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Garrett Richards

AL West Notes: Trout, Richards, Choo, Gattis

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Angels general manager Billy Eppler tells Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times that he hasn’t taken a single call asking about the availability of Mike Trout in the midst of his team’s injury-riddled season. There’s been a perhaps surprising amount of speculation about the Halos eventually making Trout available with a poor on-field product at the moment (due in part, though not necessarily entirely due to the aforementioned injuries) and the team’s dismal farm system. As one rival GM put it when speaking to Shaikin: “You’re getting a guy who’s being paid at the very top of the food chain and trading three to five potential impact players in return. I don’t think there is a scenario where that is going to happen.”

More pertaining to the Halos and their division…

  • Angels ace Garrett Richards spoke to MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez (Twitter link) about his decision to hold off on the Tommy John surgery he was reported to require for a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. “The way my timetable lines up, as far as being back by 2018 if I did have surgery, is not any different if I have surgery now versus in a couple of months from now,” said Richards, who plans to first attempt stem-cell therapy to treat his injury. “This is just something that was an option, and I decided to take it. Why not, right?” Even the most optimistic projections for a Richards return would’ve been a late May/early June return for Richards in 2017, and if he follows a 14- to 16-month recovery timeline for Tommy John, then he’d indeed have missed most or all of the 2017 season anyhow.
  • The Rangers optioned reliever Andrew Faulkner to Triple-A yesterday, which should clear a path for outfielder Shin-Soo Choo to be activated from the disabled list today. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram tweets that with Choo’s return, he’ll return to his role as the everyday right fielder, with rookie Nomar Mazara sliding over to left field. The Rangers, following Delino Deshields’ recent demotion, will move forward with Mazara and Choo flanking a resurgent (and re-positioned) Ian Desmond in center field. Choo appeared in only five games for the Rangers this season before suffering a calf injury that necessitated a roughly six-week stay on the disabled list.
  • Evan Gattis’ return to catching drew strong reviews from Astros right-hander Collin McHugh, writes MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Gattis, who was solely a DH in his first year with Houston, was recently optioned to Double-A Corpus Christi to once again familiarize himself with catching, and the plan is for him to catch a couple of times per week when he isn’t serving as the club’s designated hitter, per McTaggart. “The story of today is Evan Gattis,” said McHugh following a strong start against the White Sox. “…He’s a big league catcher and everybody needs to understand that and recognize that. He did a really phenomenal job tonight, both calling the game and blocking.” Despite hitting 27 homers last season, Gattis’ .285 on-base percentage made his work as a DH questionable overall. However, if he can deliver relatively similar production while serving as a part-time catcher in 2016, he’ll obviously become a considerably more valuable commodity for the Astros, even if his defense behind the dish isn’t premium.

Garrett Richards Will Not Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Angels righty Garrett Richards has elected not to undergo Tommy John surgery at this time, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports (Twitter links). He’ll receive a stem-cell therapy treatment on his elbow, take a six week hiatus, and attempt to rehab his injured right elbow.

That’s promising news for the Halos, who desperately need their staff ace back in action. It’s not yet clear what kind of timetable might be hoped for, and there remains a good bit of uncertainty in how quickly Richards can return to the hill and work his way back to the majors.

Of course, there’s also likely some risk entailed. Richards had been said to be headed toward a UCL replacement after being diagnosed with a fairly significant tear. If he ultimately does require surgery, then his prospective return could be delayed rather substantially by waiting. But as Gonzalez notes, it is possible that he’d have missed all or most of 2017 regardless, depending upon the speed of his recovery.

Richards, 27, was off to an excellent beginning to the 2016 campaign after taking a step back last year. He had thrown 34 2/3 innings of 2.34 ERA ball, with 8.8 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9. That performance was more reminiscent of Richards’s breakout 2014, and he was clearly the best-performing arm in an underwhelming and injury-riddled Angels rotation.

Los Angeles owes Richards $6.425MM this year in his second of four seasons of arbitration eligibility. He’ll likely be in line for at least some increase over that amount heading into 2017, and can still earn more if he’s able to return to the mound. Of course, if he ultimately has the TJ procedure, then the club will face a tough decision as to whether to tender him a contract for 2017, all just to pay another large salary for his final season of eligibility in 2018.

Garrett Richards Requires Tommy John Surgery; Andrew Heaney Has UCL Damage

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12:10pm: Angels GM Billy Eppler tells reporters that Heaney was examined by multiple doctors, with opinions ranging from “normal wear and tear” to “some degree of tear.” (Twitter links via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) For the time being, at least, Eppler said that Heaney will not undergo Tommy John surgery. Heaney, instead, is “opting for conservative care like other pitchers have done.”

MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez, meanwhile, tweets that sources tell him that Tommy John surgery for Richards is “inevitable” due to the degree of the tear in his elbow.

9:26am: In a stunning bombshell that casts considerable doubt on the Angels’ ability to contend this season, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reports that both ace Garrett Richards and left-hander Andrew Heaney have damaged ulnar collateral ligaments in their pitching elbows. Richards has a tear in the ligament and is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery, Passan reports, while Heaney has some damage to the ligament and is hoping to rehab and avoid the same surgery at this time. Richards and Heaney entered the season as the Halos’ top two starters.

The news comes as a dagger to what has already been an injury-depleted Angels rotation. Left-hander C.J. Wilson has yet to pitch this season as he recovers from elbow surgery to remove bone spurs, and Heaney has been on the shelf since early April with what has been termed a strained flexor muscle. Jered Weaver, meanwhile, has struggled to a 5.40 ERA while averaging a career-worst 81.9 mph on his fastball. To make matters worse, left-hander Tyler Skaggs, on his way back from his own Tommy John surgery (late in 2014), has seen his rehab slowed by biceps tendinitis. The Halos had originally patched up Heaney’s spot in the rotation with right-hander Nick Tropeano, but with the club now facing the remainder of the season without Richards and perhaps Heaney, in addition to another six or so weeks without Wilson, it’s difficult to envision the club climbing back from its current 13-15 record and factoring into the mix in the American League West.

Richards, 27, has stepped up and cemented himself as the Angels’ top starter since Opening Day 2014. The former No. 42 overall pick has worked to a very strong 3.11 ERA with 8.2 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 52.5 percent ground-ball rate across 410 2/3 innings in that time. While his 2014 campaign was cut short by a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, Richards rebounded to throw a career-high 207 1/3 innings last season and was expected to front the Angels’ rotation with a similar workload in 2016. Instead, his season will come to an end with just 34 2/3 innings of 2.34 ERA ball under his belt. In a best-case scenario, he’d return to the club in early May of 2017, but targeting a June or July return next season is more realistic.

Richards agreed to a $6.425MM contract this winter to avoid arbitration in his second trip through the process. As a Super Two player, he’ll be eligible in each of the next two offseasons before hitting free agency upon conclusion of the 2018 season. Because he threw just 34 2/3 innings this season, the raise he can expect upon that $6.425MM salary is minimal, though the quality of said innings should give him somewhat of a bump. Even at $7MM, he should be an easy call for the Halos to tender a contract, however, especially considering the fact that doing so entitles them not only to a partial season in 2017 but a full season in 2018.

As for Heaney, there’s no telling exactly how long he’ll remain sidelined until the specific nature of his UCL damage is known. However, even if the Angels and Heaney continue down the rehabilitation path, it seems likely that the UCL damage will lead to a prolonged absence. Masahiro Tanaka, for instance, elected to rehab a minor tear of his UCL in his rookie season but still didn’t set foot on a big league mound between July 8 and Sept. 21.

If the Angels choose to go outside the organization to add some pitching depth, there are a few options available. Tim Lincecum, of course, is slated to host his much-ballyhooed showcase today, though it seems unlikely that he’d be able to step into a rotation with any sort of immediacy, as he’d need some work in the minors to re-acclimate himself with pitching in a game setting. Kyle Lohse, too, is said to be auditioning for teams. His workout hasn’t generated the fanfare of Lincecum’s, of course, though Lohse notably has been a vastly superior pitcher to Lincecum across the past five seasons. Left-hander John Danks is set to be released by the White Sox following his DFA, and the Twins recently placed a viable back-of-the-rotation candidate, Tommy Milone, on waivers.

Looking internally, the Halos unfortunately thinned out the upper levels of their system this winter by trading lefty Sean Newcomb and right-hander Chris Ellis to the Braves in exchange for Andrelton Simmons. That removed two near-MLB arms from the picture, though the team does still have a somewhat intriguing arm at the Triple-A level in the form of left-hander Nate Smith. The former eighth-round pick has a 3.79 ERA with 7.8 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 through his first 35 2/3 innings this season, and both MLB.com and Baseball America rated him third in a weak Angels farm system while writing that he could be a fourth or fifth starter. Obviously, that doesn’t make up for the loss of an arm like Richards or Heaney, but he could reasonably provide the club with an option to at least turn in competitive innings on a regular basis.

AL West Notes: Zych, Butler, Rangers, Richards

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The Mariners will be without right-hander Tony Zych for four to six weeks due to the rotator cuff tendinitis that landed him on the disabled list earlier this week, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. When the Mariners originally announced his injury, Zych had yet to have a followup examination back in Seattle. Those tests have now taken place and produced the timeline for which Seattle will be without its quietly excellent setup man. In 30 1/3 innings since being promoted to the Majors last season, Zych has posted a 2.67 ERA, 12.8 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 with a 51.5 percent ground-ball rate. He’s also averaged 95.7 mph on his fastball and has the 14th-best K-BB% among MLB pitchers with a minimum of 30 innings thrown dating back to last season.

  • Athletics designated hitter Billy Butler says he’s been left in the dark somewhat as to his lack of playing time, as Jane Lee of MLB.com writes. Butler was careful not to complain about his diminished role, but he did tell Lee that he’s in unfamiliar territory as a part-time player. “I’ve played every day of my life from when I was 7 years old, so this is something new,” he said. “I don’t even know how to exactly prepare for what I’m supposed to do because I’ve never had to do it, so I just try to treat it like I’ve treated everything else, like I’m a starter.” Butler, though, acknowledged the constant change and roster fluctuation that comes with any 162-game season and said he anticipates eventually being able to get another chance to prove he can still be an everyday bat. While he was initially told he wouldn’t be in a straight platoon, that’s how it’s played out for the most part thus far, resulting in just 38 plate appearances for the former Royals star. Butler is earning $10MM this year and has another $10MM coming his way in 2017 as part of a three-year, $30MM deal signed with Oakland.
  • The Rangers are flush with possibilities when it comes to their outfield alignment, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports in his latest notes column. Texas officials, according to Rosenthal, have discussed the possibility of shifting Ian Desmond to center field (where he’s already seen a bit of time) upon Shin-Soo Choo’s return from the disabled list, which would keep a spot open for impressive rookie Nomar Mazara. That could give the struggling Delino DeShields some time to work in the minors. Looking longer-term than 2016, though, Rosenthal notes that the Rangers have a plethora of outfield options, most notably including Lewis Brinson, as well as a pair of infield prospects in Joey Gallo and Jurickson Profar, that may not have clear-cut places to be placed on the roster. The Rangers, he concludes, are exceptionally well-positioned to make a major play at this summer’s trade deadline if need be.
  • Not that the Angels need any more injuries in their rotation, but there appears to be some form of issue with ace Garrett Richards, as the Orange County Register’s Jeff Fletcher writes in his latest column. Richards left his most recent outing after four innings due to dehydration, and he’s skipped his regularly scheduled bullpen sessions between starts. According to Fletcher, Richards said that he isn’t hurt but also acknowledged that something is a bit off. “I’m still a little fatigued,” said the Halos’ Opening Day starter. “The body is still tired. I’m still trying to bounce back. Everything doesn’t feel as crisp right now.” The Angels are already without C.J. Wilson and Andrew Heaney, and left-hander Tyler Skaggs has also seen his rehab from Tommy John surgery slowed by some biceps tendinitis. Richards, now, is questionable for his scheduled Friday outing.

AL Notes: Colabello, Encarnacion, Calhoun, Richards, Collins

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Suspended Blue Jays first baseman/outfielder Chris Colabello maintains that he has no idea how he ended up with prohibited PEDs in his system, as Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports. The 32-year-old says that he only ever took supplements provided by the organization, was meticulous in avoiding uncertain substances, and has gone to great lengths to try to figure out how the banned substance ended up in his system. The piece offers necessary context to go with Colabello’s extensive comments on the matter, and is a must-read for anyone interested in his story or the broader issue of performance enhancing drugs.

Here’s the latest out of the American League to round out the evening:

  • While initial extension talks this spring weren’t fruitful, the Blue Jays told slugger Edwin Encarnacion that they’d consider re-opening things over the summer, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports (Twitter links). A deal to keep Encarnacion off of the open market still seems unlikely, of course, particularly given where things ended up. Per Heyman, Toronto offered a two-year pact with multiple vesting options. While the veteran’s camp didn’t counter, he’s expected to seek four or five guaranteed seasons in free agency. He’s off to a bit of a slow start, but that still seems eminently achievable if he ends up with anything approaching his recent levels of production.
  • Meanwhile, Angels GM Billy Eppler says that the organization has yet to engage outfielder Kole Calhoun or starter Garrett Richards in extension talks, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports. Explaining that he’s still “just feeling everybody out,” Eppler did acknowledge that he’s at least considered the idea. “I would be lying to tell you that the thought hasn’t crossed my mind,” he said. “But we’re not at that point. It’s just not something I want to talk about while they’re playing; while they’re trying to perform.” The new GM also noted that the high-budget Halos have the luxury of waiting. “That’s a factor,” he said. “You might be able to afford going year to year in certain situations, just because of your own circumstances.”
  • Major League Baseball will not suspend Tigers outfielder Tyler Collins for flipping the bird to booing fans, MLB.com’s Jason Beck tweets. That’s good news for Detroit, which would have had to go a man short during any time that Collins would have missed.

Angels Avoid Arbitration With Garrett Richards

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The Angels have struck a deal to avoid arbitration with righty Garrett Richards, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports on Twitter. He’ll earn $6.425MM in the agreement, per the report.

Richards had filed at $7.1MM, with the team countering at $5.3MM. He’ll obviously land slightly to the high side of the mid-point, although it’s worth noting that MLBTR had projected an even higher $6.8MM salary for the second of his four trips through arbitration.

The 27-year-old set himself up nicely with a well-timed 2014 breakout in which he posted 168 2/3 frames of 2.61 ERA ball. Though he took a step back last year in terms of both results and peripherals, Richards did significantly enhance his earnings by upping his output to a fairly robust 207 1/3 innings.

2016 Arbitration Filing Numbers

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MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker is the place to go to see the arbitration contracts agreed upon thus far, as well as the figures exchanged between teams and players that were not able to reach agreement before today’s noon deadline to swap salary positions. Matt Swartz’s arbitration projections are available here.

As MLBTR has previously explained, 156 players officially filed for arbitration (after some eligible and tendered players had already reached agreement). Of those, 34 players have yet to reach reported agreements with their clubs. Of course, those players can still reach agreements before their hearings (which will take place between February 1st and 21st). If the case goes to a hearing, the arbitrator must choose one side’s figures, rather than settling on a midpoint.

We’ve gathered the highest-stakes arbitration situations remaining — those where the player files for at least $4.5MM — in this post, but you can find them all in the tracker (with two as-yet-unreported exceptions).

Angels Notes: Santiago, Richards, Wilson, CarGo, Blackmon

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Part of the reason that the Angels acted quickly in avoiding arbitration with left-hander Hector Santiago was due to trade interest they’ve received in the 28-year-old, reports MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez (links to Twitter). While there isn’t one specific trade scenario on which the Angels were focused, the team wanted to eliminate as many variables as possible in order to simplify discussions with interested parties. Gonzalez adds that there’s nothing imminent on Santiago at this time. Coming off 180 2/3 innings of 3.59 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 with two years of club control remaining and a reasonable $5MM salary for the upcoming season, it’s easy to see why some clubs would be intrigued by Santiago. Then again, he also led the AL in home runs allowed (29) and recorded just a 29.9 percent ground-ball rate. Metrics like FIP (4.77), xFIP (5.00) and SIERA (4.50) are considerably less optimistic when viewing Santiago than traditional metrics like ERA, although it’s worth noting that his bottom-line results have always outpaced his peripheral stats in the Majors; Santiago has a 3.55 ERA in his career while the three aforementioned ERA estimators value his production in the 4.29 to 4.71 range.

Here’s more on the Halos…

  • The Angels and ace Garrett Richards have been working to avoid arbitration, per Gonzalez, but the two sides still have “a ways to go,” he hears. The two sides will exchange arbitration numbers on Friday (assuming a deal doesn’t come together quickly before that date) and have another five or six weeks to negotiate in an effort to avoid a hearing.
  • While there’s been plenty of speculation linking left-hander C.J. Wilson to the Rockies in various trade scenarios, such a trade almost certainly won’t happen. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports (via Twitter) that one of the eight teams to which Wilson can block a trade under the limited no-trade protection that comes in the final season of his five-year contract is the Rockies. Wilson could, of course, agree to waive that right, although it’s difficult to envision any pitcher — let alone one that is coming off surgery and entering a contract year — would green-light a trade to the hitters’ haven that is Coors Field.
  • The Angels have interest in Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. While Fletcher noted as much yesterday, he adds today that the Halos do have some concerns about Blackmon’s splits. It’s not clear if Fletcher is referring to Blackmon’s platoon splits, home/road splits or both, but each dramatic split would be an understandable reason for pause. Blackmon has mashed at a .334/.386/.501 clip while playing at home over the course of his career but has mustered just a .241/.283/.370 slash away from Coors Field. And, while his platoon splits aren’t as pronounced, he has a .729 OPS against lefties compared to a .788 mark against righties in his career, and the discrepancy between those two numbers has grown in recent seasons. Fletcher also notes in his tweet that he is “99 percent sure” that the Angels won’t land Carlos Gonzalez in a trade due to the money remaining on Gonzalez’s deal. The 30-year-old Gonzalez is owed $37MM over the next two years and carries an $11.4MM average annual value (the number which counts against the luxury tax) on his seven-year, $80MM contract.
  • Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times writes that the Halos are about $5MM away from the luxury tax barrier, and owner Arte Moreno has yet to indicate any sort of willingness to exceed that $189MM threshold. The Angels haven’t had “substantive” talks about the Rockies’ trio of potentially available outfielders, a source tells DiGiovanna, who implies that an impact upgrade over the platoon of Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry seems unlikely. “We talk about players who are still available in free agency or who might be available in trades,” said GM Billy Eppler of his talks with Moreno. “We have our conversations, and that’s it. We’re discussing all of our options all of the time.” Eppler declined comment on specific players but told DiGiovanna that he would “of course” be satisfied if this ends up being the group he takes to Spring Training: “There are a lot of pieces on this team that were there last year until Game 162 scratching, clawing and fighting to keep themselves in it and were on the doorstep of a playoff appearance.”

AL West Notes: Hamilton, Angels, Darvish, Mariners

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The Major League Baseball Players Association yesterday voiced its displeasure that information pertaining to Josh Hamilton’s treatment program and potential disciplinary situation has been leaked to the media. Per an MLBPA press release: “It is regrettable that people who want to see Josh Hamilton hurt personally and professionally have started leaking information about the status of his treatment program and the confidential processes under our Joint Drug Agreement. These anonymous leaks are cowardly, undermine the integrity of our collectively bargained agreements and in some instances have been wholly inaccurate. The Major League Baseball Players Association will use every right we have under the collective bargaining agreement to make sure Josh gets the help he needs, and the fair and confidential process to which he is entitled.”

Some more news from Hamilton’s division…

  • Garrett Richards is progressing well and could get into a Cactus League game for the Angels as soon as March 13, writes Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. While there was initially some fear that Richards could miss more than a month to open the year, Fletcher writes that he could be ready to pitch by the season’s second or third week. Fletcher also notes that Josh Rutledge got the first start at second base this spring and entered camp as the favorite to win the second base competition. Others in the mix include Grant Green, Johnny Giavotella and Taylor Featherston.
  • Rangers ace Yu Darvish will have an MRI on his right triceps tomorrow after experiencing tightness in his first outing of Spring Training yesterday, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Darvish first felt tightness when warming up, and it did not improve (though it also did not worsen) during his outing. Darvish, who threw just one of 12 pitches above 90 mph, said he felt much better today, but assistant GM Thad Levine said the team will proceed with the MRI anyhow as a precaution.
  • ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick spoke to a scout who likes the Mariners’ offseason moves enough to label Seattle a 93-win club. While that’s just one opinion, Crasnick writes that the Mariners did indeed drastically change their roster this winter, but the moves came without all of the fanfare of the Padres’ retooling. Of course, aside from Nelson Cruz, most of the names added by the Mariners were of the complementary variety, whereas San Diego more household names. Crasnick also spoke to the Mariners’ players about their excitement for the coming year, with Robinson Cano giving a glowing review of his friend and now-teammate Cruz.

Pitching Notes: Gee, K-Rod, Soriano, Marlins, Uehara, Richards

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Right-hander Dillon Gee is likely the odd man out and headed to the Mets’ bullpen this season, and ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin was among the reporters to speak with him today regarding the move (video link). Gee says he is ready to contribute in whatever role he is asked, even though he obviously prefers to stay in the rotation. Though he did not ever speak with anyone in the front office, he relayed that his agent did, and was seemingly left with the impression that a trade was never quite as likely as was believed in some quarters.

Let’s have a look at a few segments of the pitching market where action still seems open:

  • It would still be unwise to bet against two other well-known closers — Francisco Rodriguez and Rafael Soriano — landing substantial contracts, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Notably, both free agents are represented by Scott Boras, who Rosenthal says not to bet against. As Rosenthal rightly points out, it will be interesting to see whether that pair of big-named arms manages to top the guarantees given to names like Pat Neshek ($12.5MM) and Zach Duke ($15MM).
  • As previously reported, Rodriguez has drawn interest from the Marlins, who have also had discussions about fellow free agent righty Joba Chamberlain, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). And those aren’t the only arms still under consideration in Miami, per Heyman. The club is seemingly casting a wide net — waiting for a good value, perhaps — in adding a final piece before camp.
  • Red Sox closer Koji Uehara said today that his mid-season swoon was due in part to injury issues, as Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports. The trouble was related to Uehara’s lower back, GM Ben Cherington said. Obviously, the club believes that he will be able to return without issue, given the contract it gave the veteran relief ace.
  • Breakout Angels starter Garrett Richards threw his first pen session since undergoing knee surgery last year, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. Reports were solid on the 26-year-old righty, whose return — and ability to match his outstanding results from last year — will go a long way toward defining the club. Anything close to his 2014 showing would seemingly make Richards a prime extension target.
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