2017 Vesting Options Update
It’s been a little more than a month since we last checked in on the vesting options from around the league. Here’s where this year’s collection of players with vesting options for the following season stand…
- Coco Crisp ($13MM option vests at 550 plate appearances or 130 games played in 2016): Crisp was hitting .234/.304/.405 at the time of my initial look at this group of players, but his bat has gone in the tank since that time. The 36-year-old switch-hitter has batted just .212/.235/.343 in 102 plate appearances since that time, but he’s continued to see playing time in part due to injuries elsewhere on the roster (Josh Reddick, Mark Canha). Crisp is still on pace to come in a bit shy of that 550 PA mark, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a reduced role upon Reddick’s return to health, as the A’s probably don’t love the idea of paying him $13MM for his age-37 campaign when he’s struggling to this level in 2016.
- Matt Holliday ($17MM option vests with Top 10 finish in MVP voting): Holliday is having a strong season, as he’s proven that the power outage he experienced last season was more anomaly than a portent for significant decline. However, he’s hitting .257/.332/.478 — numbers that help the Cardinals but won’t make him a factor in MVP voting barring a mammoth finish to the 2016 season.
- Chris Iannetta ($6MM option vests with 100 games started in 2016): Iannetta has already started 55 games for the Mariners this season, making it seem very likely that he’ll be around in Seattle for the 2017 campaign as well. He hasn’t set the world on fire in his first year with the Mariners, but he’s hitting .237/.337/.395, which translates to an OPS+ of 104 and a wRC+ of 105. (Put another way: he’s been about four to five percent above the league-average hitter after adjusting for his pitcher-friendly home park.)
- Yusmeiro Petit ($3MM option vests with 80 innings pitched in 2016): At last check, Petit was on pace to see his option vest, but he’s been used very sparingly in the month of June, totaling just six innings thus far after combining for 26 innings in April and May. Given his status as a multi-inning reliever, he could pick up some additional innings in a hurry, but as it stands, he’s behind pace to see that payday locked in automatically. Of course, he’s also posted a 2.81 ERA in those 32 innings, so the Nats may simply pick up his option even if it doesn’t automatically trigger. To this point, he’s pitched well enough that it seems like a fairly easy call.
- CC Sabathia ($25MM option vests if he does not end season on DL with shoulder injury or miss 45+ games in 2016 due to shoulder injury): Sabathia’s option seems likely to vest, as his shoulder has remained healthy this season. However, what once looked like an egregious overpay can perhaps be seen in a different light for the time being. While few would argue that the Yankees shouldn’t mind paying Sabathia that sum in 2017, his contract looks considerably better than it did last year. The former Cy Young winner has made 11 starts this season and has posted a resurgent 2.20 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9. Sabathia has benefited from some good fortune in terms of homer-to-flyball ratio and strand rate, but this is the best he’s looked since 2012.
- Kurt Suzuki ($6MM option vests with 485 plate appearances in 2016): Suzuki’s overall production this season has been well below average, but since the last of these updates he’s batting a considerably improved .268/.297/.394 with a pair of homers in 74 PAs. That’s a bit better than the league-average catcher, but the Twins still don’t seem inclined to allow his option to vest. Suzuki has totaled just 158 plate appearances this season even with John Ryan Murphy, his projected replacement, floundering in the Majors and getting optioned to Triple-A (where his struggles have continued). Journeyman Juan Centeno is getting some time behind the dish as well (61 PAs) for the Twins as well. It seems unlikely that Minnesota will allow Suzuki to average 3.5 PAs per game over the final 93 contests after he’s averaged just 2.3 per game thus far.
As noted in the original update, both Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn had vesting options for the 2017 season as well, but those options were negated when each was released from the four-year contracts they initially signed with the Indians.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/19/16
Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the page…
- The Rockies acquired lefty Pat McCoy from the Blue Jays, according to the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate (Twitter link). McCoy has pitched in four different organizations during a pro career that began in 2007, and his Major League experience consists of 14 relief innings with Detroit in 2014. McCoy has a 4.43 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 2.63 K/BB rate over 491 2/3 career minor league frames, with 288 of his 312 games coming as a reliever.
- The Pirates selected the contract of catcher Jacob Stallings from Triple-A and added him to both their Major League and 40-man rosters. Jason Rogers was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. Stallings will give the Bucs some depth behind the plate with Francisco Cervelli on the DL and Chris Stewart also battling an ankle injury. A seventh-round pick in the 2012, Stallings has a .675 OPS over 1266 career minor league PA and wasn’t listed on Baseball America’s ranking of the Pirates’ top 30 prospects.
- The Mariners have sent right-hander Steve Johnson outright to Triple-A Tacoma, the team announced. Johnson has been outrighted in the past, so he’ll have the option of declining in favor of free agency. The Mariners designated him for assignment Friday after he totaled a 4.32 ERA and 11 walks over 16 2/3 innings.
- The Rays have outrighted lefty Dana Eveland to Triple-A Durham, according to the club. Eveland, like Johnson, has been outrighted previously. The 32-year-old has racked up 16 2/3 frames of 7.56 ERA ball at the major league level this season.
- Minor league Red Sox reliever Anthony Varvaro has retired, per a club announcement. Varvaro, 31, concluded his career by recording a 2.83 ERA, 9.73 K/9 and 4.08 BB/9 in 28 2/3 innings for Triple-A Pawtucket this year. Prior to tossing 11 frames at the major league level for the Red Sox in 2015, he was a member of the Braves, with whom he had a pair of standout seasons from 2013-14. Varvaro combined for 128 innings of 2.74 ERA pitching in that span, also posting a 6.54 K/9, 2.67 BB/9 and 48.2 percent ground-ball rate. Over the course of 183 2/3 innings in the majors with the Mariners, Braves and Red Sox, Varvaro logged a 3.23 ERA, 7.35 K/9 and 3.43 BB/9.
- The White Sox have signed first baseman K.J. Woods, whom the Marlins released, and outfielder Slade Heathcott to minor league deals, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America (Twitter link). The Marlins used a fourth-round pick in 2013 on Woods, who hit .239/.326/.386 in 872 minor league plate appearances with their organization. Heathcott, the more notable player of the two, was the Yankees’ first-rounder (29th overall) in 2009. BA ranked him as baseball’s 63rd-best prospect entering the 2013 season, but injuries and disappointing production led the Yankees to release him last month. Heathcott did perform well during his first taste of major league action last year, though, collecting 10 hits – including two home runs and a pair of doubles – in 30 PAs.
Dodgers Acquire Chris Taylor From Mariners For Zach Lee
The Dodgers and Mariners announced a trade that will send infielder Chris Taylor to Los Angeles in exchange for righty Zach Lee.
Taylor, 25, has appeared in just three games at the MLB level this season but played in 84 games for the Mariners in 2014-15, hitting .239/.296/.296 over 253 plate appearances. Taylor received quite a bit of playing time at shortstop due to Brad Miller‘s struggles and injuries, though obviously he didn’t enough himself to gain a roster foothold before Ketel Marte took over the position. A fifth-rounder in the 2012 draft, Taylor swung a powerful bat in the minors, hitting .314/.401/.455 over 1856 PA in the Seattle farm system.
The vast majority of Taylor’s Major League experience has come at short, though he has seen a significant amount of time at second in the minors, as well as a handful of games at third. He can provide the Dodgers with some versatile infield depth at either the major or minor league level, though the team already has Enrique Hernandez and Howie Kendrick as multi-position assets on the roster. Given Taylor’s impressive minor league numbers, it’s not out of the question that he could unlock some of that hitting prowess in the bigs.
Lee was a staple of top-100 prospect rankings after the Dodgers picked him 28th overall in the 2010 draft, agreeing to a $5.25MM bonus to choose baseball over playing football at LSU. Over the years, Lee has often been mentioned as potential trade chip L.A. could use in many possible deals for big-name players, though his prospect stock dimmed after a rough 2014 season at Triple-A Albuquerque (in the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League). He rebounded with a good 2015 that saw him cut down on his homers and walks, though the long ball problems returned with a force this year. Lee posted a 4.89 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 3.8 K/BB in 73 2/3 Triple-A innings with 11 homers allowed.
The 2016 Baseball America Prospect Handbook dropped Lee to 15th in their ranking of the Dodgers’ top 30 prospects prior to this season, describing his stuff as “fringy to average across the board” and describing him as a potential back-end starter. The Mariners are optioning Lee to Triple-A, though he could get to the bigs since Seattle is struggling with a number of injuries in both the rotation and bullpen. Given how Taylor was an expendable piece for the M’s, Lee is a pretty good return for Seattle if he emerges as a post-hype prospect.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/18/16
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.
- The Red Sox announced that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Ryan LaMarre. They also recalled infielder Deven Marrero and optioned outfielder Rusney Castillo and lefty Roenis Elias to Triple-A Pawtucket. The 27-year-old LaMarre was hitting a solid .313/.383/.475 for Pawtucket. He also stole 11 bases and played mostly center field, so a number of facets of his game could prove useful to the Sox. He made his big-league debut with the Reds last season, then headed to the Red Sox last winter on a minor league deal.
- The Mariners have announced that they’ve selected the contract of righty Adrian Sampson and optioned lefty David Rollins to Triple-A Tacoma. Sampson will make his big-league debut this afternoon against the Red Sox, starting in place of the injured Wade Miley. The Mariners acquired Sampson last July in the trade that sent J.A. Happ to the Pirates. The 24-year-old Sampson has exhibited characteristically strong control this season at Tacoma, posting a 3.25 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in 80 1/3 innings.
Mariners Designate Steve Johnson, Place Wade Miley On 15-Day DL
The Mariners have announced a series of roster moves involving their pitching staff. Righty Steve Johnson was designated for assignment and southpaw Wade Miley was placed on the 15-day DL with a shoulder impingement. Seattle has called up right-hander Jonathan Aro and lefty David Rollins to take their places.
Johnson, 28, pitched to a 4.32 ERA over 16 2/3 frames on the year for the M’s. He was striking out better than a batter per inning, but his 11 walks certainly rate as a concern. Those numbers largely match his career line of a 4.26 ERA and 10.2 K/9 against 5.6 BB/9.
The 29-year-old Miley has struggled to keep runs off the board in Seattle and owns a 5.28 earned run average over his 76 2/3 frames on the year. Other than allowing more home runs and drawing a few less grounders than usual, though, he’s looked much like his typical self. Miley has checked in with 6.8 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 on the year, right around his career averages.
To take a look at the new Mariners pitching alignment, check out the updated Seattle depth chart at RosterResource.com.
AL West Notes: Lincecum, Valencia, Lohse, Mariners
Tim Lincecum is set to debut for the Angels tomorrow against the Athletics, as MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez writes. Per Gonzalez, the Angels felt that Lincecum might’ve been ready for his debut after his second rehab outing, but the pitcher himself asked GM Billy Eppler for one more rehab tune-up because he wasn’t pleased with his ability to command his fastball in that second outing. His third outing proved to be the best of the bunch, as he went seven innings and picked up eight strikeouts while yielding just one hit and one walk. His velocity is still in the 88-91 mph range, Gonzalez notes, but Eppler says that he expects Lincecum will be able to locate his fastball and secondary pitches to get by “with moxie and some deception and pitchability.” Lincecum appears set to join Jered Weaver, Hector Santiago, Jhoulys Chacin and Matt Shoemaker in the Halos’ rotation, as is reflected on their updated depth chart.
More from the American League West…
- Danny Valencia feels like he’s found a home with the Athletics — his sixth team in four years — but he knows there’s a possibility that he could again be traded this summer, he tells USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “We all joke about it,” said Valencia, who is hitting .302/.353/.529 with 28 homers dating back to the start of the 2015 season. “They are notorious for making trades, so it’s in the back of everybody’s mind. If the team’s not in the thick of things, they will make moves and blow up the team to some degree. I know I don’t want to go anywhere. I love Oakland. I love the Bay Area. I love my coaching staff, my teammates. We all love it here.” Valencia acknowledged that the team’s poor play decreases the likelihood of him remaining there, however, and Nightengale speculates that he could be a strong fit for the Mets, who recently lost David Wright to neck surgery. Valencia’s clubhouse personality has drawn some negative reviews in the past, though teammate Yonder Alonso spoke to Nightengale about that perception, opining that Valencia is the type of player that is loved by his own team but rubs opponents the wrong way. “He’s a guy that if you’re not his team, you may not like him, and you want to beat him,” said Alonso. “If he’s on your team, you want this guy playing every single night, helping you win. And if you’re in a fight, you want him right next to you.”
- The Rangers are “seriously” considering bringing veteran righty Kyle Lohse up to serve as a bullpen option, though their current roster construction make the situation a bit complicated, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Lohse, 37, inked a minor league pact with Texas last month and has been starting for the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock. Lohse’s numbers leave plenty to be desired — he has a 5.35 ERA through six starts, though the bulk of the damage came in one start — but he could add some length to the bullpen or provide the team with some spot starts if necessary.
- While the Mariners‘ bullpen has stumbled lately, general manager Jerry Dipoto tells Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune that he’s not planning on making an early splash on the trade market to address his relief corps. “It’s not a great time to do trades really,” said Dipoto, “but we are doing our recon, like we always do, as we prepare for July. Right now, this is our group.” Per Dutton, if the Mariners do look to upgrade their ‘pen next month, it would likely be by pursuing someone that can pitch at the very back of the group, but the market isn’t exactly rife with shutdown options for the ninth inning. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd recently listed the top trade candidates from around the game and did include a fair number of relief options, though certainly not all of them are the types that the Mariners (or another club) would immediately slot into the closer’s role.
Heyman’s Latest: Teheran, Ventura, CarGo, Lucroy, Myers, Turner
Writing at todaysknuckleball.com, Jon Heyman breaks down the woes of the Dodgers and Angels. Both teams face difficult decisions over the summer. The Dodgers, at least, still seem positioned to contend and could play an interesting role on the trade market.
Here are more notes from the column:
- Amidst the considerable amount of Julio Teheran chatter, one Braves source tells Heyman, “I don’t see the Braves trading Teheran.” That’s a less-definitive statement than the one Heyman received regarding Freddie Freeman, as a source told him the first baseman is “totally off limits,” which lines up with GM John Coppolella’s offseason comments. Heyman adds that the Braves have “tried to dangle” Erick Aybar in trade talks, but he has no value at this point and could simply end up being released, creating an opportunity for one of Atlanta’s top-tier shortstop prospects (Dansby Swanson and Ozhaino Albies).
- Robin Ventura is on the hot seat with the White Sox, Heyman writes (adding more detail here). A team source tells him that there’s a feeling that “patience has been shown” and a change could benefit the team. Bench coach Rick Renteria, who formerly managed the Cubs, could succeed Ventura. Not that it’s particularly surprising, but Heyman adds that former skipper Ozzie Guillen wouldn’t be a candidate to return to his old post.
- The Rockies haven’t yet started receiving calls asking about Carlos Gonzalez, but they’re expected to listen to offers despite hovering around .500 to this point of the season. GM Jeff Bridich tells Heyman that his current focus is on winning and adds that prized righty Jeff Hoffman, who headlined the prospects acquired in last July’s Troy Tulowitzki blockbuster, is “closer than he is far away.”
- While Jonathan Lucroy is perhaps the most-cited trade candidate in baseball, GM David Stearns tells Heyman that an extension can’t be entirely ruled out. Heyman notes that if the Brewers are able to move Ryan Braun, they could look to reallocate some of those funds to locking up Lucroy, who is more open to an extension now that the Brewers are performing better than most pundits expected. There could, of course, be some level of gamesmanship there, as it would make sense for any team official to downplay a prime trade target’s availability.
- The Padres are “open” to trading Wil Myers in the right scenario, says Heyman, but it still seems unlikely that’ll come to fruition. San Diego has received hits on Jon Jay and Derek Norris, though, and presumably the organization is more willing to part with those players.
- There was talk of the Tigers pursuing Chris Davis over the winter, and Heyman says that was indeed the case. The club was considering an offer in the $180MM range for the slugger, per the report. Owner Mike Ilitch also pushed for Yoenis Cespedes over Justin Upton, but the club elected to grab the younger player. That choice is certainly up for debate after their respective starts.
- The Phillies are obvious sellers, but most of their marketable assets reside on the pitching side of the equation. But the club sees infielder Andres Blanco as a plausible piece, with Freddy Galvis also potentially on the block. Blanco isn’t quite repeating his surprising 2015 season, but is hitting at around the league average rate and could be a useful utility piece.
- With continued uncertainty surrounding Felix Hernandez, the Mariners are likely to explore the rotation market this summer. The club has received a nice boost from James Paxton of late, but many of its starters have long-term injury questions so it isn’t surprising to hear that the club is readying for an addition in that area.
- Heyman also floats the idea that the Nationals could dangle top position player prospect Trea Turner in trade talks this summer. He wonders whether he could be the chip that lands a top-end reliever, citing Yankees hurler Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman. From my perspective, that would be rather surprising: Turner has shown himself ready for a full crack at the big leagues and is widely considered one of the game’s twenty best prospects. Even if the Nats don’t make him the starter in 2016, he’s a critical part of the team’s middle infield depth right now and an important future piece.
- Veteran outfielder Shane Victorino has rejected several opportunities to join teams on minor-league deals, says Heyman. Victorino is holding out for a shot to join a big league roster.
Draft Signings: 6/16/2016
There are a lot of notable draft deals to work through from the last two days. Among them:
- Blue Jays second-rounder Bo Bichette announced that he’s signed a deal, which Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets is for a $1.1MM bonus. A son of long-time big leaguer Dante Bichette, the high-school shortstop landed above the $978,600 value at the 66th overall pick. Fellow second-rounder J.B. Woodman inked for $975K, Callis adds on Twitter. An outfielder from Mississippi, he also will deliver some savings to Toronto. The 57th selection came with a $1.124MM slot value. The Jays also added third-round pick Zach Jackson, Callis tweets. The Arkansas righty signed for $540K, leaving the team with $45,100 in savings.
- Another second-round pick who’s ready for a minor league assignment is C.J. Chatham, who goes to the Red Sox for $1.1MM, per MLB.com (via Twitter). Chosen 51st overall, the Florida Atlantic shortstop rated just outside the top 100 per Baseball America. His signing saves the club $132,800 against the slot value.
- The Brewers agreed with second-rounder Lucas Erceg for $1.15MM, Callis reports on Twitter. The Menlo College third baseman rated 47th on the draft board of ESPN.com’s Keith Law. He was taken 46th overall, which came with an allocation of $1,386,900.
- The Twins are in agreement with second-rounder Ben Rortvedt on a $900K bonus, per another Callis tweet. Minnesota saves $241,600 against the slot value while adding the Wisconsin high school backstop. Cotillo tweets that Twins third-rounder Griffin Jax, a righty from the Air Force Academy, has agreed to an at-slot, $645.6K bonus.
- The Dodgers agreed to a $590,800 bonus with second-round pick Mitch White, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. The Santa Clara righty ended up going for over $400K less than the 65th pick’s pool allocation, so Los Angeles can put that money to work in other areas.
- Rays third-round choice Austin Franklin signed for a $600K bonus that falls a bit shy of the $676,200 slot value, Callis tweets. Franklin is a high-school righty out of Florida.
- The Royals have an above-slot deal with third-rounder Khalil Lee, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets, though the exact bonus isn’t known. Taken with the 103rd selection, the Virginia high school outfielder rated 121st on BA’s board.
- The Athletics have locked up third-rounder Sean Murphy for an at-slot, $753,100 bonus, Callis tweets. Baseball America had rated him 63rd among draft-eligible prospects, but Oakland got him with the 83rd pick.
- Bryson Brigman appears to be in agreement with the Mariners for $700K, just under the $708,200 slot value, per a tweet from Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. A shortstop from the University of San Diego, Brigman went 87th overall.
- The Giants have given an at-slot, $625,900 bonus to Heath Quinn, Callis tweets. The power-hitting Samford outfielder was taken with the team’s third-round selection.
- The Cardinals signed fourth-rounder Jeremy Martinez, a catcher from the University of Southern California, for $600K, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. That lands over the $421,600 allocation that came with the 136th selection in the draft.
- Brewers fourth-round selection Corbin Burnessigned for a slot bonus of $536,400, Callis tweets. A righty from St. Mary’s, Burnes took the 57th slot on the Baseball America draft chart on the basis of improving velocity and the possibility of sticking as a starter.
Mariners Sign First-Rounder Kyle Lewis
The Mariners have signed first-round pick Kyle Lewis, whom they took 11th overall in this year’s draft. That selection comes with a $3.287MM slot value, which is what the outfielder will receive.
Lewis chatted with MLBTR contributor Chuck Wasserstrom before the draft, discussing his late commitment to the game of baseball. He also explained all the work he’s done and confidence he’s gained since turning his attention away from hoops late in his high school career.
MLB.com prospect gurus Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis called Lewis the third-best player available entering the draft. That was based in large part on his “easy pop to all fields,” but the duo credited him also with a strong overall skillset to go with the power.
That was largely the same assessment of the Baseball America team, which rated him fourth. ESPN.com’s Keith Law pegged Lewis as the tenth overall draft prospect, suggesting that he’s slightly more concerned than others with the 20-year-old’s need to refine his hitting mechanics — though that was a common issue raised by all of these evaluators.
While Lewis is a center fielder by trade, the consensus appears to be that he’ll eventually settle in at a corner spot. A strong arm could land him in right field, per the reports. Perhaps due in part to his lack year-round baseball before heading to college, Lewis’s game speed is said to lag his raw velocity on his feet.
Seattle has to be pleased with the way things broke with its first pick. The club was somewhat hamstrung last winter because it fell out of the top 10 with a win in its final game last year — meaning that it possessed the top unprotected pick in the draft for purposes of signing players who declined qualifying offers. After holding on to the choice rather than punting it to add a high-profile free agent, it was surely gratifying to see an elite name not only fall to them, but also sign in short order.
Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune first reported the deal. Chris Cotillo of SB Nation had the financial details.
Felix Hernandez Could Miss Four More Weeks
Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, who is on the disabled list retroactive to May 28 with a strained right calf muscle, could miss another four weeks, reports Marly Rivera of ESPN.com. When the Mariners placed Hernandez on the DL on June 1, their hope was that the 30-year-old would sit out only two starts and return as early as this Sunday. Hernandez still wasn’t moving well or throwing as of earlier this week, though, so he underwent a second MRI and the doctor advised him to rest the calf for a few more weeks and wear a boot “as often as possible” to protect the muscles surrounding the calf, the right-hander told Rivera.
Prior to landing on the DL, Hernandez was his usual formidable self from a results standpoint, recording a 2.85 ERA over 63 innings. However, the six-time All-Star’s strikeout and walk rates (7.57 and 3.71, respectively, per nine innings) are currently at their worst levels since 2008, and his fastball velocity before the injury sat at a career-low 90 mph.
While the onetime Cy Young Award winner isn’t as dominant as he was in his younger days, his absence certainly doesn’t help the cause of the 34-28 Mariners, who trail the AL West-leading Rangers by four games and are percentage points from holding one of the two Wild Card spots. Hernandez has easily been the best Mariners starter this year in terms of run prevention, with Hisashi Iwakuma, Wade Miley, Taijuan Walker and Nate Karns all posting significantly higher ERAs. Of those four, only Walker (3.48) has a sub-4.00 mark.
If there’s one positive to glean from Hernandez’s injury, it’s that his replacement, James Paxton, has been a revelation. The left-hander threw 6 1/3 shutout innings Saturday, giving him a 2.25 ERA, 24 strikeouts and four walks through 16 frames (three starts) since taking over for Hernandez. The former well-regarded prospect has thrown his fastball at an astounding average of 97.3 mph – up from a career mean of 94.5 – and has topped out at 100.2, which is likely attributable to a change in arm slot (via FanGraphs’ Eno Sarris). If the new version of Paxton continues faring well, the struggling Miley is a good bet to be the odd man out of the Mariners’ rotation when Hernandez returns.