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NL Notes: Reds’ Medicals, Henderson, Heisey, Gott, Nolin

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Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer has penned an interesting piece on the process for evaluating medicals in prospective trades — a matter that has taken on increasingly public significance with several recent swaps blown up after agreement was reportedly reached in principle. He chats at length with Reds orthopedist Dr. Timothy Kremchek and GM Dick Williams about the “streamlined” but still-nuanced assessment of player health in finalizing trades. “You’re hearing more about the ones that don’t happen,” Williams explained. “I do think because the technology is better. In the old days, it’s like, ‘Well, he has a sore elbow, but I’m sure it’ll be fine by spring.’ Now they’re taking scans and x-rays and you’re getting a lot more detail. There’s a lot more opportunity for interpretation. The dollars have gotten so much bigger that doctors don’t want to be the scapegoat.” The article is well worth a full read.

Of course, Williams also chatted recently with MLBTR about quite a different topic — his time at the University of Virginia. (As a fellow U.Va. alum, that made for an especially interesting trip down memory lane.) Here’s the latest from the National League:

  • Righty Jim Henderson has cracked the Mets’ Opening Day roster, as the team announced and ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reports. Once a late-inning reliever, Henderson has struggled with shoulder injuries in recent years, but impressed this spring by allowing just two earned runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out 13 over 10 2/3 frames. Meanwhile, lefty Sean Gilmartin — who had a strong season in the pen as a Rule 5 pick last year — has been optioned down to Triple-A. Logan Verrett will instead make the roster and function as New York’s longman.
  • Outfielder Chris Heisey will take a reserve role with the Nationals out of camp, Devan Fink first reported on Twitter. A 40-man spot was cleared by adding TJ rehabber Aaron Barrett to the 60-day DL.
  • Meanwhile, Blake Treinen appears to have beaten out Sean Burnett and Trevor Gott for the final pen role, James Wagner of the Washington Post tweets. Burnett is set to opt out of his deal, and the team has announced that Gott was optioned. What’s surprising isn’t so much that Treinen made the pen — he has an impressive arsenal and nice spring under his belt — but that Matt Belisle took the spot that had seemed destined to go to Gott. It’s not as if he had rough camp, as he finished with three earned runs on his tab over nine innings, allowing nine hits and two walks while recording five strikeouts. Though he generated quite a few grounders last year with the Angels, Gott only struck out 5.1 batters per nine, and he could certainly stand to add some polish to his curve to develop another pitch to go with a 96.1 mph heater. Gott enters the year with 114 days of service on his ledger, so a sufficiently lengthy minor league stint could also buy the club another year of control. He could eventually join Barrett, Treinen, and lefty Felipe Rivero in a young, cheap, high-powered pen corps of the future.
  • Brewers manager Craig Counsell says that lefty Sean Nolin has been diagnosed with a “significant” injury to his UCL, MLB.com’s Chris Abshire reports. There had been some suggestion that Nolin had avoided a ligament issue, but today’s news seemingly puts a lengthier absence on the table. A final prognosis will await a second opinion, though, so the 26-year-old’s fate remains to be seen. Nolin, who was claimed off waivers from the A’s over the winter, had been competing for a pen spot before he was shut down a few weeks ago.

NL Notes: Cardinals, Guerrero, Pirates, Nolin

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Cardinals shortstop Ruben Tejada left Thursday’s game with a muscle strain in his left quadriceps and will begin the season on the disabled list, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). As a result, both infielder Greg Garcia and outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker have made the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com tweets. Tejada’s injury is the latest unfortunate news at shortstop for the Cardinals, who signed the ex-Met earlier this month to replace the injured Jhonny Peralta. With Tejada on the shelf, the Cardinals are expected to start Jedd Gyorko at short in their Sunday opener against Pittsburgh, Goold writes. Garcia, meanwhile, has dealt with his own injury – a sore knee – and put up a meager .289 slugging percentage in 52 plate appearances this spring. Hazelbaker has been far more successful at the plate, amassing a .300/.364/.500 line in 44 PAs. The 28-year-old, a longtime minor leaguer, will finally have a chance to see his first major league action since Boston took him in the fourth round of the 2009 draft.

Here’s more from the National League:

  • Righty Matthew Bowman will join Garcia and Hazelbaker on the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, per Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. The injury to Jordan Walden helped clear a path in the bullpen for Bowman, whom the Cardinals took from the Mets in the Rule 5 draft last December. Bowman has allowed seven earned runs in eight innings this spring while striking out five and walking three.
  • Dodgers third baseman/outfielder Alex Guerrero will start the season on the DL after an MRI showed “minimal damage” in his knee, manager Dave Roberts announced (Twitter link via Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times). The fact that Guerrero is DL-bound gives the Dodgers time to delay a roster decision on a player whose contract precludes them from sending him to the minors without his permission. The Dodgers reportedly tried to trade Guerrero over the winter, but they didn’t find any takers. If dealt sometime this season, Guerrero will have a chance to void the final year of his contract and become a free agent next offseason. The 29-year-old is slated to earn $5MM this season after compiling a dismal -0.2 fWAR in 106 games in 2015. In 21 plate appearances this spring, Guerrero slashed .238/.238/.571.
  • The Pirates’ decision to give Juan Nicasio their last rotation spot over Ryan Vogelsong was an agonizing one for team brass, general manager Neal Huntington said. “It was the most intense conversation we’ve had,” Huntington stated (via Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review). “There were strong convictions on both sides.” In the end, Nicasio’s dominant Spring Training showing – 15 innings, no runs, 24 strikeouts, five walks – was simply too much for the Pirates to ignore.
  • An MRI revealed Thursday that Brewers southpaw Sean Nolin has a left elbow strain, general manager David Stearns said. Nolin will get a second opinion before a prognosis is announced, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. If Nolin’s diagnosis proves correct, McCalvy expects the 26-year-old to avoid Tommy John surgery. Nolin was a candidate to serve in the Brewers’ bullpen before they had to shut him down earlier this month with the injury. He’ll begin the season on the DL.

NL Central Notes: Cubs, Pirates, Brewers, Reds

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No team will fret over having too much in the way of talent, but Phil Rogers of MLB.com wonders if the Cubs’ depth could stifle the growth of Javier Baez and Jorge Soler.  In the case of Baez, manager Joe Maddon believes that he can get enough work in as a utility player.  Overall, Maddon is grateful to have such strong insurance against injuries.

“It’s obvious just by making the daily lineups now,” he said on Sunday. “When you give guys a day off playing but the team that goes to play that day is pretty thick still. That’s what has hit home with me. … The depth is really intriguing. You need that to be successful during the course of a long season. You’re going to have things happen. No question.”

Here’s more out of the NL Central:

  • Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette took on the tough task of predicting the Pirates’ Opening Day roster.  His projections do not include outfielder Matt Joyce, who was brought in on a minor-league deal this offseason.  Nesbitt’s writes that his projections could be thrown off by a few factors, including the possibility that Michael Morse is moved in anticipation of Jung Ho Kang’s return.
  • Brewers left-hander Sean Nolin won’t be ready for Opening Day and that could have roster implications for Milwaukee, as Tom Haudricourt of the Journal-Sentinel writes.  As Nolin deals with his elbow issue, only two lefties – Chris Capuano and Franklin Morales – are left vying for spots and both were brought in on minor league deals.  Those two southpaws plus reliever Blaine Boyer have opt out clauses in their contracts that could spring them from their deals before Opening Day.
  • Nolin is out-of-options, but his elbow issue likely will buy the Brewers time in making a decision on him, Haudricourt tweets.  Nolin is likely destined for the DL.
  • J.J. Hoover is likely to be the Reds’ closer and manager Bryan Price says he would “definitely” be the choice if the season started now, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com writes.  Hoover, who won his arbitration case against the Reds this offseason, could help his arb case next offseason if he can rack up saves.

Brewers Claim Sean Nolin

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12:58pm: Via Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, general manager David Stearns said that although Nolin has been developed as a starter to this point in his career, the Brewers will look at using him out of the bullpen, perhaps in a multi-inning role (links to Twitter).

12:44pm: The Brewers announced today that they have claimed left-hander Sean Nolin off waivers from the Athletics. Nolin had been designated for assignment by Oakland last week when the club acquired Khris Davis from the Brewers, so, while he isn’t a part of the trade, he’s technically an additional piece of compensation picked up by the Brewers as a result of the trade. (Nolin, after all, would not have been available in this manner were it not for the Davis trade.)

The 26-year-old Nolin was one of four players traded by the Blue Jays to the Athletics in the 2014 Josh Donaldson blockbuster. Long considered one of Toronto’s better prospects, Nolin ranked No. 8 on Baseball America’s list of top prospects just last offseason. BA has profiled him as a potential fourth starter in the past, praising his above-average command and mix of four average or better offerings. Nolin had sports hernia surgery last offseason though, and that may have contributed to an early groin injury that led to more than a month on the disabled list in 2015. When he was healthy enough to take the mound, Nolin made 14 appearances (12 starts) at the Triple-A level, logging an excellent 2.66 ERA with 7.2 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 37.7 percent ground-ball rate. (BA did note that his high arm slot made him likely to end up as an extreme fly-ball pitcher).

In the Majors, Nolin struggled quite a bit more, making six starts and totaling a 5.28 ERA in 29 innings of work. Nolin managed just 14 strikeouts against 12 walks in that time, and his fastball sat at just 86.9 mph — a considerable drop from the low 90s heat he showed when healthy and rising through the Blue Jays’ farm system.

Milwaukee will hope for better health out of Nolin than the A’s received in 2015. If he is indeed back to form, he’ll give the Brewers another option in what would otherwise project to be an all-right-handed rotation. Nolin is out of minor league options, so he’ll need to crack the roster out of Spring Training or again be exposed to waivers and clear before the Brewers would be able to option him to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Reactions To The Khris Davis Trade

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The Athletics acquired outfielder Khris Davis  from the Brewers yesterday for prospects Jacob Nottingham and Bubba Derby. The A’s also designated pitcher Sean Nolin in a related move. Here is a sampling of the reactions to and effects of the deal.

  • Brewers GM David Stearns doesn’t expect to make any deals between now and the first day of Spring Training, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Pitchers and catchers report to camp next Sunday. In my opinion, the club does seem to have an opportunity to buy low on a free agent outfielder if they would rather give recent acquisition Rymer Liriano more competition than Kirk Nieuwenhuis or Keon Broxton.
  • In another tweet, Haudricourt relays that the acquisition of Nottingham has no direct effect on Jonathan Lucroy’s status with the team. Nottingham had a successful campaign in High-A last season, but he’s at least one year away from reaching the majors. Given the direction of the Brewers’ rebuild, Lucroy seems to destined to find a new home as soon as he proves himself healthy and effective.
  • The trade made sense in a formulaic way, writes Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs. The A’s had a role for an outfielder while the Brewers are busy acquiring prospects and players with upside. Sullivan provides some background about Davis, noting his ability to slug without steep platoon splits. He ranked in the top five percent of hitters in bat exit velocity on liners and fly balls. In other words, when he makes contact, it’s hard. That could help him to fit into spacious O.Co Coliseum.
  • ESPN’s Christina Kahrl also likes the trade for both teams. As she notes, affordable power hitters are few and far between, making this a rare opportunity for Oakland. Davis is under club control for four more seasons and has yet to reach arbitration. The Brewers farm system was recently rated fifth by ESPN’s Keith Law prior to the trade. The club is poised to rebound quickly from their tear down. They may possibly dodge the scariest years of the new Cubs juggernaut in the process.
  • Nottingham is an offense first catcher, but he’s still one of the best catching prospects, says Jim Callis of MLB.com (video). His power and hitting ability could potentially play at another position if he doesn’t stick behind the dish. Meanwhile, Derby is described as a undersized pitcher who could start or convert into a setup role.

Athletics Acquire Khris Davis, Designate Sean Nolin

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The Athletics have acquired outfielder Khris Davis from the Brewers in a deal that will send catching prospect Jacob Nottingham and righty Bubba Derby to Milwaukee, per announcements from both teams. Oakland has designated pitcher Sean Nolin to clear roster space.

It’s certainly an interesting swap for both organizations. Oakland will presumably utilize the slugging Davis in left field, where he could share time with veteran Coco Crisp and another younger, right-handed slugger in Mark Canha. The move bolsters the club’s depth across the outfield grass while delivering some upside, too.

After all, Davis only just turned 28, will play at the league minimum this year, and can be controlled for three more seasons thereafter via arbitration. And he’s shown quite a bit with the bat, following a solid 2014 with an even better campaign last year. Over 440 plate appearances, he not only swatted 27 home runs, but posted a strong .247/.323/.505 overall batting line.

Aug 9, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Khris Davis (18) hits a two run home run in the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Davis is not very highly regarded with the glove, though defensive metrics have been mixed. He actually rated as a plus performer in left in 2014, but dipped into the negative territory last year.

The removal of Nolin from the 40-man roster is interesting to note, too. While he may yet remain with the A’s, if he can pass through outright waivers, the 26-year-old lefty was a not-insignificant part of last winter’s stunning Josh Donaldson trade. He wasn’t great in limited MLB action in 2015, allowing 17 earned runs and logging just 15 strikeouts in 29 frames, but had earned a promotion after battling through injury issues to post a 2.66 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 over 47 1/3 innings at Triple-A.

Looking at the Milwaukee side of the deal, the 20-year-old Nottingham looks like the jewel. He went to Oakland from the Astros — then the home of current Brewers GM David Stearns — as the key piece of last summer’s Scott Kazmir deal. He’s still a ways off, having only reached the High-A level, but does represent a theoretical long-term replacement for star catcher Jonathan Lucroy — who has, of course, been mentioned as a trade candidate quite often this winter.

Nottingham impressed last year, putting up a cumulative .316/.372/.505 batting line with 17 home runs over 511 plate appearances. Nevertheless, he did not crack Baseball America’s recent organizational top-ten list for A’s prospects, though others have been higher on him. John Sickels of SB Nation, for instance, rated him fifth among A’s prospects while noting that his bat is ahead of his glove. And Baseball Prospectus went so far as to place Nottingham as the 66th-best prospect league-wide.

Derby, a sixth-round pick in last year’s draft, had a strong debut in 2015. He only worked 37 1/3 total innings between Rookie ball and Low-A, but racked up 47 strikeouts while holding opposing clubs to just five earned runs. Soon to turn 22, Derby is a product of San Diego State University.

Parting with Davis appears to set up the Brewers to utilize youngster Domingo Santana in left field, giving him a clear shot at regular playing time. Milwaukee has several young players and rebound candidates who’ll be stepping into more regular roles, with an increasingly interesting slate of young talent approaching MLB readiness in the farm.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported that a deal was nearing (Twitter links) and then tweeted that Davis would be heading to Oakland in the swap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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