Hector Santiago

AL Injury Notes: Price, Mariners, Twins, Gomez, Angels

By Connor Byrne | September 9, 2017 at 6:40pm CDT

Red Sox southpaw David Price threw a two-inning sim game Saturday as he continues to work back from forearm problems, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com was among those to report (links here). While Price hasn’t taken the mound for the Red Sox since July 22 and only threw 32 pitches Saturday, they’re hopeful he’ll be able to come back this year as a starter, Lauber notes. The Sox will have a clearer idea about Price’s future after he throws another sim game midway through next week, but the likelihood is that he’ll finish 2017 as a reliever because he won’t have enough time to ramp back up as a starter, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal writes.

More injury news from around the American League:

The Mariners will welcome James Paxton and Felix Hernandez back to their rotation during the upcoming week, Greg Johns of MLB.com relays (on Twitter). Both hurlers will hover around the 50- to 60-pitch marks during their first starts back. Paxton went on the disabled list with a strained left pectoral on Aug. 11, depriving the Mariners of a burgeoning ace for a key stretch. Hernandez, who preceded Paxton as the Mariners’ top starter, landed on the DL on Aug. 5 with shoulder bursitis. The 31-year-old previously missed all of May and most of June with the same injury.
Twins manager Paul Molitor told reporters Friday that left-hander Hector Santiago is likely done for the season (via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). Santiago, who hasn’t taken a major league mound since July 2 because of a shoulder strain, threw just 84 mph to 87 mph in a Triple-A rehab start Sunday (down from his usual low-90s velocity) and is undergoing further testing in Minnesota, according to Bollinger. With his contract set to expire at season’s end, the 29-year-old Santiago may be done as a Twin. Formerly a capable starter with the White Sox and Angels, Santiago has posted unsightly numbers – including a 5.61 ERA and a 28.4 percent groundball rate – over 131 2/3 innings since the Twins acquired him from Los Angeles last summer.
Rangers center fielder Carlos Gomez could miss a fair amount of time after suffering a high ankle sprain Saturday against the Yankees, per Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News. Gomez, who departed the game in the second inning after injuring his right ankle, was on crutches and in a walking boot afterward. A lengthy Gomez absence would be the second notable loss in recent weeks for a Texas offense that saw superstar third baseman Adrian Beltre go down with a hamstring strain Sept. 1. While he’s not nearly as impactful as Beltre, Gomez has still had a decent contract year (.251/.337/.459, 2.0 fWAR in 407 plate appearances) for a team that’s three games out of a wild-card spot.
Angels third baseman Yunel Escobar had another setback in his rehab from an oblique injury, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. Nevertheless, manager Mike Scioscia still expects to see Escobar again this season. The impending free agent hasn’t played since Aug. 6 and was in the middle of a mediocre season at the time of his injury (.274/.333/.397 in 381 PAs).

Central Notes: Twins, Lopez, Winker, Reds

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams | August 2, 2017 at 11:19pm CDT

A pair of Twins pitchers are set to resume throwing tomorrow, according to statements from each via Twitter. Righty Trevor May, who is contributing at MLBTR while working back from Tommy John surgery, says he will begin his march back in earnest. That drew a reply from southpaw Hector Santiago, who says he’ll do the same; he has been out for nearly a month with what the team called upper thoracic back pain and discomfort. There’s no expectation that May will return during the 2017 season, as his procedure took place this March. But Santiago conceivably could. The 29-year-old has every incentive to do just that, as he’s slated to hit the market this fall and would surely like a chance to improve upon the subpar results he has produced during his time in Minnesota.

More from the game’s Central divisions…

While the Twins had some other possible trade chips to move, the team never came close to making any deals beyond those it completed, assistant GM Rob Antony tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). There was little in the way of rumors surrounding shorter-term assets like Ervin Santana, Brian Dozier or Eduardo Escobar prior to the deadline, so perhaps the team’s preference was simply to engage with other clubs on impending free agents such as Jaime Garcia and Brandon Kintzler. Speculatively speaking, righty Matt Belisle could be a name to watch in August. He’s playing on an eminently affordable one-year, $2.05MM deal and rebounded from an awful month of May with a solid June and a scoreless 12 2/3 frames (with a 13-to-2 K/BB ratio) in July.
White Sox prospect Reynaldo Lopez, acquired in the offseason Adam Eaton trade, is forcing his way into the team’s big league plans, general manager Rick Hahn tells Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. “He’s forcing the issue,” said Hahn. “He’s had several starts in a row that have been very impressive.” Indeed, Lopez has turned in a 2.16 ERA with a 54-to-11 K/BB ratio in his past 41 2/3 innings. Hahn also offered praise for Lucas Giolito’s recent work, though those numbers are skewed by a pair of drubbings in an otherwise solid run of 11 starts. Lopez recently appeared on the latest installment of Jason Martinez’s “Knocking Down the Door” series here at MLBTR and seems to be nearing his first Major League look with the ChiSox.
Reds outfield prospect Jesse Winker, who was recalled from Triple-A this week, is in line for regular playing time in the Majors now, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). The Reds tabbed Winker with the 49th overall pick in the 2012 draft, and he’s been considered among the game’s top 100 or so prospects for much of the past three years. Winker had a cup of coffee earlier this season but returned to Triple-A in short order, where he ultimately put together a .314/.395/.408 showing. Wrist injuries have led to a power outage for Winker over the past two seasons, but he looks to be regaining some of the pop he showed from 2013-15, as he’s homered in consecutive games for the Reds (including tonight).
Buchanan also provides some updates on a trio of injured Reds players in a full column. Outfielder Scott Schebler, whose absence has helped create an opening for Winker, was diagnosed with a bruised rotator cuff following an MRI exam. He’s out for at least the next two to three weeks, per Buchanan. Injured righty Scott Feldman, meanwhile, threw a three-inning simulated game today, though the timeline on his return to the Majors isn’t yet clear. And second base prospect Dilson Herrera, who had a bone spur removed from his shoulder recently, will be cleared to begin throwing in three to four months. Buchanan’s column has more quotes and context from manager Bryan Price and Reds team doctor Timothy Kremchek, so Reds fans should take a look for more details.

Injury Notes: Orioles, Angels, Twins, Braves

By Connor Byrne | July 5, 2017 at 9:35pm CDT

The Orioles activated closer Zach Britton on Wednesday, when he was first eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list. The left-hander had been on the shelf since early May with a forearm strain. Britton has been on the DL twice this year on account of forearm issues, which has limited him to just nine appearances. He took the mound Wednesday for the first time since May 4, working around a single and a walk to toss a scoreless inning.

More of the latest injury updates from around the majors:

Angels center fielder Mike Trout began a Single-A rehab assignment Wednesday, Maria Guardado of MLB.com was among those to report (on Twitter). The 25-year-old superstar has been out since he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb at the end of May, forcing him to undergo surgery. The Trout-less Angels have only gone 17-18, but that has been enough to keep them in the wild-card picture in the American League. They’re just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot, and Trout should return right after the All-Star break.
One of Trout’s Angels teammates, reliever Huston Street, joined him on the 10-day DL on Wednesday (retroactive to Monday) with a right adductor/groin strain. The Angels recalled righty Eduardo Paredes to take his place. The Halos just activated Street from the DL on June 22, which came after he missed the first two-plus months of the season with a strained right lat muscle. Street, 33, fared nicely during his short-lived healthy period, throwing four scoreless innings and allowing two hits and a walk, though another DL trip won’t do him any favors in what’s likely a contract year. The former closer has a $10MM club option for 2018, but the Angels are sure to pay him a $1MM buyout instead.
Righty Matt Shoemaker, yet another member of the Angels, has suffered a setback in his recovery from a forearm strain, writes Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times. Shoemaker, out since mid-June, experienced soreness during a rehab start Tuesday. Now, Shoemaker will have to undergo more tests on his forearm. “He had some of the same symptoms crop back up,” said manager Mike Scioscia. Shoemaker has recorded a 4.52 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and a 3.24 BB/9 across 77 2/3 innings this season.
The Twins sent left-hander Hector Santiago to the 10-day DL on Wednesday for the second time in a month and recalled righty Alan Busenitz, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Santiago, who’s dealing with upper back pain, first went on the DL on June 7 with a shoulder strain. He returned to make two starts, the latest of which came Sunday. Overall, Santiago has struggled to a 5.63 ERA, with 6.53 K/9, 3.97 BB/9 and a 30.2 percent ground-ball rate, over 70 1/3 frames.
The Braves have placed reliever Arodys Vizcaino on the 10-day DL with a strained right index finger, per Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta recalled righty Matt Wisler to take the spot of Vizcaino, who has produced excellent results this season. The 26-year-old has posted a 2.38 ERA, 10.32 K/9 and 3.18 BB/9 in 34 innings.

Health Notes: Pollock, Smith, E-Rod, Villar, Hughes, Zobrist, AGon, Semien, Werth, Flaherty

By Jeff Todd | June 19, 2017 at 11:29pm CDT

Diamondbacks outfielder A.J. Pollock has suffered a new injury while on a rehab assignment, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. Pollock, who is working back from a groin strain, is now said to be day-to-day with tightness in his right quad. The severity isn’t yet known, though the presence of another lower-body muscle issue will surely cause the organization to proceed with caution. With the Snakes locked in a surprising and increasingly fascinating battle in the NL West, they will be anxious to get Pollock back, though clearly the long view is required for such an important player with such a checkered injury history.

Let’s check in on a few more injury situations from around the game:

The Blue Jays placed righty Joe Smith on the 10-day DL before today’s game, per a club announcement. He is dealing with shoulder inflammation. That’s a big loss for a Toronto club that has made huge strides after a woeful start to the year. Smith has been quite effective while maintaining a heavy workload; through 34 appearances, he carries a 3.41 ERA. More impressively, Smith has nearly doubled last year’s strikeout rate (13.4 K/9) while maintaining a 13.0% swinging-strike rate that dwarfs any of his prior single-season marks.
While the Red Sox wait to learn more about the status of second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who took a pitch to the ribcage on Sunday, the club has continued to receive good news on lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. As Rob Bradford of WEEI.com tweets, skipper John Farrell says that Rodriguez will face live hitters this week and possibly head out for a rehab assignment thereafter.
Things are clearing up for Brewers infielder Jonathan Villar as well, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy tweets. Villar, who has struggled in the wake of a breakout 2016 season, says that his lower back is feeling so much better that he might be ready for a rehab stint soon. Milwaukee may well need a healthy and more effective Villar if it hopes to continue to outpace the rest of the NL Central.
In other forthcoming rehab stints, Twins righty Phil Hughes is scheduled for a start at Triple-A on Wednesday, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. It seems that he has avoided the worst-case scenario after experiencing some symptoms akin to those that led to thoracic outlet surgery. Minnesota is also giving a rehab start to lefty Hector Santiago, who seems likely to avoid a lengthy DL stint for his shoulder issue.
Veteran Cubs infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist got some good news, as Jeff Arnold of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. An MRI came back clean, leaving the club hopeful that the veteran will be able to return as soon as Friday. That said, Zobrist acknowledged that he still needs to test out the wrist at full speed, noting that “we’re not going to push it.”
Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts provided an update on first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times was among those to tweet. The veteran has received an epidural to treat his lower back issues, says Roberts, with the organization hopeful that Gonzalez will be able to return sometime around the All-Star break next month.
The Athletics will send shortstop Marcus Semien out on a rehab assignment later this week, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. He has been participating in baseball activities to test his surgically repaired wrist, and it seems the progress is sufficient to allow him to take the next step.
Meanwhile, the going is somewhat slow for Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth. As Dan Kolko of MASNsport.com tweets, manager Dusty Baker says that the veteran is still not ready for baseball activities. Instead, he’s still focused on taking care of his bruised left foot.
The Orioles don’t appear likely to welcome back infielder Ryan Flaherty any time soon, as Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. His balky shoulder didn’t respond well to an attempt to ramp up a throwing program, so the team will slow things down. Were it not for the injury, Flaherty would likely have represented part of the plan for dealing with the more recent DL placement of J.J. Hardy.

Twins Claim Chris Heston Off Waivers, Release Nick Tepesch, Place Hector Santiago On 10-Day DL

By Mark Polishuk | June 7, 2017 at 7:36pm CDT

7:36pm: The Twins have created a 25-man roster spot for Heston by placing southpaw Hector Santiago on the 10-day DL with a shoulder strain. Santiago has a 5.26 ERA, 6.5 K/9 and 1.68 K/BB rate over 65 frames for Minnesota this season. His career-long issues with the home run ball has been an even larger issue than usual, as Santiago has already allowed 14 homers over his 65 IP.

5:18pm: The Twins have claimed right-hander Chris Heston off waivers from the Dodgers, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. In a corresponding move, righty Nick Tepesch has been released to create room on the 40-man roster. Minnesota will still have to make another 25-man roster move to accommodate Heston.

It’s been a busy six months for Heston, who will join his fourth different organization in that span. After spending his first four seasons with the Giants (which included a no-hitter in 2015), Heston was dealt to the Mariners in December and then claimed off waivers by the Dodgers two weeks ago after Seattle designated him for assignment.

Heston will now look to stabilize his career with the Twins, not to mention simply pitch well enough to stay in the majors. Heston has only pitched 10 big league innings in 2016-17, to the tune of an ugly 15.30 ERA with more walks (11) than strikeouts (six). Never one to miss many bats, Heston has somewhat less margin for error, though he showed a good ability to keep the ball on the ground during his one full big league season in 2015 (53% grounder rate), and in the minor leagues.

If he can get himself on track, he could find an opportunity within a Twins rotation that is short on stability behind ace Ervin Santana and impressive rookie Jose Berrios. Minnesota could also potentially use Heston as a reliever to help a relief corps that has a league-worst (5.32) bullpen ERA.

Tepesch signed a minor league deal with the Twins last winter and made one appearance for the team, allowing seven runs (but only one earned) over 1 2/3 innings in a losing start on May 6. After breaking into the league as a starter with the Rangers in 2013-14, Tepesch missed all of 2015 recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery and spent 2016 pitching for four different organizations, including a cup of coffee in the bigs with the Dodgers.

AL West Notes: Meyer, Miranda, Reddick, Rangers, Mariners

By Steve Adams | May 3, 2017 at 9:21pm CDT

Prior to acquiring Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer (plus some cash to offset Nolasco’s salary) in the trade that sent Hector Santiago to the Twins last summer, the Angels had the opportunity to trade Santiago to the Orioles for lefty Ariel Miranda, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The Orioles were seeking a veteran arm for their rotation and dangled Miranda in talks with both the Angels and Mariners, ultimately flipping Miranda to Seattle in exchange for Wade Miley. Fletcher notes that the Halos were seeking more upside than Miranda brings to the table and felt that Meyer fit the bill. Indeed, the 27-year-old former first-rounder was a mainstay on Top 100 prospect lists throughout the industry several years ago, though shoulder injuries have derailed his career to date. Meyer will get a start for the Halos this week, while Nolasco has at the very least been a durable source of innings for manager Mike Scioscia. Miranda is currently in the Mariners’ rotation, though that’s out of necessity due to injuries throughout the Seattle pitching staff.

Twins, Hector Santiago Avoid Arbitration

By Steve Adams | January 13, 2017 at 11:16am CDT

The Twins have avoided arbitration with left-hander Hector Santiago by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $8MM, reports Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Santiago, a client of Excel Sports, earns a nice raise over last year’s $5MM salary. He’d been projected to earn $8.6MM by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.

The 29-year-old Santiago was in the midst of a typically solid season with the Angels (4.25 ERA, 8.0 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 in 121 innings) when he surprisingly found himself traded to the Twins alongside minor league reliever Alan Busenitz in exchange for Ricky Nolasco and injury-prone former top prospect Alex Meyer. Santiago’s fortunes turned immediately upon getting to Minnesota, and he struggled badly with the Twins over the life of the two months he spent in Minnesota.

In 61 1/3 innings, Santiago logged a 5.58 ERA with just 5.4 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 as he became significantly more prone to home runs. Those numbers are obviously an eyesore, but the new Twins front office is apparently confident that Santiago can return to form, as CBO Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine saw fit to retain him at a not-insignificant $8MM rate. Prior to this discouraging season, Santiago had posted a 3.62 ERA 457 innings with the White Sox and Angels from 2013-15, working primarily as a starting pitcher.

Twins, Angels Swap Ricky Nolasco, Hector Santiago In Four-Player Deal

By Steve Adams | August 1, 2016 at 3:05pm CDT

In a surprising move, the Twins announced that they’ve picked up left-hander Hector Santiago and minor league righty Alan Busenitz from the Angels in exchange for Ricky Nolasco and minor league righty Alex Meyer.

The move is certainly a curious one for both clubs, as neither would’ve been pegged to add starter that is only controllable through the 2017 season. However, the Twins’ signing of Nolasco has been a bust, and they’ll now swap him out for a starter that has had more success in recent seasons. That Minnesota will come away with the superior big league arm in this deal is a positive if the team intends to contend in 2017, as it has previously indicated. Santiago is sporting a 4.25 ERA on the season and has a solid 3.75 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9 in 577 2/3 innings dating back to 2013 — the first season in which he was primarily a starter at the big league level. He’s one of the more homer-prone pitchers in baseball, though for a club that hopes to deploy Byron Buxton, Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler in a spacious outfield next season, the Twins may not be as worried about Santiago’s fly-ball/home run tendencies as a club in a smaller park.

They’ll lose Meyer — the more highly regarded minor league arm in this trade — as the cost of upgrading the current roster, though the addition of Busenitz gives them an arm that has performed well in Double-A this year, even if he’s never been been all that highly regarded. The 25-year-old Busenitz is a former 25th-round pick and posted a 1.93 ERA with 8.8 K/9 against 1.4 BB/9 in 32 2/3 innings before being promoted to Triple-A Salt Lake, where he has struggled considerably. Busenitz has served up 11 runs in 13 Triple-A innings, though the 13-to-5 K/BB ratio he’s posted is at least somewhat encouraging.

Meyer, formerly regarded as a top 50 prospect, has battled significant shoulder injuries and hasn’t pitched since early May due to injury. Scouts have long viewed him as a potential bullpen piece, and the Twins used him primarily in the ’pen last season. It’s unclear how the Halos will attempt to utilize Meyer, who will turn 27 this offseason, but it’s possible they’re looking at him as a buy-low option to plug into a farm system that is devoid of upper-level talent. Whether the Halos look at Meyer as a potential power arm for the bullpen or a possible starter in 2017 and beyond, his ceiling is higher than not only that of Busenitz but than the vast majority of the prospects in their barren farm system.

The Angels will slot Nolasco into their big league rotation and hope that he can right the ship after a brutal two and a half years in Minnesota. Nolasco signed a four-year, $49MM contract prior to the 2014 season and has missed significant time with a right elbow strain, right elbow inflammation and a right ankle impingement while with the Twins. His work with Minnesota has resulted in an ugly 5.44 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in just 321 innings of work. Of course, prior to signing with the Twins, Nolasco was a fairly durable innings eater with the Marlins and Dodgers, From 2010-13, he averaged 188 innings per season and posted a 4.33 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9. If a change of scenery and a return to his native SoCal can revitalize Nolasco and see him return to that form, he could be either a solid contributor to the 2017 Angels or at least turn into a reasonable trade chip. That the Twins are on the hook for $4MM of his 2017 salary should help increase his appeal on the market if he is able to rebound.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that Santiago, Nolasco and Meyer were all in the cash-neutral deal (links to Twitter). MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweeted that Busenitz was going to Minnesota. Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune chipped in some specifics on the finances (links to Twitter).

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Deadline Day Rotation Rumors

By Jeff Todd | August 1, 2016 at 2:31pm CDT

While we’ll certainly break out any stories that seem to have some helium, we’ll use this post to keep tabs on less pressing developments in the market for starting pitching:

The Pirates are talking to the Yankees about Ivan Nova, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
The Marlins are now looking for another starter after sending Colin Rea back to the Padres, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets.
Angels lefty Hector Santiago is still on the Tigers’ radar, along with Hellickson, per Morosi (via Twitter). Santiago has been talked about a decent bit in recent weeks, but we haven’t heard very many strong connections. Los Angeles is likely willing to deal him in the right situation, but surely puts a high value on a useful starter who is controllable beyond the year.
The Astros are mostly just “dabbling” in the market for starters, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. Edinson Volquez of the Royals represents one possible target, though Houston is said not to be terribly interested in the veteran righty.
While we haven’t heard much in the way of specifics, the Cubs are said to be eyeing an impactful rotation addition, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that’s still the case. (He adds that the team prefers not to overpay for a left-handed-hitting outfielder, which is also on their wish list.)
The Phillies may well hold onto righty Jeremy Hellickson, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark tweets. Philly hasn’t changed its asking price — last we heard, at least one quality prospect — but the market is changing. The Giants and Tigers aren’t in the bidding, per Stark, while the Rangers and Blue Jays have other names higher on their priority lists. With that being said, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets that Detroit is still looking at Hellickson, among other starters, as they seek to add to their rotation.

Trade Rumors: CarGo, Beltran, Pirates, Angels, Tigers, Athletics

By Steve Adams | July 31, 2016 at 12:30pm CDT

The Rockies aren’t planning on moving Carlos Gonzalez or Charlie Blackmon, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. While CarGo is a perennial trade candidate, the Rockies’ excellent play since the All-Star break has the team back at .500 and within a stone’s throw of a Wild Card playoff berth. Whether the Rockies will actually remain in the hunt remains to be seen, especially as other clubs in the race move to fortify their rosters, but Colorado has looked impressive as of late and could always extract value in trades of Gonzalez and/or Blackmon in the offseason if the club falls shy this season and wishes to add more pitching to its minor league ranks over the winter.

Some more trade rumors from around the league with the non-waiver deadline just over 24 hours away…

The Yankees are listening to offers on right fielder/designated hitter Carlos Beltran, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney. However, executives from other clubs tell Olney that they consider the asking price on Beltran to be “beyond their reach.” As a free agent at season’s end, Beltran represents a logical trade candidate for the Yankees, who are walking a tightrope and trying to balance a desire to remain competitive in 2016 with a desire to build their farm system for the long haul. The Yankees have already traded both Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, but they’ve also added righties Tyler Clippard and Adam Warren in an effort to keep the bullpen fairly stable. Beltran is hitting .301/.342/.538 with 21 homers on the season and is earning $15MM in the final season of a three-year, $45MM contract. He’s still owed about $5.34MM of that sum, and while his defense may cause some NL clubs to shy away, American League teams that can give him some occasional time at DH undoubtedly would be intrigued by adding the 39-year-old’s still-productive bat to their lineups.
Pirates GM Neal Huntington said after yesterday’s trade of Mark Melancon that he’s still looking to add talent before the non-waiver deadline (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Adam Berry). Berry noted that the Bucs scouted the Rays and Yankees last night in a matchup of Drew Smyly vs. Nathan Eovaldi. Meanwhile, the Post-Gazette’s Bill Brink tweets that the Pirates asked the Braves about Julio Teheran but were told the right-hander isn’t moving.
The Angels have received the most trade interest in right-hander Cam Bedrosian, tweets MLB Network’s Peter Gammons. However, Gammons implies that a Bedrosian trade isn’t likely, suggesting that the Halos view him as a future closer. The 24-year-old is in the midst of an incredible season, having pitched to a 0.92 ERA with a 48-to-11 K/BB ratio and a 50.5 percent ground-ball rate. He’s controllable through the 2021 season, so it’s understandable that the Angels would strongly prefer to hang onto him. Then again, elite relief arms are commanding strong results, and while Bedrosian doesn’t have the track record that Ken Giles brought into the offseason, it’s possible that the Halos could get some meaningful pitching talent to add to their system if they did market him.
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Tigers have been checking in on fourth/fifth starter types, including Jeremy Hellickson of the Phillies, Wade Miley of the Mariners, Edinson Volquez of the Royals, Hector Santiago of the Angels and Erasmo Ramirez of the Rays. Detroit is looking to bolster its rotation and doesn’t seem keen on dealing away any potential long-term options in the rotation, as Crasnick’s colleague Jayson Stark tweets that clubs who have spoken to the Tigers say they’ve repeatedly turned away offers including Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd. (Notably, Stark mentioned the refusal to include Boyd and Norris in connection to some speculation on Jonathan Lucroy, but Detroit’s reluctance to part with either left-hander is worth mentioning all the same.)
MLB Network’s Peter Gammons reported earlier this week that the Dodgers have asked the Athletics about a package including both Rich Hill and Josh Reddick, and now Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Blue Jays have done the same. Toronto did acquire Melvin Upton Jr. earlier this week, potentially lessening the need for an outfield upgrade. But, Reddick would help to balance out a very right-handed lineup, and adding Hill to the mix would give the team a top-tier arm (if he can get healthy) to replace Aaron Sanchez if he is ultimately moved to the bullpen.
The Indians held some interest in Athletics lefty Marc Rzepczynski as of last night, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Of course, Slusser’s report was prior to the Indians’ blockbuster acquisition of Andrew Miller, so it’s not entirely certain that they’ll be in the market for another lefty. However, they’ve regularly trotted out an entirely right-handed relief corps this season, so adding a more situational lefty like Rzepczynski to complement Miller, who dominates everyone and needn’t be limited to specialized matchups, makes some sense.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Hector Santiago

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect