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AL Notes: Gurriel, Swihart, Benintendi, Royals, Mariners

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The Astros announced today that infielder Yulieski Gurriel has been promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi and will join that affiliate tomorrow. Since signing a five-year, $47.5MM contract with Houston last month, Gurriel has played six games between Houston’s Gulf Coast League and Class-A Advanced affiliates, going 8-for-21 with a homer, three doubles and five strikeouts. MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart tweets that Double-A is expected to be Gurriel’s final stop before arriving in the Major Leagues. It’s not entirely clear what type of alignment the Astros will utilize to work the 32-year-old Cuban star into the lineup, but Alex Bregman’s struggles upon his first taste of the Majors may have made it easier for manager A.J. Hinch to work Gurriel into the mix.

A bit more from the American League…

  • Red Sox manager John Farrell suggested to reporters this weekend that surgery could very well be required to fix the severe ankle sprain that is currently plaguing Blake Swihart (links to Twitter via Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald and Tim Britton of the Providence Journal). Swihart, who is waiting for a second opinion on the injury, hasn’t played since June 4, and surgery would seemingly jeopardize his chances of returning at all in 2016. Boston had been playing the 24-year-old top prospect in left field after concerns about his glovework behind the plate surfaced.
  • Mastrodonato writes today that outfielder Andrew Benintendi, who made his big league debut last week, could begin to find himself in the Red Sox’ lineup with greater frequency. The Sox planned to ease Benintendi into the Majors by limiting his at-bats against left-handed pitching, but Farrell explained that the “easing-in period has happened relatively quick,” referencing Benintendi’s hot start to his big league career. Extra playing time for Benintendi would likely come at the expense of Bryce Brentz, with whom he’d been slated to platoon early in his career.
  • MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan tackles a host of roster-related questions in his latest Royals Inbox, noting right off the bat that there’s “not a chance” the Royals will decline Alcides Escobar’s $6.5MM option in spite of his .279 OBP and recent rumors suggesting that the team may look to go with prospect Raul Mondesi Jr. at short in the near future. He also expects the Royals to try to work out a new two-year contract with Edinson Volquez, whom they like very much and who loves both the city of Kansas City and the Royals organization, according to Flanagan.
  • Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto spoke to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune about his weekend acquisitions of relievers Arquimedes Caminero and Pat Venditte, praising Caminero for rebounding from a poor start to the 2016 and pitching well since June 1. (Indeed, Caminero has a 2.28 ERA with 6.9 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 47.8 percent ground-ball rate in 23 2/3 innings since early June.) “He also provides another controllable and experienced arm for our pen,” said Dipoto. “Additionally, he’s among the hardest throwers in the game.” Speaking about Venditte, he said the Mariners were drawn to the ambidextrous hurler’s proficiency versus left-handed hitters as well as the fact that he has minor league options remaining.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Rangers, Brewers, Braun, Braves, Sale, Mariners

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Well-regarded prospects Lewis Brinson and Luis Ortiz headlined the package the Brewers received from the Rangers on Monday in exchange for catcher Jonathan Lucroy and reliever Jeremy Jeffress. Not to be forgotten, Texas also agreed to include a player to be named later, and FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link) characterizes that player as “a significant piece” who could be along the lines of Brinson and Ortiz – both of whom rank among Baseball America’s 75 best prospects. The reason Milwaukee didn’t land the player Monday is because the two teams ran out of time before they could agree on whom it would be, leaving the Brewers to eventually choose one from a list the Rangers provided them.

More from Rosenthal in the aftermath of the non-waiver trade deadline:

  • While the Braves checked in on Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun before acquiring Matt Kemp from the Padres, Braun’s limited no-trade clause helped prevent talks from going anywhere. There are only six places the Brewers can trade Braun without his permission, and Atlanta isn’t one of them.
  • The White Sox certainly aren’t a lock to deal left-handed ace Chris Sale during the offseason, but there will unsurprisingly be plenty of suitors if they shop him. Non-contenders are likelier to enter the mix for the 27-year-old, and teams will generally be more open to including major league players and 2016 draft picks in their offers.
  • The Mariners’ failed attempt to acquire shortstop Zack Cozart from Cincinnati isn’t a sign that they’ve given up on soon-to-be 23-year-old Ketel Marte, who has slashed just .273/.299/.358 in 300 plate appearances this season. Rather, acquiring the well-rounded Cozart and his one and a half years of team control would’ve enabled Marte to receive further seasoning in the minors. Notably, judging by their respective performances in Seattle this year, both southpaw James Paxton and catcher Mike Zunino have seemingly benefited from extra time at Triple-A Tacoma.

Mariners Acquire Pat Venditte From Blue Jays

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The Mariners have announced that they’ve acquired switch-pitcher Pat Venditte from the Blue Jays for a player to be named. To clear space for him, they’ve designated righty Donn Roach for assignment. Venditte has been assigned to Triple-A Tacoma.

The 31-year-old Venditte had appeared in eight games with the Jays this season. He’d spent the bulk of the year with Triple-A Buffalo, where he posted a 4.37 ERA and 3.3 BB/9, but with a very high 13.4 K/9. He has a 4.58 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 37 1/3 career big-league innings, suggesting his highly unusual ability to pitch with either hand is more than a curiosity. He has, however, been much better as a left-handed pitcher in his brief big-league career, and that trend also existed in the minors this year. The trade for Venditte was the Mariners’ second acquisition of a reliever today, with the first being their trade for Arquimedes Caminero of the Pirates. Whereas that move seemed designed to immediately improve the big-league roster, though, it appears they’ll use Venditte primarily as depth for now.

The 26-year-old Roach has appeared in four games with Seattle in 2016, but he’s spent most of the year with Tacoma, posting a 4.75 ERA, 5.2 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 while pitching 108 innings, mostly as a starter. He has a career 5.77 ERA, 4.6 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in parts of three seasons in the big leagues, during which he’s also appeared with the Padres and Cubs.

Mariners Acquire Arquimedes Caminero From Pirates

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The Mariners have announced that they’ve acquired righty reliever Arquimedes Caminero from the Pirates for a player to be named later and a conditional player to be named later. To clear roster space, they’ve designated righty Blake Parker for assignment.

The Mariners claimed Caminero before working out a deal, as MLB.com’s Greg Johns writes. The 29-year-old Caminero is one of baseball’s hardest throwers — his average fastball velocity this season has been 97.7 MPH, and he routinely touches triple digits. He does, however, struggle with his control, which might explain why most teams passed on him as a waiver claim despite his fastball and near-league-minimum salary. After a relatively successful 2015 season in which he posted a 3.62 ERA, 8.8 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9, Caminero has posted a 3.51 ERA but with just 7.0 K/9 and a very high 4.8 BB/9 this year (although he has fared much better since returning from a DL stint in June).

The Mariners (who recently promised they would be active on the August trade market) will become the latest team to try to turn Caminero’s electric arm into a high-performing one. The Pirates, meanwhile, will move on to other relief options in a new-look bullpen that also recently added Antonio Bastardo and swapped Mark Melancon for young former Nationals lefty Felipe Rivero. MLB.com’s Adam Berry suggests (via Twitter) that Caminero’s departure could clear space in the bullpen for Jeff Locke, who could be bumped from the rotation in favor of a younger option like Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault or Tyler Glasnow.

The 31-year-old Parker signed with the Mariners as a minor league free agent last winter and has spent most of the year with Triple-A Tacoma, where he posted a 2.72 ERA with an excellent 12.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. The Mariners added him to their roster this week, and he pitched in just one game for them before being designated.

Mariners Place Steve Cishek On DL With Hip Labrum Tear

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5:38pm: Cishek says that it’s actually only a small tear that won’t require surgery, so he may be back after the 15-day minimum, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets.

4:58pm: The Mariners announced a series of roster moves today that will shake up the team’s pitching mix. In particular, just-deposed closer Steve Cishek has been placed on the DL with a left hip labrum tear.

Just acquired lefty Ariel Miranda and righty Blake Parker are joining the major league roster. Righty Donn Roach was optioned to open one active roster spot, with Mayckol Guaipe released to free up a slot on the 40-man.

[Related: Updated Mariners Depth Chart]

Cishek signed with Seattle for two years and $10MM over the winter. He has been solid, posting a 3.40 ERA with 11.7 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in his 47 2/3 innings, though he recently lost the closer’s gig after some shaky outings. Cishek did manage to trigger a $500K bonus by recording over 35 games finished before that point, though he’ll miss out on a chance to earn yet more cash through that portion of his contract.

It’s not yet clear what kind of outlook there is for Cishek’s injury, but it certainly sounds like a season-ending type of injury (though it’s not yet clear if surgery is required). Pitchers who have had the ailment in recent years include Tim Lincecum and Michael Pineda; Dan Wade of the Hardball Times provides ample detail on the subject. Seattle will certainly hope that Cishek isn’t out that long, particularly since he’s still under contract for another campaign.

The 25-year-old Guaipe has thrown 34 frames for the big league team over the last two years, but the results haven’t been great. He owns a 5.29 ERA in that span, allowing 42 hits and 17 walks while recording 27 strikeouts. Guaipe has shown well in the upper minors, though, with a 2.87 ERA and 7.1 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 over 59 2/3 Triple-A frames since the start of 2015.

Padres Claim Patrick Kivlehan From Mariners

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The Padres have claimed infielder/outfielder Patrick Kivlehan off waivers from the Mariners, the teams announced today. Kivlehan, 26, has been optioned to Triple-A El Paso, according to the Padres.

Kivlehan has split the 2016 season between the Mariners and Rangers after being traded between the two teams twice. He originally went from Seattle to Texas along with Tom Wilhelmsen in the Leonys Martin trade, but the Rangers designated him for assignment and wound up sending him back to the Mariners in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations on May 29. (A subsequent announcement of a player going to Texas in exchange never materialized, so it seems likely that the Rangers picked up cash in the swap). In 321 plate appearances between the Triple-A affiliates for the Mariners and Rangers this season, Kivlehan batted .242/.291/.399 with nine homers and 16 doubles.

Kivelhan has played primarily third base throughout his minor league career, but he also has several hundred innings of work at first base, left field and right field. The Friars announced him only as an outfielder in their release, though that’s not necessarily an indication of how San Diego plans to deploy him for the remainder of the season.

Mariners Likely To Be Active On August Trade Market

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The Mariners didn’t make a trade on Monday in the hours leading up to the non-waiver deadline, but GM Jerry Dipoto doesn’t expect that to preclude them from further tweaking the roster, as Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune writes. “We’re going to have something on the market in August,” Dipoto tells Dutton. “I guarantee there will be more activity throughout the league, and we’ll probably be at the center of that.”

[Related: How August Trades Work]

That the Mariners didn’t make a trade wasn’t for a lack of effort, per Dipoto, who says that the Mariners had a lot of different discussions taking place, some of which “got very deep into the deal-making phase and just didn’t come to pass.” While Dipoto doesn’t address any specifics, one of those near-swaps was likely for Reds shortstop Zack Cozart. It was widely reported on Monday (first by Dutton himself) that the two sides were closing in on a trade that would send Cozart from Cincinnati to Seattle, but the deal never came to fruition.

Dutton now sheds some light on the talks, reporting that the two sides believed they had a basic two-for-two framework that would’ve sent Cozart and a minor leaguer to Seattle in exchange for minor league lefty Luiz Gohara and a second prospect. However, the Reds ultimately had to spend a great deal of time on Monday restructuring their trade of Jay Bruce to the Mets due to medical concerns surrounding some of the minor leaguers they were set to acquire. As such, Dutton writes that the Reds effectively “ran out of time” to assess all of the medical information on the players they would be receiving from the Mariners in exchange for Cozart. Gohara rated as the Mariners’ No. 5 prospect at MLB.com, whose scouting report notes that he’s had a breakout campaign after dropping 30 pounds in the offseason. Gohara has a 1.94 ERA and a 63-to-14 K/BB ratio in 51 minor league innings (nine starts).

Dutton adds that he spoke to some Mariners officials who didn’t rule out the possibility of revisiting talks for Cozart, though Cozart would have to pass through the entire National League and through nearly half of the American League to get to the Mariners on the waiver wire, which seems unlikely. Talks, of course, could resume in the offseason if Cozart remains in Cincinnati. It’s worth noting that Reds president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty told the Cincinnati Enquirer’s C. Trent Rosecrans yesterday that Cozart is not someone he’s actively looking to move, though he’s a free agent following the 2017 season, so it makes sense for the rebuilding Reds to be highly open to the concept so long as they receive quality talent in return.

In the days leading up to the deadline, the Mariners served as a reminder that the “buyer” and “seller” classifications are often too black-and-white, and teams will often operate in a gray areas somewhere between. Seattle shed some veterans that have disappointed this season — Joaquin Benoit and Wade Miley — but acquired MLB-ready assets in exchange. Benoit was swapped out for another change of scenery candidate, Drew Storen, while left-hander Ariel Miranda came over from the Orioles in the Miley swap and has already pitched in the big leagues this year himself. The Mariners did trade a long-term, controllable asset in moving Mike Montgomery to the Cubs, but Dipoto received a more or less MLB-ready first baseman in exchange by picking up blocked prospect Dan Vogelbach, creating the possibility for near-term gains. And, talks for Cozart further indicated that the Mariners don’t seem content to punt on the 2016 season.

Looking around the roster to identify potential August trade candidates, then, Adam Lind stands out as a logical option. Acquired from the Brewers this offseason to platoon at first base, Lind has struggled to a .226/.261/.434 line through 280 plate appearances. The emergence of Dae-ho Lee and the presence of the left-handed-hitting Vogelbach in Triple-A Tacoma could make Lind, a free agent at season’s end, expendable for the Mariners, and there were indeed rumors of his availability leading up to the non-waiver deadline. Veteran outfielder Nori Aoki has also underwhelmed in his first season with the Mariners, though he’s performed considerably better in a small sample upon his return from an option to Tacoma.

As for possible external acquisitions for Seattle, the Mariners were linked to names like Cozart, Jay Bruce and Joe Smith in the days leading up to the deadline. Given Steve Cishek’s recent struggles and the reported interest in Smith, adding another bullpen arm seems like a possibility, and their talks for Cozart could signal a desire to add another up-the-middle type of infielder. And, given Seattle’s current ranking, they’ll likely have a good shot at claiming any short-term assets that are placed on trade waivers by American League clubs. Seattle is currently five games back of the second Wild Card spot, and the two of the teams closest behind them — the Yankees and White Sox — acted largely as sellers, while the Royals (who have the same record as the ChiSox) stood pat as opposed to making any pre-deadline additions. That means that (for now) the Mariners have priority over virtually every team that considers itself a legitimate Wild Card contender.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/1/16

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We’ve had a number of big moves as we approached the trade deadline today, but here are a few smaller ones.

  • The Blue Jays have designated righty Ben Rowen to clear space on their roster for the newly acquired Mike Bolsinger, Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star tweets. The 27-year-old Rowen has pitched well this season in the bullpen at Triple-A Buffalo, posting a 2.47 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 47 1/3 innings, and he’s continued his trend of getting tons of ground-ball outs in the minors, with a ratio of 3.25 outs on the ground for every one in the air.
  • In an intriguing minor deal, the Dodgers have announced that they’ve acquired righty Josh Fields from the Astros for first baseman Yordan Alvarez. The 30-year-old Fields thrived in the Astros’ bullpen last season, with a 3.55 ERA, 3.4 BB/9 and an exceptional 11.9 K/9, but failed to get good results despite maintaining strong peripherals this season and has spent much of the year with Triple-A Fresno. The Dodgers signed the 19-year-old Alvarez for $2MM earlier this season. He played in Cuba’s Serie Nacional in 2013 and 2014 and has not yet appeared in a minor league game.
  • In the wake of their trade for Jonathan Lucroy, the Rangers have announced that they’ve designated fellow catchers Bryan Holaday and Bobby Wilson for assignment. Both have played sparingly for Texas this year. Holaday, acquired in late March after many years in the Tigers organization, batted .238/.290/.405 in 94 plate appearances with the Rangers. Wilson, an eight-year MLB veteran, hit .250/.277/.352.
  • The Mariners have announced that they’ve claimed infielder Mike Freeman off waivers from the Diamondbacks. To clear space on their 40-man roster, they’ve designated infielder Patrick Kivlehan for assignment. Freeman, soon to be 29, briefly played in the Majors this season but has spent most of the year with Triple-A Reno, where he’s batted .317/.387/.411 while playing second, first and all three outfield positions. The 26-year-old Kivlehan has hit a disappointing .242/.291/.399 with Seattle and Texas’ Triple-A affiliates.
  • The Cubs have announced that they designated lefty Brian Matusz for assignment. The move clears space on their active roster for righty Spencer Patton, who was promoted from Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs signed Matusz to a minor league deal in June after he was traded from the Orioles to the Braves and then designated for assignment. He had previously been a longtime and productive member of the Baltimore bullpen, but he’s struggled in nine big-league innings this season, allowing 14 runs.

Mariners, Reds Fail To Complete Zack Cozart Trade

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3:25pm: Seattle didn’t pull off any deals, Dutton tweets, so evidently the sides were not able to line up on Cozart.

9:05am: The Mariners and Reds are closing in on a trade involving Zack Cozart, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (on Twitter). While the trade isn’t done yet, both sides are confident that a deal can be worked out, according to Dutton, who notes that talks are still fluid at this time. ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported last week that Seattle had asked the Reds about Cozart.

Cozart, 30, is one of the game’s premier defenders at shortstop and has also substantially elevated his offensive game over the past couple of seasons, hitting a combined .263/.314/.461 with 24 homers over 615 plate appearances. He’s earning a reasonable $2.925MM salary in 2016 and is controllable through the 2017 season via arbitration.

The Mariners have a young shortstop option in Ketel Marte that looked to have cemented himself at the position with a strong rookie campaign in 2015, but the 22-year-old’s bat has taken a huge step backwards in 2016. After a .283/.351/.402 slash in 247 plate appearances last year, Marte has batted a mere .273/.299/.358 in a larger sample of 300 PAs in 2016. Beyond that, Marte has missed time this season with a sprained thumb and, more recently, a bout of mononucleosis (for which he is currently on the disabled list). Adding Cozart to the fold wouldn’t necessarily preclude Marte from emerging as Seattle’s primary shortstop down the line, but it could relegate him to a utility role next year before giving him another crack at a more regular role in 2018.

From the Reds’ vantage point, moving Cozart could open up an avenue for prospect Jose Peraza to at last get regular at-bats. Cincinnati picked up Peraza in the Todd Frazier deal this offseason, but he’s played sparingly of late while spending more time on the bench than the club would presumably like for a piece that could be a long-term asset in their lineup. The 22-year-old speedster has 93 plate appearances in 33 games since being recalled from Triple-A back on June 15.

Orioles Acquire Wade Miley

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After weeks of searching for an additional arm for their rotation — specifically a left-handed one — the Orioles have landed the southpaw they sought by acquiring Wade Miley from the Mariners. Minor league left-hander Ariel Miranda will head back to Seattle in exchange. Both teams have announced the trade.

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[Related: Updated Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners Depth Charts]

Miley gives Baltimore a desperately needed arm that can help to stabilize what has been an extremely top-heavy rotation. While Miley struggled quite a bit earlier this season, he’s righted the ship to an extent as of late, pitching to a 3.80 ERA with a 33-to-15 K/BB ratio across his past 47 1/3 innings of work (eight starts). His most recent outing was his most impressive with the Mariners, holding a potent Cubs lineup to a run on hit and a walk with nine strikeouts in seven innings.

Overall, Miley is sporting an unsightly 4.98 ERA in 112 innings, though that figure is accompanied by more palatable marks: 6.6 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 46.6 percent ground-ball rate. While the earned run average isn’t impressive, even that modest production represents an upgrade over the contributions that Baltimore has received from the third, fourth and fifth spots in its rotation. Beyond Chris Tillman and Kevin Gausman, the Orioles have seen right-handers Ubaldo Jimenez, Yovani Gallardo, Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson, Vance Worley and Dylan Bundy combine for a 5.93 ERA in 323 1/3 innings of work. As such, Miley only needs to provide a steady source of reliable innings to help stabilize the Orioles’ starting staff. And, Miley’s recent uptick in production could be an indicator that he could return to the form that saw him compile a lifetime 3.95 ERA in 832 1/3 innings prior to the 2016 campaign. He’ll also give manager Buck Showalter a left-handed option in his rotation — something that Baltimore has lacked all season.

The Orioles have been on the hunt for a rotation upgrade for more than a month, though they’ve been somewhat hamstrung in their efforts to add an arm due to the fact that their farm system is lacking in top-tier prospects. Miley, though, doesn’t figure to command an overwhelming return given his 2016 struggles and the fact that he’s owed a not-insignificant $8.75MM in 2017 plus at least a $500K buyout of a $12MM option for the 2018 season. Adding in the remaining $2.13MM on his 2016 salary, Miley is owed at least $11.38MM through the end of the 2017 campaign, though Baltimore could control him through 2018 for a total of $22.88MM if he is able to continue his recent success and prove worth of that $12MM option over the next 14 months.

The O’s signed Miranda, 27, to a minor league contract last May after he defected from Cuba. He’s on the 40-man roster by virtue of having his contract selected and making his big league debut earlier this year (he allowed three runs in a two-inning relief appearance) and has had fair success in the minors since signing with Baltimore. Miranda has a career 3.80 ERA across four minor league levels and has pitched to a 3.93 mark with 7.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 38.6 percent ground-ball rate in 100 2/3 innings (19 starts) out of the rotation in Norfolk.

Miranda will add some depth to the upper levels of the Mariners’ system and could even present them with an immediate rotation replacement for Miley or an option in the big league bullpen. The subtraction of Miley from the 2016-17 roster creates more of an opening for the Mariners to insert both Taijuan Walker and James Paxton into the rotation, health permitting. (Walker is currently on the disabled list with a foot injury.)

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports first reported that the two teams reached an agreement on a Miley deal, pending physicals (Twitter link). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports added that Miranda would go to Seattle (Twitter link). Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the deal was official following the medical reviews (via Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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