Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

David Phelps

David Phelps Undergoes Elbow Surgery; Hisashi Iwakuma Has Structural Damage In Shoulder

By | at

Mariners right-hander David Phelps recently underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter links). That procedure will come with a recovery time of six to eight weeks, per Divish, but he’s expected to be ready to go for Spring Training in 2018.

Unfortunately for the Mariners, there’s far more troublesome news surrounding the health of right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma. Evaluations on Iwakuma’s right shoulder have revealed some form of structural damage (more Twitter links from Divish), though the extent of the injury remains unclear at this time, as Iwakuma declined to specify the precise nature of his ailment. Iwakuma hopes to continue playing, but the 36-year-old will first need to ascertain the best course of treatment for his yet-unspecified injury.

Phelps, 31 next month, was acquired from the Mariners earlier this summer in exchange for a package of four prospects headlined with outfielder Brayan Hernandez. The former Yankees swingman broke out with the Marlins in a high-leverage, late-inning role in 2016 and carried that success over into his brief tenure in the Seattle bullpen this year. Phelps worked to a 3.12 ERA with 11 strikeouts against four unintentional walks through 8 2/3 innings in the Mariners’ pen before ultimately being shut down for the year. He’s arbitration-eligible this winter, so he should be a key piece for the 2018 Mariners.

Iwakuma’s future, obviously, is far murkier. The Mariners hold a $10MM club option over former All-Star, though with structural damage in his right shoulder it seems all but certain that Iwakuma will instead be bought out for $1MM. Iwakuma has spent his entire Major League career in a Mariners uniform and returned to the team as a free agent following the 2015 season. While his first year back with the club resulted in 199 innings of solid 4.12 ERA ball, he’s been limited to just 31 innings in 2017 and hasn’t pitched since May 3.

Mariners Claim Hannemann, Frankoff; Curtis Designated; Phelps To 60-Day DL

By | at

2:41pm: The Mariners announced that they’ve not only claimed Hannemann off waivers from the Cubs but also right-hander Seth Frankoff, who was designated for assignment last Friday. In order to clear spot on the 40-man roster, Seattle has transferred David Phelps to the 60-day DL and designated lefty Zac Curtis for assignment. Phelps’ placement on the 60-day DL will end his season.

Frankoff, 29, made his big league debut with the Cubs this season but tossed only two innings. He’s spent the bulk of his career in the Athletics’ minor league ranks and has pitched to a 4.40 ERA with 9.2 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 through 116 2/3 innings in Triple-A Iowa this year — mostly out of the rotation (21 starts, three relief appearances).

Curtis, 25, was acquired alongside Jean Segura and Mitch Haniger in last winter’s Taijuan Walker trade with the D-backs. He made just three appearances with the Mariners’ big league club and spent the remainder of the season with Triple-A Tacoma. The DFA of Curtis comes as at least a moderate surprise, as he’s worked to a respectable 3.51 ERA through 51 1/3 innings with Tacoma, where he’s averaged 10.5 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 with a 40.9 percent grounder rate.

The loss of Phelps is an unfortunate development for the Mariners, who traded four minor leaguers (albeit only one that was especially well-regarded) in order to obtain him from the Marlins earlier this summer. Phelps has been very good in Seattle when healthy, allowing just three runs with 11 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings as a Mariner.

However, a right elbow impingement will prevent him from appearing again this season. On the plus side for the Mariners, Phelps is controlled through 2018, so there’s hope that he can return to play an important role in next year’s relief corps.

1:39pm: The Mariners have claimed outfield prospect Jacob Hannemann off waivers from the Cubs, reports Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). MLBTR had just reported that Hannemann would lose his 40-man roster spot, though it seems that his removal and subsequent placement on waivers was already in the works. He’ll land on Seattle’s 40-man roster.

The 26-year-old Hannemann has split the 2017 season between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa, hitting considerably better at the more advanced of those two levels. Through 322 PAs with Iowa, Hannemann has slashed .265/.324/.404, though his rough stretch in Tennessee drags his cumulative batting line down to a less palatable .240/.312/.372.

Baseball America rated Hannemann as Chicago’s No. 23 prospect this past offseason, writing that he has 70-grade speed and is the “best athlete in the Cubs system.” However, he also has a fringy arm in the outfield, per their report, and has never demonstrated that much power in the minors.

Hannemann’s speed and defensive ability are traits that the Jerry Dipoto-led Mariners have prioritized, as evidenced by this regime’s acquisitions of players such as Jarrod Dyson, Mitch Haniger and Ben Gamel (among others). With that trio lining up for starting duties, plus Guillermo Heredia, Danny Valencia and Taylor Motter all representing outfield options on the bench, it’s not clear if Hannemann will receive the opportunity to join the Mariners as a September call-up. But, he was only just added to the Cubs’ 40-man roster this past winter, meaning he has two minor league options remaining and figures to compete for a job next spring.

Mariners Outright Bergman, Place Phelps On DL, Announce Promotions

By | at

The Mariners have outrighted right-hander Christian Bergman, per a club announcement. That move clears another 40-man roster slot after the team lost righty Sam Gaviglio to a waiver claim earlier today; it’s also just one of the many transactions entered today by the ever-active M’s front office.

Righty David Phelps has returned to the 10-day DL due to an elbow impingement. He missed time earlier this month and has not looked himself of late. Indeed, Phelps has lost about two miles per hour on his average fastball as compared with the first four months of the season.

In more positive news relating to injuries, both outfielder Jarrod Dyson and righty Shae Simmons have returned from their own runs on the disabled list. The latter had been on the 60-day DL while working back from a flexor strain.

Catcher Mike Marjama was added to the 40-man roster and promoted to give the team another option behind the dish. The team also activated just-acquired righty Mike Leake.

With no limitations on the active roster, the M’s have also brought up a few players that were on optional assignment. Three right-handed pitchers — Dan Altavilla, Ryan Garton, and Andrew Moore — are on their way to help bolster the bullpen.

Mariners Outright Leonys Martin

By | at

Aug. 25: The Mariners announced on Friday that Martin has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Tacoma.

Aug. 23: The Mariners have designated outfielder Leonys Martin for assignment, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Martin’s active roster spot will go to David Phelps, who was activated from the 10-day DL.

This represents the second trip through DFA limbo on the year for Martin, who was outrighted and later re-selected to the roster. The 29-year-old was much better in his second stint this season, but still managed only a .230/.266/.426 batting line in the 64 plate appearances since he returned to the majors in late July.

Martin is likely to clear waivers, given that he is earning $4.85MM for the season, and can elect free agency if he is outrighted. Doing so, however, would mean forfeiting the remainder of that $4.85MM payday — a sum of roughly $1.03MM. (Players do not earn the right to reject an outright and retain their salary until clearing five years of MLB service.) Martin is eligible for arbitration again this fall, but it seems all but certain he’ll be non-tendered even if he stays in the Seattle organization through the end of the year.

AL West Notes: Astros, Felix, Phelps, A’s, Rangers

By | at

The Astros acquired Tyler Clippard last night and swung a deal to acquire Francisco Liriano prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, but they’re still on the lookout for relief upgrades, tweets MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal. Specifically, Houston hopes to add another left-handed reliever. Of course, with the best record in the American League, Houston won’t have a wide swath of quality relief arms from which to choose. The Astros’ stellar 72-45 record means they’re currently 14th in line for American League players that are placed on revocable waivers and dead last in line for National League players that are put through the same process. Desirable assets like Brad Hand, for instance, have no chance of making it to Houston via the waiver circuit.

From a purely speculative standpoint, the Astros could once again look at left-handed starters that have fared well against southpaws this season. Houston tried that route with the Liriano acquisition, though the early returns haven’t been pretty. Nonetheless, such an acquisition would come with a minimal or negligible cost. Derek Holland, for instance, has been effective against lefties but torched by righties this year and could likely be had for little more than salary relief. Alternatively, Houston could roll the dice on a struggling change-of-scenery reliever such as Ian Krol.

A bit more from the AL West…

  • Six days after landing on the disabled list due to bursitis in his right shoulder, Felix Hernandez is still at the strength-building stage of his recovery, Mariners manager Scott Servais tells Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Hernandez is currently on anti-inflammatory medication but has yet to begin throwing. His initial three- to four-week recovery timeline appears unchanged. There’s better news on David Phelps, though, Dutton writes. He’s progressing through a throwing program and could be activated as soon as this weekend against the Rays.
  • Athletics manager Bob Melvin said today in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that Matt Olson and Matt Chapman are “definitely” the team’s corner infielders of the future (audio link via Twitter). The skipper exuded confidence in the duo’s defensive abilities, though each has also shown promise at the plate in his first extended look in the Majors. Olson is hitting just .211 but has a 10 percent walk rate and seven homers through his first 80 plate appearances. He’ll need to improve on his 36 percent strikeout clip, though his 24 percent mark in Triple-A offers some optimism in that regard. Chapman, meanwhile, is hitting a similar .228/.305/.507 with eight homers and a 9.7 percent walk rate through 154 plate appearances. He’s regarded as a superlative defender and has posted an outrageous +12 Defensive Runs Saved in just 351 innings.
  • Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram spoke to Adrian Beltre about the Rangers’ Wild Card hopes even after trading Yu Darvish prior to the non-waiver deadline. “I think we were a little disappointed trading one of the best pitchers in the last five years,” said Beltre. “…It was a little gloomy, but we had a little talk. … In this clubhouse, we are still grinding and believe we can get back in this.”
  • The Rangers have reached a pivotal point in their schedule as they hope to position themselves for a Wild Card berth, writes Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News. With a four-game series against a depleted Tigers roster and three games against the rebuilding White Sox, the Rangers have a favorable slate of games on the horizon. Texas is currently just 3.5 games out of the American League’s second Wild Card spot and is coming off a series victory over the division-leading Astros this weekend. The majority of the American League still has some degree of Wild Card hope remaining, and the final two weeks of August figure to play a large role in what August moves (if any) fringe Wild Card clubs will make before month’s end.

Mariners Place David Phelps On DL; Felix Hernandez Diagnosed With Bursitis

By | at

The Mariners have placed righty David Phelps on the 10-day DL, per a club announcement. He’s dealing with what the team is calling an elbow impingement and is expected to be sidelined for two or three weeks. Meanwhile, the club further announced that starter Felix Hernandez has been diagnosed with shoulder bursitis that will keep him out for three to four weeks.

With the DL placement of Phelps, Seattle has cleared way for the activation of just-acquired first baseman Yonder Alonso. He’ll suit up against his former team, the Athletics, in tonight’s action.

Of course, the M’s had only just acquired Phelps, too. It certainly hurts to see the organization’s top deadline acquisition head out of action so soon after he had joined the team. That said, it seems promising that he was not deemed to have a more serious elbow issue. Since coming to Seattle, Phelps has made seven appearances, allowing two earned runs over six innings while racking up 11 strikeouts and just one walk.

Hernandez had already gone on the DL a few days ago, with the team stating at the time that he was dealing with biceps tendinitis. With the new diagnosis — a repeat of an injury that drove King Felix to the DL for about two months earlier this year — it seems a lengthier absence is to be expected. That comes at an inopportune moment, as Hernandez had picked up his output over July, working to a 3.86 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 14 walks in 35 innings.

As Seattle welcomes Alonso to the fold, it sits just one game out of Wild Card position. But the club’s pitching health and depth have continued to be a problem. Hernandez returns to a disabled list that already includes Hisashi Iwakuma and Drew Smyly. Just-added southpaw Marco Gonzales took a spot start for Hernandez, but he was knocked around. Other 40-man members who have taken starts in the majors this yearinclude Andrew Moore, Sam Gaviglio, and Chase De Jong.

Quick Hits: Alonso, Mariners, Pirates, Kang, Mets

By | at

Seattle acquired first baseman Yonder Alonso from Oakland in a waiver trade on Sunday. It turns out the Mariners had been pursuing Alonso since before the non-waiver deadline on July 31, general manager Jerry Dipoto told reporters, including Greg Johns of MLB.com. Dipoto “couldn’t quite push it over the goal line,” though. The executive went on to suggest that Alonso, an impending free agent, could be more than a rental for the Mariners. “In this case, it’s a guy who fits us not just now, but potentially moving forward. What better way to get to know a player than have him join you?”

More on Seattle and a pair of National League clubs:

  • While the Mariners bolstered their lineup Sunday in picking up Alonso, their bullpen may have taken a sizable step backward. Reliever David Phelps, whom the M’s acquired in July from the Marlins, left the first game of Seattle’s doubleheader against the Royals on Sunday with right elbow discomfort. That’s “never a good thing,” notes the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish, who relays that Phelps’ fastball velocity was noticeably down during his shortened, seven-pitch frame. The Mariners are now left to hope for positive news regarding Phelps, who has been lights-out since joining his new club. Phelps has pitched seven innings of six-hit, two-run ball and posted an 11:1 K:BB ratio as a Mariner.
  • The Pirates made a noteworthy trade of their own this weekend when they reacquired utilityman Sean Rodriguez from the Braves on Saturday. Rodriguez will provide further infield insurance in the event Jung Ho Kang never returns to the United States, writes Adam Berry of MLB.com. Kang has been stuck in South Korea and unable to get a visa since he was arrested and charged with his third DUI over the winter. GM Neal Huntington admitted last month that Kang probably won’t return this year. He took a more drastic step Sunday, saying: “That’s been an unfortunate reality from the outset that he may never get a visa again. We worked the process, worked the process again and have not gotten a different result. We’ll attack it in different ways again the next time through and hope there is a different outcome. We do need to begin to prepare as if he’s not coming back.” Because Kang’s on the restricted list, he hasn’t collected any of his $2.75MM salary for this season. He’s under Pirates control through 2019.
  • The Mets will promote first base prospect Dominic Smith this month, GM Sandy Alderson implied to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and other reporters. It just hasn’t happened yet because of the Mets’ logjam of veteran infielders, including the first base platoon of Jay Bruce and Wilmer Flores. Bruce is an obvious trade candidate, but even if the Mets are unable to find a taker for the soon-to-be free agent this month, Smith will come up soon and start garnering experience at first. “At some point, we’ll just do it,” Alderson said. “There are player transactions that do take place in the month of August. Often, though, that doesn’t happen until the end of August. But I think at some point, if necessary, we’ll just make the playing time available.” The 22-year-old Smith, Baseball America’s 50th-ranked prospect, has slashed .332/.389/.524 in 486 plate appearances with Triple-A Las Vegas this season. Those numbers have come in an extremely hitter-friendly setting, though Smith’s line is still 34 percent better than Pacific Coast League average, per wRC+.
  • Back to the Pirates, who have a highly touted outfield prospect in Austin Meadows, BA’s 22nd-ranked farmhand. Huntington indicated Sunday (via Berry) that Meadows won’t receive a major league promotion this season, thanks to a strained right hamstring. Meadows hasn’t played a Triple-A game since June 21 and is currently rehabbing at the rookie level. Given the time that he has missed, the Bucs have talked to Meadows’ representatives about having him play winter ball.

Olney’s Latest: Darvish, Gray, Marlins, Indians

By | at

There’s a belief among some rival evaluators that the Rangers will trade ace Yu Darvish by the July 31 deadline if they don’t believe they’ll be able to re-sign the impending free agent, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.com. With Texas unsure of whether it’ll be able to retain Darvish long term, there’s at least one starter-needy team waiting to make a move until it sees whether the Rangers shop him. Consequently, the possibility of a Darvish trade is affecting the market for starters and “muddying the waters” for the AL West rival Athletics in their quest to deal Sonny Gray, writes Olney.

  • Given that the Marlins’ ownership situation is in limbo, their baseball department isn’t in proper position to weigh offers for outfielders Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich, according to Olney. Moving either could make the Marlins more appealing to potential bidders because their contracts factor into the franchise’s heavy debt, though Olney notes that trading a superstar like Stanton might sabotage the rebranding effort of the next owner. And if Jeffrey Loria’s successor signs off on a Stanton trade, the team’s fan base could see it as a typical Marlins cost-cutting maneuver.
  • First baseman Carlos Santana’s down season may help explain the Indians’ interest in slugging outfielders J.D. Martinez and Jay Bruce, suggests Olney. The Tribe missed out on acquiring Martinez, whom the Tigers sent to the Diamondbacks this week, but the Mets’ Bruce remains a prime trade candidate. It’s unclear whether Bruce would play first for the Indians, who have seen Santana slump to a .238/.335/.406 batting line in 397 plate appearances during a contract year. Cleveland could acquire a natural first baseman instead, with Olney pointing out that Texas’ Mike Napoli (a former Indian) and Oakland’s Yonder Alonso may end up elsewhere.
  • It’s a buyers’ market this year as the deadline approaches, so a successful return for sellers could depend more on how much salary they shed than the quality of prospects they acquire, per Olney. As an example, Olney points to the trade Miami and Seattle made this week. The Marlins received four prospects for reliever David Phelps and got rid of his $4.6MM salary in the process, but only one of those minor leaguers (outfielder Brayan Hernandez) looks particularly promising. The quantity of prospects the Marlins picked up isn’t impressing rival evaluators, as some of them believe landing four players was done to make the package look better than it actually is.

Mariners Acquire David Phelps

By | at

12:02pm: The trade is now official, as the Marlins and Mariners have announced the swap.

10:40am: The Mariners and Marlins have reportedly agreed to a trade that will send right-handed setup man David Phelps from Miami to Seattle in exchange for a package of four prospects. Center field prospect Brayan Hernandez is the headliner, while the other names in the deal reportedly include right-handers Brandon Miller, Pablo Lopez and Lukas Schiraldi.

David Phelps | Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle has been playing well of late, getting back to the .500 mark and drawing within 1.5 games of an American League Wild Card spot. However, the Mariners are also 15.5 games back from the Astros in the AL West, which has reportedly led them to look for assets that can be controlled beyond the current season, as their best playoff hope in 2017 is a one-game playoff.

[Related: Updated Seattle Mariners and Miami Marlins depth charts]

The 30-year-old Phelps fits the bill, in that sense, as he’s controlled through the 2018 campaign via arbitration. He’s earning $4.6MM in 2017, with about $1.86MM of that sum yet owed to him through season’s end.

The former Yankee initially went to Miami alongside Martin Prado as part of the trade that sent Nathan Eovaldi to New York. After spending much of his career as a starter and long reliever, Phelps’ career took off with a 2016 move to a late-inning role. The righty’s velocity ticked from the low 90s to an average in the 93-94 mph range, and he’s dramatically upped his strikeout rate while pitching in a setup capacity.

Dating back to Opening Day 2016, Phelps has worked to a 2.69 ERA with 11.1 K/9, 4.0 BB/9 and a 46.4 percent ground-ball rate through 133 2/3 innings. His strikeout rate is “down” in 2017, but he’s still averaging 9.8 punchouts per nine innings pitched. His arm will be a boost to a Mariners relief corps that currently ranks 13th in baseball with a 4.05 ERA but carries more troubling marks in both FIP (4.44) and xFIP (4.45). Those ERA alternatives come in at 25th and 21st in baseball, respectively, indicating that the Mariners are perhaps fortunate to have gotten the results they have out of their bullpen to date. (Then again, Seattle boasts a superlative defense, particularly in the outfield, so perhaps it should be expected that their pitchers would outperform fielding-independent metrics.)

The Seattle ’pen is currently anchored by sophomore closer Edwin Diaz, who has been inconsistent in 2017 but can overpower opposing lineups with a triple-digit fastball and one of baseball’s best strikeout rates. Nick Vincent has also been brilliant in Seattle, working to a 2.04 ERA in 39 2/3 innings, while southpaw James Pazos has averaged nearly 11 strikeouts per nine innings en route to a 3.68 ERA. Former Mariners closer Steve Cishek represents another right-handed option, but health has been an issue for him in recent years as his numbers have declined.

Beyond that, Seattle has seen some of its anticipated setup men, particularly right-hander Dan Altavilla, take a step back in 2017. Phelps figures to pick up some of that slack and will join Diaz, Vincent, Pazos, Cishek, Tony Zych and Marc Rzepczynski in the Mariner bullpen.

Hernandez is the big get for the Marlins in the deal. The 19-year-old ranked as one of the 10 best international free agents in the 2014-15 crop and inked a $1.85MM bonus with Seattle at the time. Hernandez split the 2016 season between the Dominican Summer League and the Rookie-level Arizona League, hitting a combined .278/.325/.425, and he’s off to a .252/.306/.408 start with the Mariners’ short-season Class-A affiliate.

Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com rank Hernandez as Seattle’ No. 6 prospect, noting that he flashes all five tools but is still projection over performance at the moment. He received 60 grades on his speed and arm from Callis and Mayo with a 55 on his glove, and their report notes that his overall offensive development will determine if he can reach his ceiling as an everyday center fielder. Baseball America rated him 16th among Seattle farmhands this past winter, agreeing that the defensive tools are impressive and praising his “solid, consistent contact” but also questioning his ability to generate power now or in the future.

The 22-year-old Miller has spent the season with the Mariners’ Class-A affiliate in the Midwest League, working to a 3.65 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 46.8 percent ground-ball rat in 101 innings/18 starts at that level. Callis and Mayo list his heater at 90-93 mph with good command of the pitch and give him credit for a plus slider, though reports indicate that he lacks an average third offering and could be destined for a bullpen role. He ranked 16th among Mariners prospects, per MLB.com, while BA pegged him 25th among Seattle prospects this offseason. Both reports tout his fastball’s exceptional spin rate. If all breaks right, Miller could pan out as a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Lopez is a 21-year-old starter that has spent the year in Class-A Advanced. While his 5.02 ERA through 100 innings doesn’t look appealing, he’s posted an excellent 89-to-13 K/BB ratio with a 49 percent ground-ball rate, creating some optimism that he’s been hit with some poor luck. (A .341 BABIP lends further credence to that notion.) MLB.com placed him 22nd in Seattle’s system and gave him three average offerings (fastball, curveball, changeup) but no plus pitch. He was 31st on BA’s offseason rankings, and their report notes that he has a 2014 Tommy John surgery in his history but is a “supreme strike-thrower” with impressive ground-ball tendencies.

Schiraldi comes from good baseball genes, as his father, Calvin, played in the Majors for parts of eight seasons with the Mets, Red Sox, Padres, Cubs and Rangers. The younger Schiraldi didn’t crack any Mariners top prospect rankings but has a gaudy 15.2 K/9 rate in 37 1/3 innings of work at Class-A Advanced. However, he’s also not particularly young for the level at 23 years of age, and he’s worked to a 4.58 ERA with a 6.5 BB/9 rate.

Ultimately, the Marlins will secure four players in exchange for a year and a half of a quality setup man while also saving a bit of cash for the remainder of the 2017 season. While it’s tempting to look at the sheer volume of players and wonder how this will impact the market for other relievers — especially those that are controlled beyond the 2017 season, such as Brad Hand and Zach Britton — it’s also worth emphasizing that Seattle’s farm system is generally regarded as weak. That bit of context should absolutely be considered when debating the value of other relief arms, and it seems unlikely that the volume of the Phelps deal “raises the bar” for other relievers throughout the league.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand first reported that the Mariners were in talks to acquire a reliever and that Phelps was the target. MLB.com’s Jon Morosi termed the deal “fairly close,” and Yahoo’s Jeff Passan pushed it further to “imminent.” FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweeted that the trade was indeed finalized, while Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted that Seattle was sending multiple minor leaguers to Miami. Passan and Heyman added a bit more detail on the return (Twitter links), with Passan ultimately reporting Hernandez as the headliner. Sherman broke news of the other three players in the deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

David Phelps Trade To Mariners Reportedly “Imminent”

By | at

9:52am: Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweets that the trade is at the finish line, and a deal is “imminent.” MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports that the Marlins are seeking a pair of quality prospects in exchange for Phelps (Twitter links). Fellow right-hander AJ Ramos is not a part of this trade and is being discussed with multiple other teams, Frisaro adds.

9:12am: MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets that the two sides are actually “fairly close” to completing a trade that would send Phelps to Seattle.

8:56am: FOX’s Ken Rosenthal also hears the two sides are talking but says there’s no match to this point, as the Marlins don’t love the Mariners’ minor league system (Twitter link).

8:48am: The two sides are indeed discussing a possible Phelps swap, Feinsand tweets. Nothing between the two sides is done just yet, as talks are apparently ongoing.

Phelps, 30, would give Seattle a setup arm that can be controlled through the 2018 season. He’s earning $4.6MM this season on the heels of a breakout 2016 campaign and has worked to an impressive 2.69 ERA with 11.1 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 through 133 2/3 innings dating back to Opening Day 2016. Phelps also has a 46.4 percent ground-ball rate in that time, which checks in a couple of percentage points above the league average, and he’s working with a career-best 94.4 mph average fastball velocity in 2017 as well.

July 20, 1:02am: Seattle “had been working on” a scenario involving David Phelps of the Marlins, Feinsand tweets, though it’s not yet clear if he’s the player that is currently nearing a uniform swap.

July 19, 12:37am: The Mariners are closing in on a trade to pick up a relief arm, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). It’s unclear at this point just who could be heading to Seattle, or even whether it’s a significant trade.

With a victory today, the M’s have pulled back to .500 and are firmly in the Wild Card hunt — though the AL West is still a one-horse race. While the club arguably is most in need of rotation upgrades, rare is the team that couldn’t improve by adding another piece to the bullpen.

In Seattle’s case, the current unit has produced middle-of-the pack overall results (4.07 collective ERA), though the metrics suggest that the true performance hasn’t been quite that good overall. Closer Edwin Diaz has had his peaks and valleys, though he has been firmly on the upswing during a dominant July. Indeed, that holds true of the entire relief corps.

The youthful Diaz could be bumped into a roving role if GM Jerry Dipoto aimed big. Setup man Nick Vincent has been the team’s best reliever, but perhaps could stand to be paired with another quality late-inning arm in front of Diaz. It’s conceivable that a big lefty would make sense. Southpaws James Pazos and Marc Rzepczynski have generated good results in the earned run department, but the former has been knocked around of late and the latter has increasingly shown worrying control issues.

Or, of course, the M’s could simply be bolstering their depth with a relatively insignificant addition. Given Dipoto’s sometimes frenzied trading history, it’s anyone’s guess just what this apparently pending transaction might represent.

Show all

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

hide arrows scroll to top