs indeed made him available, though Cole also has a fairly checkered injury history over the last three years. The right-hander has a 3.60 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 4.5 K/BB rate, and 47.1% grounder rate through 30 innings this season. Dealing Cole wouldn’t necessarily indicate a rebuild for the Pirates, as the team could seek to gain some MLB-ready young talent that could help them make a quick rebound in 2018.
- Some contending teams could also look to shop pitching, as Olney notes that the Dodgers could again try to move Brandon McCarthy after they were unable to find a taker last winter. McCarthy has a 3.10 ERA, 7.76 K/9, and 2.78 K/BB rate through 29 innings, finally looking to be in good form after missing much of 2015-16 due to Tommy John surgery. Of course, given McCarthy’s long injury history, interested teams will surely want to see if the veteran can stay healthy before making any trade offers. In my opinion, I’d think that the Dodgers might want to hang onto McCarthy given the team’s other injury and performance issues within their rotation.
- Even with Zack Greinke pitching well and the Diamondbacks battling for first in the NL West, Greinke’s huge salary will still make the D’Backs open to discussing a trade, rival evaluators believe. Greinke is owed roughly $167MM through the end of the 2021 season, single-handedly accounting for a such a big percentage of Arizona’s current and future payroll commitments that a trade may well be in the best long-term interest of the team. Of course, if the D’Backs are still contending into July, GM Mike Hazen will face pressure to keep Greinke so he can help the club reach the postseason for just the third time in 15 seasons.
- A busier-than-expected pitching market could also lead to some players staying put, as Olney suggests the Phillies could look to extend Jeremy Hellickson and make him a building block of their rotation. Hellickson has a 1.80 ERA through 30 innings this season, though his ERA predictors and peripheral numbers (3.3 K/9, .196 BABIP, 86.2% strand rate, 3.63 FIP, 5.26 xFIP, 5.34 SIERA) suggest that he has been quite fortunate to get such good results. One would think Philadelphia would try to sell high on Hellickson if he keeps outperforming the advanced metrics to such a large extent, though obviously other teams will be wary of those numbers as well.