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Quick Hits: Domingo S., Rays, Molina, Red Sox, Jays

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Although Mariners outfielder Domingo Santana has come up as a potential target for the Rays, it doesn’t look as if the two teams will reach a deal for the slugger. Tampa Bay has “cooled on” Santana, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports. Divish cites the elbow problems that have bothered Santana over the past few weeks as a potential reason the Rays have backed off their pursuit. The 26-year-old has endured his worst month of the season, perhaps on account of his elbow, having batted .246/.310/.354 with 25 strikeouts in 71 plate appearances. July has marred Santana’s offensive numbers to an extent, though he has still slashed a solid .273/.342/.475 with 20 home runs in 446 plate appearances.

More from around the majors…

  • The hope was Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina would return at the beginning of August when he landed on the injured list July 11 with a right thumb tendon strain. We now know that won’t happen. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak announced Monday that Molina was just cleared for “light baseball activities,” which still puts him around two weeks from rejoining the Cardinals, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Molina’s thumb has hampered him since May, which could at least partially explain his uncharacteristic .261/.286/.368 line in 276 plate appearances. Backup Matt Wieters has offered far better offensive production than Molina this season.
  • Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon has hired The MAS+ Agency for representation, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. Leon, who’s earning $2.475MM this season, is slated to go through arbitration for the fourth and final time during the winter. Although Leon was the Red Sox’s best option behind the plate in 2016 – he slashed .310/.369/.476 with 2.3 fWAR in 283 plate appearances – he hasn’t come close to replicating that production since then. Dating back to 2017, Leon has hit .202/.263/.318 with 1.4 fWAR across 722 trips to the plate. The 30-year-old has largely done well behind the plate, including at framing pitches and throwing runners out, but his offensive decline has helped opened the door for Christian Vazquez to take over as Boston’s primary catcher over the past couple years.
  • Shortstop Freddy Galvis was a late scratch from the Blue Jays’ lineup Monday, which led to speculation they were on the verge of trading the 29-year-old. That didn’t prove to be the case, though, as Galvis sat on account of lower back tightness (via Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star). Fortunately for Toronto, it doesn’t appear this issue will prove severe enough to kill Galvis’ trade value – which could be happening with Blue Jays closer Ken Giles and his balky elbow. Manager Charlie Montoyo said that Galvis should return Tuesday, per Scott Mitchell of TSN. Any kind of injury is a rare occurrence for Galvis, who came into the season with back-to-back 162-game campaigns under his belt. Galvis has missed more time than usual this year, but he has still appeared in 102 games and hit a career-best .265/.299/.435 with 15 homers in 421 PA.

Dodgers Acquire Kristopher Negron

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The Dodgers have announced the acquisition of utilityman Kristopher Negron from the Mariners in exchange for minor league infielder Daniel Castro.

Originally acquired from the D’Backs last August, Negron has appeared in 27 total games for Seattle, including nine outings this season.  The 33-year-old has a career .216/.289/.328 slash line over 357 career MLB plate appearances in parts of six seasons, though his ability with the bat is much less important to the Dodgers than the versatility that Negron brings in the field.

Negron has started multiple games at every position on the diamond except pitcher and catcher over his career, making him a fit for a Dodger roster that just lost Enrique Hernandez to the injured list.  With both Hernandez and Chris Taylor injured, L.A. was in need of a short-term backup behind Corey Seager at shortstop.

Castro joined the Dodgers on a minor league contract over the offseason, and has hit .241/.304/.295 over 185 Triple-A plate appearances this year.  Castro is another player who can play all over the field, with extensive experience as a shortstop and second baseman, plus some time as a right fielder and third baseman.  He is a veteran of 98 big league games with the Braves and Rockies from 2016-18, with a .505 OPS over 286 PA in the Show.

Rays, Indians Interested In Domingo Santana

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Domingo Santana has been drawing some attention as the trade deadline approaches, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link) reports that the Rays and Indians are two of the teams showing some interest in the Mariners outfielder.

Santana has rebounded from a down year in 2018 to hit .273/.342/.475 over 446 plate appearances for the Mariners, and he recorded his 20th homer of the season in today’s 3-2 win over the Tigers.  Despite the impressive 120 wRC+, however, Santana has also struck out a league-high 135 times, and is a significant defensive liability as a corner outfielder.

The lack of glovework is particularly ill-suited to a Tampa Bay team that prioritizes defensive versatility, particularly since Tommy Pham and Austin Meadows have been so productive as the regular corner outfielders.  That said, the Rays may simply be willing to overlook Santana’s defensive shortcomings in the name of getting some extra pop in their lineup, which is middle-of-the-pack is most offensive categories leaguewide.  Santana and Meadows could more or less split the right field and DH duties, with prospect Nate Lowe perhaps returning to the minors until rosters expand in September.  It isn’t a perfect fit, on paper, though Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto and Rays GM Erik Neander have been such frequent trading partners that it isn’t a shock to see Tampa linked to any potentially-available Seattle player.

The Indians also aren’t strangers to trading with the Mariners, as they joined with the Rays for last December’s three-team that saw Carlos Santana go to Cleveland and Edwin Encarnacion to Seattle.  As with the Rays, Santana would give the Tribe’s offense a shot in the arm, especially since Cleveland is still looking for some consistent production from its outfield.  Rookie Oscar Mercado has solidified center field, and Tyler Naquin and Jordan Luplow have both hit well in limited action, though adding Santana as an outfielder/DH would certainly help matters.  Of particular note, Santana’s right-handed bat would greatly help a lineup that hasn’t done much damage against lefty pitching this season.

Santana’s struggles with the Brewers last year led to his modest $1.95MM 2019 salary in his first year of arbitration, so even though he’ll undoubtedly get a big raise this winter, he won’t earn enough to break the bank for the low-payroll Rays or Indians.  Since Santana has two-plus remaining years of control, of course, Seattle will be looking for a quality return in any trade.

Pirates Claim Parker Markel

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The Pirates have claimed right-handed pitcher Parker Markel off waivers from the Mariners, per announcements from both clubs. Markel had previously been designated for assignment by the Mariners on July 23rd. To accommodate the addition of Markel to their 40-man roster, the Pirates have transferred righty Rookie Davis from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list; Markel will be optioned to Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis.

For the Pirates, Markel represents an intriguing, nearly cost-free addition to their organizational relief corps. For one thing, the 6’4 hurler is a graduate of Yavapai College–a community college in tiny Prescott, Ariz., which has produced several big leaguers, including Curt Schilling, Kirby Yates, Ken Giles, and both Willie and Kole Calhoun. That interesting bit of trivia aside, Markel’s play in AAA this year has offered some signs of a player who may end up as a useful MLB reliever.

Selected by the Rays in the 39th round of the 2010 draft, Markel toiled for nearly a decade in the minors before signing a minor league deal with Seattle this offseason. Subsequent stints in AA Arkansas and AAA Tacoma indicated a changed man: the formerly groundball-oriented Markel struck out 62 batters in 35.1 innings before receiving a big league audition with the M’s in May. Though he was thoroughly knocked around in that cup of coffee (and in a subsequent one-game July callup), Markel’s slider-based, suddenly overpowering repertoire could possibly aid the Pirates beleaguered bullpen in short order.

Mariners Claim Keon Broxton

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The Mariners have claimed OF Keon Broxton, reports Greg Johns of mlb.com. The 29-year-old was designated for assignment Sunday by the Orioles.

It’s the third team this season for Broxton, who was acquired in the offseason by Mets and jettisoned after a miserable to start to the season. In 142 plate appearances for New York and Baltimore, the righty’s slashed .188/.244/.289 with a shocking 43.0% strikeout rate. Swing-and-miss has always been the undoing for the speedy outfielder, who again has posted stellar, if not elite, defensive and baserunning numbers.

Broxton’ll look to squeeze his way into a hobbled Mariner outfield that’s currently without Mitch Haniger and Domingo Santana. Centerfielder Mallex Smith hasn’t been able to replicate his breakout 2018 campaign, so perhaps Broxton will be in the mix there. A corner spot may also be up for grabs – rookie Dylan Moore hasn’t offered much in his sporadic action, either.

Mariners Select Ryan Court

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The Mariners have selected the contract of infielder Ryan Court, per a club announcement. He’ll take the active roster spot of fellow infielder Tim Lopes, who has gone on the 7-day concussion injured list after being struck in the head by a pitch last night. Ryon Healy was shifted to the 60-day IL to free a 40-man spot.

It’s a nice reward for the 31-year-old Court, whose first trip to the plate will be his first at the MLB level. A former 23rd-round draft pick, Court has seen action at Triple-A in parts of four seasons but seemed unlikely ever to touch the majors when he opened the present season in the indy ball ranks.

As it turns out, Court has been a nice find for the M’s top affiliate. In 154 plate appearances, he carries a .279/.377/.581 slash with nine home runs — that’s just two shy of his single-season career high. Court has appeared all over the diamond but has mostly been utilized as a corner infielder in recent seasons.

Latest On Felix Hernandez

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A right shoulder issue has prevented former Mariners superstar Felix Hernandez from taking the ball in the majors since May 11. As a result, the 33-year-old pending free agent isn’t a sure bet to suit up for the Mariners again, though he’s still holding out hope for a 2019 return, Greg Johns of MLB.com relays. Hernandez threw a 22-pitch live batting practice session Thursday and could begin a rehab assignment Sunday, but manager Scott Servais isn’t sure if he has progressed to that point, according to Johns.

If Hernandez does make it back to Seattle this year, the 2010 AL Cy Young winner and six-time All-Star realizes he’ll be auditioning just to land a 2020 opportunity somewhere.

“I need it,” Hernandez told Johns. “If I want to play next year, I need to go out there and pitch. I have to go out and compete. I’ve been thinking about next year, for sure. That’s why I need to go out there and show them I can pitch.”

A lack of availability was never a problem earlier in the career of Hernandez, who fired 190-plus innings each year from 2006 – his first full season – through 2015. Hernandez exceeded the 200-frame mark eight times during that span (every season from 2008-15) and combined for a sterling 3.13 ERA/3.21 FIP with 8.53 K/9, 2.51 BB/9 and 50.4 fWAR over 2,178 innings. Hernandez looked like a potential Hall of Famer then, which convinced the Mariners to sign him to a seven-year, $175MM extension shortly before the 2013 season began. Unfortunately for Seattle, it hasn’t gotten great overall value out of its massive commitment to the franchise icon, who has faced injuries and a significant drop in performance over the past few seasons.

Hernandez declined into something akin to a back-end starter from 2016-17, a span in which he totaled 239 2/3 innings, and has statistically been one of the least effective rotation pieces in baseball since last season. Dating back to then, Hernandez has tossed 194 1/3 innings of 5.74 ERA/5.23 FIP ball. Although he has mustered playable strikeout, walk and groundball rates (7.36 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 47.5 GB%), Hernandez ranks last in ERA and FIP among 102 starters who have accumulated 180 or more innings over the past year-plus.

Considering his recent, injury-aided fall from grace, Hernandez certainly isn’t on the brink of a lucrative trip to free agency (a guaranteed contract isn’t even a sure thing). However, it’s fair to say most baseball fans – especially those in Seattle – would like to see King Felix return this season and potentially end his tremendous Mariners tenure on a high note.

Injury Notes: G. Sanchez, Domingo, Gallo

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A few late-breaking injury notes from Tuesday night’s action…

  • The Yankees won an instant classic over the Twins, but New York received unwelcome news immediately after the game. Catcher Gary Sanchez, who left early, could be on his way to the IL with a groin injury, manager Aaron Boone told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com and other reporters. Sanchez has been in a brutal slump of late, but his .229/.299/.508 line (105 wRC+) with 24 home runs in 328 plate appearances is still clearly above average for his position. Backup Austin Romine hasn’t been close to that effective, while third-string catcher Kyle Higashioka hasn’t hit at all in the majors dating back to 2017. The Yankees also have veteran Erik Kratz at the Triple-A level, but he’s not on their 40-man roster.
  • Mariners outfielder Domingo Santana will undergo an MRI on his right elbow, Corey Brock of The Athletic tweets. The 26-year-old’s elbow has troubled him since the All-Star break, Brock notes. Santana has drawn trade interest with the July 31 deadline coming up, but the Mariners’ chances of dealing him could evaporate with an IL placement. Regardless, he has been one of the non-contending M’s top hitters in 2019, having slashed .273/.342/.472 (119 wRC+) with 19 HRs across 437 PA. Santana’s also cheap ($1.95MM salary) and eligible for arbitration for another two years. However, Santana’s atrocious work in the outfield (minus-15 Defensive Runs Saved, minus-14.4 Ultimate Zone Rating) would surely tamp down his trade value.
  • Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo is battling right wrist soreness and is likely to undergo an MRI on Wednesday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. An X-ray didn’t reveal a break, though Gallo’s wrist “has been bothering him for a while,” Grant writes. That would help explain Gallo’s significant decline in production in July. Gallo owned an incredible 1.109 OPS at the end of June, but he’s down to a still-great .987 in that category.

Mariners Release Eric Young Jr.

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The Mariners released outfielder Eric Young Jr. over the weekend, Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto reports. Young had been with the Mariners’ Triple-A club in Tacoma after inking a minor league contract in late March.

The speedy Young entered 2019 having logged major league action in each season since he made his debut in 2009. But the 34-year-old never reached the bigs with the Mariners, instead struggling through a nightmarish stint in Tacoma. Young only managed a .236/.296/.362 line, good for a 57 wRC+, with two home runs and three stolen bases in 142 plate appearances before exiting the Rainiers’ roster. Historically, however, Young has been a solid contributor in Triple-A ball. He’s a .289/.371/.413 hitter with 29 HRs and 167 steals across 2,480 PA at that level.

Young has amassed just under 2,000 PA in the majors, where he has combined for 1,926 with the Rockies, Mets, Braves, Yankees and Angels. He has batted .245/.312/.332 with 13 homers and 162 steals in MLB.

Mariners Place Dee Gordon On IL, Designate Parker Markel For Assignment

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6:25pm: Manager Scott Servais told reporters that Gordon will be out at least a couple of weeks (Twitter link via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). An MRI revealed a strain that is worse than a typical Grade 1 strain but not quite a Grade 2 strain.

4:55pm: The Mariners announced on Tuesday that they’ve placed infielder Dee Gordon on the 10-day injured list due to a left quad strain and selected the contract of infielder Tim Lopes from Triple-A Tacoma. In a corresponding 40-man move, right-hander Parker Markel was designated for assignment.

The injury to Gordon makes the already-difficult task of trading him now all the more problematic. Gordon was already a tough sell, given a lackluster .280/.306/.367 batting line and a hefty $19.3MM still owed to him between now and the end of the 2020 season. Add in a quadriceps injury for a player whose entire game is built on speed, and it’s difficult to see much in the way of legitimate interest in Gordon formulating.

Perhaps a contending club would actually be intrigued by the possibility of carrying Gordon on the IL into September, when rosters expand to 28 players, but for that to even be realistic, the Mariners would need to include a substantial amount of cash to offset his remaining salary.

Lopes, 25, is in his second stint with the Seattle organization and will be making his MLB debut this time around. Seattle originally with its sixth-round pick back in 2012, but he was traded to the Blue Jays at the PTBNL in 2016’s Pat Venditte swap. Lopes landed back in Seattle as a minor league free agent this winter and is enjoying a career year in Triple-A. Through 403 trips to the plate, he’s hitting .302/.362/.480 with 10 homers, 30 doubles, two triples and 24 steals (in 33 tries). He’s not in the lineup tonight but should make his debut in the near future.

Markel, 28, made his own MLB debut earlier this season, but he didn’t find much success in his limited audition. The righty tossed 4 2/3 innings but yielded nine runs (eight earned) on 10 hits, four walks and a hit batter with three punchouts. Markel has vastly more intriguing numbers in the minors, where he’s posted a 2.04 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s also issued 23 walks in that time (5.9 BB/9), hit two batters and tossed 11 wild pitches. Control is clearly an issue for Markel, but he’s missing bats at a level he’s never come close to previously approaching, which could prompt a different organization to take a look.

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