Rays Interested In Jesus Aguilar
The Rays, continuing their search for a right-handed slugger, have shown interest in Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar, Mark Feinsand and Juan Toribio of MLB.com report. Tampa Bay was previously connected to other notable right-handed hitters in the Rangers’ Hunter Pence and the Tigers’ Nicholas Castellanos (links: 1, 2).
Unlike Texas and Detroit, Milwaukee doesn’t look like a potential seller going into the July 31 trade deadline. The Brewers are a game back of wild-card position and two behind the first-place Cubs in the National League Central. As such, it’s far from a sure thing the Brewers will trade Aguilar. If they do, it would have to benefit them immediately, per Feinsand and Toribio.
Considering Aguilar hasn’t been the integral piece of the Brewers’ roster that he was during a division-winning 2018, he does look more expendable now than he did at the outset of the season. Aguilar slashed .274/.352/.539 with 35 home runs over 566 plate appearances last year to serve as one of the majors’ fiercest sluggers. That production now looks like a distant memory.
So far this season, Aguilar has hit a meek .230/.328/.385 with eight HRs and a massive drop in ISO (from .264 to .155). The 29-year-old has raked in July (.342/.395/.684 in 43 PA), but it’s the sole month in which Aguilar has registered above-average production at the plate. He and the lefty-swinging Eric Thames, who’s having a much better season, have been platooning at first for the Brew Crew.
For all the faults in Aguilar’s bottom-line production, there are reasons for hope. For one, he remains something of a Statcast favorite. There’s a wide chasm between Aguilar’s weighted-on base average (.312) and expected wOBA (.351). He ranks in the league’s 72nd percentile in xwOBA and checks in similarly well in expected slugging percentage (65th) and exit velocity (66th). And contrary to many other power hitters, Aguilar’s not overly prone to striking out. He has fanned a reasonable 22.9 percent of the time (with a better-than-average 12.3 percent walk rate), posted a decent 11.3 percent swinging-strike rate and chased out-of-zone pitches less than most hitters.
Should the Brewers part with Aguilar, an acquiring team would be landing a player who’s cheap now and under control for a while. Aguilar, currently on a near-minimum salary, is slated to take his first of three potential arbitration trips during the upcoming offseason.
Rays Designate Ian Gibaut For Assignment, Place Yandy Diaz On IL
The Rays announced that they’ve designated right-hander Ian Gibaut for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to third baseman Matt Duffy, who has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Tampa Bay also placed corner infielder Yandy Diaz on the 10-day IL due to a foot injury.
Gibaut, 25, spent the first two months of the season on the minor league injured list but returned in early June and made his MLB debut earlier this month. In 12 1/3 innings in the minors this season, Gibaut allowed 10 runs (only four earned) on 12 hits and 11 walks with 17 strikeouts. He also yielded a pair of runs in his two-inning MLB debut.
That said, Gibaut pitched well enough in 2018 that the Rays protected him from the Rule 5 Draft by adding him to the 40-man roster in the offseason. Last year in Triple-A, Gibaut logged a 2.09 ERA with 12.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 0.48 HR/9 and an even 47 percent ground-ball rate. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the Rays have already heard from clubs expressing interest in Gibaut, and they expect to be able to trade the righty.
It’s not yet clear how long Diaz will be sidelined. Topkin tweets that the slugger is on crutches at the moment with what the team has termed to be a bruise, but Diaz is still in a good amount of pain. The fact that there’s no break or structural damage in his foot is obviously encouraging, however. A speedy return would prove most beneficial for the Rays, as their under-the-radar acquisition of Diaz looks like one of the offseason’s best moves for the team. In 344 plate appearances, he’s hitting .270/.343/.480 with 14 homers, 20 doubles and a triple.
The 28-year-old Duffy will be making his season debut after missing nearly four months due to a hamstring injury. Acquired in the trade that sent Matt Moore to the Giants, Duffy’s Rays tenure has been punctuated by injury. It’s been nearly three years to the day since Duffy was traded, but he’s only been able to suit up for 153 games. He’s been productive in that time (.292/.354/.364) and is regarded as a strong defender on the left side of the infield, but his acquisition has yet to yield significant dividends — at least, not to the extent the organization had hoped.
Rays Have “Checked In” On Nicholas Castellanos
The Rays have at least “checked in” with the Tigers regarding outfielder Nicholas Castellanos, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). That said, there’s no indication that the sides are particularly close to making a deal.
We’ve heard plenty about Tampa Bay’s interest in various pitching targets, but the club is also clearly angling for a new righty bat. The organization was connected yesterday to Hunter Pence, who’d be a cheaper alternative to the younger Castellanos as a DH and part-time corner outfielder.
It’s clear that the Detroit organization is willing to discuss Castellanos in trade talks. The 27-year-old is earning $9.95MM this year before reaching the open market at season’s end. For a rebuilding club, there’s little reason to hold on to such a player unless there’s a strong chance he’d receive and decline a qualifying offer.
Castellanos has turned things on of late and has been about 20% better than the league-average hitter for the past four seasons. His youth is another feather in his cap. On the other hand, Castellanos’s defensive shortcomings are well-documented. While he has improved, metrics still view him as a clear negative and Statcast measures are less-than promising. It’d be a bit surprising to see the Tigers planning to issue a QO, as it’d be tough for Castellanos to say no given his inherent market limitations.
That being said, it could be that other organizations aren’t overly concerned with the fielding questions. Castellanos has reportedly drawn interest from two National League organizations — the Phillies and Cubs — that wouldn’t be able to hide his bat in the DH slot. That creates at least some market competition to help the Tigers pry something of value in return, though the team’s best hope for a significant prospect haul would be for multiple American League clubs to decide that Castellanos is an impact bat worth acquiring as a full-time DH.
Rays, Giants Still Discussing Relief Pitching In Trade Talks
The Rays remain engaged with the Giants in trade talks regarding San Francisco relievers, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. Prior reports have connected the clubs on pitching, though the circumstances have since changed for both organizations.
While the Giants are increasingly a threat to hold pat, owing to a still-ongoing surge, the club continues to discuss sell-side or repositioning swaps with other organizations. The San Francisco organization is facing a tough position with only the Wild Card in play.
Down in Tampa Bay, the movement has been in the opposite direction but the outlook is generally not all that different. The Rays have long since given back the nice lead they staked out in the AL East and will face a tough test just to snag a Wild Card.
Given the respective situations, it’s an intriguing to wonder whether the teams could find common ground on a swap that isn’t a strict “buy” or “sell” for either side. The Giants could relievers to give while their position-player mix (especially in the infield) isn’t exactly laden with sure things. On the other side, the Rays continue to look into pitching while thinking about how best to take advantage of an infield overload.
The Rays’ abundance of infielders at and near the MLB level — with former Giants third baseman Matt Duffy potentially among them if he can finally wrap up his rehab — creates both opportunity and 40-man roster pressure. (That’s not to say that Duffy is a possible trade piece. Morosi mentions Joey Wendle and Michael Brosseau, though only speculatively.) Of course, the depth situation can all change in an instant. The Rays are still waiting to learn more about the status of Yandy Diaz after he fouled a ball off his foot last night.
It’s not really evident at this point precisely which players have been chatted about between the San Francisco and Tampa Bay orgs. Frankly, it’s possible to imagine quite a few different scenarios that might conceivably be of interest. There’s also still a chance that the course of play over the next week will shift the Giants into a selling stance, or even push the Rays away from a buying approach. If both teams attempt to chart a middle course, though, they could make for an interesting match.
Yandy Diaz Suffers Foot Injury
Rays corner infielder Yandy Diaz exited the team’s game Monday after fouling a ball off his left foot, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). Diaz was in “severe pain” after the game and will undergo an X-ray, manager Kevin Cash said.
An injured list stint for Diaz would be the latest source of unwelcome news for the slumping Rays. The club has held a playoff position for most of the team, but it has lost six of seven – including a defeat in a pivotal game against the Red Sox on Monday – and is now outside the wild-card picture by 1 1/2. The Rays still boast a solid 57-46 record, though, thanks in part to Diaz. Acquired over the winter from the Indians, Diaz has held his own during his first full season in the majors. Through 339 plate appearances, the 27-year-old has batted .271/.344/.482 (119 wRC+) with 14 home runs and 1.6 fWAR.
While the productive Diaz may be on his way to the shelf, the silver lining for Tampa Bay is that third baseman Matt Duffy is on the verge of activation. Duffy, who put up a 2.4-fWAR season in 2018, has sat out all year because of hamstring and back issues. He and impressive newcomer Mike Brosseau could help replace Diaz, though losing Diaz would be another blow to an infield that’s already without Rookie of the Year candidate Brandon Lowe and Daniel Robertson because of injuries.
Rays Have Looked Into Availability Of Hunter Pence
The Rays have checked in with the Rangers about the availability of outfielder/DH Hunter Pence, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter). The possibility of a match was first noted by MLB Network Radio’s Jim Duquette.
It’s not known how serious the talks are, but it does seem reasonable at this point to presume that Pence can be had. The Rangers had dabbled with pursuit of a postseason spot, but a slide has left the club staring up at an all-but-insurmountable 6.5-game gap from the second Wild Card spot. Given the circumstances, the Texas club is likely to dangle its pending free agents — if not a few other assets.
On the Rays’ side, the organization has seen its own postseason position erode steadily over the course of the season. It’s hard to imagine them catching the division-leading Yankees. It’ll take a big effort even to win a Wild Card spot. The two positions are held presently by the Indians and Athletics, with the Rays one game back and the Red Sox also posing a serious threat.
While the Tampa Bay team is obviously going to attempt to improve, it doesn’t have sufficient incentive to truly go for broke. That makes it hard to imagine the Rays giving up too much future value for rental assets. In the case of Pence, however, the acquisition cost will likely be rather manageable.
Pence has had a heck of a bounceback season at 36 years of age. He’s through 232 plate appearances of .290/.349/.581 hitting with 15 home runs. Statcast credits the veteran with a strong 43.1% hard-hit rate and 91.4 mph average exit velo, along with a 10.5 degree launch angle that’s about double his numbers in recent seasons. Pence has outperformed his contact quality, but not by a huge amount (.387 wOBA vs. .365 xwOBA).
That said, it’s still worth wondering whether Pence will be able to sustain this kind of outburst. And he hasn’t been trusted with many innings in the outfield after several seasons of somewhat poorly reviewed glovework. His contract is quite affordable — $2MM with $1.25MM in incentives — but there probably isn’t an abundance of demand. Unless National League teams see Pence as an option to slide back out to the field rather than functioning mostly as a DH, as he has in Texas, the primary pursuers would seem to come from the American League ranks. Yet most of the AL contenders have accounted for their bat-only plate appearances.
The fit with the Rays isn’t flawless, either, but it’s possible to imagine how Pence would fit on the roster. In terms of existing DH possibilities, the club has a rotating cast of possibilities on the right side but no clear bat-only piece. In terms of left-handed hitters, Ji-Man Choi has been increasingly crowded out by Nate Lowe at first base. Choi is a strong option when facing right-handed pitching but has struggled mightily in limited opportunities against southpaws. Pence, who has long maintained limited platoon splits and thrived both with and without the platoon advantage this year, could share time with Choi or replace him entirely as a primary DH.
Latest On Rays’ Infield
The Rays are set to welcome back a pair of infielders in the coming days. Rays manager Kevin Cash told Juan Toribio of MLB.com that third baseman Matt Duffy is poised to come off the injured list in next week’s series against Boston, perhaps as soon as tomorrow. Not far behind, it seems, is utilityman Daniel Robertson, who will kick off a minor-league rehab assignment in the High-A Florida State League tomorrow, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
This will mark Duffy’s season debut, as he’s been sidelined by a hamstring strain from the outset. The 28-year-old was Tampa’s preferred option at the hot corner in 2018. Despite hitting only four home runs and slugging .366, Duffy was worth a solid-average 2.4 fWAR on the strength of a high-contact approach and plus metrics at the hot corner (at least in the eyes of UZR). Over four MLB seasons, Duffy sports a career .285/.337/.385 slash (102 wRC+) with above-average defense at third base.
Robertson, who has been out since June 22 with right knee inflammation, was even better than Duffy in 2018, although his offensive output has cratered this season. As a part-time player last year, the former A’s prospect slashed .262/.382/.415 while logging time at all three infield positions. His batted ball metrics never quite backed up that level of production, but the Rays likely still anticipated at least average output at the plate from the 25 year-old moving forward.
Instead, his power has cratered, partially because his already-high ground ball rate has jumped six points from last season. The result: a .202/.311/.281 slash, translating to a 68 wRC+. Nevertheless, there’s room for some optimism about a return to form. Robertson’s elite plate discipline seems to be intact, he’s actually making more contact than last season despite a curious uptick in strikeouts, and his average exit velocity, per Statcast, hasn’t changed.
Things are a little less fortunate for AL Rookie of the Year candidate Brandon Lowe. Topkin tweets that Lowe’s bruised right shin, sustained when he fouled a ball off his leg, continues to impede his lateral quickness on fielding drills, meaning “it will still be awhile before he’s back,” as Topkin puts it. This is the second time in a week we’ve heard frustration with the 25-year-old’s recovery process. The Rays, who have lost five straight and now sit two games back in the AL Wild Card race, could certainly use Lowe in the lineup, as the second baseman sports a strong .276/.339/.523 slash.
In the interim, Lowe’s injury likely means more playing time for Duffy, who seems to have been squeezed out at third base by the club’s offseason acquisition of Yandy Diaz, and hot-hitting rookie Michael Brousseau. Joey Wendle has continued to log action at the keystone in Lowe’s absence, as well, but he’s come nowhere close to repeating his solid 2018 production and could see his playing time dwindle as the club’s infield mix gets increasingly crowded.
Rays Place Kevin Kiermaier On IL
SUNDAY: The Rays have placed Kiermaier on the IL with a sprained thumb, Toribio tweets. He won’t need surgery, though. Heredia’s coming up to replace Kiermaier.
SATURDAY: Sour news out of Tampa tonight, as MLB.com’s Juan Toribio indicates that Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier will likely miss time after injuring his left thumb in a matchup with the White Sox this evening (Twitter link). Toribio adds that the former Gold Glove winner was escorted from Tropicana Field to a local health facility for MRI testing, and that the club should have a better idea of his status on Sunday morning.
Apparently, Kiermaier was hurt while diving headfirst into first base. This kind of athletic abandon has helped make Kiermaier a fan favorite since debuting with the Rays in 2013, and he usually draws strong marks for both his baserunning and defense. This year’s effort at the plate has produced a substandard 87 wRC+ (.245/.292/.424 slash), which is below his almost exactly league-average career offensive output (99wRC+). The outfielder has missed time in recent years with right hip, left wrist and right thumb injuries.
Though it’s possible this injury is only of the day-to-day variety, the Rays do have a few options in the event of an extended absence for Kiermaier. Tommy Pham and Austin Meadows have both played some center in their careers, and Guillermo Heredia is on hand at AAA Durham should the club need reinforcement in their pursuit of postseason entry. Tonight’s loss to Chicago marked Tampa’s fifth straight defeat.
Erik Neander On Rays’ Deadline Approach
In a column from Rays beat writer Marc Topkin, general manager Erik Neander provided several quotes that shed light on how Tampa Bay will approach the upcoming trade deadline (link). Most notably, Neander indicated the club will be looking at potential upgrades to both its offense and relief corps, and that they will be open to dealing for “rental” acquisitions. Specifically, Neander said that the Rays have the flexibility to make “more of a baseball decision than a pure budget constraint type of decision” in regard to potential upgrades.
Tampa Bay currently sits just one game out of the last AL Wild Card spot and could be well-poised to make a move given the treasure trove of prospects that the team possesses (the club currently boasts 10 prospects included on various top 100 lists from around the game). That the notoriously stingy club–which this year rolled out a 30th-ranked payroll–would be willing to open the coffers for a player on an expiring contract is an eyebrow-raising development.
Tampa Bay has managed a 56-44 record despite a middling offense–a feat aided in large part by a stellar 3.45 team ERA. Offensively, Neander and senior VP Chaim Bloom could look to upgrade at the second base position, where they’ve received a 49 wRC+ from 2018 linchpin Joey Wendle. And despite the bullpen’s solid cumulative performance, it stands to reason that most teams within earshot of contention look for bullpen help as the trade deadline nears–as Topkin points out, the club could benefit from the acquisition of a “full-inning” lefty, in part to help lighten the load of struggling rookie southpaw Colin Poche.
Rays Place Ryne Stanek On IL, Recall Hunter Wood, Option Brendan McKay, Activate Chaz Roe
The Tampa Bay Rays continued their weekly weekend roster churn, placing Ryne Stanek on the IL, optioning Brendan McKay to Triple-A, calling up Hunter Wood, and activating Chaz Roe from the injured list, tweets MLB.com’s Juan Toribio.
Wood and McKay, like ships passing in the night, are two of the many innings-eating arms the Rays have trucked back and forth to Durham per the team’s need – such is life in the Tampa Bay system. McKay, 23, has thus far lived up to the hype in four starts, going 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA (2.86 FIP). Control has been his calling card, as he’s walked just one batter in 19 1/3 innings. With 18 strikeouts to go with it, McKay heads to Durham as the proud owner of a comic 18.00 K/BB ratio.
Wood, 25, has pitched effectively across 17 appearances (2 starts) for the big league club, currently boasting a 2.08 ERA (3.42 FIP) in 26 innings. His minor league numbers are less impressive, perhaps due to a tendency to air it out in Durham where he has both struck out hitters at a higher rate (11.9 K/9 to 7.3 K/9) and walked them at a higher rate (4.0 BB/9 to 2.1 BB/9).
Stanek, 27, hits the shelf with right hip soreness. He of the league-leading 27 games started distinction has gone 0-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 41 appearances, 27 of which qualify as starts, despite his longest single outing of the season lasting two innings – a mark he’s hit 14 times. Stanek has already pitched 55 2/3 innings on the season, less than 12 innings away from the career-high that he set last year.
Roe, 32, returns from a right flexor strain that has kept him out of action since July 9th. Roe, 32, had seen consistent usage out of the pen despite posting a 5.27 ERA (4.21 FIP) across those 39 games. The strikeouts have been there, but so have the walks as Roe racked up 11.9 K/9 to 6.6 BB/9.