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Blue Jays Extend GM Ross Atkins

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The Blue Jays have signed general manager Ross Atkins to a contract extension, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports. The exact length of the deal is unknown, but it’ll keep Atkins in place through “at least” the 2020 campaign, according to Nicholson-Smith.

Toronto’s in its fourth season with Atkins, a former Indians executive who joined the Blue Jays in December 2015. He assumed his post a few months after the Blue Jays hired Mark Shapiro as their president. Atkins and Shapiro previously worked together in Cleveland, and they were at the helm of a Toronto franchise which earned a playoff berth in their first season at the controls. The Blue Jays, who were coming off an American League Championship Series bid in the prior season, made it back to the ALCS in Atkins’ first year with the franchise. However, they’ve gone into a rebuild since and are all but guaranteed to extend their playoff drought to three years in 2019.

In the Jays’ first four offseasons under their current regime, they made noteworthy free-agent investments in J.A. Happ, Kendrys Morales, Marco Estrada, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Jose Bautista, Steve Pearce, Jaime Garcia, Curtis Granderson and Freddy Galvis. Each of those players secured at least $5MM in guaranteed money, but as you’d expect with free-agent signings, some of those moves didn’t work out. Gurriel, who was a much-ballyhooed international prospect when the Blue Jays signed him, and Galvis are the only players from that group who are on Toronto’s 2019 roster.

Gurriel’s one of many promising young players whom the Jays have developed during Atkins’ run with the organization. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the most obvious example, though he signed with the organization shortly before Atkins and Shapiro came aboard. Seven of the team’s other top 10 prospects at MLB.com – including Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio – have joined the Jays since Atkins did, and the club now boasts one of the majors’ highest-rated farm systems.

Aside from Guerrero and Biggio, all of Toronto’s absolute best prospects are in the minors. It’s anyone’s guess how the team’s big league roster will look when more members of its system start pouring into the majors. Atkins & Co. may ship out key veterans Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Justin Smoak and Ken Giles this summer, as all are potentially valuable trade chips with dwindling club control. With the exception of Giles, whom Toronto acquired from Houston last summer for disgraced closer Roberto Osuna, all of those players were in the organization well before Atkins came on the scene. He did help oversee a shrewd extension for Smoak in 2016, though.

In other notable moves under Atkins, the Jays acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk in a January 2018 trade with the Cardinals, picked up righty Trent Thornton in a deal with the Astros last November, and sent third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Indians last August. To this point, the five-year, $52MM extension the Blue Jays gave Grichuk in April ranks as the largest financial commitment they’ve made to a player since Atkins’ hiring.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Looking For A Match In A Marcus Stroman Trade

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Even with Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner factored in, Blue Jays righty Marcus Stroman may end up as the most valuable starter on the move before the July 31 trade deadline. Like Bumgarner, Stroman has established himself as a legitimate major league starter. But while Bumgarner’s set to become a free agent after the season, the 28-year-old Stroman’s under wraps through 2020. Furthermore, on a $6.3MM salary this season and a to-be-determined arbitration salary next year, Stroman doesn’t come at a prohibitive price tag.

Since he debuted in 2014 with the Jays, who selected him 22nd overall in the 2012 draft, Stroman has pitched to a 3.80 ERA/3.61 FIP with 7.23 K/9 and 2.57 BB/9 in 127 appearances (121 starts) and 741 innings. Those numbers aren’t going to blow anyone away, but Stroman’s a two-time 200-inning pitcher whose groundball percentage (59.8) ranks second among starters over the course of his career. And Stroman’s now amid a season in which he has recorded a terrific 2.84 ERA/3.48 FIP with 6.99 K/9, 3.08 BB/9 and a 58.1 percent grounder mark across 13 starts and 76 frames.

The fact that Stroman’s on pace for another 200-inning season is key considering he amassed a mere 102 1/3 during an injury-shortened 2018. Stroman’s also just a few years removed from missing nearly all of 2015 with a torn ACL in his left knee, but the good news is that he hasn’t battled any significant arm problems in his time in the bigs.

With Toronto near the bottom of the league right now and unlikely to contend in 2020, Stroman stands out as its most logical trade chip. Stroman’s time up north may conclude this summer as a result. With that being the case, we’ll take a look at a slew of potential suitors (listed alphabetically). Based on the latest farm system rankings from Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs, some of these teams are in better position than others to win a possible Stroman sweepstakes…

  • Angels: The 2020 Angels should get back injured starter Shohei Ohtani, who’d be a massive upgrade over what they have now, but they can’t count on him to eat up a lot of innings in his return from Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney haven’t been the most durable starters either, and Griffin Canning, Jose Suarez and Jaime Barria are largely unproven in the majors. Based on all of that, Stroman would fit in the Angels’ starting staff next year. He’d also aid in their push for a playoff spot this season.
  • Athletics: Injuries have sapped the Athletics of starters dating back to last year, but they still made the playoffs in 2018 and are within striking distance of wild-card position at the moment. The A’s are scheduled to get some rotation reinforcements back in the coming months, which could dampen interest in Stroman, though he’d likely better their postseason chances this year while taking care of one-fifth of their starting staff for 2020. By then, free agents-to-be Brett Anderson and Marco Estrada could be out of the organization.
  • Astros: Despite its resounding success in the standings, Houston hasn’t been able to find a capable fifth starter to slot in with Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Wade Miley and Brad Peacock this year. Looking forward to 2020, Cole, Miley and Collin McHugh could leave in free agency. Lance McCullers Jr. should be back from 2018 Tommy John surgery by then, but there would still be a place for Stroman.
  • Braves: The good news is that the Braves aren’t at risk of losing any starters in free agency during the winter. The bad news is that their current starting mix hasn’t been all that effective outside of Mike Soroka. Even Max Fried, who burst out of the gates this year, has come to Earth of late. It’s no wonder they’re going after free-agent lefty Dallas Keuchel. Signing him may make a Stroman trade unnecessary in the estimation of Atlanta’s front office.
  • Brewers: Even though their rotation has been less than stellar this year, the reigning NL Central champion Brewers have a realistic shot to win their division again. Stroman would help Milwaukee’s cause for this season, and he’d take care of a rotation spot for the small-market club in 2020.
  • Cardinals: The Redbirds’ rotation has been a disappointment this year, which explains their interest in Keuchel. Let’s say the Cards do land Keuchel on a multiyear contract. Their rotation still wouldn’t be set for this year or next season. No one from their starting quintet has been particularly good this season, and Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha are each set to become free agents.
  • Cubs: Chicago wouldn’t be in the driver’s seat to acquire Stroman this summer because there’s no clear opening in its rotation right now. Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester, Cole Hamels, Jose Quintana and Yu Darvish are either locks or strong bets to retain their spots. But the Cubs may need to replace Hamels, an impending by free agent, by 2020. Stroman would offer comparable production for a much lower price. That’s important for the luxury tax-minded Cubs.
  • Diamondbacks: Considering they probably won’t make the playoffs, it’s up in the air whether the Diamondbacks will buy this summer; if they do, though, a Stroman acquisition would make sense going into next year. He’d occupy a place in an impressive-looking 2020 staff with Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray and, if they return to health, Luke Weaver and Taijuan Walker. Otherwise, Merrill Kelly could continue in place of Weaver or Walker.
  • Dodgers: Considering the Dodgers are oozing with quality starters, don’t count on a Stroman acquisition. Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill could leave as free agents thereafter, though, so let’s not fully rule out LA.
  • Mets: Team management has stuck by much-maligned fifth starter Jason Vargas, who has been outstanding of late, so it may not feel the need to part with prospects for Stroman or any other rotation piece. Starting depth is lacking in New York right now, however, and both Vargas and Zack Wheeler might be gone by next season.
  • Nationals: Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin are guaranteed to return in 2019, which locks in an elite one-two punch. And Stephen Strasburg will probably be back, though there’s a chance he’ll opt out of his contract. Even if Strasburg sticks around, there would be room for Stroman now and next season to slot in ahead of Anibal Sanchez at the back of the Nats’ rotation.
  • Phillies: If the Phillies are going to maintain their lead in the NL East this season, they’ll likely need more from their starting staff. Aaron Nola hasn’t followed up on his exemplary 2018 performance, Jake Arrieta’s not what he used to be, and nobody from the Zach Eflin–Nick Pivetta–Jerad Eickhoff trio inspires a ton of confidence.
  • Pirates: The Buccos have been active in the trade market for starters in recent years, evidenced by their Cole deal with the Astros and their acquisition of Chris Archer from the Rays. The low-budget team was able to swing a trade for Archer because of his affordability. Stroman would give the Pirates another reasonably priced option next year along with Archer, Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams and perhaps Mitch Keller. However, whether it would be logical for a middling Pittsburgh team to rob from its farm system for just over a year of control over Stroman is highly debatable.
  • Rangers: As noted on Wednesday, the wild-card contending Rangers are getting by with a relatively untrustworthy rotation this season. Even if Texas isn’t a real contender at the moment, it’ll aim for a playoff berth in 2020. Stroman would contribute to its cause.
  • Rays: No one would accuse opener-loving Tampa Bay of having enough traditional starters, and even the low-budget Rays would likely be able to afford Stroman. If everyone’s healthy, a rotation led by Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Charlie Morton and Stroman could be a force.
  • Reds: Although Cincinnati can probably forget about a playoff spot for this year, Stroman would help replace impending free agents Tanner Roark and Alex Wood (who hasn’t even pitched this season) in 2020. That said, Stroman to Cincy seems like a long shot because playoff-caliber teams need him more right now and would likely outbid the Reds.
  • Red Sox: Boston’s rotation hasn’t been great in 2019, nor is its starting five etched in stone for next year. Chris Sale, David Price, Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez will return, but Rick Porcello’s slated to reach free agency.
  • Rockies: Colorado’s rotation has taken enormous steps backward since 2018, thanks in part to former Cy Young contender’s Kyle Freeland’s fall from grace. Even if the Rox expect the demoted Freeland to rebound by next year, there would still be a place for Stroman in their rotation. As of now, German Marquez and Jon Gray look like the only sure bets for 2020.
  • Padres: Not only has San Diego been connected to Stroman on the rumor mill dating back to the winter, but its rotation certainly hasn’t been flawless since then. Considering those factors, the Padres may be the favorites to acquire Stroman.
  • Twins: Minnesota has sprinted to one of the league’s best records this year thanks in part to righties Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Gibson, but they’re headed toward free agency in the offseason. Stroman would replace one of them in 2020; in the meantime, he’d give the Twins another legit starter alongside Odorizzi, Gibson, Jose Berrios and Martin Perez. Michael Pineda hasn’t really answered the bell in his return from Tommy John surgery, and he’s yet another Twins starter who’s not under control beyond this season.
  • White Sox: At 29-32, Chicago has been a surprisingly respectable team relative to expectations. The franchise’s long-running playoff drought’s still likely to continue, though it may push for contention next year. Enter Stroman? He’d offer a nice complement to Lucas Giolito, which has been sorely lacking this season. Free agent-to-be Ivan Nova may not return in 2020, while Reynaldo Lopez has failed to build on a promising 2018. Other than that, the White Sox are waiting for Carlos Rodon and Michael Kopech to recover from Tommy John surgery and for high-end prospect Dylan Cease to work his way to the majors.
  • Yankees: New York could use an upgrade in its rotation now, which Stroman might be able to provide, and its starting five may not be set for next year. Luis Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ and Domingo German are on track to return. On paper, that’s enough, but it would require general manager Brian Cashman to regard Happ and German as locks for 2020. Meanwhile, the retiring CC Sabathia won’t be back.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

David Phelps Begins Rehab Appearance

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Blue Jays reliever David Phelps formally launched his rehab assignment yesterday, as Scott Mitchell of TSN Sports notes on Twitter. Phelps recorded an inning of action at the High-A level.

With that news, we now have a good idea when Phelps could be back in action at the major league level. Pitchers may work on rehab assignments for up to thirty days. Those recovering from Tommy John surgery, as is Phelps, can have their assignments extended by ten days up to three times.

The hope, surely, will be that Phelps can return before the month of June is out. As a veteran relief pitcher, he’ll be handled differently than a youthful starter. While the Jays and Phelps have every incentive to exercise reasonable caution, both have an interest in seeing him on a MLB mound as soon as possible.

For the Toronto organization, Phelps represented a calculated gamble on a $2.5MM guarantee. If he’s able to return to his once-excellent form, Phelps could be utilized as a mid-2019 trade chip or kept for the 2020 campaign via club option.

On the pitcher’s side of the equation, his earnings are tied directly to his MLB activity levels. Phelps stands to earn $250K apiece upon making his 25th, 30th, and 35th appearances, with $350K apiece at numbers 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60. There are also bonuses for games finished. Plus, the option’s base rate of $1MM can rise to $3MM (if he reaches 30 games), $5MM (at 40 games), $7MM (50 games), or even $8MM (in the rather unlikely event he appears in fifty and finishes forty games).

Phelps had been a useful but hardly outstanding MLB starter before finding another gear in a relief role. Since the start of the 2016 season, he carries a 2.72 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 over 142 1/3 innings.

Blue Jays Call Up Teoscar Hernandez

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The Blue Jays have brought outfielder Teoscar Hernandez back from Triple-A Buffalo, according to a team announcement, with Jonathan Davis going back to Buffalo in the corresponding move.  Hernandez is in tonight’s starting lineup in center field, and general manager Ross Atkins told reporters (including Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi) that Toronto will regularly deploy Hernandez as a center fielder going forward.

The idea of Hernandez in such an important defensive role would have been unthinkable even a few months ago, as the 26-year-old looked borderline unplayable in left field for much of the 2018 season.  However, a lot of offseason work led to a big turnaround in the early portion of this season, as Hernandez had a 20.8 UZR/150 and a +1 Defensive Run Saved over 295 1/3 innings as a left fielder in 2019.

Center field presents a much larger challenge, as Hernandez hasn’t played the position at the big-league level since 2017.  The Jays would probably just be happy with average glovework from Hernandez in center as they continue to sort through their outfield picture.  Randal Grichuk has seen the bulk of center field work since Kevin Pillar was traded to the Giants, though Grichuk will now move back to right field.  Lourdes Gurriel Jr. should continue to see regular duty in left field, with Brandon Drury and Cavan Biggio also available for corner outfield work.

Beyond playing center field at Buffalo, Hernandez’s time at Triple-A was also intended as a way to get himself sorted at the plate.  Hernandez was hitting just .189/.262/.299 at the time of his demotion, with only three homers in 141 PA and suffering from a huge dropoff in his power.  Hernandez was a very hot-and-cold hitter in 2018, though he finished the season with a .239/.302/.468 slash line, 22 home runs, and a 107 wRC+ over 532 PA.

Zac Rosscup Elects Free Agency

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12:05pm: The team announced that Rosscup has elected free agency rather than take an outright assignment, as is his right as a player with more than three years of big league service time.

10:20am: Left-hander Zac Rosscup cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Buffalo by the Blue Jays following last week’s DFA, per the team’s transactions page.

Rosscup, 31 next week, appeared in just two games with the Jays after being claimed off waivers out of the Mariners organization, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts in one inning. Rosscup has posted huge swinging-strike rates over the past couple of seasons and demonstrated an ability to rack up strikeouts in bunches — 42 in his past 26 innings — but his control has been evaporated in 2019. Through 15 innings of work this year, he’s allowed 16 walks and thrown two wild pitches.

Control issues notwithstanding, Rosscup averages 92.4 mph on his fastball and has generated a gaudy 23.7 percent swinging-strike rate on his slider since the start of the 2018 campaign. He’s also out of minor league options, so any club that eventually puts him back on the big league roster would need to expose him to waivers again if it wished to then send him back to the minors.

AL East Notes: Pearce, Smoak, Orioles

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It was on this day in 1925 that the legendary Lou Gehrig replaced Wally Pipp in the Yankees’ lineup, beginning Gehrig’s then-record streak of 2130 consecutive games played.  While both Pipp and the Yankees themselves were slumping at the time, Gehrig’s insertion into the lineup wasn’t only meant as a way to give a promising youngster some at-bats.  Pipp was given a day off due to a headache, which according to some reports was suffered after being hit in the head with a pitch from a teammate during batting practice.  Since that fateful day, Pipp’s name has become synonymous with being replaced — whenever a player goes on a hot streak replacing an injured teammate, you can count on an announcer mentioning that the injured player might “be Wally Pipp’ed” out of a job.  This unusual legacy has overshadowed a very solid career from Pipp, who hit .281/.341/.408 over 7838 plate appearances with the Yankees, Reds, and Tigers from 1913-28, including serving as the starting first baseman on the Yankees’ first World Series championship team, in 1923.

The latest from around the AL East…

  • The Red Sox re-signed Steve Pearce on a one-year, $6.25MM contract last November in the wake of Pearce’s epic performance as the World Series MVP.  The deal looked like a solid move at the time, though as the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham notes, now looks like a misstep given Pearce’s rough 2019 season.  Pearce has slashed just .180/.245/.258 over 99 plate appearances, and is currently on the IL with back spasms.  Considering that many comparable first base/DH types of free agents signed for considerably less than Pearce’s $6.5MM guarantee last offseason, the contract now looks like an overpay in hindsight.  A few million dollars normally wouldn’t be a big issue for a wealthy team like the Red Sox, though with the Sox wanting to stay under the $246MM maximum penalty luxury tax threshold, Abraham notes that signing Pearce to a smaller deal (or letting him go altogether) would have freed up more money for Boston to pursue some needed bullpen help, either in the offseason or at the deadline.
  • Could Justin Smoak go from trade candidate to extension candidate?  As Ken Rosenthal opines in his latest FOX Sports video update, the Blue Jays’ efforts to deal Smoak at the deadline could be hampered by the fact that teams have been increasingly hesitant to give much up for veteran first base/DH players.  Smoak’s age (32) and status as a rental player could also work against the Jays in netting any significant return for the first baseman.  With this in mind, Rosenthal suggests that Toronto could explore retaining Smoak as a veteran leader to help the club through its rebuild, perhaps on a one- or two-year extension to split first base and DH duties with Rowdy Tellez.  Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s ability to stick at third base will factor into such a decision, of course, and I’d also add that the Blue Jays might not want to return to a fairly inflexible first base/DH situation so soon after parting ways with Kendrys Morales.
  • While the Orioles have suffered from disastrous pitching, their everyday lineup has featured some unexpected bright spots, the Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck writes.  Names like Renato Nunez, Dwight Smith Jr., Pedro Severino, and Hanser Alberto were all acquired in unheralded fashion over the last year, yet all four have delivered decent to above-average production at the plate.  Some of this could stem from a simple increase in playing time, as all four players are getting the chance at regular at-bats for the first time.  Severino, whose .268/.351/.474 slash line through 112 PA dwarfs his previous output as a member of the Nationals, noted that “My job over there [in Washington] was to have the mentality to win the game and call a good game and not think about my offense….It was tough to play once a week and take one at-bat in the ninth inning against a good closer. That’s really tough.”  It remains to be seen if any of this quartet will develop into long-term pieces for the rebuilding Orioles, though if nothing else, the O’s could have some extra trade chips to consider for the July 31st deadline.

The Blue Jays Should Soon Have Starters For Sale

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It almost goes without saying that once the draft passes, teams shift their focus to the summer trade market. It happens every season, and there’s plenty of speculation that this year’s One True Trade Deadline will spur teams into action a bit sooner than in years past. It’s only logical, as clubs now know they won’t be able to augment their roster in August.

Nary a season goes by where pitching isn’t in extreme demand on the midseason market, and Madison Bumgarner’s impending free agency (paired with the Giants’ generally poor play) has fans of pitching-needy clubs frothing at the mouth as the wonder where the postseason legend will land and what he’ll net the Giants. But Bumgarner isn’t the only near-lock to be traded in the next two calendar months.

The Blue Jays are widely expected to field offers for both Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, and The Athletic’s Jayson Stark even wrote today that Toronto has “signaled they could be aggressive” in trying to move both. For a team in their position, there’s little reason to hang onto the duo beyond the 2019 season and plenty of reason to explore the market earlier rather than later. The Jays aren’t contending this season, both starters are healthy, and it’s unlikely that an additional month is going to dramatically alter a rival team’s evaluation of the righties.

That’s not to say they’re going to shove the pair out the door, but the Jays are also surely cognizant of the fact that an interested buyer would be willing to part with more for Stroman’s final 17 to 18 starts of the season than they would for his final 10 to 11 starts of the season — the difference between a mid-June swap and a late-July swap. Of particular note in this instance, both Stroman and Sanchez are controlled through 2020.

Stroman, 28, is earning $7.4MM in 2019 — an eminently affordable sum when considering the fact that he’s thrown 69 innings with a 2.74 ERA, 7.4 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a sizable 57.6 percent ground-ball rate. That grounder rate is in elite territory already, but it’s actually down a bit for Stroman, who has topped 60 percent in each of the four prior seasons. He’s among baseball’s premier ground-ball specialists and, after an injury-wrecked 2018 campaign looks to be back on track — if not better than ever.

Stroman’s 10.4 percent swinging-strike rate is the best of his career, and his 30 percent chase rate on pitches out of the zone is his second-best mark. He’s throwing his slider more often than ever before and doing so quite effectively, which may explain the uptick in whiffs and the slight downgrade in grounders. Stroman has never limited home runs better than he has so far in 2019 (0.65 HR/9), and Statcast pegs his expected weighted on-base average at a career-best .304. No one is going to mistake Stroman for a shutdown ace, but pitchers of his caliber are still difficult to come by midseason — particularly when they’re more than just a rental piece.

As for Sanchez, the 26-year-old may never again match his peak 2016 form and will always come with concerns surrounding the blister and fingernail issues he cannot seem to escape. He exited his last outing with a fingernail issue, in fact, but there’s no indication he’s headed for the injured list. Sanchez is also throwing his breaking ball at a career-high rate and, like Stroman, has enjoyed a career-high swinging-strike rate (plus a career-best 8.4 K/9). Sanchez’s control has been wobbly in the seasons since his 2016 All-Star season (5.0 BB/9 over his past 201 innings), but he’d be more affordable than his teammate both in terms of salary ($3.9MM) and prospect cost.

A team might be able to dream on that ’16 season and hope that some mechanical tweaks can help to improve upon his control, but the aforementioned finger issues will also be considered when determining what to surrender. So far in 2019, Sanchez has a 3.75 ERA in 60 innings, though his control troubles lead fielding-independent metrics to peg him more in the mid-4.00s. He’s not a Stroman-level grounder specialist, but he’s above average in that regard (51.2 percent in 2019; 54.1 percent career).

While both hurlers will generate their share of interest, Stroman should have the broader appeal and bring in a larger return. In fact, while the most frequent pitcher mentioned by fans in our weekly MLBTR chats is without question Bumgarner, it’s arguable that Stroman is even more appealing than the Giants’ lefty when looking at the total package. He’s earning $4.6MM less in 2019, controlled for an additional season and, over the past three years, has thrown more innings with similar results. The two pitchers get those results in different ways — Bumgarner more through punchouts and pristine control; Stroman through extreme grounders and limiting homers — but both are generally quality arms.

This needn’t turn into a debate over who is the better target (though feel free to do so if you wish). The broader point that’s worth underscoring is that the Jays will have a pair of very available arms in the near future — including a pitcher who figures to be among the more desirable targets on the market this summer. For a team that’s building around a nucleus of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and other young players (Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette, etc.), having two controllable starters — and a very good closer — ready to sell to the highest bidder puts the organization in position to further add some exciting pieces to that emerging core.

Ryan Tepera Undergoes Surgery

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Blue Jays right-hander Ryan Tepera, on the injured list due to an elbow impingement, announced Wednesday that he underwent surgery to address the issue (Twitter link). The team hasn’t made a formal announcement of the procedure yet, nor has it provided a timetable for his return. However, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith points out that manager Charlie Montoyo listed Nathan Eovaldi’s four- to six-week timeline as a possible relevant comparison last week when discussing the possibility of Tepera undergoing surgery.

If that is indeed an accurate comparison, then it seems likely the Jays will be without Tepera for at least the next month. He hasn’t pitched well this season, though that’s not exactly a surprise given the recent revelation that he’s been pitching with an impingement and loose bodies in his right elbow. Through 11 innings, Tepera has a 6.55 ERA with nine strikeouts against six walks (two intentional) and four home runs allowed. His fastball, which averaged 95.1 mph from 2015-18, was sitting at 93.7 mph in 2019.

Prior to this year, though, Tepera was a solid late-inning arm for the Jays. From 2016-18, Tepera logged a 3.53 ERA and a 3.91 FIP with 9.4 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 0.95 HR/9 and a 44.7 percent ground-ball rate. Those numbers may not be overpowering, but Tepera found plenty of success in Toronto despite pitching in a hitter-friendly home park in a notoriously difficult offensive division.

Given that success, his modest $1.525MM salary in 2019 and the rebuilding state in which the Blue Jays find themselves, Tepera looked like an obvious summer trade candidate heading into the season. Now, he’ll possibly be sidelined into July, leaving him minimal time to demonstrate his health for scouts from rival clubs. Depending on exactly when he’s able to get back on a mound, it may simply be more likely that the Blue Jays hang onto him into the offseason. Tepera is controlled for two years beyond the current campaign, so there’s no great urgency to move him. And, if he shows well over the final few months of the season in his return from surgery, most interested parties would surely chalk up his early struggles to an aberration stemming from the since-corrected elbow troubles.

Injury Notes: Astros, Lyles, Vincent, Reid-Foley

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Astros stars Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa are both being evaluated by the team’s medical staff for potential injuries, the team told reporters Tuesday (Twitter links via Jake Kaplan of The Athletic). Altuve was already on the injured list but reported feeling fatigue and soreness his right leg after playing minor league rehab games on consecutive days. That’s all the more notable given that Altuve underwent right knee surgery following the 2018 season. As for Correa, he was scratched from tonight’s lineup due to discomfort in his ribs and is being evaluated back in Houston. President of baseball operations Jeff Luhnow downplayed the potential for a serious issue, however, stating that he doesn’t expect either issue to be a long-term problem (Twitter link via the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome). It’s possible that either could be out “a couple weeks,” per Luhnow, although obviously an exact timeline is impossible to gauge until the medical staff has completed its tests.

Some more injury notes from around the league…

  • The Pirates announced that right-hander Jordan Lyles exited tonight’s game due to hamstring discomfort. Lyles has been one of the best one-year signings of this past offseason, but he struggled through a second straight rough Tuesday, surrendering three runs on three hits and a pair of walks in four innings of work. Though his last two outings haven’t been sharp, Lyles still boasts a 3.09 ERA, 9.1 K/, 3.1 BB/9, 0.81 HR/9 and a 43.1 percent ground-ball rate in 55 1/3 innings. The Pirates have placed Jameson Taillon, Chris Stratton and Keone Kela on the injured list in May. If he requires a trip to the IL, the Bucs could turn back to top prospect Mitch Keller, who was recalled for a spot start yesterday but optioned back today.
  • Giants right-hander Nick Vincent exited tonight’s game with trainers, and The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly notes (via Twitter) that Vincent was motioning toward his neck/collarbone area as he departed the game. He’s been used heavily by the Giants, frequently pitching two- or more innings at a time. Prior to the 2019 season, Vincent had never thrown more than 64 2/3 innings in a Major League season, but he’s already up to 30 2/3 frames on the year. Correlation certainly doesn’t equate to causation in this instance, but the uptick in workload is at least worth a mention. Vincent looked like a potential trade chip less than three weeks ago, as he had a 2.25 ERA and a 25-to-6 K/BB ratio in 24 innings back on May 10. Since then, he’s surrendered 13 runs in his past four appearances — a span of just 6 2/3 innings.
  • It appears there’s some concern regarding young Blue Jays right-hander Sean Reid-Foley, as Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com tweets that Reid-Foley exited Tuesday’s start for Triple-A Buffalo in what looked to be “a lot of discomfort.” The former second-round pick loaded the bases and walked in a run before exiting the game with a member of the Bisons’ training staff. Reid-Foley has had a tough season in Buffalo so far, entering play Tuesday with a 6.60 ERA through 45 inning of work. To his credit, he’s picked up 50 strikeouts in that time, but he’s also issued 34 walks, hit four batters and thrown four wild pitches. [Update: Chisholm tweets that the Jays are calling the injury a back strain but hopeful that he can avoid even missing a start in Buffalo.]

Blue Jays Designate Zac Rosscup, Select Justin Shafer

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The Blue Jays announced Tuesday that they’ve designated left-handed reliever Zac Rosscup for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster for right-hander Justin Shafer, whose contract has been formally selected from Triple-A Buffalo.

It appears that Rosscup’s tenure with the Jays will be a brief one. Toronto claimed him off waivers from the Mariners last week, but he appeared in just two games. In that time, he was knocked around for four runs on three hits and a pair of walks with two strikeouts in an inning of work. Rosscup had previously notched a 3.21 ERA in 14 innings with Seattle, but he also walked 14 hitters in that time. Rosscup’s huge swinging-strike rate on his slider and his general knack for missing bats have stood out over the past two seasons, but this year’s control troubles are also quite pronounced.

The 26-year-old Shafer will be stepping up for his second stint with the Blue Jays, who selected his contract last August but later outrighted him off the 40-man roster when he cleared waivers. He’s allowed just two earned runs with a 16-to-6 K/BB ratio in 18 2/3 innings for Buffalo this season.

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