Rays Rumors

East Notes: Glover, Eaton, Moreland, Rays

By charliewilmoth | June 11, 2017 at 7:50pm CDT

The Nationals have announced that they’ve placed closer Koda Glover on the 10-day DL with lower back stiffness. They’ve replaced him on their active roster with Joe Blanton, who had been out with a shoulder injury. After struggling against the Rangers on Saturday, Glover told the Nationals he had hurt his back while in the shower. In the short term, Glover’s injury could clear the way for Matt Albers to pick up saves chances. In the longer term, the Nationals could still acquire a closer from outside the organization, having been connected to a number of names recently. Here’s more from the East divisions.

Nats outfielder Adam Eaton says he’s “ahead of schedule” in his return from a torn ACL, writes Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Eaton isn’t sure exactly how far ahead of schedule he is, and his chances of playing again this year aren’t known, although it didn’t appear likely he would at the time of the injury. He’s keeping an eye toward the future. “Not just this year, not just next year, but the longevity of my career and how it may be shaped by this injury,” he says of his thought process. Eaton also sounds keenly aware of fan opinions of the costly trade that brought him to Washington. “I hope my presence here is felt, just in the sense that I’m dedicated to them just as they’ve been dedicated to me. The trade this offseason probably wasn’t the most popular one, but I love this city,” says Eaton. The outfielder remains signed through 2019 with reasonable club options for 2020 and 2021, so there will be time for him to contribute to the Nationals once he heals.
The Red Sox’ signing of first baseman Mitch Moreland rather than Edwin Encarnacion looks like a good one, Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com writes. Moreland’s offense so far this season has been the best of his career — he’s currently batting .281/.382/.492 with 26 extra-base hits. Encarnacion, meanwhile, has hit .245/.351/.446 with Cleveland, although he’s hit well recently. Interestingly, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi tweeted today that Moreland turned down more money from the Indians to play for the Red Sox.
With the arrival of this week’s amateur draft, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times ranks the Rays’ top choices in each year of their existence. It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the (Devil) Rays’ history that Topkin finds some brutal misses, including 2001 third overall pick Dewon Brazelton and 2005 eighth overall pick Wade Townsend (who the Rays selected from a star-studded class while Andrew McCutchen and Jay Bruce remained on the board). 2006 third overall pick Evan Longoria and 2007 first overall selection David Price were big successes, though, and 2003 first overall pick Delmon Young helped the Rays acquire Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett, leading to their first playoff berth.

Cafardo’s Latest: Yankees, Vargas, Gray, Cobb, Volquez

By Connor Byrne | June 10, 2017 at 7:03pm CDT

The Yankees are 35-23 and atop the AL East, but both GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi are currently lame ducks, notes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Cashman isn’t worried about his contract status, telling Cafardo: “I’ve been to this point a few times now. It’s just not unusual. It’s not something you can spend a lot of time thinking about. When the time comes, hopefully things will be taken care of, but it’s not something I talk a lot about.” Cashman, in his 20th year as the Yankees’ GM, is likely underpaid, writes Cafardo. The same goes for Girardi, who has been in his position since 2008. Both make around $4MM per year, which Cafardo points out is a far cry from the salaries of contemporaries such as Cubs president Theo Epstein ($10MM), manager Joe Maddon ($7MM) and Dodgers president Andrew Friedman ($7MM).

Now for the latest pitching-related rumblings from Cafardo:

Royals left-hander Jason Vargas and Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray are the hurlers who are most asked about in trade discussions (in that order), reports Cafardo. While Vargas is a soft-tossing 34-year-old with below-average strikeout and ground-ball rates (7.14 and 37.0, respectively), he’s only walking 2.06 batters per nine and his run prevention hasn’t shown signs of wavering this season. Vargas’ ERA is currently at 2.18 through 74 1/3 frames and hasn’t gone over 2.39. Unlike Vargas, who will be a free agent next winter, Gray comes with multiple years of team control. He’s on a more-than-reasonable $3.575MM salary this year and isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2019 season. The 27-year-old Gray hasn’t prevented runs to the extent that he did from 2013-15 (2.88 ERA in 491 frames), but he has rebounded from a dreadful 2016 to log a 4.37 ERA, 8.94 K/9, 2.66 BB/9 and a 56.7 percent grounder rate over 47 1/3 innings. Also, his 3.35 FIP is right in line with the 3.36 mark he registered from 2013-15.
The Yankees are leaving the door open for southpaw C.C. Sabathia’s return in 2018, according to Cafardo. A free agent in the offseason, Sabathia’s next deal certainly won’t come anywhere close to his expiring five-year, $122MM contract. Still, the erstwhile ace is making a case for a decent payday at the age of 36. Across 71 1/3 innings this year, the soft contact-inducing Sabathia has recorded a 3.66 ERA, 7.32 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 48.8 percent ground-ball rate.
Righty Alex Cobb is the Rays starter most likely to end up on the move by the trade deadline, relays Cafardo. The 29-year-old hasn’t been as stingy as he was prior to 2015, when he underwent Tommy John surgery, but has given the Rays 79 2/3 innings of 4.29 ERA ball (with a matching FIP) this year. Along the way, the impending free agent – who’s on a $4.2MM salary – has somewhat offset a low K/9 (6.44) with a quality BB/9 (2.6) and generated grounders at a 43.9 percent clip.
If the Marlins go into fire-sale mode, righty Edinson Volquez could draw interest, suggests Cafardo. The offseason signing has been lights out recently, especially during his 11-strikeout no-hitter last Saturday, and has dropped his ERA nearly a run and a half over the past three weeks (from 4.87 on May 18 to 3.41). Volquez, 33, has helped his cause by pairing his best K/9 in five years (8.52) with a 48.6 percent ground-ball rate, though his BB/9 (4.59) is also at its highest since 2012. An acquiring team would take on the remainder of Volquez’s $9MM salary this year and another $13MM in 2018.

Rays Acquire Taylor Featherston From Phillies

By Steve Adams | June 9, 2017 at 1:04pm CDT

The Rays have acquired infielder Taylor Featherston from the Phillies in exchange for cash and placed infielder/outfielder Rickie Weeks on the 10-day disabled list with a right shoulder impingement, the team announced. Tampa Bay also formally announced Kevin Kiermaier’s placement on the DL for a hip fracture and recalled Mallex Smith from Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The 27-year-old Featherston was not on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, though it seems that the Rays may immediately be bringing him to the Majors, as Tampa Bay also moved Matt Duffy to the 60-day disabled list, thus opening a 40-man roster spot.

Once a Rule 5 pick by the Angels out of the Rockies organization, Featherston has spent parts of two seasons in the Majors. However, in that time, he’s struggled to an unsightly .156/.207/.233 slash in 197 plate appearances. The defensively gifted shortstop, however, was off to a considerably better start with Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley this season, hitting .270/.370/.394 with three homers and eight doubles. He’s also a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts. Featherston has appeared at shortstop, second base and third base in the Majors, and he’s also seen action in left field and at first base in Triple-A this year.

Kevin Kiermaier Out At Least Two Months Due To Hip Fracture

By Steve Adams | June 9, 2017 at 11:37am CDT

11:37am: Topkin further elaborates that Kiermaier suffered a hairline fracture in the hip and will need to allow six to eight weeks for the injury to heal before he even begins ramping back up to playing condition. Smith is “going to get his chance” to play on a regular basis, according to manager Kevin Cash.

11:18am: Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier will miss at least the next two months due to a fracture in his right hip, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).

Kiermaier suffered the injury when sliding into first base to avoid a collision with Jose Abreu last night and quickly exited the game, as Topkin wrote this morning. He was seen on crutches following last night’s contest and underwent a series of tests this morning, including an MRI, CT scan and x-rays. Topkin tweets that Mallex Smith will be recalled from Triple-A in place of Kiermaier.

[Related: Updated Tampa Bay Rays depth chart]

Kiermaier, who signed a six-year, $53.5MM contract extension this offseason, will be missed both in the Rays’ lineup and in the outfield. While he’s made an uncharacteristic six errors in center field this year, he has a track record as the game’s best defensive center fielder (and, quite arguably, best overall defensive player). In spite of the errors, Defensive Runs Saved still pegs him at +9, due largely to his exceptional range and strong throwing arm. At the plate, he’s provided roughly league-average offensive production, hitting .258/.329/.408 with seven homers, 10 doubles and two triples. Kiermaier has also swiped 10 bags in 14 tries and been among the game’s best baserunners, per Fangraphs’ BsR metric.

In Smith, the Rays have a player who may not match Kiermaier’s general excellence but can still provide considerably above-average glovework. Smith possesses excellent range in center thanks to elite speed on which many scouting reports have placed an 80 grade (on the 20-80 scale). Acquired in the offseason trade that sent Drew Smyly to the Mariners, Smith hit .261/.346/.304 in a tiny sample of 26 plate appearances with Tampa Bay earlier this season. The 24-year-old has had a considerably more productive year in Triple-A Durham, slashing .311/.345/.477 with three homers, five doubles, four triples and 16 steals (in 23 attempts).

While Topkin suggests that Smith will get a chance to play on an everyday basis, the Rays are reasonably well-stocked with alternatives should he struggle at the plate or should further injuries arise. Veteran Peter Bourjos has plenty of experience in center field and could spell Smith against left-handed pitching, should the need arise. And left fielder Colby Rasmus, too, has spent several seasons of his career as a center fielder. While an alignment of Rasmus, Smith and Steven Souza seems likely on most days, the Rays can still mix in Bourjos, Corey Dickerson and bench pieces such as Michael Martinez and Rickie Weeks on an as-needed basis.

MLB Investigating Abuse Allegations Against Derek Norris

By Steve Adams | June 7, 2017 at 12:20pm CDT

12:20pm: Norris has issued a statement, via his agent, to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times:

“First, I want to be absolutely clear that abuse of any form, is completely unacceptable. Allegations regarding this issue are a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly under any circumstances. That being said, in this circumstance, the comments made by my ex-fiancee could not be further from the truth. I have NEVER been physically or emotionally abusive towards her, or anyone else in my life. I plan to go above and beyond to assist MLB with their investigation into this matter.”

The Rays have also commented on the matter, though their statement was considerably more brief: “The Rays wholly support MLB’s Domestic Violence policy. We take these allegations very seriously and will fully cooperate with the Commissioner’s Office on this matter.”

8:00am: Major League Baseball is investigating allegations of “physical and emotional abuse” that have been brought forth against Rays catcher Derek Norris, MLB spokesperson Pat Courtney confirmed to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. Norris’ ex-fiancee, Kristin Eck, made the claims against him in a recent post on Instagram. It’s not clear at this time if there is any ongoing criminal investigation, though Crasnick’s report makes no such mention.

Eck’s comments do not specifically mention Norris by name, but she’d previously appeared on MLB Network in a video interview promoting some charity work, in which she was identified as Norris’ fiancee. Her comments also imply that Norris is the man in question: “…I also was physically and emotionally abused by this beautiful man. He gave me a lifestyle most people only dreamed of, but it came at a price. … When I left I had $300 to my name, I had no access to money, I had no access to cars and was only given the courtesy to remove my items from our home.”

Commissioner Rob Manfred and his staff will look into the matter under Major League Baseball’s relatively new domestic abuse policy, which has already led to suspensions of varying length for Aroldis Chapman, Jose Reyes, Hector Olivera and Jeurys Familia. Each of those cases was dealing with allegations of singular incidents, and MLB’s investigation into each of those incidents was also performed simultaneously with criminal investigations. The allegations against Norris, at present, are more generalized in nature, which will likely require a different type of investigation from the Commissioner’s Office.

That is not to say, of course, that the claims levied against Norris should be considered lesser; certainly, it’s a serious matter that could well result in a punishment for the six-year big league veteran. However, Norris’ case does come under different circumstances than the previous cases that yielded suspensions, so it remains to be seen precisely how the league will handle this scenario. Olivera is the only one of those previously punished under the policy whose investigation occurred during the season, and he was initially placed on paid administrative leave during that investigation. It’s not yet clear if Norris will also be placed on leave.

Rays Will Not Designate Michael Martinez; Brad Miller Placed On DL

By Steve Adams | June 7, 2017 at 11:19am CDT

JUNE 7: The Rays will actually not designate Martinez for assignment, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. While that was the plan, the Rays have altered course due to the fact that the team learned that Miller would need to go back on the disabled list with a right groin strain.

The Rays had planned to designate Martinez, but the move technically would not have gone through until today due to the fact that Martinez was eligible for last night’s game. As such, they’re able to back off that plan for the time being in order to keep Martinez’s versatility on the roster while Miller once again recovers.

JUNE 6: The Rays designated utilityman Michael Martinez for assignment following tonight’s game, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times. The move could be a means of clearing a path for right-hander Jacob Faria on the 25-man roster, as the well-regarded prospect is set to make his big league debut tomorrow for the Rays.

Martinez, 34, appeared in eight games for the Rays and collected just one hit and a pair of walks with nine strikeouts through 21 plate appearances. The veteran infielder/outfielder was acquired from the Indians in exchange for cash last month after Brad Miller hit the disabled list. Between Cleveland and Tampa Bay this year, he’s batted just .167/.265/.200 through 35 plate appearances.

Martinez’s versatility has long helped him land on big league rosters for brief stretches, as he’s appeared in each of the past seven big league campaigns. However, he’s mustered a meek .195/.243/.262 triple slash over the life of 613 plate appearances in that time.

AL Roster Notes: Travis, Faria, Kinsler, Hahn

By charliewilmoth and Steve Adams | June 6, 2017 at 9:56pm CDT

Devon Travis has suffered a new bone bruise and cartilage damage in his surgically repaired right knee that has prompted the Blue Jays to place him on the 10-day disabled list, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. The injury is rather mysterious, it seems as Travis felt fine when boarding a flight to Oakland on Sunday evening but was unable to bend his knee without discomfort when the plane landed. He’ll be examined by the same specialist that performed his offseason knee surgery in the near future, and manager John Gibbons acknowledged to Davidi and other reporters that Travis’ injury won’t be a quick one. There’s no timetable for the return of Travis, who has batted .259/.291/.438 with five homers, four steals and strong defense at second base through his first 50 games of the season.

Here are a few quick roster moves from around the American League.

The Rays will promote righty Jacob Faria to make his big-league debut Wednesday in a start against the White Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. The 23-year-old Faria has never been regarded as an upper-echelon prospect (he currently ranks ninth among Rays prospects, according to MLB.com), but he’s in the midst of a strong season at Triple-A Durham, with a 3.07 ERA, 3.4 BB/9 and an outstanding 12.9 K/9 in 58 2/3 innings thus far. MLB.com notes that he works in the low 90s, keeps the ball down and has a promising chanegup, although his breaking stuff is usable but below average. Having Faria start Wednesday will give Rays starters Jake Odorizzi, Alex Cobb and Erasmo Ramirez an extra day of rest.
The Tigers have announced that they’ve reinstated second baseman Ian Kinsler from the 10-day DL and optioned outfielder JaCoby Jones to Triple-A Toledo. They also announced that catcher James McCann, who suffered a hand laceration after being hit by a pitch late last month, would begin a rehab assignment with Toledo tonight. The Tigers placed Kinsler on the DL on May 27; it appears the hamstring strain that landed him there isn’t especially serious, because he’s back after the minimum time. The 34-year-old is off to a slow start this season, batting .234/.331/.365.
The Athletics have announced that they’ve reinstated righty Jesse Hahn (triceps strain) from the 10-day DL and optioned 1B/OF Matt Olson to Triple-A Nashville. Hahn will start tonight against the Blue Jays. Like Kinsler, Hahn spent the minimum required time on the DL. He even made one rehab start with Class A+ Stockton in his brief time on the shelf. The 27-year-old has a 3.81 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 49 2/3 innings in the big leagues this season. Olson, once one of the Athletics’ top prospects, has collected just four plate appearances in two stints with the big club this year despite batting a terrific .285/.374/.575 in 206 plate appearances for Nashville.

Rangers Nearing Sam Dyson Trade

By Jeff Todd | June 5, 2017 at 5:45pm CDT

JUNE 5, 5:45pm: The Twins remain in the mix for Dyson, tweets Wolfson. Daniels indicated that four or five teams have made serious offers to acquire the reliever, per Shan Shariff of 105.3 The Fan (on Twitter).

4:37pm: Daniels told the Ben & Skin show on 105.3 The Fan on Monday that he’s weighing two to three offers for Dyson. The GM added that he hopes to trade Dyson in the next day or two (Twitter link via Jamey Newberg).

JUNE 2: The Rangers anticipate being able to find a trade partner for just-designated reliever Sam Dyson, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. The alternative, of course, would be to place Dyson on waivers and wait to see if he clears.

There are at least two teams said to be looking into the possibility of adding Dyson. That’s the case for the Rays, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, though it’s not yet clear just how serious the interest is. And the Twins, too, are at least considering the possibility of bringing Dyson into their struggling pen, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter).

GM Jon Daniels suggested that Texas believes it will work out some kind of swap, given the interest shown already by rival organizations. He also made clear that Dyson does not have any health problems.

Rather, per Daniels, the struggling reliever “just hasn’t been able to get back to what we know he’s capable of.” With the Rangers still trying to hang in the postseason picture, it seems the club simply couldn’t afford to let him work things out at the major league level.

Through 16 2/3 innings on the year, Dyson carries a 10.80 ERA. Even more shockingly, he has managed just 3.8 K/9 to go with 6.5 BB/9. While he’s still pumping mid-nineties sinkers with the grounders (61.4%) to match, something is clearly amiss. Indeed, Dyson’s swinging-strike rate has plummeted to 5.8% after topping out at 12.4% in 2015.

There are some hurdles to a deal, beyond Dyson’s on-field problems. He’s only a Super Two player, increasing the upside for teams considering a move, but he’s already earning $3.52MM this year due to his saves tallies in prior campaigns. Plus, Dyson can’t be optioned — the same reason that Texas was forced to send him into DFA limbo in the first place.

Still, it’s possible to imagine any number of teams having interest in Dyson; after all, he carried a 2.45 ERA through 187 2/3 innings over the prior three seasons. Rebuilding teams could take a chance; clubs that have fallen back a bit could hope to strike gold; and certain contenders might even consider the idea of easing Dyson back in with low-leverage work. Scouting assessments will likely drive the decisionmaking process, but it will be interesting to see what kind of return the Rangers can manage to find in this situation.

AL East Notes: Austin, Beliveau, Rays, Sox

By Steve Adams | June 5, 2017 at 3:05pm CDT

The Yankees announced that they’ve reinstated first baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin from the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Austin, who suffered a foot fracture in Spring Training, has been limited to just 13 games on a rehab assignment thus far in 2017. He’s hit quite well in that time and comes with a very solid track record of performance in Triple-A. Given the terrible performance the Yankees have received their first basemen this season — they’re hitting a collective .150/.265/.278 this season — Austin could factor into the Major League mix for playing time if he continues to hit well in Triple-A.

Quick Hits: Piersall, Rangers, Miller, Rays

By Mark Polishuk | June 4, 2017 at 11:01pm CDT

We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to the friends and family of Jimmy Piersall, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 87. Piersall had a memorable 17-year playing career with the Red Sox, Angels, Indians, Senators, and Mets from 1950-67, winning two Gold Gloves and reaching two All-Star Games. After retiring from the field, Piersall had two broadcasting stints calling Rangers and White Sox games, and then worked as an outfield instructor for Cubs minor leaguers. Piersall is also remembered for his openness about his mental health issues, including a seven-week hospitalization after a nervous breakdown in 1952. Piersall covered the topic in his autobiography Fear Strikes Out, which was adapted into an Anthony Perkins film of the same name in 1957.

Some news from around the baseball world…

It’s still too early for the Rangers to consider themselves deadline sellers, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram opines. Even if they did move some of their stars, Wilson is doubtful that the team would get its desired haul of young talent back for the likes of pending free agents Yu Darvish or Jonathan Lucroy. Trading Adrian Beltre (who is under contract through 2018) also doesn’t seem likely given the veteran third baseman’s pursuit of 3000 hits. Texas is four games out of a wild card spot but that would likely be the club’s only route into the postseason, given how the Astros already have a 13.5-game lead in the AL West.
Now that Brad Miller is back from the disabled list, the Rays don’t seem to have an everyday role for a player that hit 30 homers last year, the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin writes. Miller has only hit .199/.341/.309 over 167 PA, which isn’t nearly enough thump for the Rays to put up with his subpar defense at second base. Tampa also has several other left-handed bats (Corey Dickerson, Logan Morrison, Colby Rasmus) hitting well and taking up spots at DH, first base and left field.
Also from Topkin, Rays shortstop Matt Duffy isn’t likely to return until the end of the month or perhaps even the All-Star break as Duffy continues his lengthy recovery from Achilles tendon surgery last September. This will lead to more playing time for Tim Beckham, who Topkin argues has earned regular at-bats in a utility role once Duffy is healthy.

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