Rays Rumors

Marlins Eyeing Pitching; Odorizzi, Pomeranz Among Targets

By Jeff Todd | June 22, 2016 at 11:03am CDT

WEDNESDAY: Miami has also reached out to the Padres to ask about lefty Drew Pomeranz, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reports. After some solid work in recent years in a swingman capacity, Pomeranz has put up surprisingly excellent numbers as a starter in San Diego, working to a 3.00 ERA with 10.7 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9 over 81 innings.

Pomeranz can be controlled for two more seasons after this one via arbitration, and he’ll be building off of a cheap $1.35MM salary. The Marlins are evidently looking at assets with value beyond the present season, though that would certainly raise the acquisition cost for an organization that doesn’t feature a high volume of highly-regarded talent in the upper levels of its farm system.

MONDAY: The Marlins have been looking at both starters and relievers on the trade market, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Among the players they have discussed is Rays’ right-hander Jake Odorizzi, per the report.

It’s not surprising to hear that Miami is looking for arms. The club is certainly in a buying posture as the All-Star break nears; in fact, the Fish have somewhat quietly passed the Mets and currently occupy the second spot in the NL East.

Despite that success, there are some clear questions in the staff. That’s especially true in the rotation, where Jose Fernandez has led a group of otherwise ordinary starters. Major free agent signee Wei-Yin Chen isn’t going anywhere, but hasn’t been great. Adam Conley and Tom Koehler have been ordinary on the whole, while neither Justin Nicolino or Jarred Cosart has managed to lock down a spot.

There are at least some questions, too, in the bullpen, though the results have been more than fine from the team’s top relievers even with Carter Capps and now Bryan Morris missing significant time. A.J. Ramos and breakout righty David Phelps have held down the back of the pen admirably, with Kyle Barraclough racking up strikeouts but also walks. Miami has received good middle-relief work from pitchers like Dustin McGowan and Nick Wittgren, with late-inning lefty Mike Dunn showing promise upon his return. On the other hand, Miami has received a lot of subpar innings from other pitchers. It’s certainly possible to imagine the team pursuing back-end or middle relief help via trade.

Odorizzi looks like exactly the kind of pitcher you’d think the Marlins would look at. He could well be made available even if Tampa Bay doesn’t elect to trigger a broader sell-off, as the team has loads of depth in its own rotation. He has been more solid than great this year, but is a power pitcher with control (through 2019 via arbitration), much like Cosart was when he was added back in 2014.

Injury Notes: Lambo, Harris, Pearce, Mahtook, Brantley, Bautista, Duffy, Richard, Ottavino, Walker

By Jeff Todd | June 21, 2016 at 8:16pm CDT

The Athletics announced that outfielder Andrew Lambo underwent surgery recently to treat testicular cancer. Lambo, 27, has seen limited action in four MLB seasons. He has played mostly at Triple-A over the last four years, posting a strong .264/.332/.467 batting line. MLBTR joins all those around the game wishing him the very best as he recovers; we hope to see him back on the field soon.

Here are some injury notes from around the league:

Cardinals righty Mitch Harris required significant elbow surgery to reattach his ulnar collateral ligament, he announced on Instagram. The 30-year-old cracked the majors last year for St. Louis, providing 27 innings of 3.67 ERA pitching. MLBTR wishes the best of luck to the former Naval officer, who has one heck of a back story.
The Rays got some more news on the injury front today, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links). Steve Pearce will hit the DL with a hamstring injury, and could miss around three weeks. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like the type of hammy issue that is terribly likely to require a truly lengthy absence. Meanwhile, outfielder Mikie Mahtook’s broken hand will not need surgery, meaning that he could return within six weeks — which is better than had been feared.
The Indians were relieved to find that outfielder Michael Brantley’s latest discomfort is only a bout of biceps tendinitis, Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reports on Twitter. There had been some concern that his surgically-repaired shoulder was showing further signs of trouble.
Blue Jays star Jose Bautista will need “a couple weeks” in a walking boot after being diagnosed with turf toe, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets. That’s largely what was expected when Bautista hit the DL; Toronto will hope that rest and a brief rehab build-up will allow the slugger to return in short order.
The Giants may be without Matt Duffy for a bit longer than had been hoped, per Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area (on Twitter). He’s expected to wear his own boot for three weeks, and it would seem likely that he’ll need a bit of a build-up from that point on.
Cubs lefty Clayton Richard hit the DL with a blister issue, per a team announcement. Chicago also optioned righty Adam Warren to Triple-A, where he’ll stretch out as a starter for an upcoming heavy stretch of play. Righty Spencer Patton and lefty Gerardo Concepcion will head up to the big league club to fill in. Of course, it’s fair to wonder how long the Cubs will continue to roll with Richard, who has struggled quite a bit thus far after a solid 2015.
Adam Ottavino’s rehab has moved to the Triple-A level for the Rockies, Nick Groke of the Denver Post reports on Twitter. That’s good news for the righty as well as the team; Ottavino was emerging as a force in the pen before undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.
The Mariners announced that righty Taijuan Walker’s foot issue is only tendinitis. He likely won’t require a trip to the DL, as Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Rays’ Mikie Mahtook Suffers Fractured Left Hand

By Steve Adams | June 21, 2016 at 9:30am CDT

The Rays were burdened by yet another long-term injury in last night’s game, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that outfielder Mikie Mahtook suffered a fractured left hand when he was hit by a pitch and could be on the shelf for up to two months as he recovers. While Mahtook isn’t exactly a household name, he’s a former first-round pick that had been seeing quite a bit of playing time for the Rays with Kevin Kiermaier, Steven Souza and Brandon Guyer all currently on the disabled list. Now, he’ll join his teammates there and likely remain on the DL longer than any of Tampa Bay’s currently injured outfielders.

[Related: Updated Tampa Bay Rays depth chart]

Mahtook, 26, was hitting just .154/.200/.185 through a fairly tiny sample of 70 plate appearances, so the Rays won’t be losing one of their more productive bats due to this injury. However, the former No. 31 overall pick flashed his upside in his MLB debut last season when he batted .295/.351/.619 in 115 trips to the plate as a late-season call-up with the Rays. While it’d be overzealous to expect production along those lines again from Mahtook, some form of middle ground between last season’s excellence and this season’s futility is probably Mahtook’s true talent level. He’s batted a combined .241/.293/.453 in that time. When paired with his ability to play all three outfield positions, that makes him a useful piece even if he’s not necessarily a starting-caliber player.

Looking at the bigger picture, Mahtook’s loss further thins the outfield depth for a Rays team that presently sits 8.5 games out of the division lead at 31-37. While it’s too early to deem the Rays to be sellers — manager Kevin Cash told Topkin after last night’s loss the organization “believes … we can kind of right this ship” — they are currently facing an uphill battle to get back into contention. The presence of an entire starting-caliber outfield on the disabled list is further compounded by a short-term injury to surging slugger Steve Pearce, who, as Topkin notes, will miss a few days with a hamstring injury sustained in last night’s contest.

As the aforementioned depth chart notes, the Rays look lined up to rely upon Corey Dickerson, Desmond Jennings and Jaff Decker in the outfield for the time being, though perhaps the versatile Brad Miller could see some time in the outfield as well, with Nick Franklin getting another look in the Majors (my own speculation).

Quick Hits: Crawford, Rays, Gurriel, Drury, Mets, Phillies

By Mark Polishuk | June 19, 2016 at 10:44pm CDT

Now that the NBA season has come to a spectacular conclusion, check out Hoops Rumors (the basketball wing of the Trade Rumors family) for all of your hardcourt news during what is sure to be a fascinating NBA offseason. Here are some items from around baseball as we wrap up the weekend…

The Rays would be interested in talking with Carl Crawford if the veteran was open to returning to his old team, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Crawford can be signed for the league minimum after being released by the Dodgers, as L.A. would be responsible for the rest of the approximately $35MM remaining on the outfielder’s contract. Crawford still put up fairly productive numbers as a Dodger despite a plethora of injuries, so he could be of us to a Rays team that has three outfielders (Kevin Kiermaier, Steven Souza, Brandon Guyer) on the DL.
From that same item, Topkin looks at some of the major names who could have been Rays had the club drafted differently or kept future stars at earlier stages in their development. Topkin notes that every team in baseball could create a similar “what if?” roster but given how much Tampa relies on cheap young talent via the draft, it’s particularly intriguing to imagine a reality where the likes of Nolan Arenado, Buster Posey or Andrew McCutchen became Rays (especially since the players Tampa Bay drafted ahead of them all became busts).
The Diamondbacks’ Brandon Drury is a fit as a possible third base target for the Mets, though a source tells John Harper of the New York Daily News that Arizona holds Drury in high value. For Drury, the D’Backs would likely ask the Mets for someone like Zack Wheeler in return, which Harper figures is way too high a price in a one-for-one trade. Drury was actually demoted today by the D’Backs in an effort to give him regular playing time rather than ride the bench on Arizona’s crowded roster. The 23-year-old has a .270/.310/.450 slash line and eight homers over 213 PA for the Snakes, numbers boosted by a huge performance over the first six weeks of the season.
From that same Harper item, two scouts discussed Cuban superstar Yulieski Gurriel, noting that while Gurriel has looked impressive in the past, they would need a fresh look given Gurriel’s age (32). That age will surely limit the size of Gurriel’s eventual contract, as “even if he looks good in a workout, I wouldn’t give him more than two years,” one scout said, though he did predict an average annual value for Gurriel in the range of $10-$11MM per season. As one former Mets player anonymously told Harper, Gurriel makes a lot of sense for New York to replace the injured David Wright at third base.
Though the Phillies have very little money tied up in future salary commitments beyond this season, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer doubts the club will be significant spenders in free agency this winter. The Phils are still comitted to their youth movement, so it doesn’t make much sense to sign a big-ticket veteran at this stage in the rebuilding process. With another year or two to establish the young core, Gelb figures the Phillies could strike in the 2017-18 free agent market or the star-studded 2018-19 market.
Mark Lowe signed a two-year, $11MM free agent deal with the Tigers last winter but has struggled horribly in Detroit, posting a 10.71 ERA over 21 innings. There isn’t much the Tigers can do with Lowe, MLB.com’s Jason Beck writes, unless they’re willing to eat the remaining money or if Lowe is willing to accept a minor league assignment.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/19/16

By Connor Byrne | June 19, 2016 at 9:42pm CDT

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.

Rays Sign First-Rounder Josh Lowe

By Jeff Todd | June 17, 2016 at 5:47pm CDT

The Rays have signed first-round draft selection Josh Lowe, with the team set to announce the deal tonight. MLB.com’s Bill Chastain first reported a deal was imminent yesterday on Twitter.

It’s an under-slot signing, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link), though details on the bonus remain unreported. The Georgia high school third baseman was taken 13th overall, a pick which came with a $3,098,900 slot value.

Baseball America and MLB.com each rated Lowe as the 17th-best draft-eligible prospect, while ESPN.com placed him 26th. He is highly regarded for his athleticism and baseball bloodlines, and features two-way talent. Tampa Bay will try him out as a hitter first, given Lowe’s big-time pop, good wheels, and big arm at the hot corner. His bat needs refining, as is often the case, and some wonder if he’ll be quick enough to stay at third, with a possible shift to right field possibly making sense down the line.

Tampa Bay has also agreed to terms with Ryan Boldt, its second-round pick and the 53rd overall player taken, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (on Twitter). Boldt’s $1MM bonus will fall $195,500 shy of the slot allocation, so the club will save some additional money there, as it did with 90th overall pick Austin Franklin as well as its last two selections from the top ten rounds (college seniors Peter Bayer and Spencer Jones). Among the organization’s top choices yet to sign are comp B selection Jake Fraley (an LSU outfielder) and fifth-rounder Easton McGee (a high-school righty).

AL East Notes: Souza, Cobb, Jays, Sox, O’Day, Yankees

By Steve Adams | June 17, 2016 at 8:28am CDT

The Rays sent right fielder Steven Souza to the 15-day disabled list yesterday due to a strained muscle in his left hip, as MLB.com’s Sam Blum writes. Souza sustained the injury on Tuesday when making a diving attempt at a sinking liner off the bat of Nelson Cruz. He came up just shy of making the catch, and upon getting to his feet had difficulty remaining upright, ultimately falling back to the turf after making the throw into the infield. X-rays taken on his hip were negative, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Souza will receive a cortisone injection to help with the pain. Souza’s hope for now, according to Topkin, is that he can return in the minimum two weeks. The 27-year-old Souza is hitting .255/.315/.443 with 10 homers on the season and has played a solid right field this season. In his absence, the Rays have called up Jaff Decker (as seen on their updated depth chart), and he’ll share some of the duties with Mikie Mahtook.

Draft Signings: 6/16/2016

By Jeff Todd | June 15, 2016 at 11:44pm CDT

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.

Rays Designate Dana Eveland

By Jeff Todd | June 15, 2016 at 2:32pm CDT

The Rays have designated lefty Dana Eveland for assignment, as Chris Cotillo of SB Nation first tweeted. The club has selected the contract of outfielder Jaff Decker to take his spot on the active roster, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported earlier on Twitter.

Eveland, 32, had struggled to a 7.56 ERA in his 16 2/3 innings on the year. He has averaged better than a strikeout per innings, but his swinging strike rate is down and he has also issued 13 free passes in that span.

[RELATED: As the Roster Resource depth chart shows, Tampa Bay still has two other southpaws in the pen.]

Decker will get another shot at the majors after brief stints in each of the past three years. He may be needed to help cover for Steven Souza, who suffered a hip injury last night. Decker owns a .233/.351/.358 batting line over 232 Triple-A plate appearances on the year.

AL East Notes: Ubaldo, Venters, Beltran, Red Sox

By Steve Adams | June 13, 2016 at 10:31am CDT

Ubaldo Jimenez’s dreadful results with the Orioles this season (specifically over his past seven starts) may soon force the Orioles’ hand, writes MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko. Manager Buck Showalter declined to give an inkling of the team’s intentions with Jimenez, stating: “We have to look at other possibilities, but if we do something, he’s going to hear about it from us long before he reads about it.” As Kubatko points out, that type of sentiment from Showalter in the past has typically preceded a change, and the real question surrounding Jimenez is how drastic of a move the team will make. Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun wrote last night that a release isn’t likely given the remaining money on Jimenez’s four-year deal, but Kubatko hears differently, writing that the O’s are willing to cut bait in spite of the financial considerations. Jimenez is owed about $7.89MM through the end of the season and is earning $13.5MM in 2017 as well. He has a 6.89 ERA through 62 2/3 innings this season and has seen his once blistering fastball dip to an average of just 89.8 mph.

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