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Rays’ Rule 5 Pick Kevin Gadea Out At Least Four Weeks

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Right-hander Kevin Gadea, whom the Rays selected out of the Mariners organization in last December’s Rule 5 Draft, will miss “at least” four weeks of action after an MRI revealed tendinitis in his right elbow, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). Perhaps of more interest, Topkin adds that the Rays were in the process of returning Gadea to the Mariners organization when the MRI revealed his injury. Now, he’ll open the season with the Rays and accrue some Major League service time on the team’s disabled list.

In that sense, the injury could benefit both Gadea and the Rays. He’ll earn the pro-rated portion of the league minimum for the time he spends on the MLB DL — a significant pay increase over what he’d have earned in the minors — and the Rays, in turn, will have a chance to further evaluate Gadea while he progresses through a minor league rehab assignment. If other injuries arise and/or other relievers fail to perform early in the season, it’s possible that Gadea could emerge as a candidate to help out on the Major League roster. Of course, the Rays may simply offer him back to the Mariners once he’s cleared to return to game action.

It should be noted that Gadea, 22, was a long shot to stick on the Rays’ roster out of camp. Signed out of Nicaragua as a free agent back in 2012, Gadea has yet to ascend even to the Class-A Advanced level, having spent the makority of the 2016 season in the Class-A Midwest League. Gadea handled himself quite well there, logging a brilliant 2.15 earned run average with 72 strikeouts (12.9 K/9) against just 11 walks (2.0 BB/9).

Nationals Notes: Closer, Romero, Scherzer

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Nationals GM Mike Rizzo was a guest on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM earlier today and discussed his team’s ninth inning option with hosts Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette (audio link via Soundcloud). “We feel that we have a closer in house,” said Rizzo. “We’ve felt that ever since early in the offseason when we didn’t get one of the big three closers. We feel that he’s here. We’ll figure out which one it is. They all have the stuff to do it. You talk about a power bullpen — we’ve got four or five guys that throw 95-plus in the bullpen.” Pressed further on the issue later in the interview, Rizzo conceded that if things aren’t going well during the season, the Nationals will be open to seeking outside alternatives, but the GM did not indicate that he’s looking to acquire a closer in the limited time between now and Opening Day.

David Robertson has been the “proven closer” that is most commonly linked to the Nats in trade rumors, though FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported earlier today that the sides don’t seem to feel the other is all that serious about getting a trade worked out. Per Heyman, the Nationals feel the asking price on Robertson means that the Sox aren’t all that interested in moving him, whereas the Sox feel the Nationals haven’t been very aggressive in pursuing him.

A couple more on last year’s NL East champs…

  • Also from that MLB Network Radio interview, Bowden specifically asked Rizzo about the team’s acquisition of left-hander Enny Romero from the Rays. Bowden noted that Romero caught his attention during the World Baseball Classic when hitting 100 mph with his fastball, and Rizzo explained that Romero has been on the team’s radar for years. The Washington GM revealed that he pushed for the Rays to include Romero in the trade that sent Nate Karns to the Rays in exchange for Felipe Rivero and Jose Lobaton, but the Rays would not part with him.
  • Max Scherzer threw 54 pitches in a minor league game against the Mets today, writes Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, and he did so with his traditional fastball grip — a grip he’d been unable to use earlier this spring as he worked back from a stress fracture in the knuckle of his right ring finger. Scherzer had previously experimented with a three-fingered grip on his fastball in order to alleviate some pressure on the problematic knuckle, but he was relieved to get back to his traditional pitch arsenal today, Janes notes. The plan for Scherzer is to start a Major League game six days from now, which would give Scherzer time to make three more spring outings. “That’s 70, 85, 100 [pitches],” Scherzer said, suggesting that he’ll have time to ramp up for the season. Janes notes that that schedule wouldn’t line Scherzer up to start on Opening Day but could allow him to make his 2017 debut during the Nationals’ first turn through their rotation.

AL East Notes: Sanchez, Kiermaier, Owens, Thornburg

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Agent Scott Boras isn’t pleased with the Blue Jays after the organization renewed righty Aaron Sanchez at the league-minimum rate, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. (Bob Elliott of the Canadian Baseball Network first reported the renewal.) Davidi says the Jays’ formula for pre-arb salaries “is believed to be primarily based on a player’s service time,” and it seems the organization is one of several that offers only modest bumps over the $535K minimum. Even that raise wasn’t given when Sanchez declined to agree, leading Boras to criticize the organization both for its “low standard” in setting pay as well as the “poison pill” of renewing at the minimum when players don’t agree. GM Ross Atkins defended the system, which he says is a decade old and leaves the choice with the player whether to take the offered raise.

We have seen a variety of interesting pre-arb salary situations this winter as teams around the league increasingly diverge in their approaches to the process. See here and here for a few examples that compare interestingly to Sanchez, a 2+ service-class player who turned in a huge 2016 season (7th in the AL Cy Young voting, 3.00 ERA over 192 innings).

Here’s more from the AL East:

  • Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier hasn’t yet officially wrapped up his extension with the club, but he tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that he’s “grateful” to the organization for its commitment. As Topkin notes, the Rays have managed to lock up quite a few core players despite the organization’s low payroll levels. In this case, he argues, it’s a risk well worth taking.
  • While there’s still plenty of time for 24-year-old Red Sox prospect Henry Owens to make good on his promise, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes that the clock is also ticking on the former top prospect. Owens says he’s staying positive despite struggling this spring, “working hard” but also “staying with an even keel.”
  • Red Sox righty Tyler Thornburg was able to return to the mound today, as Speier tweets (with video available). The reliever threw 32 pitches and will now seek to advance towards Opening Day readiness. Thornburg hasn’t thrown in game action in over two weeks as he works to build back shoulder strength.

Rays To Release Dana Eveland

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The Rays are set to release veteran left-hander Dana Eveland, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. The 33-year-old had been back with Tampa Bay on a minor league pact after spending the 2016 campaign in the Rays organization. Now, he’ll look to latch on elsewhere with a team in need of left-handed bullpen help.

Eveland allowed a run on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings this spring. The 2016 campaign was not a positive one for him in the Majors, as he yielded 23 runs on 32 hits and 19 walks (three intentional) with 21 strikeouts in 23 innings of work. His results in Triple-A last season, however, registered on the opposite end of the spectrum, as he posted a superlative 0.30 ERA in 29 2/3 innings of work with a 21-to-6 K/BB ratio.

Last year marked the 11th big league season for the journeyman southpaw, who has appeared in the Majors as a member of 10 different teams. In total, he’s logged 446 1/3 innings in the Major Leagues and pitched to a 5.46 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 and a 50.2 percent ground-ball rate.

Rays Considering Derek Norris

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The Rays “continue to have conversations” about the possibility of adding catcher Derek Norris, whom the Nationals placed on waivers over the weekend, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times first connected the two sides recently. Washington was known to be shopping Norris aggressively after signing Matt Wieters but, unable to find any takers for his $4.2MM salary, placed him on waivers. They’ll be on the hook for 30 days of his salary, or about $688K. (The remainder of his salary, as is the case with the majority of arbitration agreements, was not fully guaranteed.) Once he clears waivers, Norris would be a free agent that is free to sign anywhere for any amount.

However, the Rays are also wary of interrupting their camp and inserting a new catcher into the mix after all of the work that incumbent options like Luke Maile and Curt Casali have put in with the staff, per Olney. Tampa Bay also has veteran Wilson Ramos on the roster, though he’ll miss a significant portion of the season as he continues to rehab from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, which he suffered late last September.

Norris brings more offensive upside to the table than either Maile or Casali, though he’s coming off the worst season of his career. In 458 plate appearances with the Padres last season, Norris batted .186/.255/.328. Norris did tie his career best with 14 homers, but his strikeout rate continued to escalate, ballooning to a career-worst 30.3 percent. The 28-year-old did post strong framing numbers — a trait that the Rays value highly — and has a career 26 percent caught-stealing rate (though he checked in at a below-average 21 percent in that regard last year).

It’s not yet known where else Norris will draw interest if and when he clears waivers and becomes a free agent, though one speculative fit could be the Rockies, following today’s news that projected backup Tom Murphy suffered a fractured forearm.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/13/2017

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Here are the day’s minor moves from around the game…

  • The Cubs announced that they’ve granted right-hander Maikel Cleto his release. The hard-throwing 27-year-old hasn’t appeared in the Majors since tossing 29 1/3 innings for the 2014 White Sox. Since that time, Cleto has had some Triple-A success in both the White Sox and Braves organizations, logging a combined 2.75 ERA with 11.5 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9. Cleto has never had much of an issue missing bats, but his control has always been problematic for years. He owns a 6.60 ERA and a 58-to-30 K/BB ratio in 45 Major League innings.

Earlier Moves

  • Outfielder Jason Coats has re-signed with the Rays on a minor league deal after being released earlier this winter, per Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. Tampa Bay claimed Coats, 27, off waivers from the White Sox back in January, but he tore his UCL the same day that he was claimed, prompting the Rays to cut him loose to free up a 40-man roster spot. Now, he’ll spend the 2017 season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery as a member of the Rays organization, it seems. Coats batted just .200/.298/.340 in a brief MLB debut last year (58 plate appearances), but he had a huge year with Triple-A Charlotte, batting .330/.394/.519 with 10 homers, 22 doubles and a pair of triples in 332 PAs.

AL East Notes: Quintana, Norris, Longoria, Lawrie

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Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • The White Sox have been scouting Yankees prospects in regards to a potential Jose Quintana trade, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  The two clubs have been linked in Quintana trade rumors though there isn’t any movement as per the latest reports, since New York doesn’t want to part with its top minor leaguers.  The Yankees have been seen as a logical target for Quintana due to the lack of certainty in their rotation beyond Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, and C.C. Sabathia, and even that top trio can’t be considered locks due to each pitcher’s injury history.  It makes sense that the Sox would keep doing its due scouting diligence on the Yankees and other potential Quintana suitors should a team make a renewed push for a deal before Spring Training is out.
  • The Rays would likely be interested in Derek Norris if the catcher is indeed released by the Nationals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.  The Nats waived Norris yesterday, and obviously the Rays would like to avoid paying the $4.2MM they would owe Norris by simply claiming him.  Newly-signed Rays catcher Wilson Ramos will begin the year on the disabled list and will require quite a bit of DH time as he eases back from knee surgery, so Tampa could offer Norris a significant amount of playing time, if not quite a full-time gig behind the plate.  Curt Casali, Jesus Sucre, Michael McKenry and Luke Maile are the Rays’ current internal catching options.
  • In another piece from Topkin, he looks at the ever-present trade speculation that seems to swirl around Evan Longoria, no matter how much the third baseman insists that he wants to remain with the Rays for the rest of his career.  With the Rays front office constantly looking to keep payroll stable and reload with young talent, trading Longoria (who is owed $100MM through 2022) would seem like a logical step if the club ever embarks on a full-fledged rebuild.  Topkin notes that Longoria is on track to receive 10-and-5 rights in April 2018, which would give him the right to reject any proposed trade.  The Rays could therefore look to deal him before then, Topkin opines, or perhaps they could wait until they finalize a new stadium deal.
  • A reunion between Brett Lawrie and the Blue Jays “would be a shock,” MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm opines as part of a reader mailbag.  In Chisholm’s view, the only path to Lawrie’s return to Toronto would be if second baseman Devon Travis “suffers a major setback” in his recovery from knee surgery.  That scenario isn’t entirely out of the question given that Travis’ availability for Opening Day seems to be in doubt, though Lawrie himself is dealing with some injury concerns and wants to get healthy before pursuing a new contract.  The Jays, Rays and Royals all had some interest in Lawrie after his release from the White Sox, with the Mets also linked but reportedly not overly intrigued.

Rays Claim Jumbo Diaz From Reds

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The Rays have claimed right-hander Jumbo Diaz off waivers from the Reds, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (on Twitter). Diaz had been designated for assignment late last week when the Reds claimed Christian Walker from the Braves. The Rays placed right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who will miss the 2017 season following Tommy John/flexor surgery, on the 60-day disabled list to create a spot on the roster.

The 33-year-old Diaz posted a seemingly palatable 3.14 earned run average in 43 innings out of the Cincinnati bullpen last season, but the hard-throwing righty also displayed some troubling trends. Diaz posted career-worst marks in K/9 (7.7), BB/9 (4.0), swinging-strike rate (10.4 percent) and average fastball velocity (95.9 mph). A .239 BABIP and a strand rate just north of 80 percent also contributed to that impressive 3.14 mark but prompted ERA alternatives like like xFIP (4.60) and SIERA (4.24) to forecast a more pessimistic outlook.

Diaz logged significantly better strikeout and walk rates in his only other two seasons in the Majors, however (2014-15). All told, he carries a 3.65 ERA with 9.4 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, a 43.7 percent ground-ball rate and a heater that has averaged 96.9 miles per hour. Diaz is out of minor league options, so he’ll have to break camp with the Rays at the end of the month or once again be exposed to waivers before he can be sent to the minors. However, the Rays’ opportunity to see Diaz up close will be somewhat limited, as he’s currently pitching for the Dominican Republic in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Injury Notes: Brito, Skaggs, Boxberger, Duffy

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D-backs outfielder Socrates Brito suffered a dislocated finger while sliding headfirst into home plate today, tweets MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert. He’s being further evaluated, though Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets that manager Torey Lovullo wouldn’t rule out surgery as a possibility. Brito is behind Yasmany Tomas, A.J. Pollock and David Peralta on the Diamondbacks’ outfield depth chart, but he certainly has a chance to make the team’s roster (or to re-emerge in the Majors midseason) if healthy. While Brito hasn’t hit much in his brief taste of the Majors, the 24-year-old has been fairly productive in Double-A and Triple-A in each of the past two seasons.

A few more injury updates from around the league…

  • Lefty Tyler Skaggs has been scratched from his upcoming Cactus League start due to weakness in his left shoulder, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. While the Angels are calling the setback minor in nature, DiGiovanna notes that there’s some cause for trepidation given Skaggs’ lengthy injury history. Shoulder troubles limited Skaggs as recently as 2016 — his first campaign back from Tommy John surgery that was performed late in the 2014 season. Furthermore, DiGiovanna cites scouts who attended Skaggs’ first outing of the spring in reporting that the southpaw’s fastball dipped from 89-92 mph early in that outing to the 86-88 mph range near the end of his day. Skaggs walked four hitters and didn’t complete one inning in that outing, though obvious Spring Training caveats come along with that unsightly outing. The current plan is for Skaggs to throw a ’pen session this weekend.
  • Right-hander Brad Boxberger had “a little bit of a setback” with his right lat muscle, Rays manager Kevin Cash tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). The pitcher himself tells Topkin that he’s not concerned by the issue and isn’t feeling any discomfort in his arm. Both player and team are still hopeful that Boxberger can be ready for Opening Day. The now-former Rays closer — Alex Colome seized that role in 2016 — missed the majority of the most recent season due to groin and oblique issues.
  • Topkin also reports that shortstop Matt Duffy’s target to appear in Grapefruit League games has been pushed back from its original mid-March placement (Twitter links). Duffy, whose 2016 season ended when he underwent surgery to repair the injured Achilles tendon in his left heel, tells Topkin that his progress has been a bit slowgoing. Topkin notes that the delay in his return to the playing field could impact Duffy’s Opening Day availability, though Cash wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Duffy could be ready by that point. Nevertheless, one can imagine that the Rays aren’t keen on rushing the 26-year-old back to the field, so a backdated DL stint to begin the year seems plausible. Tampa Bay acquired Duffy alongside prospects Lucius Fox and Michael Santos in last summer’s Matt Moore swap with the Giants.

Multiple Teams Interested In Brett Lawrie

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TUESDAY: The Mets “don’t have any real interest” in Lawrie, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). As he notes, New York does have quite a few depth options in the infield, and it seems the team is pleased with the quality on hand to provide protection for the questionable status of David Wright.

As for the Rays, the club wouldn’t be looking to utilize Lawrie at his accustomed positions of third and second, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Rather than competing for time in those areas, he’d be expected to appear at first base, DH, and perhaps even in the outfield.

Meanwhile, it’s worth wondering whether Toronto’s interest could be impacted by the slow progress being made by Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis. As Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets, skipper John Gibbons says the club expected Travis to have advanced further by this point but will continue “to be cautious.”

SUNDAY, 4:10pm: The Royals, Mets and Blue Jays also have interest in Lawrie, according to ESPN’s Jim Bowden. A native of Canada, Lawrie played in Toronto from 2011-14.

12:33pm: The White Sox released Brett Lawrie on Friday, but the infielder might not be without a team for long. The Rays will at least consider signing Lawrie, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Now 27, the version of Lawrie who served as one of baseball’s top prospects before torching opposing pitchers as a rookie with the Blue Jays in 2011 (.293/.373/580 in 171 plate appearances) is long gone. A career .261/.315/.419 hitter in 2,417 lifetime PAs, Lawrie slashed a pedestrian .248/.310/.413 in 384 plate trips last season and failed to provide defensive value at second base (minus-4 Defensive Runs Saved, minus-5.5 Ultimate Zone Rating).

Lawrie has spent his career at both the keystone and third base, where the Rays have far better starting options in Brad Miller and Evan Longoria, but they find his right-handed bat intriguing, according to Topkin. Moreover, because of injuries, infielders Matt Duffy (shortstop) and Logan Morrison (first base) aren’t locks for Opening Day, so Lawrie could provide the club depth if they do end up unavailable. Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource projects that Tampa Bay will enter the regular season with two out-of-options players, Nick Franklin and Tim Beckham, and minor league signing Rickie Weeks as its infield-capable bench choices. Like Lawrie, all three bat from the right side (Franklin’s the only switch-hitter of the group).

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