Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Brad Boxberger

Injury Notes: Sandoval, Hedges, Boxberger, Morton, Dodgers

By | at

Here are various notes on injuries from throughout the game.

  • Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval will have Dr. James Andrews examine his injured shoulder on Monday, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe tweets. Last week, a scheduled exam was canceled because Sandoval’s shoulder was too sore, with the idea that Sandoval would attempt to meet with Andrews at a later date. The Red Sox placed him on the disabled list two weeks ago.
  • Padres catcher Austin Hedges will have surgery to address a hamate fracture and will likely be out six to eight weeks, tweets MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. Hedges spent much of 2015 as the Padres’ backup catcher, but this year, he began the season with Triple-A El Paso (where he was hitting quite well in a small sample) after the Friars acquired Christian Bethancourt. Regardless, it sounds like Hedges, who’s still just 23, will miss a significant chunk of development time.
  • Rays closer Brad Boxberger, who’s missed the entire season so far after having core muscle surgery in March, has been cleared to resume baseball activities, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune tweets. Boxberger remains on track to return to the Rays in mid-May. Alex Colome has collected four saves in his absence.
  • Phillies righty Charlie Morton didn’t receive positive news from an MRI on his injured hamstring on Monday, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes. Morton strained the hamstring on Saturday and was placed on the DL the next day. “Apparently, his MRI wasn’t as good as we were hoping,” says manager Pete Mackanin. “We’re going to see what happens in the next two or three days and see what the next step is. I really don’t know what the next step is, I just know it’s not as good as we were hoping.” Adam Morgan is expected to take Morton’s place in the starting rotation for the time being.
  • Dodgers righty Brandon McCarthy threw a bullpen for team officials yesterday, tweets MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick. The throwing session was the latest step in McCarthy’s recovery after having Tommy John surgery early last season.
  • Another injured Dodgers starter, Hyun-jin Ryu, threw a 30-pitch bullpen today and could soon begin facing live hitters, ESPN’s Doug Padilla writes. Ryu, who is recovering after having labrum surgery last year, had his throwing program delayed after he suffered a groin strain earlier this month. It’s still unclear when he’ll return, Padilla notes.
  • The Dodgers have also announced that they’ve reinstated outfielder Carl Crawford, who had been on the DL for the past two weeks with a back injury. To clear space on their active roster, they optioned righty Zach Lee to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
  • Brewers infielder Scooter Gennett was scratched from tonight’s lineup due to oblique tightness, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. There’s no immediate word on the severity of the injury. Gennett is off to a hot start this season, batting .258/.361/.516 this year after mostly struggling in 2015.

Injury Updates: Rangers, Rays, Reds, Mets

By | at

The Rangers have scratched southpaw Cole Hamels from his start Monday against the Yankees because of left groin soreness, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News was among those to report (on Twitter). Hamels also missed a start last year because of a sore groin, but the club doesn’t believe the injury is serious. It’s currently unclear who will start in his place Monday.

More injury updates on some key major leaguers:

  • In other news concerning an integral member of the Rangers’ rotation, right-hander Yu Darvish is fully healthy and on track for a mid-May return, general manager Jon Daniels told MLB Network Radio on Sunday (Twitter link). Darvish, who missed the 2015 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery, could begin a rehab assignment May 1 and rejoin the Rangers on May 16, Grant wrote earlier this week.
  • Another 2015 Tommy John surgery recipient, Rays right-hander Alex Cobb, should return by late July or early August, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Times. Rays closer Brad Boxberger is on course for a mid-May comeback from core muscle surgery, which he underwent in March, adds Topkin.
  • Reds righty Anthony DeSclafani, who’s working his way back from an oblique strain, began his rehab stint Saturday at the Double-A level and threw four innings, allowing three runs, four hits and a walk while striking out five. He’ll next start for Low-A Dayton, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). DeSclafani posted a 4.05 ERA with a 7.36 K/9 and 2.68 BB/9 in 184 2/3 innings for the Reds last season.
  • Like Darvish and Cobb, Mets lefty Josh Edgin is also coming back from 2015 Tommy John surgery. Edgin’s recovery is going well and it’s possible he’ll return to the majors next month, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. Edgin served as a shutdown option out of the Mets’ bullpen in 2014, compiling a 9.22 K/9 and 1.98 BB/9 to accompany a stingy 1.32 ERA in 27 1/3 innings.

Brad Boxberger Out 8 Weeks After Core Muscle Surgery

By | at

Rays closer Brad Boxberger will be out of action for eight weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery, per manager Kevin Cash (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Twitter links). Tampa Bay doesn’t expect to look for an outside addition, preferring instead to utilize internal options without naming a single 9th-inning man while Boxberger is out.

The Rays thinned out their pitching depth somewhat over the winter, bringing in options in the field in trades that cost the club arms such as Jake McGee and Nate Karns. McGee, certainly, would have been the obvious choice to fill in for Boxberger were he still with the club.

As things stand, Alex Colome looks like a good bet to receive the lion’s share of the save opportunities that arise — even if he’s not anointed as the closer. After all, the live-armed righty was reportedly set to receive frequent eighth-inning assignments in a setup role. Other possibilities include right-handers Danny Farquhar and Steve Geltz and southpaw Xavier Cedeno.

Of course, unlike the cross-state Marlins’ season-long loss of Carter Capps, this injury promises only to be a temporary setback. Any significant injury is cause for concern with a pitcher — the lingering effects and cascading impact on a delivery can be a subtle threat — and it isn’t clear whether the eight-week estimated timetable is for Boxberger’s return to baseball activities or to a major league mound. But it seems there’s at least hope that he’ll be able to make it back before May is out.

Latest On Rays’ Pitching

By | at

With many — but not all — of the top free agent arms now gone from the market, the Rays appear to be ramping up discussions involving their pitchers. Tampa Bay has long been said to be willing to listen on its array of starters and late-inning relievers, though it hasn’t made any deals since shipping Nate Karns to the Mariners to kick off the winter’s activities.

Here’s the latest:

  • The Rays are engaged in “’many’ active trade conversations” involving pitching, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported yesterday on Twitter. It seems as if the club’s previous talks, which appeared to have some steam during the Winter Meetings, have been re-joined now that the market has gained additional clarity.
  • Indeed, Tampa Bay has “picked up the pace” on discussions, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. The team is still holding conversations involving top relievers Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger as well as various starters. The one name that clearly is not in play is staff ace Chris Archer.
  • The Cubs have remained in “constant contact” with the Rays, reports Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (audio link). It’s previously been suggested that Chicago could have interest in Alex Cobb, but Bowden hints that Jake Odorizzi could make a nice fit for Chicago in a deal. The hang-up, though, is that the Cubs are trying to swing a deal without giving up Jorge Soler, Javier Baez, or other major league pieces.

Latest On Astros’ Search For Late-Inning Reliever

By | at

We’ve heard plenty of chatter over the last few months about the Astros’ interest in adding at the back of their pen. It appears from the latest notes that the club is still casting a wide net:

  • Houston recently discussed power righty Ken Giles with the Phillies, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. Philadelphia “brought up” young starters Lance McCullers Jr. and Vince Velasquez in the talks, per the report. That obviously indicates what kind of return Philadelphia seeks. From my perspective, it would be somewhat surprising to see the ’Stros part with controllable, MLB-level arms such as those, given that they not only have the possibility of being long-term rotation pieces but might be expected to be dominant relievers themselves if shifted to such a role.
  • The Astros have also “been engaged” with the Rays on their high-leverage arms, Brad Boxberger and Jake McGee, Crasnick tweets. It appears that GM Jeff Luhnow is looking for ways to add controllable pieces at the back of the pen, Crasnick suggests.
  • Having a preference for long-term control, though, doesn’t appear to mean that the club isn’t seriously interested in otherworldly Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that he sits “on top of the list” for Houston. Interestingly, Crasnick notes on Twitter that Astros owner Jim Crane is reputedly a “big fan” of the Cuban sensation.

Astros Strongly Interested In Acquiring Closer

By | at

The Astros are “hell-bent” on acquiring a closer, sources tell ESPN’s Jayson Stark. The Astros have made calls on Aroldis Chapman of the Reds, Andrew Miller of the Yankees, and Brad Boxberger of the Rays, as well as potential free agent possibilities. They’ve also spoken with the Phillies about Ken Giles, as had previously been reported.

Adding a closer would move current closer Luke Gregerson back to the setup role in which he excelled with the Padres and Athletics. A dominant ninth-inning type like Chapman or Miller would also give the Astros not only a terrific ninth-inning option but also enviable depth, with a bullpen that would also feature Gregerson, Pat Neshek, Josh Fields and Will Harris. Also, the bullpen’s 5.63 ERA in September and October and its eighth-inning implosion in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Royals are surely fresh in the organization’s mind, particularly after watching a Royals team with a hard-throwing bullpen win the World Series after beating them. It’s easy, then, to see the appeal of adding a shutdown closer.

Still, overall, the Astros’ bullpen was a key element of the team’s success last season, and Gregerson is a perfectly good ninth-inning man in his own right (although Stark notes that Gregerson’s K/9 was relatively low for a closer, at 8.6). Stark notes that the Astros might not want to pay the prospect cost of acquiring Chapman, Miller or Giles, and therefore could ultimately pursue hard-throwing setup-type relievers instead. Given the potential departures of lefties Tony Sipp and Oliver Perez via free agency, a lefty appears likely to be a priority, whether they add a closer or not.

AL East Notes: Boxberger, McGee, Yankees, O’s, Blue Jays

By | at

Rays relievers Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger are two of the more coveted relief arms on the trade market, and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports that the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Nationals are among the interested teams (Twitter link). The Astros and Tigers have also been listed as possible suitors for Tampa Bay’s excellent eighth/ninth-inning duo. The left-handed McGee, 29, is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $4.7MM this offseason. The right-handed Boxberger, 27, is not yet arbitration eligible. Both have seen significant time in the ninth inning over the past two seasons, as McGee collected 25 saves from 2014-15, and Boxberger led the AL with 41 saves in 2015. McGee seems like the more obvious trade candidate, on paper, due to his projected 2016 salary, but Boxberger’s first-year arbitration price could be huge if he serves as manager Kevin Cash’s primary closer in 2016 and racks up 35 to 40 more saves. The Rays could simply elect to hold the pair as well; spending a combined $5.2MM or so for the pair certainly isn’t exorbitant, though it’s hard to envision both relievers in the mix beyond 2016, as they’ll probably be too expensive a pairing after next winter’s arb raises.

A few more notes from the AL East…

  • Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes that Yankees GM Brian Cashman should be worrying about regression from players like Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez when constructing the roster this winter. Cashman said last week at the GM Meetings that his goal is to “upgrade our roster and not worry about regression on certain guys,” but Davidoff notes that it would be exceptionally risky to bank on Teixeira and A-Rod repeating both the health and the production they displayed in 2015, reminding how greatly they outperformed their preseason projections.
  • Filling all of the holes on the Orioles’ roster is a near-impossible task for GM Dan Duquette without a significant payroll hike, writes Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. Melewski points out that after Matt Wieters surprisingly accepted a qualifying offer last Friday, the team now has $57.6MM committed to four players — Wieters, J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones and Ubaldo Jimenez — plus $34.9MM worth of arbitration salaries (based on MLBTR’s projections). That places the Orioles at $92.5MM without even factoring in league-minimum players to round out the roster. Melewski uses Chris Davis and Alex Gordon as highly theoretical examples of players that could be brought in as major offseason signings (or, in Davis’ case, a re-signing), noting that that pair alone could cause Baltimore’s payroll to soar over $135MM while still leaving holes in the rotation and bullpen. Duquette has hinted that a payroll increase is certainly possible; over the weekend he discussed having the resources to not only re-sign Davis but also to bring in a No. 2 or No. 3 starter. The O’s opened the 2015 season with a $119MM payroll.
  • The Blue Jays’ entire coaching staff will return in 2016 after agreeing to new contracts, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Davidi notes that the news isn’t necessarily a surprise, as Shapiro said during his recent introductory press conference that the entire staff had been invited back, but the finalization of the contracts is nonetheless noteworthy.

Rays Notes: Boxberger, McGee, Asdrubal, Loney

By | at

Here’s the latest from Tropicana Field, as per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times…

  • The Tigers are one of many teams who showed interest in Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger during the GM Meetings.  (Topkin also mentions the Astros, whose interest in the duo was reported a few days ago.)  The two relievers have drawn a lot of interest, yet Topkin observes that the Rays aren’t under any real pressure to make a deal now and could revisit trade talks at midseason if they don’t find a current offer to their liking.  MLBTR projects McGee to earn $4.7MM in 2016 while Boxberger is still a year away from arbitration eligibility, so the Rays aren’t yet facing any financial burden from keeping both relievers.  Detroit is known to be looking at both trades and free agency in order to upgrade their bullpen, so it’s no surprise that the Tigers would check in with Tampa.
  • It’s not impossible that Asdrubal Cabrera returns to the Rays on a one-year contract, even with the newly-acquired Brad Miller in the fold.  It helps that Miller and Logan Forsythe are both pretty versatile players, so the Rays could conceivably use both at several positions while Cabrera (or a similar veteran shortstop like Alexei Ramirez) gets the bulk of playing time at short.
  • The Rays are willing to eat some of James Loney’s $8MM salary to help facilitate a trade, which Topkin believes could help them swing a deal in a thin first base market.  Topkin also suggests that if the Rays dealt a pitcher, they could insist on adding Loney as part of the trade package.
  • Matt Moore ($5MM) or Drew Smyly ($3.9MM) could be the likeliest candidates to be moved if the Rays decided to deal another starter, Topkin opines, as both southpaws carry significant salaries for the low-payroll club.  Even after trading Nate Karns to the Mariners, the Rays may have enough young arms to get away with moving another starter, and they could also add a low-cost veteran to add further depth.
  • Topkin looks at some of the familiar names (including Daniel Nava, Rene Rivera, J.P. Arencibia) who could be cut from the Rays’ 40-man roster this week to make way for prospects to be protected in advance of the Rule 5 draft.

Rosenthal On Freeman, Padres, Kemp, Cubs

By | at

This afternoon, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports released a news-filled column with rumblings from around the league.  The whole article is worth a read, but here’s a look at some of the highlights:

  • The Braves are shopping first baseman Freddie Freeman, according to officials from three different clubs that have spoken with Rosenthal.  One of Rosenthal’s sources added that the possibility of Freeman getting traded was “the talk of the [Arizona] Fall League” among scouts earlier this month.  Freeman’s salary is set to rise from $12MM in 2016 to $20.5MM in ’17 and the Braves might not want to pay out those salaries as they look to rebuild.  After trading shortstop Andrelton Simmons, it’s clear that the Braves are not too fearful of the fan backlash that comes from trading star players.
  • Another official asserts that the Braves are “shopping everyone owed money.”  That could mean that the likes of right-hander Julio Teheran, right fielder Nick Markakis, and center fielder Cameron Maybin are for sale.  Earlier today, we learned that some folks within the Orioles organization would be open to a reunion with Markakis.  After a down year, Teheran’s value isn’t as high as that of Simmons, but Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com recently wrote that there’s a “good chance” that he would be made available.
  • Sources tell Rosenthal that the Braves “are talking to a number of…non-compensation free agents, including some veteran relievers.”  Ultimately, Rosenthal writes, it’s hard to tell what the Braves’ goal is in 2016.  In the end, the gameplan might be to sell off Freeman and Teheran, land even more prospects, and land a top choice in the 2017 draft.
  • The Padres are shopping right-hander Tyson Ross and outfielder Matt Kemp, major league sources tell Rosenthal.  Kemp is owed $86MM over the next four years and Rosenthal wonders aloud if the two players could be packaged together in order to facilitate a deal.  Ross, 29 in April, is under club control for two more seasons.  In 2015, he pitched to a 3.26 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 across 33 starts.  Kemp, meanwhile, posted a .265/.312/.443 slash line that was below his career average with 23 homers in 2015 while playing poor defensively.
  • Sources say that the Cubs will “at least explore” the trade interest they are getting in right fielder Jorge Soler and infielder Javier Baez, Rosenthal writes.  Meanwhile, the Cubs do not intend to move third baseman Kris Bryant, shortstop Addison Russell or left fielder Kyle Schwarber.  If the Cubs were to move Soler or Baez, they would likely seek their pitching equivalent, meaning a player with similar service time and talent that’s roughly the same age.
  • The Rays are getting bites on relievers Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger, particularly after the Craig Kimbrel deal, according to sources.  Furthermore, teams are also zeroing in on Rays starters.

Bullpen Notes: Tigers, Mariners, Astros/Rays, Sipp, Soria

By | at

The Tigers are known to be casting a wide net in their search for relievers, and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that their targets include Ryan Madson, Shawn Kelley and Tommy Hunter in addition to previously reported links to Darren O’Day and Joakim Soria. As Crasnick further notes, Hunter was a teammate of GM Al Avila’s son (and former Detroit backstop) Alex Avila in college, giving Hunter a bit of an in with the organization. The Tigers would like to add a pair of bullpen arms, and Avila said yesterday that he’s not concerned with pitcher handedness but instead just focused on general upgrades (via the Detroit Free Press’ Anthony Fenech, on Twitter).

A few more notes on the developing free-agent and trade markets for bullpen upgrades…

  • The Mariners already made a substantial boost to their bullpen today by adding Joaquin Benoit in a trade with the Padres, but GM Jerry Dipoto isn’t content with the group just yet. Via Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (Twitter link), Dipoto says the Mariners aren’t done bolstering their bullpen. For the time being, Dipoto isn’t committing to a role for Benoit (as noted by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, also on Twitter), perhaps indicating that the Mariners are open to adding relief arms of a higher caliber (though that’s just my own speculation).
  • Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Astros and Rays had some discussions about Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger at the GM Meetings. Both excellent Rays relievers were said to be drawing wide interest, so it’s not a surprise to see Houston — a team that has been oft-connected to bullpen help dating back to July — checking in with Tampa Bay. Drellich also hears that Tony Sipp’s market is picking up, and the southpaw has interest not only from the Astros but from other teams within the AL West.
  • The Royals, too, have some interest in Sipp, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Though Kansas City has a dominant bullpen, it could be in the need of some left-handed help. Franklin Morales, who was quietly excellent in 2015, is a free agent, and Danny Duffy could rejoin the rotation next season. Tim Collins will be back from Tommy John surgery, but the team can’t bank on a full return to form for the undersized southpaw. KC will also be without right-handers Greg Holland (TJ surgery) and Madson (free agent) in 2016, and Sipp has a track record of retiring both right-handers and left-handers alike.
  • SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo adds a team to the expanding market for Joakim Soria, tweeting that the Angels also have some interest in the right-hander. Given the other needs around the roster for the Halos, who have a deep supply of bullpen arms as it is, Soria would seem to be more of a luxury than an answer to a direct need.
  • Of course, Aroldis Chapman is the top name on the trade market for relief help right now, and he’s already had his name surface in rumors today. Peter Gammons reported earlier this morning that he spoke to four people who expect Chapman to be moved by the end of the weekend, and reports since that time have pegged the Red Sox as an interested party. We’re monitoring all of the latest Chapman rumors in a separate post.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top