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Cafardo’s Latest: Verlander, Royals, A’s, Mets, Nats

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As the trade deadline approaches, the possibility of the Tigers dealing right-hander Justin Verlander seems more realistic than ever before, suggests Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Tigers, who own the American League’s third-worst record (36-43) and are trying to cut payroll, would be willing to eat some of the money remaining on Verlander’s contract, per Cafardo. In addition to what’s left of his $28MM salary this season, Verlander is due $28MM in each of the next two seasons. Additionally, Verlander has a $22MM vesting option for 2020, but that will only trigger if he finishes in the top five of the AL Cy Young voting in 2019. Of course, it’s also worth noting that the 34-year-old has full no-trade rights.

More of Cafardo’s weekly rumblings:

  • Having rallied from a dreadful start to climb over .500 (40-39) and into the playoff race, the Royals could look to acquire a front-line pitcher by the deadline, a team official told Cafardo. “We’re constantly evaluating where we are, but right now we feel we have a chance to take the division,” said the official. “Our core players are all playing well right now. If that changes, we have time to make that change, but we’re proceeding like we’re in this to win.” Kansas City is just two games back in the AL Central and a half-game out of the wild card, so the team certainly doesn’t look as if it has the makings of a seller. As such, agent Scott Boras doesn’t expect the Royals to move clients Eric Hosmer or Mike Moustakas, both of whom will be eligible for free agency after the season.
  • The Athletics are likely to trade relievers Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle, according to Cafardo, who names the Nationals and Yankees as potential suitors. Madson, who’s on a $7.5MM salary both this year and next, has bounced back from a so-so 2016 to post a 2.53 ERA, 8.72 K/9, 1.69 BB/9 and a 53.6 percent ground-ball rate in 32 innings this season. The oft-injured Doolittle has only thrown 16 1/3 frames, but he has been highly effective (3.31 ERA, 12.67 K/9, 1.1 BB/9); what’s more, he’s controllable for reasonable prices through 2020.
  • Another reliever, the Mets’ Addison Reed, could also end up on the move. Odds are, though, that he won’t head to the Nationals, writes Cafardo. The Mets apparently aren’t open to helping the NL East rival Nats fix their bullpen issues.

Heyman’s Latest: Royals, Marlins, Tribe, Tigers, Mets, Yanks, Astros

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With the trade deadline drawing nearer, FanRag’s Jon Heyman lists 70 players who could end up on the block over the next two months. Heyman ranks the players in order of name value and includes the likes of Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, Josh Donaldson and Ryan Braun near the top of the list. Check out the full piece for an in-depth look at which stars and role players might switch uniforms this summer.

Now the latest from Heyman’s American League and National League notes columns:

  • Prior to the season, Royals impending free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer shot down a report that he was seeking a 10-year deal. But there’s still a belief within the organization that he will request something close to a decadelong pact in the coming months, per Heyman, who adds that Hosmer is the soon-to-be free agent the Royals most want to keep. However, Kansas City hasn’t made a serious offer to Hosmer on account of what could be a lofty asking price, and the team expects the 27-year-old to reach free agency. Fellow longtime Royals Mike Moustakas (third base), Lorenzo Cain (center field) and Alcides Escobar (shortstop) are also likely to hit the market in the offseason. Moustakas is the Royals’ biggest priority after Hosmer, suggests Heyman, while they seem resigned to the idea that Cain will find a larger payday elsewhere. Escobar, the weakest player of the four, could re-sign if the price is right. At one point, he was seeking $10MM per year, but his cost has come down thanks to his dreadful offensive start (.174/.203/.228 in 196 plate appearances). Meanwhile, right-hander Ian Kennedy probably won’t opt out of the remaining three years and $49MM left on his contract, Heyman writes.
  • Alex Rodriguez could still factor into the Marlins’ next ownership group if the faction including Tagg Romney, Tom Glavine and Dave Stewart lands the franchise. Given A-Rod’s controversial past, the Romney team is keeping him “at arm’s length” for now; even if they weren’t, Rodriguez isn’t allowed to be part of an ownership group as long as he’s still collecting a salary from the Yankees. The 41-year-old’s contract with the Bombers expires at season’s end. His former teammate Derek Jeter, who’s vying with Jeb Bush and against Romney & Co. to purchase the Marlins, isn’t planning to invest much money, says Heyman. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Saturday that Bush and Jeter are leading the race to acquire the franchise.
  • Heyman reported in April that the Indians would look to extend first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana, but discussions between the two sides still haven’t taken place. They might not occur, either, as Heyman relays that Santana is likely to hit free agency at season’s end. At .219/.321/.390 in 215 PAs, the 31-year-old hasn’t carried his typically above-average production into this season so far, but he continues to exhibit quality plate discipline with 27 walks against 31 strikeouts. Santana’s walk rate has dropped in each season since 2014, however, and is now at a career-low 12.6 percent.
  • When the offseason rolls around, odds are that Tigers left fielder Justin Upton will not opt out of the remaining four years and $88MM left on his deal, reports Heyman. “Not happening,” one rival general manager said of a potential opt-out. Upton hasn’t lived up to his lucrative contract in his year-plus in Detroit, putting him on track to take the bird-in-the-hand approach.
  • It appears first baseman Lucas Duda is in his final season with the Mets, as Heyman implies that he’s primed to sign elsewhere over the winter. The 31-year-old power hitter has been among the Mets’ top players this season, having slashed .267/.406/.570 with six home runs in 106 PAs, but they do have a well-regarded youngster behind him in Dominic Smith. Baseball America sees Smith, 21, as the game’s 65th-best prospect.
  • Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez is making $557,900 this year, according to Heyman, who reported in March that the backstop had agreed to a salary worth more than the minimum of $535K.
  • Add the Astros to the list of teams interested in Cuban shortstop prospect Jose Israel Garcia, who recently became a free agent. The Astros have already exceeded their pool allotment for the 2016-17 international free agent class, which could indicate that they’re looking to sign the 19-year-old Garcia before the period ends June 15.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Mets, Royals, D-backs, Brewers

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The Mets have not resumed contract extension talks with second baseman Neil Walker, and it’s doubtful they will before the offseason, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). New York would rather enter the winter with flexibility at various positions than commit to Walker, with whom it discussed a three-year deal in the $40MM range before tabling talks in February. Walker, 31, is on a $17.2MM salary after accepting a qualifying offer last fall, and has returned from a season-ending back injury in 2016 to post a decent .255/.327/.423 line in 168 plate appearances this year.

More from Rosenthal:

  • Center fielder Lorenzo Cain might end up as the Royals’ most valuable trade asset in the coming months, posits Rosenthal, who relays that the team isn’t convinced first baseman Eric Hosmer would bring back a “sufficient return.” Hosmer’s hitting a solid .299/.362/.408 in 174 PAs, but that’s not great production relative to his position, and first base typically isn’t an in-demand area around the deadline, notes Rosenthal. The same goes for third base, which could make it difficult for the Royals to move Mike Moustakas – another of their high-profile impending free agents – for a sizable return. Meanwhile, pitchers Jason Vargas, Kelvin Herrera and Mike Minor are also names to watch as the Royals potentially prepare to sell.
  • With a 25-18 record and a plus-43 run differential, the Diamondbacks don’t look like sellers in the making, admits Rosenthal. Nevertheless, the D-backs are going to have to replenish their barren farm system at some point, says Rosenthal, who reports they’re likely to entertain offers for center fielder A.J. Pollock and left-hander Patrick Corbin prior to the trade deadline and/or in the offseason. Both players are only signed for another year, putting their futures in question.
  • As is the case with Arizona, Milwaukee has easily outperformed expectations thus far. The Brewers entered Saturday having posted the same record as Arizona (25-18, with a plus-34 run differential), and their success is a “potential nightmare” for general manager David Stearns, one executive told Rosenthal. It’s doubtful Stearns believes the franchise’s rebuild is complete, yet owner Mark Attanasio might push to add, not subtract, if Milwaukee hangs around the playoff race in the coming months, per Rosenthal. To their credit, the first-place Brewers currently rank among the majors’ top 10 teams in runs scored (second), wRC+ (eighth) and pitching fWAR (eighth).

Central Notes: Cards, Hosmer, Rodon, Nova

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The broad health arena appears to offer great potential for competitive advantage to individual MLB organizations. We have heard of medical and dietary advancements for various teams, for example, and there’s surely lots going on that isn’t being discussed fully in public. For the Cardinals, one area of focus is on training, but it’s all happening as part of a broader initiative, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. The club is building up a “department of performance” that will combine training, medical, and other related functions under one roof.

Here’s more from the game’s central divisions:

  • Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer tells Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star that he’s not looking for changes to break out of his early-season slump. “I know I’ve been through it long enough now to realize you’ve just got to stick with your approach and it will change,” said Hosmer. Of course, the 27-year-old’s offensive malaise ties into a broader picture of uneven production over his seven-year MLB career, which has continued to raise questions about his earning power on the upcoming free-agent market. And as Dodd writes, Hosmer has several teammates who are also struggling quite a bit early on. If there’s a silver lining to the club’s 7-and-12 start, though, it’s the fact that the division leaders haven’t exactly sprinted out of the gates. Entering today’s action, the Indians and Tigers sit just 3.5 games up.
  • The White Sox were able to get a look at lefty Carlos Rodon yesterday, as he played catch under the watch of pitching coach Don Cooper, as Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago writes. But that doesn’t mean there’s any further clarity to the question of when the talented southpaw will be back to the majors. Details are murky on Rodon, whose biceps injury initially seemed minor. As Hayes notes, the club had initially hoped to see Rodon push past 200 frames this year, but that’s obviously no longer a viable target.
  • As righty Ivan Nova continues to produce good results for the Pirates, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post looks at why things didn’t quite turn out that way when he was pitching for the Yankees. Though Nova did have his share of success in New York, he was dealt last summer on the cusp of free agency and re-signed in Pittsburgh after eleven impressive outings. He doesn’t blame the Yankees’ handling for his uneven stint there, but does say that a lack of confidence in his standing in his old organization was partially at fault. “It’s very different when you know that you’re going to pitch every five days, that’s for sure,” says Nova. He continued to explain that he previously would worry about being dropped to the bullpen or Triple-A, explaining: “It wasn’t because they told me what’s going to happen after. It was something I put in my mind. It was my mistake, my fault, to think that way instead of keeping positive all the time.”

AL Central Notes: Twins, Bonifacio, Mondesi, Hosmer, Kipnis

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Twins vice president and assistant general manager Rob Antony appeared on Darren Wolfson’s 1500 ESPN Podcast earlier this week (audio link, with Antony talking Twins aroung the 35:00 mark) and covered a number of topics. Antony talks about the current lack of bench options and an unfortunate early injury to Byung Ho Park, Phil Hughes’ early lack of velocity, Jose Berrios’ timeline back to the Majors and the possibility of once again demoting the struggling Byron Buxton.

Antony adds that “there was never any thought” of eating some of the money on Ervin Santana’s contract to facilitate a trade. “I think he’s on a really good contract, and he’s pitched that way,” says Antony. “You look up his numbers since the midway point of last season or almost the course of almost the last entire year, he’s been one of the best pitchers in the league, and he does it day-in and day-out.” Indeed, Santana has a 2.99 ERA over the past calendar year and a ridiculous 2.06 ERA in his past 22 starts dating back to June 19 of last year.

Here’s more from the AL Central…

  • The Royals announced on Friday that they’ve optioned Raul Mondesi and Paulo Orlando to Triple-A Omaha and recalled left-hander Matt Strahm and outfield prospect Jorge Bonifacio from Omaha. Bonifacio, the younger brother of veteran big leaguer Emilio Bonifacio, rates as the organization’s No. 12 prospect at MLB.com, No. 10 over at Fangraphs and No. 9 on the lists from both Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law. He’s pegged mostly as a corner outfielder with a nice hit tool but questionable power and limited defensive prowess. The demotion of Mondesi is obviously something to which the Royals were not hoping to resort with their top-regarded minor leaguer, but his .103/.167/.179 batting line through 46 plate appearances may have left them with little choice. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez first reported that Bonifacio was on his way up.
  • Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer rates as one of the upcoming offseason’s most interesting free agents, but he isn’t a particularly good player and should consider accepting a qualifying offer if the Royals extend one, FanGraphs’ David Cameron argues. Hosmer has been well below average offensively over the past year, exacerbating mediocre overall hitting with a glaring tendency to ground into double plays, Cameron writes. Overall, Hosmer’s production is comparable to that of Mitch Moreland, who mostly went overlooked on the free-agent market last winter and ultimately signed a $5.5MM deal with the Red Sox. Hosmer is still young and could potentially improve, but there have been few recent indications of that happeneing. It will be interesting to see how teams value him next winter.
  • Second baseman Jason Kipnis is back for the Indians, as Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reported on Twitter. He had been slowed by a shoulder injury, but will now try to pick up where he left off in a solid 2016 season in which he hit a career-high 23 home runs. Yandy Diaz, who had filled in at third, is heading back to Tripe-A to clear room. He struggled to a .236/.295/.255 batting line in his first 61 MLB plate appearances.

Cafardo’s Latest: Beane, Marlins, Royals, Upton, Las Vegas

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Here are the highlights of the latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

  • 15 years after rejecting an offer from the Red Sox that would have made him the highest-paid GM in the game, the Athletics’ Billy Beane says he doesn’t regret staying in Oakland. “It turned out pretty well for the Red Sox and I have had a great run here and have enjoyed it here a great deal,” says Beane, citing a desire to be closer to his family as one reason he stayed. The Red Sox, of course, instead hired Theo Epstein, who led them to their first two World Series since 1918.
  • The Marlins feel they’ve made a significant upgrade in replacing hitting coach Barry Bonds with Mike Pagliarulo. Bonds obviously knew how to hit, as Cafardo notes, but “communicating it and devoting himself to it became an issue.” Pagliarulo has been proactive about developing plans for Marlins hitters. The Giants, meanwhile, hired Bonds as a special advisor.
  • Melvin Upton Jr. might not remain a free agent for long, Cafardo writes. Upton hit poorly in his brief stint with the Blue Jays, but had previously revived his career in San Diego, and there’s hope he can once again turn things around. “You just never know when you get him on the uptick and that feeling is what teams are going to look for when they need an outfielder,” says one American League evaluator. The Padres are paying most of Upton’s remaining salary, so he’ll be a cheap addition for his next team.
  • The Royals began their season by getting swept by the Twins and will have to perform well in the next few months, or else the team could move quickly to deal free-agents-to-be like Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain. Jason Hammel and Ian Kennedy could also hit the market if the Royals were to struggle.
  • The city of Las Vegas “really wants” an MLB team, particularly after landing an NFL team in the Raiders, Cafardo writes. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has previously expressed interest in Las Vegas as an MLB market.

Cafardo’s Latest: Braves, Quintana, Martes, Hosmer

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe shares a few hot stove items in his weekly notes column…

  • The Braves have had some interest in trading for White Sox lefty Jose Quintana, though Atlanta president of baseball operations John Hart says his rebuilding team isn’t quite ready to make that kind of major deal.  “We’re still growing this team.  Our whole mantra has been young players,” Hart said.  “It’s worked.  We like where we’ve gone.  Our farm system has gone from worst to first.  At this point we’re probably likely not going to move these [prospects].”
  • More from Hart, who said that the Braves “haven’t really entertained anything” in regards to trade offers for veterans, including Nick Markakis.  “Nick is a good piece. He’s a super pro player….We’ll look at what happens this year, but he’s an affordable guy,” Hart said.  Markakis is owed $10.5MM in both 2017 and 2018.  The Braves somewhat surprisingly signed Markakis to a four-year, $44MM deal in the 2014-15 offseason just as the team was beginning its rebuild, and the veteran has hit .282/.358/.386 over 1370 PA since coming to Atlanta.
  • Quintana may be the biggest name who could be traded before Opening Day, though the White Sox are steadfast in their demands for a big return and are prepared to keep Quintana until someone finally meets the asking price.  Cafardo sees the Dodgers as a sleeper for Quintana, as Los Angeles has a good farm system and is dealing with some injury questions in the rotation.
  • “The Astros seem to be the team most engaged” on Quintana, though Houston didn’t budge when the White Sox asked for a trade package of Francis Martes, Kyle Tucker and Joe Musgrove earlier this offseason.  Cafardo notes that Martes is the specific stumbling block in talks, as the Astros are naturally unwilling to give up one of the sport’s most highly-touted pitching prospects.
  • The Royals are reportedly preparing to shop their multiple free agent veterans if they fall out of contention this summer, and Cafardo says K.C. is looking at the Red Sox as a possible trade partner for Eric Hosmer.  Boston could pursue Hosmer as a rental if Mitch Moreland isn’t performing, though the Sox also have an intriguing internal first base option in minor leaguer Sam Travis.

Latest On Eric Hosmer

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We’ve heard ongoing chatter about the possibility of first baseman Eric Hosmer striking a new deal with the Royals. Last we checked in, it seemed that talks weren’t active, though there are also indications the organization could weigh a contract after the season. Then, of course, there’s the matter of potential asking and offering prices, which drew headlines recently when Hosmer himself had to shoot down talk that he’d be seeking a decade-long guarantee.

In the aggregate, there’s little in the way of momentum toward an agreement between the Kansas City organization and their homegrown star. Neither is there much in the way of optimism, it seems, based upon the latest reporting from Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star, who spoke with both Royals owner David Glass and Hosmer’s agent, Scott Boras.

Glass, who’s holding the checkbook in this situation, says that “it will be difficult” to find accord. His reasoning, though, is notable. While crediting Hosmer for his loyalty and saying that he “think[s] Hoz wants to stay here,” Glass suggested that the presence of Boras would complicate matters. While the owner didn’t specifically argue that Boras himself was a particularly problematic agent, he did suggest that Boras is subject to the same incentives as other representatives, and is therefore concerned with how his handling of Hosmer “affects his relationship with his other clients.”

For his part, Boras pushed back at any suggestion that Hosmer would be swayed away from his own self interest. “To suggest Hoz isn’t in total control of his decisions indicates someone has yet to notice that championship ring on his finger,” said the agent. As Mellinger well explains, there certainly seems to be a bit of underlying tension here, though Boras and the Royals have enjoyed a reasonably productive relationship in recent years.

If it’s hard for the Royals and Hosmer to find an agreeable range on a new deal, it’s equally difficult to do so from the outside. He won’t even turn 28 until October and has shown his talent at times at the game’s highest level, with three Gold Glove Awards, a top-25 MVP finish, and an All-Star Game appearance on his record. But Hosmer has also yet to establish himself as a consistently productive major league hitter. Over six full seasons in the big leagues, he owns a .277/.335/.428 slash that’s just about 7% above league average (by measure of both OPS+ and wRC+). As MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes explained yesterday, that makes Hosmer arguably “the most polarizing 2017-18 free agent,” and leaves the upcoming season as a critical barometer in determining his earning power.

Heyman’s Latest: Royals, Cain, Russell, Bryant, Sanchez

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Here’s the latest from FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman…

  • The Royals don’t appear to be in extension talks with any of their pending free agents (Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas), Heyman reports, and with no progress, all four are expected to reach free agency after the season.  K.C. hasn’t given up on the idea of re-signing “one or two” of the quartet, with Hosmer seemingly their top priority.  If Hosmer can’t be re-signed, the Royals would then try to bring back “a couple of the others, at least in theory.”
  • Cain reportedly asked for a six-year deal at some point in talks, though there haven’t been any recent discussions between Cain and the Royals.  Cain will be the oldest of the four free agents (he turns 31 in April) and is coming off an injury-plagued season that saw him limited to 103 games due to hamstring and wrist problems.
  • Despite Cain’s rough 2016 season, some sources close to the center fielder “express surprise he’s even still” with the Royals.  Previous reports over the winter linked Cain to such clubs as the Rangers, Mets, Dodgers and Cardinals in trade rumors, and Heyman adds that the Rockies and Nationals also spoke to Kansas City about Cain’s services.  Washington, of course, went on to acquire a younger and more controllable outfield addition in Adam Eaton at a very significant prospect cost.  Colorado’s interest in Cain is rather unusual given that the Rockies were already overloaded with outfielders (Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, David Dahl and Gerardo Parra) even before signing Ian Desmond and converting him to first base.  Depending on when the talks between Colorado and K.C. took place, the Rockies could’ve considered acquiring Cain and then perhaps converting Gonzalez to first base, rather than signing Desmond.  Blackmon and Gonzalez were also the subject of several trade rumors this winter, so the Rockies could’ve been looking at Cain as a replacement if they’d moved one of their internal pieces.
  • The Cubs and Addison Russell agreed to a one-year, $644K deal for the 2017 season, Heyman reports in a separate piece.  (For specifics on the pre-arbitration process, check out these MLBTR posts from Zach Links in 2014 and Jeff Todd in 2015, respectively.)  The agreement gives Russell a nice bump above the $535K minimum salary, a year before he becomes eligible for salary arbitration.  Russell hit .238/.321/.417 with 21 homers over 598 PA for the World Series champs last season, a below-average offensive performance as per the wRC+ metric (95) that was more than made up for on defense — Russell posted 19 Defensive Runs Saved and a +14.3 UZR/150 over 1262 2/3 innings at shortstop last season.
  • The Cubs are still in talks with Kris Bryant, who is also entering his last pre-arbitration year.  It’s probably no surprise that negotiations with Bryant and his agent Scott Boras are taking a bit longer than usual given Bryant’s outstanding track record over his young career.  Heyman suggests Bryant could approach the record contract given to a pre-arb player (the $1MM between Mike Trout and the Angels prior to the 2014 season).
  • The Yankees agreed to a 2017 contract with catcher Gary Sanchez, Heyman tweets.  Financial terms aren’t known, though Heyman specifies that the two sides reached an agreement and that a renewal wasn’t necessary, which would indicate that Sanchez will also be earning beyond the minimum salary.  Sanchez exploded onto the scene in 2016, hitting .299/.376/.657 with 20 homers over just 229 plate appearances.

Central Notes: Royals, Cardinals, Indians

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Despite some early talks with Eric Hosmer, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale believes the Royals could wait until the season ends before “seriously” entering negotiations with free agents Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas or Alcides Escobar.  The Royals could be “curious to see what teams are willing to pay after a suppressed free-agent market last winter, as a similarly down market in the 2017-18 offseason might allow K.C. to re-evaluate their plans to bring any of these players back (though re-signing all four isn’t feasible).  As Nightengale notes, the Royals let Alex Gordon test the market last winter before eventually re-signing the long-time outfielder.

More from the Central divisions:

  • The Cardinals gave Cuban outfielder Jose Adolis Garcia an invitation to big league camp when they reeled him in with a $2.5MM bonus on Friday, but he’s unlikely to reach the majors before the summer, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Garcia still has to return to Haiti, where he lived after defecting from Cuba, to acquire a work visa to play in games. That could be a two-week process, notes Goold. The 23-year-old is the latest of five international players the Cardinals have added for at least $1.5MM over the past eight months, and they’re now targeting another Cuban outfielder, the highly touted Luis Robert. General manager John Mozeliak acknowledges that the international spending limitations teams like the Cubs, Dodgers and Red Sox are facing has helped the Cardinals. “Our strategy all along was when we looked at who were the players in the international market at the time the big-spenders were out,” he informed Goold. “We saw this as a window where we could be more competitive relative to other years. Where Adolis fits in for us is a.) not taxed, and b.) I like the idea of being able to go to a high level quickly.”
  • Although he ranked among Baseball America’s top 25 prospects as an outfielder in 2007, Jordan Schafer hasn’t acquitted himself well as a major leaguer, having hit .228/.308/.307 in 1,472 plate appearances. As a result, he transitioned to the mound in the Dodgers’ minor league system last year and is now trying to make the Cardinals as a hybrid player. Pitching is nothing new for Schafer, who thought someone would draft him as a hurler out of high school, details Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. However, pitching “was really never spoke of again” after the Braves selected him in the third round of the 2005 draft, Schafer told Langosch. The 30-year-old left-hander now possesses a 91 to 94 mph fastball, which he believes he can improve on, and is also working on a slider, sinker and changeup to go with his heater and curveball. Schafer “looks good” as a pitcher so far, per Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. On Schafer’s versatility, Mozeliak observed: “It’s just such a creative tool to have in your toolbox, if it works. I think it’s really interesting. I hope the manager thinks it’s equally as fun. The biggest question is, ’Will it be effective?'”
  • The Indians announced that left-hander Tim Cooney has a strained flexor in his mid-forearm and will miss 10 to 12 weeks. Injuries have beset Cooney since an excellent debut in 2015, when he fired 31 1/3 innings of 3.16 ERA ball over six starts in St. Louis, as he missed all of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The Redbirds jettisoned Cooney in November, leading the Indians to claim him off waivers.
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