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Tigers’ Al Avila On Castellanos, McCann, Middle Infield

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With Detroit in a rebuild and one of its best players, right fielder Nicholas Castellanos, only under control for another year, this weekend may be his last as a Tiger. But general manager Avila suggested Saturday that the team’s not a sure bet to trade Castellanos during the offseason.

“Where he fits in the future of the Detroit Tigers, we’re still working through that at this point. But right now, I see him as our starting right fielder in 2019,” Avila said (Twitter links via Jason Beck of MLB.com).

Avila added that revenue sharing could factor into whether the Tigers keep Castellanos, given that they may go from paying it to collecting it. As Beck notes, by becoming a revenue sharing collector, Detroit would stand to receive a more valuable compensatory draft pick should it retain Castellanos through next season, issue him a qualifying offer after the campaign and then watch him depart in free agency.

Offensively, Castellanos has made a case that he’s a qualifying offer-worthy player since 2016 – his breakout season. And the former top prospect’s now on the verge of wrapping up his best campaign at the plate, having slashed .297/.354/.495 (129 wRC+) with 22 home runs in 670 trips. Castellanos has posted a terrific .362 weighted on-base average along the way, though his .388 xwOBA (via Statcast) suggests he has deserved even better results.

Although Castellanos has emerged as a key offensive piece, he hasn’t established himself on the other end. After struggling as a third baseman from 2014-17, Detroit moved Castellanos to the outfield on a full-time basis this year, but the returns haven’t been encouraging. Castellanos ranks last among outfielders in Outs Above Average (minus-25), third worst in Ultimate Zone Rating (minus-12.9) and fifth from the bottom in Defensive Runs Saved (minus-19). The 26-year-old’s limitations as a defender obviously help tamp down his impact, but thanks to his prowess as a hitter, he has still posted 2.8 wins above replacement. Castellanos has been a valuable player this year, then, and the Tigers will have to decide whether to continue with him in 2019 – his third and final arbitration-eligible season, in which he’ll earn a raise over his current salary of $6.05MM – or deal him during the winter.

Along with making a decision on Castellanos, Avila revealed that catcher, second base and shortstop will be among his areas of focus in the offseason (Twitter links via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com). The Tigers will have a “tough” call to make on catcher James McCann, Avila admitted, adding: “We have not made any decisions yet, but he’s one guy that we have to look at and determine do we bring him back or not?”

McCann, 28, looked like a promising piece for the Tigers as recently as 2017, but he has limped to a .220/.267/.314 (58 wRC+) batting line in 453 PA this season. Both that and his his subpar defensive work (per Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner) have seemingly put his Detroit tenure in jeopardy. On the heels of a rough 2018, in which he earned $2.375MM, McCann’s slated to go through arbitration for the second-last time in the offseason.

While McCann’s future is unclear, it’s obvious Avila plans to address the team’s middle infield, where shortstop Jose Iglesias is among its pending free agents.

“I don’t know if we’re going to be able to sign both but at least we’ll try to sign one,” Avila said of the two middle infield spots.

Going by fWAR (2.5), Iglesias was the Tigers’ second-most valuable position player this year before suffering a season-ending abdominal strain in late August. Never much of a threat at the plate, the 28-year-old Iglesias managed passable offensive production, as his .269/.310/.389 line and 90 wRC+ in 464 PA show, while providing his typical brand of plus defense (8.3 UZR, one DRS).

Whether the Tigers are interested in re-signing Iglesias is unknown, but it’s worth noting they reportedly had him on the trading block for the majority of the past couple years. Assuming his Tigers tenure is over, Iglesias will be one of the most proven non-Manny Machado shortstops available in free agency. It seems the Tigers will be prepared to sift through that group of players, given that they might not have an immediate Iglesias replacement on hand.

Detroit may also be lacking a capable starter at second heading into the offseason, but it’s possible it could turn to Niko Goodrum as its main option there. After inking a minors deal with the Tigers last offseason, Goodrum, 26, has batted a solid .244/.313/.433 (102 wRC+) with 16 HRs and 12 steals on 16 attempts across 486 trips to the plate. Goodrum has spent the majority of 2018 at the keystone, where he has racked up 64 appearances, but has also recorded double-digit showings at first, short, third and in the outfield.

The Tigers may want to keep Goodrum in a similar type of utility role next year, especially if aging, big-bodied first baseman Miguel Cabrera sees more time at designated hitter in the wake of Victor Martinez’s retirement. In that event, Detroit could look to free agency for help, to which Avila alluded. There will be some veteran stopgaps on the open market, perhaps including Brian Dozier, Logan Forsythe, old friend Ian Kinsler, Neil Walker and Josh Harrison.

Now on the cusp of wrapping up their second straight season as one of baseball’s worst teams, it’s fair to say the Tigers won’t be operating as aggressive buyers in the offseason. The rebuilding club still has some intriguing offseason calls ahead, though, particularly with respect to Castellanos.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: 1/11/18

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With tomorrow’s deadline for exchanging arbitration figures looming, arbitration agreements are likely to flow freely — particularly with a newly universal file-and-trial stance spurring things along. As always, MLBTR’s 2018 Arbitration Projections and 2018 MLB Arbitration Tracker are the places to go for more information. We’ll track today’s deals right here:

  • D-backs lefty Patrick Corbin has signed a one-year contract for the 2018 season, the club announced tonight. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that Corbin, who will be a free agent next season, will earn $7.5MM in his final season of arbitration. That comes in shy of his $8.3MM projection, though it’s nonetheless nearly twice what he made in 2017 ($3.95MM).
  • The Blue Jays avoided arbitration with outfielder Ezequiel Carrera and lefty Aaron Loup, per Nightengale (Twitter links). Carrera’s $1.9MM salary matches his projection, while Loup’s $1.8125MM payday is slightly north of his own $1.8MM projection. Loup will be a free agent next winter, while Carrera is controlled through 2019.
  • Nightengale also tweets that Angels catcher Martin Maldonado has agreed to a $3.9MM salary for the upcoming season, meaning the reigning AL Gold Glove winner behind the dish rather handily trounced his $2.8MM projection. Maldonado, 31, is also entering his final year of team control and will be a free agent next winter.

Earlier Agreements

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AL Rumors: Jays, Lynn, Rangers, Cashner, Tigers, Orioles, Machado

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The Blue Jays have shown at least some offseason interest in free agent right-hander Lance Lynn and center fielder Jarrod Dyson, according to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, who also lists the previously reported Lorenzo Cain and Alex Cobb. Whether they add any of those players, other free agents or go the trade route, the Blue Jays still have the payroll flexibility to make notable moves, Davidi explains. And general manager Ross Atkins suggested to Davidi and other reporters Saturday that the Jays aren’t yet satisfied with their their outfield or starting pitching, adding that they “could go several directions” for help. “We feel like we have one of the better systems in baseball, it’s not the best, we still have work to do, we feel that we’re probably in the top third, but we have plenty of depth to protect us throughout the major-league season, to provide options for us throughout the major-league season and to trade from,” Atkins said. “Whether that’s a bigger deal or a smaller deal, we’ll see, but we are now in a position where we have that option.”

More on a few other American League teams:

  • The Rangers are still in touch with free agent right-hander Andrew Cashner, who’s interested in re-signing with the team, TR Sullivan of MLB.com reports. After Cashner joined the Rangers on a $10MM guarantee last winter, the Texas native proceeded to toss 166 2/3 innings of 3.40 ERA ball, but that came with the majors’ worst K/BB ratio among qualified starters. Cashner, 31, is reportedly seeking a three-year contract this time around. If the Rangers ultimately do bring Cashner back, he’d follow Doug Fister, Mike Minor and Matt Moore as the fourth established rotation piece to latch on with them this winter (though Minor hasn’t started a big league game since 2014).
  • Earlier this week, Tigers general manager Al Avila discussed the futures of shortstop Jose Iglesias, third baseman/outfielder Nicholas Castellanos and catcher James McCann with Dan Dickerson and Pat Caputo on 97.1’s The Ticket (via Katie Strang of The Athletic; subscription required and strongly recommended). Avila expects Iglesias to be the Tigers’ Opening Day shortstop, but he acknowledged that the 28-year-old’s time with the franchise is likely to conclude in the near future. Iglesias “may well be traded at the trade deadline, if not sooner, depending on the needs that teams have out there for a shortstop,” said Avila. Strang goes on to break down potential replacements within the organization for Iglesias, who’s in his last year of arbitration eligibility (he’ll make a projected $5.6MM). Castellanos is in his penultimate year of arb control, meanwhile, and he’ll collect around $7.6MM. Although the Tigers have come up short in extending Castellanos, “he might be a guy that we stick with,” commented Avila, who noted that the soon-to-be 26-year-old’s stock would increase “quite a bit” if he were to make a successful transition to the outfield.  McCann is under control for the next three years, but Avila suggested that he could be a trade candidate, per Strang. (In case you missed it, MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently examined Iglesias, Castellanos, McCann and the rest of Detroit’s potential trade chips.)
  • The Diamondbacks “doubled back with renewed interest” in Orioles infielder Manny Machado, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes. A deal is not imminent, though, as Kubatko notes that nobody has sent the pitching-needy Orioles an offer good enough to convince them to move Machado. As of December, Arizona reportedly wasn’t willing to part with third baseman Jake Lamb in a Machado package.

Trade Buzz: Samardzija, Strickland, Hand, Tigers, Teheran, Mariners, Twins, Nats

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The Giants are “drawing [a] fair amount of interest” in right-handed starter Jeff Samardzija and right-handed reliever Hunter Strickland, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (all Twitter links). While Samardzija’s surface-level numbers aren’t exactly appealing this season — 4.86 ERA, 20 homers in 124 innings (1.45 HR/9) — he leads the Majors in K/BB ratio and is fifth in K%-BB% (23.7 percent). Moreover, Schulman notes that other teams simply value Samardzija’s durability. The Giants, too, value Shark’s innings, however, making the situation complicated. Schulman adds that the Giants are willing to think “creatively” in terms of trades, speculating about possible three-team swaps or taking on poor contracts.

As far as Strickland goes, the 28-year-old has a pristine 1.91 ERA with 9.8 K/9 through 33 innings this season. His 5.2 BB/9 rate and 88.5 percent strand rate suggest that there’s probably some regression in order, but the Giants (or an acquiring team) can control Strickland through the 2021 season, so it stands to reason that he’d draw interest as a long-term bullpen option.

More trade buzz from around the game…

  • Padres general manager A.J. Preller has been asking for teams’ “top, top prospects” when shopping lefty Brad Hand around the league, an exec that has inquired on Hand tells ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). While it’s hard to blame the Friars for aiming high — especially with 13 days remaining until the deadline — asking for multiple top-ranked prospects in return for Hand certainly seems like a steep asking price. The 27-year-old Hand does have an impressive 2.25 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 47.7 percent ground-ball rate, though, and he’s controllable through 2019.
  • Crasnick also tweets that the Tigers are “optimistic” that they’re getting close to completing a trade or two. GM Al Avila said yesterday that he expects something “soon,” Crasnick notes. The Tigers are known to be marketing the likes of J.D. Martinez, Justin Wilson and Alex Avila, though it’s worth noting that Martinez is in the lineup tonight. Avila is out of the lineup, though that’s likely due to the fact that Detroit is facing a left-handed opponent, and James McCann rakes against southpaw pitching.
  • David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that the Royals had a scout in attendance to watch Julio Teheran’s start for the Braves last night. It should be noted, of course, that there were likely a number of clubs on hand and that the Royals are certain to be scouting a number of potential rotation additions. Teheran turned in six innings of two-run ball without allowing a homer, though he also issued four walks and uncorked a wild pitch.
  • The Mariners are becoming an “increasingly active” buyer as the deadline approaches, tweets Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Seattle currently sits just 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, and GM Jerry Dipoto is prioritizing starting pitching that can be controlled beyond the 2017 season. Seattle has had poor luck in its rotation this year, with Drew Smyly going down to Tommy John surgery and Hisashi Iwakuma missing a huge chunk of the season, to say nothing of injuries to Felix Hernandez and James Paxton. King Felix and Paxton are back in the fold now, but the M’s currently have rookies Andrew Moore and Sam Gaviglio in their rotation.
  • MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand hears that the Twins are shying away from rental assets and are focusing primarily on pieces they can control beyond the current season. Minnesota is preparing for the deadline with a buyer’s mindset, but it’s not clear exactly how aggressive they’ll be. ESPN’s Buster Olney recently wrote that Minnesota isn’t prepared to gut its farm system in order to make a significant splash, but if the team isn’t keen on rentals, as Feinsand suggests, then perhaps they’ll zero in on some second-tier assets that will remain under contract through 2018. Speaking purely speculatively, David Phelps, AJ Ramos and Brad Brach are among the bullpen names that could potentially be had without ransacking the farm, while a starter like Edinson Volquez could fit the same bill.
  • Despite the loss of Joe Ross for this season (and much of next), further upgrading the bullpen is a larger priority for the Nationals than pursuing a rotation piece, reports Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Edwin Jackson is currently getting a chance to make some starts thanks in part to the struggles of righties A.J. Cole and Austin Voth in the minors. Meanwhile, well-regarded prospect Erick Fedde is being stretched back out as a starter after briefly converting to the bullpen, Janes notes.

Injury Notes: Cespedes, Turner, O’Day, Beltre, Pedroia, Travis

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Here’s the latest flurry of notable players leaving, joining, and (temporarily?) avoiding the disabled list…

  • Yoenis Cespedes is expected to be activated by the Mets tomorrow, manager Terry Collins tells the New York Times’ James Wagner and other reporters.  The slugger will be the 26th man on the Mets’ roster for their double-header against the Braves.  Cespedes has been sidelined since April 27 due to a hamstring strain, with the Mets saying they were being particularly careful with their star outfielder due to nagging lower-leg injuries that have bothered Cespedes dating back to last season.  Cespedes was off to a red-hot start when he was able to play, posting a .992 OPS in 75 plate appearances.
  • Justin Turner will be activated from the 10-day DL tonight, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (link to their tweet).  The third baseman has been recovering from a hamstring strain since May 19.  Turner was hitting .379/.453/.493 over 162 prior to his injury.
  • The Tigers activated catcher James McCann, who has been out of action since May 25 due to a laceration on his left hand.  McCann will be returning to a “platoon-oriented” timeshare but not exclusively so, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus told reporters (including Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press).  The left-handed Alex Avila has a whopping 1.074 OPS over 139 PA this year, so it seems likely that he’ll get the lion’s share of playing time over the right-handed hitting McCann.
  • The Orioles have placed right-hander Darren O’Day on the 10-day DL due to a right shoulder strain, the team announced.  The move is retroactive to June 7, and righty Stefan Crichton has been called up in a corresponding transactions.  O’Day is having another solid year out of Baltimore’s pen, with a 3.86 ERA, 2.42 K/BB rate and a career-high 11.2 K/9 over his 23 1/3 IP.  O’Day’s absence will further tax an Orioles bullpen that is still missing ace closer Zach Britton.
  • As expected, the Rangers officially called Jurickson Profar up from Triple-A but lefty Dario Alvarez was demoted in the corresponding move, as the club is still waiting to see on Adrian Beltre’s bad ankle.  Beltre told Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Tribune (Twitter link) that he could sit out through the weekend but be available off the bench as a pinch-hitter.  Beltre only just returned to action after spending much of the season on the DL with a calf injury, playing in seven games before suffering his ankle problem on Tuesday.
  • The Red Sox activated Dustin Pedroia off the 10-day DL, one of multiple roster moves that included first baseman Sam Travis and right-hander Brandon Workman being optioned to Triple-A and lefty Brian Johnson being called up to start tonight’s game.  Pedroia was originally thought to be in for a lengthy absence after suffering a sprained left wrist, though he’ll instead return after missing just the minimum 10 days.  Travis’ demotion is noteworthy, as he excelled (8-for-17 with a 1.115 OPS in 19 PA) in his first taste of big league action, though Boston doesn’t really have a place for him on the roster.  Both Josh Rutledge and Deven Marrero are needed for infield depth and to spell the struggling Pablo Sandoval at third, while Hanley Ramirez is currently locked into DH-only duties.

AL Roster Notes: Travis, Faria, Kinsler, Hahn

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Devon Travis has suffered a new bone bruise and cartilage damage in his surgically repaired right knee that has prompted the Blue Jays to place him on the 10-day disabled list, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. The injury is rather mysterious, it seems as Travis felt fine when boarding a flight to Oakland on Sunday evening but was unable to bend his knee without discomfort when the plane landed. He’ll be examined by the same specialist that performed his offseason knee surgery in the near future, and manager John Gibbons acknowledged to Davidi and other reporters that Travis’ injury won’t be a quick one. There’s no timetable for the return of Travis, who has batted .259/.291/.438 with five homers, four steals and strong defense at second base through his first 50 games of the season.

Here are a few quick roster moves from around the American League.

  • The Rays will promote righty Jacob Faria to make his big-league debut Wednesday in a start against the White Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. The 23-year-old Faria has never been regarded as an upper-echelon prospect (he currently ranks ninth among Rays prospects, according to MLB.com), but he’s in the midst of a strong season at Triple-A Durham, with a 3.07 ERA, 3.4 BB/9 and an outstanding 12.9 K/9 in 58 2/3 innings thus far. MLB.com notes that he works in the low 90s, keeps the ball down and has a promising chanegup, although his breaking stuff is usable but below average. Having Faria start Wednesday will give Rays starters Jake Odorizzi, Alex Cobb and Erasmo Ramirez an extra day of rest.
  • The Tigers have announced that they’ve reinstated second baseman Ian Kinsler from the 10-day DL and optioned outfielder JaCoby Jones to Triple-A Toledo. They also announced that catcher James McCann, who suffered a hand laceration after being hit by a pitch late last month, would begin a rehab assignment with Toledo tonight. The Tigers placed Kinsler on the DL on May 27; it appears the hamstring strain that landed him there isn’t especially serious, because he’s back after the minimum time. The 34-year-old is off to a slow start this season, batting .234/.331/.365.
  • The Athletics have announced that they’ve reinstated righty Jesse Hahn (triceps strain) from the 10-day DL and optioned 1B/OF Matt Olson to Triple-A Nashville. Hahn will start tonight against the Blue Jays. Like Kinsler, Hahn spent the minimum required time on the DL. He even made one rehab start with Class A+ Stockton in his brief time on the shelf. The 27-year-old has a 3.81 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 49 2/3 innings in the big leagues this season. Olson, once one of the Athletics’ top prospects, has collected just four plate appearances in two stints with the big club this year despite batting a terrific .285/.374/.575 in 206 plate appearances for Nashville.

Latest On Jonathan Lucroy’s Market

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JULY 28, 7:11pm: The Mets are believed to be “behind” other organizations in pursuit of Lucroy, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. But it’s still a “fluid” pursuit for one of the best-available players this summer.

Heyman adds that there’s a mystery team involved. There’s another layer of intrigue here, perhaps, as that could be another report on a solitary, unidentified trying organization — or it may represent the second such unknown entrant to the sweepstakes. (See Crasnick’s report referenced below.)

4:29pm: The Brewers have “re-engaged” with the Mets on Lucroy after New York’s initial offer was reportedly deemed light, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). That doesn’t mean that the sides are anywhere close to a deal, he cautions, but it seems at least that there’s more to discuss.

3:35pm: Crasnick now tweets that the Astros aren’t believed to be in play for Lucroy, with a source telling him that Houston’s interest was previously overstated.

JULY 27, 7:35pm: The Indians have spoken to the Brewers about both Lucroy and left-handed reliever Will Smith, according to Crasnick (on Twitter). A left-handed reliever has long been said to be one of Cleveland’s top priorities, so the addition of Smith to talks is natural and one that we’ve speculated upon in the past. The 27-year-old Smith was in the mix to be Milwaukee’s closer but suffered a freak knee injury in Spring Training and missed upwards of two months due to a partially torn LCL. He somewhat improbably avoided surgery and is back in the Milwaukee ’pen, with a 3.72 ERA and an 18-to-8 K/BB ratio in 19 1/3 innings. Smith took his game from solid relief arm to lights-out lefty last season when he posted a 2.70 ERA with 12.9 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in 63 1/3 innings and is controllable through 2019.

6:10pm: The Brewers’ trade talks surrounding catcher Jonathan Lucroy are picking up, per ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (links to Twitter). The Indians, Rangers, Mets, Astros and Red Sox have all been mentioned in connection with Lucroy, Crasnick notes, and offers being made by other clubs have become more serious recently. Crasnick adds that the the ever-popular “mystery team” may have entered the mix as well.

While that typically leads to a large amount of speculation, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports may have quickly shed some light on the matter, reporting that the Tigers are a somewhat surprising new entrant into the Lucroy market. He hypothesizes that Detroit could offer James McCann to the Brewers in a similar manner to the Mets’ reported offer of Travis d’Arnaud, though Milwaukee will want more than that in exchange. The Brewers, per Rosenthal, are seeking high-end prospects back in addition to any catcher that is offered in exchange for Lucroy.

While there’s a common belief that Lucroy will indeed be traded prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline, Rosenthal writes that the Mets feel that Milwaukee is “overreaching” in its asks for Lucroy, while AL West contenders like the Astros and Rangers are more focused on adding pitching depth than a catcher at this time. Houston is also looking at other backstops, he notes, so it’s not a guarantee that even if they move for a catcher, Lucroy would be the target. Meanwhile, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan tweets that the Rangers have yet to show serious interest in Lucroy and consider adding a catcher to be a “luxury” at this point, as pitching depth remains their primary focus. Those tweets came prior to Texas’ acquisition of Lucas Harrell and Dario Alvarez from the Braves, but one would assume that those two arms alone have not ended the Rangers’ search for pitching upgrade.

Lucroy, who turned 30 last month, is hitting .301/.362/.486 with 13 homers, 16 doubles and three triples on the season while playing excellent defense. He’s earning a modest $4MM salary in 2016 (of which about $1.46MM remains), and his contract contains an exceptionally affordable $5.25MM club option for the 2017 campaign.

AL Central Notes: Kepler, Latos, Dyson, Soria, McCann

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ESPN.com’s Jim Caple provides some interesting background on Twins prospect Max Kepler, ranging from his professional ballet-dancing parents to his unlikely introduction to the game of baseball in Germany. Needless to say, the old ballgame still doesn’t have a very high profile in the European nation, but it may surprise some to learn that there’s a fairly notable niche of enthusiasts. As Kepler puts it, “I think since I started playing as a small kid, when it was mainly Americans who were playing baseball, now it’s actually Germans who are starting to play.” No doubt, Kepler’s own career could have a significant impact in driving future growth. (By the way, if you’re interested in the topic, check out this MLBTR podcast episode from last fall, when I chatted with Euroball expert Josh Chetwynd.)

Here’s more from the American League Central:

  • Mat Latos has paid huge dividends to the White Sox cin his first three starts for the organization, as Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune writes. Since signing for just $3MM in an effort to rebuild his career, Latos has spun 18 1/3 innings in which he’s allowed just six hits and one earned run. While there are plenty of indicators suggesting that Latos hasn’t been quite as dominant as those results would suggest, and his velocity is back down, he’s been in the zone more than ever before and has still managed to induce a lot of easy outs (35.3% soft contact rate; 11.8% line-drive rate).
  • The Royals activated Jarrod Dyson from the DL yesterday after he missed the first several weeks of the season with a strained oblique. Manager Ned Yost says he’ll be deployed in a “loose platoon” with Paulo Orlando, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tweet. Of course, the left-handed-hitting speedster figures to get a solid majority of the action in that arrangement.
  • Meanwhile, the Royals’ vaunted bullpen hasn’t been quite the well-oiled machine thus far in 2016 that it was in the recent past, as Dodd explores. Really, it’s mostly a matter of some early struggles from Joakim Soria, who has allowed six earned runs on ten hits and five walks over his first seven frames. Notably, he’s only managed to get hitters to chase pitches out of the zone 14.7% of the time, which is less than half his career rate. For now, at least, the club isn’t ready to move him out of the primary set-up job, though Kelvin Herrera and Luke Hochevar have both looked strong. “Our roles are set until we need to change our roles,” Yost says.
  • The Tigers received fairly promising news on the injury front yesterday, as manager Brad Ausmus noted in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link). Catcher James McCann’s absence is expected to land “on the shorter side of the two to four week timetable” that he’d been given for a sprained ankle. (Though it’s fair to note that Jarrod Saltalamacchia has filled in admirably in his stead.) Also, outfielder Cameron Maybin is nearly ready to make his season debut, opening up some options with Anthony Gose off to a slow start.

Tigers Purchase Contract Of Bobby Wilson; James McCann To DL

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The Tigers have purchased the contract of backstop Bobby Wilson, per a club announcement. Detroit has placed starting catcher James McCann on the 15-day DL, which necessitated the move.

Wilson was just acquired in the trade that sent fellow receiver Bryan Holaday to the Rangers. It wasn’t long ago that both players seemed likely to end up in the minors to open the year, but injuries have opened up significant opportunities for both. In Wilson’s case, he’ll back up Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but ought to have reasonably plentiful chances given the new starter’s defensive questions and struggles against left-handed pitching.

McCann’s DL stint comes after he suffered an ankle sprain last night. It’s been classified as a grade 2 sprain, says manager Brad Ausmus, who expects that McCann could miss somewhere in the range of two to four weeks. (Via MLB.com’s Jason Beck, on Twitter.) It doesn’t appear that there’s much cause for longer-term concern with the injury, but Detroit obviously needed to make a quick decision to ensure it had another catcher on hand.

Even assuming that McCann isn’t out for any significant time, though, the move has consequences — particularly given that there are several lean catching situations around the game. The Tigers will need to add Wilson to the 40-man roster, for one thing. And that will likely also mean that he’ll need to be exposed to waivers when McCann is ready to return, which could open an opportunity for a new round of musical chairs.

Injury Notes: McCann, Rumbelow, Cardinals

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Here’s the latest on some notable injury situations around baseball…

  • Tigers catcher James McCann left today’s game with a right ankle sprain, suffered while trying to beat out an infield single in the fifth inning.  Detroit skipper Brad Ausmus told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jason Beck) that “there’s concern” McCann could require a DL stint.  X-rays were negative on the injury but McCann is still to undergo an MRI.  Jarrod Saltalamacchia would become the regular starter if McCann has to miss time.  It was just two weeks ago that Detroit traded backup Bryan Holaday to the Rangers in a trade that brought veteran backstop Bobby Wilson into the fold, though Wilson would need to be added to the 40-man roster if the Tigers used him as a backup; Saltalamacchia and McCann are currently the only catchers on Detroit’s 40-man.
  • Yankees righty Nick Rumbelow is in need of Tommy John surgery, Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees blog reports.  Rumbelow was sent to Triple-A to to begin this season.  The 24-year-old Rumbelow made his MLB debut in 2015, posting a 4.02 ERA, 8.6 K/9 and 3.00 K/BB rate over 15 2/3 innings out of the New York bullpen.  Rumbelow averaged 93.4mph on his fastball last year but hit the 98mph plateau when pitching in college at LSU, as per Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel in a breakdown of the Yankees’ farm system from January 2015.  Rumbelow has posted strong relief numbers in his three minor league seasons, though the Yankees experimenting using him as a starter this spring.  As per the usual recovery timeline for Tommy John patients, Rumbelow should be out of action until at least midway through the 2017 season.
  • Injuries have done a number on the Cardinals’ minor league pitching depth, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, as Marco Gonzales is considering elbow surgery and Tim Cooney has been battling with a sore shoulder.  “When you look at what we have going on at [Triple-A] Memphis, it’s not as strong as we thought we were.  But, that’s not to say we are in a panic mode by any means,” Cards GM John Mozeliak said, noting that top prospect Alex Reyes could be an option in a couple of months.  Reyes is currently serving a 50-game suspension after testing positive for marijuana in November.  Mozeliak also provides updates on a few other injured Cardinals within Frederickson’s piece.

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