- Giants outfielder Michael Morse is nearly ready to take the field at Triple-A after rehabbing his hamstring, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports on Twitter. Indeed, Morse may be prepared for MLB action in just ten days, per the report. It’s unclear as yet what San Francisco’s plans are for the veteran, but he’d clearly represent an alternative to Chris Marrero if the club decides to make a change. Though Marrero has had a productive game tonight, including his first big league homer, he has struggled out of the gates.
Giants Rumors
Giants Receiving Trade Interest In Clayton Blackburn
Giants general manager Bobby Evans expects to be able to trade minor league right-hander Clayton Blackburn after designating him for assignment yesterday, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. Baggarly tweeted after the DFA that trade interest in Blackburn has been constant over the life of the winter, and he speculates within his column that the Giants may already have the framework of a deal in place.
As I noted at the time Blackburn was designated, it seems quite likely that another club would have interest in striking up a deal to land the 24-year-old. Long touted as one of the Giants’ top 10 prospects, Blackburn took a step back in 2016 with a 4.36 ERA, 6.7 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 46.8 percent ground-ball rate in Triple-A, but he posted a league-leading 2.85 ERA in 123 1/3 Triple-A innings back in 2015.
Overall, Blackburn has a strong minor league track record, having logged a 3.30 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in parts of seven professional seasons. The righty still has two minor league options remaining, so any club that acquires Blackburn can option him to the minors without first having to expose him to waivers.
While Blackburn’s stock may have slipped with last year’s lackluster results, it’s not surprising that an optionable 24-year-old with 262 1/3 reasonably successful innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League would generate interest. Blackburn won’t return an elite prospect or much help to the Giants’ Major League roster, one wouldn’t think, but this is the type of MLB-ready depth piece that the Mariners, Cubs and Orioles have stocked up on in recent months. The Mets, of course, have sustained multiple injuries on their pitching staff already, though there’s little sense in speculating too heavily as to where Blackburn could land, as it’s easy to make the argument that any club could use some additional upper-level rotation depth.
Giants Place Posey On 7-Day DL, Select Federowicz, Designate Blackburn
The Giants announced that they’ve placed Buster Posey on the 7-day disabled list and selected the contract of veteran backstop Tim Federowicz. To clear a spot for Federowicz on the 40-man roster, the team has designated right-hander Clayton Blackburn for assignment. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area first reported that Posey would be placed on the DL and that Federowicz is on his way to the Majors.
[Related: Updated San Francisco Giants Depth Chart]
Posey was hit in the head by a 94 mph fastball from D-backs right-hander Taijuan Walker yesterday, and though Pavlovic notes that he’s said to be feeling good, the team wants to proceed with caution in a potential concussion scenario. As Pavlovic notes, the Giants have been burned in recent years by rushing both Brandon Belt and Joe Panik back from concussions, and it only stands to reason that they’d want to not only avoid repeating those mistakes but proceed with extreme caution regarding their top position player.
Federowicz, 29, is a veteran of five Major League seasons, although he’s never been much of a source of offense in the big leagues. He’s a .194/.243/.295 hitter in 304 plate appearances with the Dodgers and Cubs, but he does come with a strong Triple-A track record (to say nothing of his solid performance in Spring Training). In 304 Triple-A games over the course of his career, Federowicz is a .304/.375/.511 hitter, and he also slashed an impressive .323/.417/.625 in 21 games with the Giants this spring. Federowicz is out of minor league options, so he’ll likely be exposed to waivers once again once Posey is healthy enough to return. In the meantime, Nick Hundley figures to step up and catch on a regular basis.
Blackburn, 24, rated as the Giants’ No. 5 prospect (per Baseball America) as recently as the 2014-15 offseason and rated among the team’s Top 10 prospects from 2012 through 2016. BA praised Blackburn for his pitchability and control, noting that he’s able to generate good sink on his low-90s heater. Blackburn, though, had a rough 2016 season in Triple-A, pitching to a 4.36 ERA with 6.7 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 and a 46.8 percent ground-ball rate. He was tagged for five runs on six hits and a walk with one strikeout across three innings in his first Triple-A start of the 2017 season. Given his proximity to the Majors, his control and his fairly recent prospect status, he seems like a reasonable candidate to command trade interest or be claimed on waivers by a pitching-needy organization with strong waiver priority.
Injury Notes: Bradley, Posey, Segura, Osuna, Desmond, Gray/Bassitt, Weaver
The Red Sox have placed center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. on the 10-day DL, as Ian Browne of MLB.com was among those to report. Bradley was diagnosed with a knee sprain caused by a misstep while running the bases. An MRI did not reveal more significant damage, so the hope is he won’t miss much more than the minimum.
Let’s check in on a few health situations of note from around the game …
- Giants star Buster Posey departed the club’s game today after being struck in the head by an errant pitch, but thankfully indications are he escaped any significant injury. As Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes, Posey passed a concussion test and told teammates he was fine. That’s not conclusive, of course, but for now the team does not plan to make a roster move to fill in for the stellar backstop, as Baggarly further notes on Twitter.
- Mariners shortstop Jean Segura was also pulled today with an injury, though it doesn’t appear to be a major concern. Manager Scott Servais told reporters, including MLB.com’s Greg Johns (Twitter link), that it’s a “very mild” hamstring issue. For now, at least, the key offseason addition won’t be headed for the DL, with Servais calling him day to day.
- The Blue Jays anticipate that closer Roberto Osuna will be able to return to action tomorrow, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports. The excellent young reliever opened the year on the 10-day DL owing to a cervical spasm, though that placement was backdated. He made it through a sim game and now seems ready to return to the majors — where he’ll try to pick up where he left off in a strong 2016 season.
- There are several important Rockies players still working back from injury, and Nick Groke of the Denver Post has the latest. Ian Desmond, Tom Murphy, and David Dahl all seem to be progressing, with the trio possibly slated to return by the end of the month. Desmond, who’ll suit up at first base for the first time when he’s ready, seems to have the clearest progression at this point. Per Groke, Desmond will start to throw and field at some point this week.
- Athletics righties Sonny Gray and Chris Bassitt are making strides in their rehabs, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Grey’s lat strain is healing well enough that he was able to work up to 35 pitches from the bullpen today. That could leave him on track to return tot he majors before April is out, per the report. Bassitt, meanwhile, is on the cusp of a rehab stint, though Slusser notes that he’s likely to take a full month in the minors since he’s working back from a year-long layoff owing to Tommy John surgery.
- Though he’s currently stashed at Triple-A, Cardinals righty Luke Weaver is a key piece of the organization’s depth (and future rotation plans). He is headed for a DL stint with lower back stiffness, as MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reports on Twitter. At present, it’s not clear what kind of an absence is anticipated.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/10/17
Here are the latest minor moves from around the game:
- Righties Ray Black and Ian Gardeck have reached minor-league agreements with the Giants after clearing waivers, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). Both 26-year-old relievers were moved off the 40-man recently. Black possesses a huge fastball and has shown big strikeout tallies at times, but he also has yet to demonstrate anything close to the command needed to succeed in the majors. Gardeck, meanwhile, is returning from Tommy John surgery. In 2015, he pitched to a 3.54 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 over 86 1/3 innings at High-A.
- The Mets have reached a minors deal with first baseman Cody Decker, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Decker, 30, has also spent some amount of time at most every other spot on the diamond. He earned a brief call-up in 2015 with the Padres, the organization he had been with for his entire career until last season. Last year, Decker bounced between the Royals, Rockies, and Red Sox organizations, hitting a combined .230/.284/.484 with 19 home runs in 335 plate appearances in the upper minors.
- Joining the Cardinals on a minor-league deal is first baseman Rangel Ravelo, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America (Twitter link). The 24-year-old played most recently in the Athletics organization, where he was known for his high-contact approach and solid on-base abilities. Ravelo struggled last year, though, slashing just .262/.334/.395 with eight long balls in 416 Triple-A plate appearances.
Giants To Sign Melvin Upton Jr.
3:12pm: Upton will sign with the Giants, Feinsand reports (Twitter links). Upton’s deal will be of the minor-league variety, and he will report to Triple-A Sacramento. He is a client of Reynolds Sports Management.
As noted below, the Giants can use extra outfield depth, and Upton could conceivably play left field against lefties, pairing with Jarrett Parker. As Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets, the Giants until recently did not seem to have interest in Upton. Parker and the Giants’ other left fielders have started the season poorly, though, with Parker going 0-for-10 with six strikeouts. The Giants’ change of heart might have had something to do with those struggles.
The Giants also have Mac Williamson for the sort of role Upton might eventually occupy, although Williamson is currently on the DL with a quad injury. Another potential option, Michael Morse, is also currently hurt. The Giants also recently signed another veteran, Drew Stubbs, to bolster their supply of outfielders. The Giants had also been connected to free agent Angel Pagan, who of course is no stranger to the organization; Upton’s signing perhaps makes a reunion less likely.
2:50pm: Free agent outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. is likely to sign with a National League team today, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets. The Blue Jays released Upton last week after telling him he wouldn’t make their club out of Spring Training.
The identity of the signing team isn’t currently known. Speculatively, the Giants could use a bit of extra depth, and the right-handed Upton could be a fit, with left-handed Jarrett Parker in left field. If Upton and the Braves might have interest in a reunion, that club has been known to have interest in bench help, and they have left-handed Nick Markakis in right. The Padres have a very young outfield and presumably have memories of Upton’s previous tenure there; they might see him as a stabilizing presence. Upton might also be a decent short-term fit in Colorado, where lefty Gerardo Parra is playing left while David Dahl nurses a rib injury.
Of course, Upton could also potentially sign a minor-league deal elsewhere and wait for an opportunity. But he might be able to find a situation where he can play right away, or close to it. He hit poorly down the stretch last year with the Blue Jays, but as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe pointed out earlier today, Upton previously having revived his career in San Diego might convince interested teams to gamble on his upside. He seems likely to generate more interest than the typical minor-league free agent. The Padres are also paying the bulk of his remaining salary, so interested teams won’t have to worry much about his cost.
Giants To Sign Drew Stubbs
TODAY: The deal has been completed, Alex Pavlovic of NBC tweets. Stubbs will earn at a $1MM rate in the majors and $130K in the minors, with bonus money also available.
YESTERDAY: The Giants are nearing a minor league agreement with veteran outfielder Drew Stubbs, tweets Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. As Baggarly notes, recent injuries to Mike Morse and Mac Williamson have thinned out the team’s outfield depth. Beyond that, center fielder Denard Span is day-to-day with some tightness in his left hip, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (Twitter link via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle).
San Francisco is currently utilizing an outfield alignment consisting of Hunter Pence in right field, Span in center field and a platoon of Jarrett Parker and Chris Marrero in left field. Gorkys Hernandez made the roster out of Spring Training as a reserve and can handle center in Span’s hopefully brief absence.
Stubbs, 32, was in camp with the Twins during Spring Training but didn’t crack the roster after logging a disappointing .139/.273/.278 with 15 strikeouts in 36 at-bats over the life of 15 games. Stubbs had a career year with the Rockies in 2014, hitting .289/.339/.482 with 15 home runs and 20 stolen bases — though the vast majority of his damage was done at the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. Since that season, Stubbs has struggled to a .207/.302/.365 batting line in 234 plate appearances between the Rockies, Braves, Rangers and Orioles.
Those recent struggles notwithstanding, Stubbs is capable of handling all three outfield positions and has a strong track record against left-handed pitching over the life of his career. In 952 plate appearances against southpaws, he’s a .272/.348/.444 hitter.
Giants Sign Ryan Webb To Minor League Deal
The Giants have signed right-hander Ryan Webb, who was released by the Brewers near the end of Spring Training, to a minor league contract, according to Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. The Wasserman client is set to open the year in Triple-A Sacramento. (He’s been announced as a member of the River Cats’ Opening Day roster.)
Webb, 31, is coming off a rough and abbreviated season with the Rays, in which he pitched just 17 1/3 innings with a 5.19 earned run average. That represented Webb’s lightest big league workload in any season since he made his Major League debut with the Padres back in 2009. Prior to that disappointing campaign in Tampa Bay, though, Webb had logged a career 3.35 ERA in 376 innings with the Padres, Marlins, Orioles and Indians.
Webb isn’t an overpowering arm by any means; he averaged 92 mph on his heater in 2014-15 and sat at 90.9 mph in last year’s limited sample. Beyond that, he’s averaged just 6.2 strikeouts per nine innings pitched in his Major League career. However, Webb’s control has continually improved since his rookie season. Over the past three years he’s issued only 27 walks (five of them intentional) in 117 1/3 innings of work. Beyond that, Webb boasts a strong 56.1 percent ground-ball rate in his career and has routinely posted lower hard-contact rates than that of the league-average reliever.
The bullpen was a significant question mark for the Giants in 2016 and has already taken a notable hit in 2017 with the loss of southpaw Will Smith to Tommy John surgery. While signing Webb obviously won’t be construed as any kind of marquee addition, it’s also nice for San Francisco to have a depth option that comes with plenty of Major League success under his belt.
The Giants currently have Mark Melancon, Hunter Strickland, Derek Law, George Kontos, Cory Gearrin and Neil Ramirez as right-handers in their bullpen, plus Ty Blach on hand as a southpaw option. Behind that group, right-handers Albert Suarez, Dan Slania and Chase Johnson all represent 40-man options for the Giants.
Giants Not Interested In Melvin Upton Jr.
The Tigers will “look into” signing just-released outfielder Melvin Upton Jr., according to general manager Al Avila, though Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press relays that a deal sounds unlikely (Twitter links). With J.D. Martinez on the shelf because of a foot injury, Upton’s brother, Justin Upton, will enter the season as Detroit’s only established outfielder. The Uptons played together in both Atlanta and San Diego from 2013-15, but it doesn’t seem as if they’ll reunite in the Motor City. Meanwhile, it doesn’t appear the Giants will even consider signing Melvin Upton. He’s not on their radar, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Giants DFA Ray Black, Ian Gardeck
The Giants have designated right-handers Ray Black and Ian Gardeck for assignment, according to the club.
The 26-year-old Black has thus far spent his entire professional career with the Giants, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2011 amateur draft. Black ascended to the Double-A level last year and, thanks to an outrageous walk rate (9.19 per nine innings), recorded a 4.88 ERA across 31 1/3 frames. At the same time, he did strike out 15.22 batters per nine, and Black posted both sky-high strikeout rates and better walk rates from 2014-15.
Gardeck, like Black, entered the pros as a Giants draft pick, going in the 16th round in 2012. He missed all of 2016 on account of Tommy John surgery, but the now-26-year-old produced the previous season at the High-A level, where he logged a 3.54 ERA, 10.84 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 86 1/3 innings.
