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Central Notes: Quintana, ChiSox, Reds, Pirates

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The White Sox are primed to open the season with top starter and well-known trade candidate Jose Quintana in their rotation, notes Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). Chicago has been shopping Quintana over the past few months, but it still hasn’t found a proposal to its liking and likely won’t by Opening Day. Few teams, if any, have drawn more connections to Quintana than the Astros since he has been on the block, though they’re “not budging” from their offer, Nightengale hears.

Several more items from the Central divisions:

  • The Reds have officially tabbed Amir Garrett and Rookie Davis to start the year in their rotation, tweets C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Neither hurler has any major league experience to this point. The 24-year-old Garrett, Baseball America’s 81st-ranked prospect, ascended to Triple-A last season and put up a 3.46 ERA with 7.18 K/9 against 4.12 BB/9 in 67 2/3 innings. Davis, 23, was part of the Aroldis Chapman trade between the Reds and Yankees in 2015. Like Garrett, he reached Triple-A in 2016, though his results over a small sample weren’t ideal (7.50 ERA, 5.63 K/9, 2.63 BB/9 in 24 innings). In 134 1/3 Double-A frames, Davis owns a 3.28 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
  • The Pirates optioned left-hander Steven Brault to Triple-A on Tuesday, thereby cutting a contender for the final spot in their rotation. They’ll now choose among Tyler Glasnow, Drew Hutchison and Trevor Williams to slot in behind Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Ivan Nova and Chad Kuhl in what will be an all-righty rotation.
  • The Reds reassigned veteran outfielder Desmond Jennings to the minors on Tuesday, which could bring about the end of his short tenure with the organization. Jennings, who joined the Reds in February on a minor league contract, can opt out of his deal before Opening Day, and Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer expects that to happen (Twitter link).
  • Carlos Rodon, the second-best lefty in the White Sox’s rotation, received good news on his bicep Tuesday, relays Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Rodon got a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who confirmed that the 24-year-old doesn’t have any structural damage. El Attrache diagnosed Rodon with bursitis, and he’ll embark on a throwing program the next two weeks before the team reevaluates him. Given that timeline, Rodon will open 2017 on the disabled list.
  • Yet another note on the Reds, whose manager, Bryan Price, expects reliever Raisel Iglesias to be ready for Opening Day (Twitter link via Rosecrans). The righty hurt his elbow and hips when he fell in the shower a few weeks ago, thus putting his status for the start of the season in question. Undoubtedly the Reds’ premier relief weapon, Iglesias posted a 1.98 ERA, 9.72 K/9 and 3.42 BB/9 in 50 innings out of the bullpen after transitioning from the rotation a year ago.

Pitching Notes: Quintana, Ryu, Weaver, Iglesias

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Pittsburgh has pursued a trade for White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana over the past several months, but Pirates general manager Neal Huntington found the asking price to be “well above where it made sense for us” (via ESPN’s Jim Bowden). With the Bucs seemingly out of the picture for Quintana, the Astros and Braves are the “best possibilities,” per Bowden, who notes that the White Sox “continue to work hard” to trade the 28-year-old. No deal is imminent, though, according to Bowden, who adds that the Astros would have to part with both right-hander Francis Martes and outfielder Kyle Tucker, two of Baseball America’s top 20 prospects, to acquire Quintana (all Twitter links). Houston balked at giving up a package of Martes, Tucker and righty Joe Musgrove for Quintana during the Winter Meetings.

For his part, White Sox GM Rick Hahn is content to wait until someone makes what he deems a satisfactory offer for Quintana, who’s reasonably priced and controllable through the 2020 season. “We’ve had conversations even this spring where if our asks was met, we’d make a move,” Hahn told Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “Obviously nothing has developed as of yet, but that could well change early in the season or it could take to the trade deadline or into the next offseason” (Twitter links).

The latest on a few other pitchers:

  • Remarkably, after missing almost all of the previous two years because of shoulder problems, Dodgers southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu is making a strong case to crack their season-opening rotation, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Ryu threw four scoreless, one-hit innings against Milwaukee on Tuesday, giving him nine frames of one-run ball for the spring. Manager Dave Roberts made it clear afterward that the Dodgers want him in their rotation, saying: “When we look back a year, where he’s come from, he’s done nothing but allow us to be very optimistic. Every time he’s gotten better and we’re building him up to be a starter and break camp with us. That’s the plan on our end. He worked hard to put himself in a position where he’s at right now. We’re a better team if he’s in the starting rotation.” With Julio Urias likely to begin the season in extended spring training and Scott Kazmir looking for his lost velocity, two of Ryu, Brandon McCarthy and Alex Wood figure to claim the Dodgers’ available starting spots.
  • Padres righty Jered Weaver is dealing with a dead arm, tweets Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Weaver has also battled that issue in previous springs, notes Lin, though it’s not exactly encouraging news for a soft-tossing 34-year-old who’s coming off the two worst seasons of his career. Weaver indicated last week that he’s physically “10 steps above” where he was last year, when he piled up 178 innings with the Angels and logged the fourth-worst ERA (5.06) and second-highest FIP (5.62) among the majors’ qualified starters. The former ace lasted two-thirds of an inning in his start against the Royals on Wednesday and yielded four runs on three hits. He also hit two batters.
  • Already sans their best starter, the injured Anthony DeSclafani, as Opening Day approaches, the Reds might also begin 2017 without top reliever Raisel Iglesias, who hasn’t pitched since March 14. An elbow issue has kept Iglesias out of action, but an MRI only showed a bone bruise, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “The good news is that it doesn’t look like it’s going to be a huge setback or there are any structural issues at all,” said manager Bryan Price. “The negative is that he’s going to have four more days off before he begins to throw again and we’ll have to see how comfortable we are by Opening Day or maybe before that.” A former starter, Iglesias was among the few bright spots in a historically inept Reds bullpen last year, when he posted a 1.98 ERA, 9.72 K/9 and 3.42 BB/9 in 50 innings as a reliever. Health permitting, the 27-year-old will serve as a high-leverage bullpen weapon this season.

NL Notes: Reds, Padres, Cardinals

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The Reds had been optimistic that right-hander Anthony DeSclafani’s tender elbow wouldn’t keep him out for any regular-season action, but he’s now likely to begin the year on the disabled list after suffering a setback Friday, reports Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. DeSclafani will undergo an MRI, which is certainly an unsettling development for him and a Cincinnati team that could lose its top starter for an undetermined amount of time. The Reds went the first two months of last season without DeSclafani, who was on the DL with an oblique injury. He then returned to deliver 123 1/3 innings and record a 3.28 ERA, 7.7 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 41.9 percent ground-ball rate. If the 26-year-old’s elbow issue is serious, the Reds could move reliever Michael Lorenzen to the rotation, per Buchanan, who notes that manager Bryan Price is against the idea of transitioning Raisel Iglesias back to a starting role.

More from the National League:

  • Even though he’s 41 years old and hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2008, free agent reliever Eric Gagne is drawing interest from “multiple teams,” including the Padres, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (Twitter links). The 2003 NL Cy Young winner and former Dodgers closer is in the midst of an eye-opening showing with Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. Gagne threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings and ran his fastball up to 93.8 mph, per Statcast (via David Adler of MLB.com), in Canada’s loss to Colombia on Saturday.
  • As the season approaches, the only certainty in the Padres’ infield is that Wil Myers will start at first base, observes AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Yangervis Solarte “is going to be out there on a very consistent basis,” said manager Andy Green, but it’s unclear if he’ll remain at third (where he spent nearly all of last season) or spend more time at second base. Meanwhile, unexpected 2016 success story Ryan Schimpf and Cory Spangenberg are competing to start at second or third, and Luis Sardinas and Erick Aybar are in a close battle for the No. 1 shortstop job.
  • After coming over from Atlanta in an offseason trade involving Jaime Garcia, righty John Gant might be pitching his way into the Cardinals’ 2017 plans, writes Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Gant, who worked out of both the Braves’ bullpen and rotation in his 50-inning big league debut last year, is “really opening some eyes,” bench coach David Bell told Hummel on Saturday. That came after the 24-year-old tossed three perfect innings and threw 22 of 31 pitches for strikes in a start against his previous team. Overall, Gant has allowed a mere one run on three hits in eight spring innings. “I know he’s had success in the past but I think he’s really put himself into a position where we’re taking a close look at him,” continued Bell.

NL Central Notes: Cubs, Iglesias, Lorenzen, Freese

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Cubs GM Jed Hoyer joined Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquetter of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM today, and among the topics they discussed were a possible extension for Jake Arrieta and the health of Wade Davis following last season’s pair of trips to the disabled list (audio link via Soundcloud). Hoyer kept it general when speaking of Arrieta for the most part. “Obviously when it comes to free agency, there’s a lot of factors involved, a lot of things pulling both sides in different directions,” said Hoyer, after voicing a preference to keep the details of talks close to the vest. “You have to weigh a lot of factors, but at the end, obviously, this guy’s been terrific for us. He was a huge part of us winning the World Series, a huge part of us even getting to the playoffs in 2015, and certainly that’s not something we take for granted.”

Regarding Davis, Hoyer suggested that the heavy workloads Davis racked up when appearing in back-to-back World Series in 2014-15 — Davis threw 25 postseason innings in addition to 139 1/3 regular-season frames across those two years — is something of which the Cubs are cognizant. The Cubs plan to be judicious with the workload of Davis and the relievers who shouldered large workloads for Chicago in last year’s deep World Series run this spring, per Hoyer.

A few more items pertaining to the division…

  • It’s already been documented that the Reds aren’t planning on going with a traditional one-inning closer this season, and Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the team is going to lean heavily on right-handers Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen in the late innings. Both pitchers could end up exceeding 100 innings, writes Buchanan, as the plan is to utilize each in a high-leverage, multi-inning role. Both Iglesias and Lorenzen have recent experience as starters and are embracing a role that’s been uncommon in recent years but was far more normal a generation or two ago in Major League Baseball. Other teams around the league will be keeping a watchful eye on how the experiment plays out, as well. Milwaukee GM David Stearns spoke to Buchanan about the blurring line between starter and reliever, while Oakland GM David Forst stated that Cincinnati does indeed have “good candidates” for that type of multi-inning role. “I’m as curious as anyone to see how it plays out,” Forst said to Buchanan.
  • David Freese originally came to the Pirates on a mid-March, one-year deal last offseason, but he figured out quickly that he hoped to remain with the Pirates beyond the 2016 campaign, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Freese tells Biertempfel that he told his agent last summer to initiate the extension talks that led to his two-year, $11MM deal with the Buccos. “It all started with talking to me understanding this is the place I want to be,” says Freese. The corner infielder adds that the market has begun to change for players like himself, who are closer to average than to stars: “Older guys are not going to find that kind of deals that were there a few years ago.” Freese’s teammates are thrilled to have him back, as both Gerrit Cole and Josh Harrison laud his quick emergence as a quiet leader in the clubhouse. Cole referred to Freese as “one of the better teammates, if not the best, that I’ve played with.”

Dick Williams On Reds’ Bullpen

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The Reds want to upgrade their bullpen this offseason, but GM Dick Williams admits that will be a challenge, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. “There is not a ton of options available, and there are a lot of teams talking about needing bullpen help right now. We just have to be careful that we don’t get swept up in a market that is overheated,” says Williams, who adds that he might prefer internal options like Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen to pitch in multiple-inning bullpen roles next season, rather than hunting for that sort of pitcher on in free agency. Both pitchers were among the Reds’ best in 2016, and both also have experience starting.

“In the second half of the season, we were trying to promote the usage of Iglesias and Lorenzen in that type of multi-inning role,” says Williams. “People are always looking for the market inefficiency, and if all of a sudden everybody is out chasing multi-inning guys, then you might have to look elsewhere.”

Williams adds that the Reds do not plan to re-sign J.J. Hoover, who was outrighted in August and became a free agent last month. Hoover was a solid contributor in the Reds’ 2015 ’pen, but he was awful in 2016 after being called upon to replace Aroldis Chapman as the Reds’ closer, allowing 29 runs in 18 2/3 innings in the big leagues. He did, however, fare well in an extended stay at Triple-A Louisville.

Reds’ Dick Williams On Offseason Plans

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Here’s GM Dick Williams on the Reds’ offseason plans, via MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and the Cincinnati Enquirer’s C. Trent Rosecrans:

  • The Reds don’t figure to be big players on the free agent market, Williams says. To the extent that they do open their wallets, it could be on relief help. “I could see spending some money on the bullpen,” Williams says. The Reds’ 2016 ’pen was among the game’s worst, with a 5.09 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 for the season, so adding there would seem to be a convenient way to upgrade for a team not looking to spend heavily.
  • The team could also attempt to add bench players and perhaps a veteran starter to complement Anthony DeSclafani, Homer Bailey, Brandon Finnegan and Dan Straily. Williams reiterates, though, that the team won’t be looking for a high-end player, and names Robert Stephenson, Cody Reed, Amir Garrett and Tim Adleman as candidates to take over the fifth spot.
  • If the team uses Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen in its bullpen after both had strong 2016 seasons, it will do so with the goal of “maximizing their innings,” Williams says.  “[I]f you do put them in the bullpen, it’s not going to be with the intent of making them one-inning guys. They’re too talented for that.”
  • With much of its former veteran core (such as Todd Frazier, Aroldis Chapman and Jay Bruce) already having departed in trades, the Reds don’t figure to be big players on the trade market, either, Williams says. “We’ll always continue to be opportunistic as a team in our place in the lifecycle has got to be, [but] I don’t think we’ll be terribly active.”
  • The team will chat with second baseman Brandon Phillips to see whether he might waive his full no-trade clause. The Reds attempted to deal Phillips to the Nationals last winter, but he turned that deal down. Phillips recently said he hasn’t strongly considered whether he’d accept a trade. Should he depart, the team would have Jose Peraza and/or Dilson Herrera ready to replace him. The team could also use Peraza at shortstop, which means they’ll have to make a determination about their incumbent at that position, Zack Cozart. (MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently explained that finding everyday roles for Peraza and Herrera should be one of the Reds’ top priorities this winter.)
  • The Reds could also look for a bit of catching help in case Devin Mesoraco’s recovery from hip surgery doesn’t go smoothly.

NL Central Notes: Strop, Cards, Rosenthal, Iglesias

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Cubs setup man Pedro Strop suffered a left knee injury while sliding to make a play on a weakly hit grounder last night and had to be helped off the field, as MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat writes. Strop will undergo an MRI today, at which point the club will know more about the amount of time he’ll need to miss. The Cubs’ bullpen is a bit thin at the moment as it is, with right-hander Hector Rondon dealing with a triceps issue (though Rondon has not been placed on the disabled list). A significant injury to Strop would be a substantial blow to the Cubs’ late-inning relief corps, as Strop has turned in a very strong 2.89 ERA with 11.5 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 59.6 percent ground-ball rate in 43 2/3 innings. His 50 relief appearances trail only Travis Wood for the team lead.

More from the NL Central…

  • MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch provides an update on a number of injured Cardinals, noting that left-hander Tyler Lyons’ season could be in jeopardy. The 28-year-old has been diagnosed with a fracture in his right knee and recently received a platelet-rich plasma injection as part of the treatment. It’ll be another three weeks before he’s evaluated, though, and GM John Mozeliak candidly stated: “I definitely feel like his season may be in question.” Shortstop Aledmys Diaz is back with the team and currently sporting a splint on his fractured left thumb. He’ll meet with a hand specialist next Monday to further establish a timeline for his own return. Meanwhile, right-hander Jordan Walden, who has pitched just 10 1/3 innings as a Cardinal since coming over in the Jason Heyward/Shelby Miller trade, hopes to return in September, though the Cardinals are being more cautious about his potential availability.
  • Injured closer Trevor Rosenthal told Jim Hayes of FOX Sports Midwest (video link) that he’s dealing with a “pretty significant” flexor mass strain in his right forearm that has previously not been reported or acknowledged by the Cardinals. (Langosch notes in the above-linked piece that the team has still not confirmed that diagnosis.) Rosenthal is on the disabled list with inflammation in his right rotator cuff and recently received an PRP injection of his own, but the forearm issue, which Rosenthal says may have led to the inflammation in his shoulder, would be a new and possibly greater concern than the previously reported shoulder injury.
  • Raisel Iglesias recorded the first save of his big league career on Wednesday, and there could be quite a few more in his future, writes C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “He’s stepped it up and I think we’re looking at a role that could be very comfortable for him and something we’ll have to weigh moving forward between starter and reliever,” said manager Bryan Price. Iglesias himself expressed an enormous amount of pride in being asked to take the ball in the ninth inning, explaining through a translator that he was as proud to pitch in that role as he was to be named Opening Day starter for the Reds. Said Iglesias: “I feel really proud because I’ve waited for this moment, this is what I’ve wanted to be on the team, this is what I want to do. I want to be the closer.” Iglesias looked like a highly intriguing rotation candidate entering the season, but a shoulder injury sidelined him for two months, and he’s pitched exclusively out of the bullpen since returning. Since being activated from the DL, Iglesias has a sensational 0.65 ERA with a 31-to-12 K/BB ratio in 27 2/3 innings.

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Giants, Reds, Angels

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Red Sox manager John Farrell addressed his job security Friday, telling reporters, including Ryan Hannable of WEEI, “We’ve come off a tough month. Finished with a disappointing trip through Texas and Tampa. I can understand that question, the potential speculation that is out there.” The Red Sox followed a 10-16 June by leading off July with a win Friday, but they suffered a stunning 21-2 loss to the Angels at Fenway Park on Saturday. That won’t help Farrell – who said the performance “embarrassed” him (Twitter link via Ian Browne of MLB.com) – though his 43-37 team still holds one of the American League’s two Wild Card spots through nearly half the season.

More from Boston and three other major league cities:

  • Farrell didn’t want to commit to right-hander Clay Buchholz making another start after his poor outing last Sunday, and now the manager is in the same position after Saturday’s result, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald was among those to report (Twitter link). Buchholz threw 4 1/3 innings and allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk, raising his ERA/FIP/xFIP trio to an ugly 5.91/6.03/5.51 through 80 2/3 frames this season.
  • The first-place Giants continue to hunt for starting pitchers, tweets the San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman, who reported two weeks ago that the team was searching for rotation help. Giants starters entered Saturday ranked sixth in the majors in both ERA (3.62) and fWAR (7.8), though nearly all of the rotation’s value has come from Johnny Cueto, Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija. With those three in the fold, odds are the Giants are only looking for a back-end type to improve on Jake Peavy, Albert Suarez and the currently injured Matt Cain.
  • While Raisel Iglesias’ shoulder injury-forced shift to the Reds’ bullpen could hurt his earning power in the long run, the 26-year-old told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that he’s enjoying his new role. “I feel really good coming out of the bullpen,” the righty said through an interpreter. “I’ve got my routine now. Coming out of the bullpen is something I did when I was in Cuba.” Iglesias has been a breath of fresh air in relief for the Reds, whose bullpen is the majors’ worst. In 7 1/3 innings and four appearances since returning from a nearly two-month disabled list stint June 21, Iglesias has yielded just one run on three hits and three walks.
  • Angels setup man Joe Smith has come off the DL in time to serve as a potential deadline chip for the last-place Halos, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. It’s worth noting that the right-hander, who had been on the DL witIh a hamstring strain since June 7, has seen his ERA (3.78) and K/9 (5.81) fall well below his career marks of 2.92 and 7.48 in 26 1/3 innings this season. The ground-ball-inducing 32-year-old is on a $5.25MM salary and will hit free agency in the offseason.

Pitcher Notes: Nats, Chapman, Miller, Reds, Felix

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Improving their bullpen will be the Nationals’ “top priority” as the Aug. 1 trade deadline approaches, a source told Bill Ladson of MLB.com. The Nats aren’t close to acquiring anyone at this time, reports Ladson, who writes that they are hoping the Yankees will put lights-out lefties Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller on the block. Both have been connected in the past to the Nationals, who aren’t content with Jonathan Papelbon serving as their closer. Papelbon has fared well this year, having converted 14 of 16 save chances and posted a 2.91 ERA, 7.06 K/9 and 2.08 BB/9 in 21 2/3 innings, but he’s undoubtedly inferior to both Chapman and Miller. Even without either of those two in the mix, Washington’s bullpen entered Sunday ranked third in both ERA (2.85) and K/BB ratio (3.51).

More pitching notes:

  • In unfortunate news for the Reds, their top starter, right-hander Raisel Iglesias, will work out of the bullpen when he returns from a shoulder injury in a few weeks, reports Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). The door isn’t closed on the 26-year-old rejoining the Reds’ rotation down the line, but he’ll have to show that his shoulder can hold up, per Buchanan. From a financial point of view, Buchanan notes that the likelihood of Iglesias opting out of his $27MM contract when he becomes eligible for arbitration will decrease if he doesn’t go back to starting (Twitter links). Iglesias has 154 days of major league service time under his belt and will soon reach the 172-day mark necessary for a full year, but he’s still a good distance from the three years needed to take a crack at arbitration. The Cuba native has so far made 23 big league appearances (21 starts) and compiled a 4.00 ERA, 9.68 K/9 and 2.55 BB/9 in 123 innings.
  • On the bright side for the Reds, righty Anthony DeSclafani is likely to make his 2016 debut during the upcoming week – perhaps Friday – tweets Buchanan. The 26-year-old has been out all season with an oblique issue. He performed well in 2015, his first full big league campaign, totaling 184 2/3 innings of 4.05 ERA/3.67 FIP/3.97 xFIP pitching.
  • The Mariners’ Felix Hernandez might not return from the disabled list when he’s eligible on June 12, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. “Fingers crossed, but he may miss a couple (of more starts). We’ll see,” said manager Scott Servais. The hope when Hernandez landed on the DL with a straight right calf muscle was that he’d only miss two starts, but he still isn’t moving well and hasn’t resumed throwing. King Felix posted a 2.86 ERA, 7.57 K/9 and 3.71 BB/9 in 63 innings prior to going on the shelf.

NL Central Notes: Hammel, Peralta, Victorino, Epstein, Reds

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Every player has different priorities, many of which go beyond maximizing earnings, though that’s not always easy to discern from publicly available information. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports provides an interesting recent example, though, in Jason Hammel of the Cubs. The right-hander and his wife were disappointed to be dealt away from Chicago at the trade deadline in 2014, with Hammel telling Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein that he would “pitch well enough that you bring me back” even as he departed for the A’s. Though Hammel wasn’t as good in Oakland as he had been before the deal, that’s just what happened, as Hammel inked a two-year, $18MM deal in the offseason. It looked like a nice value for the team at the time, and the veteran has rewarded the Cubs with 204 2/3 innings of 3.43 ERA pitching since his return.

Here’s more from the NL Central:

  • Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta has been cleared to begin swinging a bat, as MLB.com’s Jen Langosch reports on Twitter. Peralta’s thumb injury looked like a major blow at the time, and while his loss has been softened by the stellar play of Aledmys Diaz, he should still provide a boost for a club that’s hovering around .500 while their division rivals to the north lay waste to the rest of the league. Fellow middle infielders Kolten Wong and Jedd Gyorko haven’t been nearly as effective as Diaz, and could cede playing time to Peralta when he’s healthy.
  • Shane Victorino is active at Triple-A Iowa for the Cubs, but he might not spend much time there before a decision is made on his future with the organization. Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register tweets that Chicago has informed the veteran outfielder that his status will be reevaluated after a few weeks with the team’s top affiliate. Victorino is off to a solid start, with five hits — including two doubles and a triple — in his first four games.
  • There’s long been talk that Epstein would sign a new deal with the Cubs before reaching executive free agency after the season, but he tells Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) that there are no imminent extensions — either for himself or with any of the team’s players. Nevertheless, the presumption still seems to be that Epstein will re-up with the organization at some point.
  • It was always expected to be a difficult season for the Reds, but the organization has dealt with more injuries than might’ve been hoped. C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer provides updates on several situations. Righty Michael Lorenzen is just now returning to the hill after experiencing elbow issues this spring and then suffering a bout with mono. Fellow pitchers Anthony DeSclafani, Raisel Iglesias, and Jon Moscot are all making progress with their own injury matters, but certainly that’s not a list of arms that the club hoped to see on the DL at this stage of the year. DeSclafani, like Lorenzen, has yet to appear in the majors this season.

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