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Mike Leake

Mariners Outright Bergman, Place Phelps On DL, Announce Promotions

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

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

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

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

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

NL Notes: Leake, Lynn, Harper, Upton, Humphreys

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In the wake of today’s Mike Leake trade, some have wondered whether the Cardinals might be more inclined to bring back fellow right-hander Lance Lynn, who’s set to reach free agency this fall. But Lynn himself suggested that, at a minimum, that’s hardly an inevitability. As Chris Lee of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, the veteran hurler says there has “been zero communication” between his camp and the Cards’ front office about a new contract. You’ll want to read all of his comments for yourself, but it certainly did not sound as if the 30-year-old is entirely sanguine about the chances of a reunion.

  • It’s worth noting, too, that Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has emphasized a desire to rely on the team’s younger arms in explaining the Leake swap, as Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com tweets. That would seem to suggest that Luke Weaver and others factor prominently in the club’s plans for 2018 (and, of course, beyond). Mozeliak covered a few of the up-and-coming hurlers in his comments today, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch covers in his story on the trade.
  • Nationals star Bryce Harper does not seem to be making much headway in his effort to return from his recent knee injury, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). Harper says he suffered not only a bone bruise but also a strained calf, while indicating some concern with the fact that there’s not much time left in the regular season. Skipper Dusty Baker acknowledged that Harper is still “a long way of running,” adding that the club will give Jayson Werth some time in right field in case Harper isn’t ready for the postseason.
  • The Giants have at least some level of interest in Tigers outfielder Justin Upton, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (links to Twitter). Trouble is, San Francisco (quite understandably) would only want to deal for Upton if it can be assured that he won’t exercise his opt-out clause and head out onto the open market this fall. Upton will be deciding between another foray into free agency and the $88.5MM over four years still left on his contract. It seems unlikely that he’ll be inclined to tip his hand on that call, let alone pre-commit, so it’s hard to imagine how a deal could come together. The Giants, after all, won’t want to sacrifice value to rent Upton in a lost season. And the Tigers would surely rather deal him in the offseason or offer him a qualifying offer (if he opts out) than give him away for nothing. Of course, San Francisco could still pursue Upton in trade or free agency after the season if he ends up remaining with Detroit through the end of the season.
  • Another Mets pitcher has suffered a significant injury, though he is not a major leaguer. Prospect Jordan Humphreys has undergone Tommy John surgery, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). The 21-year-old landed with the Mets as an 18th-round pick, but impressed this year at the Class A level, throwing 69 2/3 innings of 1.55 ERA ball with 10.3 K/9 against 1.2 BB/9. He had just been promoted to High-A before hitting the shelf. MLB.com recently rated Humphreys the organization’s 15th-best prospect.

Mariners Acquire Mike Leake

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12:07pm: The Cardinals will send the Mariners around $17MM, Rosenthal tweets.

10:12am: In a surprising development, the Cardinals have dealt righty Mike Leake to the Mariners. Young infielder Rayder Ascanio will go to St. Louis in the swap, with $750K of international bonus pool spending capacity and unannounced cash considerations also heading to Seattle.

Aug 15, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Mike Leake (8) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not yet known how much cash the M’s will take on in the deal or what players may be headed in return. Leake had already cleared revocable waivers, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). That was to be expected. Leake is earning $15MM this year, with about $2.5MM left to go. He remains under contract through 2020, with a $53MM total guarantee — including a $5MM buyout of a 2021 mutual option.

Leake’s contract includes full no-trade protection, so his approval was required for the deal to go through. He has indeed waived the clause, per Nightengale (Twitter link). Notably, Leake has spoken of his desire to be closer to family in Arizona and will now at least get to spend Spring Training there; that motivation and others may have aided his decision.

[RELATED: Updated Mariners & Cardinals Depth Charts]

Since signing on with the Cards before the 2016 season, Leake has shown the durability that earned him the contract, throwing 330 2/3 innings over 56 starts. But he has also managed only a 4.46 cumulative ERA while compiling 6.2 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9. Leake has struggled especially of late, working to an 8.88 ERA in his five starts in August.

Assuming he can get back on track, Leake will help steady a Seattle rotation that has faced a steady barrage of injuries. Felix Hernandez, James Paxton, Hisashi Iwakuma, and Drew Smyly are all on the DL, with only the first two expected to return this season. The club has fallen three games off of the AL Wild Card pace, but evidently still feels compelled to push for the postseason this year.

Of course, Leake will also represent a piece of the future picture. The Mariners will almost certainly bid adieu to Iwakuma, Smyly, and Yovani Gallardo over the winter. Erasmo Ramirez and even David Phelps — both acquired earlier this summer — could be rotation options (though the latter has worked from the pen), as could Gonzales. Still the team was clearly in need of at least one more arm to go along with King Felix and the Big Maple.

This is the second notable recent swap between these organizations, who had previously struck a deal that sent young lefty Marco Gonzales to Seattle for outfielder Tyler O’Neill. Leake may well end up bumping Gonzales out of the Mariners rotation for the time being.

Seattle will also pick up some bonus pool money, which St. Louis wasn’t able to utilize anyway following penalties for prior spending. The Cards will also add the 21-year-old Ascanio, a middle infielder out of Venezuela. Ascanio has played at the Class A and High-A levels this year, posting a .217/.295/.355 slash over 450 total plate appearances. That’s not a lot of offense, though he has knocked nine balls over the fence — more than he had over his four prior professional seasons combined.

St. Louis remains in the hunt for both the NL Central crown and a Wild Card spot, though the team enters play today five games out of the postseason picture. While the rotation has had its issues, Luke Weaver has emerged as a quality option since returning to the majors recently, perhaps freeing the club to deal Leake. Another young righty, Jack Flaherty, likely isn’t far behind.

Ultimately, dealing Leake may have more to do with future considerations than the club’s immediate postseason hopes. Moving some of the contract will open some payroll space for 2018 and beyond, though it also takes away one rotation option with Lance Lynn slated to hit the open market and Adam Wainwright entering the final year of his contract. The club does still control Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha, in addition to the two talented but less-experienced arms noted above, and will hopefully welcome Alex Reyes back into the fold next year. Parting with Leake, though, could conceivably keep the door open for the return of Lynn or lead the team to acquire another rotation piece over the offseason.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter) first said a deal involving Leake was close, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). MLB.com’s Jen Langosch tweeted the detail on the international money.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cardinals Notes: Rosenthal, Rule 5 Draft, Pitching Staff

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On the disabled list due to a reported ligament issue in his right elbow, Trevor Rosenthal has consulted with Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion on the best course of action, tweets Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. The Cardinals are expected to make an official announcement on his status tomorrow after going through the results of both tests, though it’s already been reported that a surgical option is at least a possibility for Rosenthal.

More on the Cards…

  • President of baseball operations John Mozeliak tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Cardinals are rethinking their protection process when it comes to the Rule 5 Draft. St. Louis lost right-hander Luis Perdomo and shortstop Allen Cordoba to the Padres in each of the past two Rule 5 Drafts because the Cardinals’ front office assumed that no team would be comfortable carrying a Class-A player for the entire season in the Majors. (Cordoba, for reference, has just three at-bats all month with the Padres.) However, Mozeliak acknowledges that with more teams opting for complete rebuilds, those clubs can afford to prioritize sheer upside over proximity to the Majors. Goold’s column is well worth a full read-through, as he runs down several players that are locks to be added to the 40-man roster this winter and others that the Cards will have to consider with their new-look approach to this process.
  • Both Bernie Miklasz of 101 ESPN and Jeff Gordon of the Post-Dispatch have penned columns imploring the Cardinal front office to shake up the team’s pitching staff. Injuries to Rosenthal, Adam Wainwright, Kevin Siegrist and the recent struggles of both Mike Leake and Michael Wacha have left the team’s pitching staff looking depleted and vulnerable. As Miklasz points out, every other National League contender has made at least one addition via trade since the season started, but the Cardinals have stood pat. Gordon notes that the pitching problems are hardly a short-term cause for concern. Lance Lynn is a free agent this winter, and each of Wainwright, Leake and Wacha carries his own brand of uncertainty. Miklasz and Gordon call for quick looks at young arms like Luke Weaver, Jack Flaherty, Sandy Alcantara and others, both as a means of remaining competitive in 2017 and evaluating for the future.
  • One of those moves could come in the near future, as Langosch writes. The Cardinals are considering skipping Leake’s slot in the rotation this weekend, per Langosch, and his scheduled start aligns with that of Flaherty in Triple-A. Leake has previously conceded that he’s experiencing some fatigue, and the stats bear that out; Leake logged a 2.24 ERA through his first 10 starts but has an unsightly 5.83 earned run average since June 1. General manager Mike Girsch tells Langosch that “all options are on the table” as the team evaluates its best course of action.

Central Notes: Leake, Rosenthal, Jimenez, Hamilton

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The Cardinals announced yesterday that righty Mike Leake will be activated from the 15-day DL to start on Wednesday, as MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch tweets. His return from a bout of shingles is welcome news as the team battles for a Wild Card berth. Leake had struggled rather notably of late — he carries a 5.71 ERA and has allowed a .824 OPS over his last seven starts — but he’ll look to get back on track and contribute some solid innings down the stretch. If he can’t get it going, the Cards will be able to turn back to sensational 22-year-old Alex Reyes, who will be bumped from the rotation for the time being but figures to be available for high-leverage innings or lengthier outings from the bullpen.

Here’s more from the central divisions:

  • Meanwhile, injured Cardinals reliever Trevor Rosenthal may have a shot at joining Leake in returning to the club this year, ESPN.com’s Mark Saxon reports. He just returned to the mound for the first time since he was shut down with a forearm strain, Saxon notes. While he’ll obviously need a chance to ramp back up before there’s any chance of a major league return, it would seem wise for the organization to do everything possible to get Rosenthal in action before season’s end. After all, the 26-year-old could yet be an important contributor if he can overcome his sudden command problems, and the Cards need to gather all the information they can before deciding whether to tender him a contract for 2017.
  • Despite the Tigers’ need for bullpen help, the club has decided not to promote intriguing righty Joe Jimenez, as Evan Woodberry of MLive.com reports. It seems the club isn’t sure that the 21-year-old yet possesses the secondary offerings needed to succeed in the majors, as he certainly has the numbers to support a promotion. After opening the 2016 season at the High-A level, the Puerto Rican hurler pushed his way to Triple-A. He didn’t maintain his gaudy 14+ K/9 strikeout rate there, but the overall results were quite promising for a pitching of his age. In his 15 2/3 frames at the highest level of the minors, Jimenez allowed four earned runs on just nine hits and four walks while retiring 16 opposing hitters via the K.
  • Billy Hamilton will likely make it back this year for the Reds after suffering a strained left oblique, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Still, though, he won’t resume any baseball activities for five to seven days, and seems likely to be out at least some time beyond that as the out-of-contention Reds play things safe with their speedy center fielder. The silver lining here may be that Cinci will find it easier to plug versatile prospect Jose Peraza into the lineup. He has been on a tear since his most recent big league promotion, and seems in need of regular time as the organization assesses its offseason plans.

Mike Leake Placed On 15-Day Disabled List

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The Cardinals announced this morning that right-hander Mike Leake has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 22, due to shingles. Lefty reliever Dean Kiekhefer has been called up from Triple-A Memphis to take his spot on the roster.

Leake has been dealing with shingles for the past week or so, and manager Mike Matheny said yesterday that the team was considering a possible DL stint (via MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch). Top prospect Alex Reyes, who had been pitching out of the bullpen in his first taste of Major League action, started in Leake’s place on Saturday and could continue to get a look in that role with Leake now out until at least Sept. 6. By making the move to place Leake on the disabled list now, the Cardinals are able to add an extra arm to their bullpen now rather than waiting until rosters expand on Thursday.

Leake will join fellow righty Michael Wacha on the disabled list, meaning that the Cardinals will temporarily be reliant upon a pair of rookies — Reyes and right-hander Luke Weaver — in their rotation as they look to cling to a half-game lead over the Pirates in a competitive race for the second National League Wild Card spot. (The Marlins and Mets are each within 2.5 games of that Wild Card berth as well.) Leake had been doing some of his best work of the season prior to coming down with the virus, having rattled off three consecutive quality starts including a scoreless seven-inning gem on Aug. 21. It’s been an up and down season for the 28-year-old, who has totaled a 4.56 ERA with 6.4 K/9, 1.4 BB/9 and a 54 percent ground-ball rate in 152 innings. Lackluster ERA notwithstanding, Leake’s strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates have all improved over the 2016 season, leading to considerably more favorable reviews from ERA estimators like FIP (3.88), xFIP (3.73) and SIERA (3.87). He’s in the first season of a five-year, $80MM contract signed with St. Louis this past offseason.

NL Central Notes: Brewers, Pirates, Cardinals

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The prospects the Brewers have acquired during their rebuild have drawn plenty of attention, but the work general manager David Stearns did buying low on veterans during his first offseason at the helm shouldn’t be overlooked, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes. The two biggest success stories resulting from Stearns’ offseason dumpster diving are shortstop/third baseman Jonathan Villar and right-hander Junior Guerra, while reliever Carlos Torres has also been a quality addition. Villar, whom the Brewers acquired from Houston in November for pitching prospect Cy Sneed, has stolen the second-most bases in the league (50) and hit .297/.378/.434 with 10 home runs in 546 trips to the plate. The 31-year-old Guerra, a waiver claim from the White Sox, has been among the top rookies in baseball this year, having logged a 2.93 ERA, 7.55 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and 46.1 percent ground-ball rate across 107 1/3 innings. “Some of the most rewarding moments you get in this job stem from challenging processes,” Stearns told Haudricourt. “Finding players who can contribute at the major-league level through some of the unconventional means, whether it’s waiver claims or minor-league free-agent signings, Rule 5 picks, lower-level trades, those are transactions that don’t generate a lot of public notoriety but can still have a positive effect on the organization.”

Here’s more from the NL Central:

  • Corner infielder David Freese accepted a two-year extension offer from the Pirates earlier this week because he likes their players and coaching staff, expects the club to keep contending, and didn’t want to risk encountering a tepid market for his services as a free agent, per Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Despite a handful of solid seasons with the Cardinals and Angels, Freese went unsigned until March last year before finally settling for a $3MM deal. He has since earned another $11MM in guarantees from Pittsburgh through 2018 by slashing .273/.351/.427 with 12 homers in 407 plate appearances. “I’ve made a lot of money in this game to begin with,” stated the 33-year-old Freese. “This contract helps a little more. Where I play and who I’m around is more important to me.”
  • The Cardinals are unsure how much longer shingles will keep righty Mike Leake out, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “We’re not seeing great progress,” manager Mike Matheny said. “So he’s just been wiped out. There’s obviously pain involved. We’re obviously just trying to give him the best opportunity to get better. It’s been pretty slow.” Aside from visiting Cardinals physicians, the 28-year-old Leake has been away from the team since Monday because shingles is contagious. With Leake unable to go Saturday, the Cards turned to phenom Alex Reyes for his first career major league start. Reyes threw 4 2/3 innings and allowed a run on two hits and four walks in a 3-2 loss to the A’s. Leake, whom the Redbirds signed to a five-year, $80MM deal in the offseason, has compiled a 4.56 ERA, 6.39 K/9, 1.42 BB/9 and 54 percent grounder rate over 152 frames.
  • Right-hander Chad Kuhl will likely be in line for a spot in the Pirates’ rotation next season, observes Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Not only has the 23-year-old pitched well in 43 2/3 innings (3.50 ERA, 5.56 K/9, 2.27 BB/9), but the Pirates could have a few vacancies to fill in their rotation during the offseason. Righties Ivan Nova and Ryan Vogelsong are impending free agents, and southpaw Jeff Locke is a non-tender candidate. Plus, the Bucs are currently bracing for news on ace Gerrit Cole, who will undergo an examination on his elbow Sunday.

NL Notes: Collins, Reyes, Barrett, Maeda

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Manager Terry Collins led the Mets to a World Series just last year, but he acknowledges he could be fired after the season, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes. “They may fire me at the end of the year,” says Collins. “Whatever happens at the end of the year, I’ll walk out of here with a smile on my face, and get ready for spring training, or get ready to play golf, either one.” The Mets have had a tough, injury-riddled season, with Lucas Duda, David Wright, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz, Zack Wheeler and others missing or set to miss significant time. “We had no idea we’d break down like this. None. It’s hard to believe,” says Collins. Here’s more from the National League.

  • Cardinals righty Alex Reyes will get his first major league start Saturday in place of Mike Leake, who is sick, the club has announced (via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, on Twitter). Reyes, the team’s top-rated prospect, was promoted earlier this month and has made five relief appearances, striking out 13 batters and walking four in 9 1/3 innings while throwing in the high 90s.
  • Nationals reliever Aaron Barrett suffered a significant setback in his return from Tommy John surgery, as Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com notes on Twitter. He broke his elbow five weeks ago while working his way back. That obviously takes the talented righty out of the mix for a late-season return, and further clouds his future. The 28-year-old has swing-and-miss stuff, but will now need to overcome a second major surgery.
  • The Dodgers have demoted righty Kenta Maeda in order to gain an extra pitcher until his next start, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick tweets. The move appears to be procedural in nature. Maeda will be assigned to the club’s Rookie ball affiliate; with that season coming to a close, he can permissibly be brought back before the typical ten-day waiting period.

NL Notes: Cueto, Leake, Nats, Bucs, Phillies

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Despite signing a six-year, $130MM deal with the Giants in the offseason, right-hander Johnny Cueto’s excellence in San Francisco has somehow flown under the radar, writes Sarah Langs of ESPN.com. Not only has Cueto pitched to a 2.38 ERA across 75 2/3 innings this year, but he has done it while giving the Giants length, as Langs writes. Cueto is tied for the league lead with superstars Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale in complete games (three), and he’s second to Kershaw in seven-inning starts (nine). His changeup has been particularly dominant, as Cueto has induced swings and misses a career-best 44 percent of the time with it. Batters have hit a paltry .175 against the pitch and Cueto has fanned 29 hitters while deploying it with two strikes, which ranks behind only Stephen Strasburg. When batters have put Cueto’s changeup in play, they’ve hit it on the ground 74 percent of the time.

More from the National League:

  • Righty Mike Leake potentially could have signed with the Nationals before inking a five-year, $75MM deal with the Cardinals over the winter, but he told Bill Ladson of MLB.com that the timing wasn’t right. Leake, an Arizona native, was hoping to join the Diamondbacks when the Nats pursued him. “The Nationals came into the process during that time. It was almost bad timing. I was still feeling something out. I respected that the Nationals came early and tried to get me early. It just didn’t seem right at the time,” said Leake, who considers Nationals manager Dusty Baker a “big-time mentor” thanks to their time together in Cincinnati from 2010-13.
  • Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle didn’t shoot down the idea of moving right-hander Juan Nicasio to the bullpen when asked about it Sunday, tweets Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Nicasio, who has 77 big league innings in relief under his belt, will continue in the rotation for now. However, with the Super Two cutoff nearing, it stands to reason his spot could soon be in jeopardy if the Bucs go the expected route and promote top prospects Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon. Nicasio put himself in danger of a demotion by following a solid April with four mediocre to poor May starts. The 29-year-old allowed 15 earned runs on 28 hits in 20 May innings, though he did pick up 18 strikeouts against six walks. All told, Nicasio owns a 4.79 ERA, 9.00 K/9 and 3.45 BB/9 through 47 frames.
  • Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has “been conscious of” the team’s offensive shortcomings all season, he said after their 4-1 loss to the Cubs on Saturday (via Cody Stavenhagen of MLB.com). “You look at the Cubs, the Tigers, they’ve got the home run. They’ve got power. They have threats to do damage. We haven’t been able to do that,” he stated. Only the Braves have hit fewer home runs than the Phillies, whose team ISO is also second from the bottom (again, only Atlanta’s is worse). The Phillies are also 29th in runs scored (take a wild guess who’s last), but Mackanin is nonetheless confident they can continue staying in games because of their pitching. Thanks to their rotation and late-game relievers like Jeanmar Gomez, Hector Neris and David Hernandez, the Phillies are a respectable 26-23 and have gone a terrific 14-4 in one-run games. Having such resounding success in close affairs will only become more difficult without improved offensive production, however.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Beltran, Royals, Gray, Astros

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Here’s the latest from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, via his weekly Full Count video…

  • Carlos Beltran wants to keep playing beyond this season and there’s a chance he could return to the Royals in 2017.  Kansas City will have a vacancy at DH next season since Kendrys Morales is a free agent, and the Royals made a push to sign Beltran in the 2013-14 offseason before the Yankees boosted their offer to include a third guaranteed year.  Beltran, who turns 39 tomorrow, is still swinging a strong bat, and it’s possible he could better preserve himself in a regular DH role — Alex Rodriguez’s presence in New York has kept Beltran mostly in right field as a Yankee.
  • Aside from Ian Kennedy, the Royals also targeted free agent hurlers Zack Greinke, Wei-Yin Chen and Mike Leake as good fits for their rotation last winter.  “All throw changeups, all field their positions well and, most importantly, all command their fastballs,” Rosenthal noted, and GM Dayton Moore told him that pitchers who tend to fall behind in the count didn’t mesh with the Royals’ style.  K.C. ended up signing Kennedy to a five-year, $70MM contract, which was less than the five years/$80MM Leake and Chen respectively received from the Cardinals and Marlins and obviously well below Greinke’s $206.5MM megadeal with the Diamondbacks.  (Leake, unlike the other three, didn’t have qualifying offer draft compensation to his services.)  In the early going, Kennedy has been outstanding as a Royal, posting a 1.35 ERA over his first three starts.
  • The Athletics’ good start will make it less likely that Sonny Gray is traded, though Rosenthal notes that even if Gray was shopped and a team was willing to give up “a ton” for the star righty, the A’s would still face a tough decision about pulling the trigger on a deal.  Gray will become eligible for arbitration next winter, and though his arb costs may eventually price him out of Oakland’s comfort zone, Gray would still certainly be “affordable” for the A’s in 2017 (and really a bargain if he continues to post ace-type numbers).
  • In another video from Rosenthal, he notes that the Astros might eventually need to make a trade to add some velocity to their rotation.  Houston’s starters entered today with the lowest average velocity (87.8 mph) of any club in baseball, with the Orioles next to last at 90.1 mph.  The rotation woes are just one of many problems plaguing the Astros right now as the team is off to a rough 5-12 start.
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