- The Padres asked the Orioles to include minor league left-hander Garrett Cleavinger and minor legaue righty Jhon Peluffo in the trade that would’ve sent Ubaldo Jimenez to San Diego in exchange for Melvin Upton Jr., according to MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko (on Twitter). However, FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that the talks broke down over finances, and Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller adds (also via Twitter) that owner Peter Angelos had a late change of heart and altered the nearly agreed-upon deal — specifically the amount of money that would have changed hands. The Padres ultimately shifted course and sent Upton to the Blue Jays.
- Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins says he’s not done making moves after swooping in and acquiring Upton earlier this morning, via Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith (links to Nicholson–Smith on Twitter). Atkins’ comments seemingly focused on pitching upgrades, with the GM indicating that the market for relief help is more robust than the market for starters at present. Atkins says he’s talked with all 29 other clubs on multiple occasions and is now focused on a smaller group of teams that could potentially upgrade his pitching staff. Asked specifically about the Padres — the Jays have been linked multiple times to Andrew Cashner, who tossed a quality start against them tonight — Atkins replied, “They have interesting pitching as well.”
Blue Jays Rumors
Blue Jays Acquire Melvin Upton
The Blue Jays have officially struck a deal to acquire outfielder Melvin Upton from the Padres. Young righty Hansel Rodriguez constitutes the return to San Diego, which will pay all but $5MM of the approximately $22MM owed to Upton this year and next, Heyman tweets.
The swap is likely to be finalized today, says Rosenthal, who had reported last night that Toronto was in the lead to add Upton. Among the other teams said to have had real interest were the Orioles and Indians, each of whom will need to look elsewhere to bolster their outfield reserves.
Upton brings a versatile, right-handed-hitting bat to the Jays’ alignment. He is only checking in with a league-average batting line on the year — with a .256/.304/.439 slash that reflects the fact that he has struck out in nearly one-third of his plate appearances — but has had a bigger impact than that. Upton has also swatted 16 home runs and swiped twenty bags, both of which are more reminiscent of his top-level output in those departments from his days with the Rays.
With a quality glove that is plenty capable of handling center field, Upton figures to be a frequently-used semi-regular for Toronto. The team hasn’t received much with the bat from center fielder Kevin Pillar this year, though he is a top-flight defender. Left fielder Michael Saunders has been a revelation, but despite his quality numbers this season against lefties could probably stand to take a rest from time to time when a southpaw is on the hill. And star slugger Jose Bautista is likely to have the most impact — both down the stretch and, the team hopes, in the playoffs — if he isn’t used too heavily in right field. Upton will likely see action in all three spots, relegating Ezequiel Carrera to a fifth-outfielder role (if he is able to hold onto his roster spot).
Upton is playing in the second-to-final season of the big contract he inked with the Braves before the 2013 campaign, which was shipped to San Diego two years later. He has $5.63MM left on his salary for the present season, with $16.45MM still to come for 2017. Given that San Diego will be picking up most of the tab, it seems reasonable to think both that the market demand for Upton wasn’t all that great and that the Padres put a reasonably substantial value on the rights to Rodriguez.
[Related: Updated Blue Jays and Padres Depth Charts]
With larger-salaried players including Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and R.A. Dickey set to hit the open market after the year, Toronto may well have somewhat greater payroll flexibility for 2017 than it does at present. It also now has one more piece of its outfield puzzle in place for the coming season, with not only Bautista but also Saunders soon able to go to the highest bidder (even if they do so with a qualifying offer hanging over them).
For the fourth-place Padres, the deal continues a broader sell-off as the organization’s attention shifts to acquiring young assets. Certainly, the fact that Upton was able to restore his stock constitutes a big win for San Diego, as his contract was significantly under water when he was included as part of the financial machinations in the pre-2015 Craig Kimbrel swap. Beyond the prospect value coming directly from this deal, San Diego GM A.J. Preller ought to be able to redirect the cost savings on Upton’s deal to buy-low veterans who could themselves turn into trade chips.
Rodriguez, 19, adds another potential future hurler to the system. He signed out of the Dominican Republic for a $330K bonus in February of 2014, as Ben Badler of Baseball America reported at the time, and has continued to show an intriguing arm since that time, as BA’s Josh Norris has noted. Currently, Rodriguez is pitching in the Rookie-level Appalachian League, where he owns a 3.62 ERA in 32 1/3 innings over six starts, with 7.2 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9. He has risen to 18th on MLB.com’s most recent ranking of the Jays’ system, with the prospect evaluators noting that he has a very live arm but still needs a lot of polish to his mechanics and secondary offerings.
Even better, clearing Upton from the roster allows the Friars to allocate playing time to some top prospects who seem prepared for a shot at the big leagues. Hunter Renfroe is presently laying waste to Triple-A pitching at 24 years of age, so he’d certainly qualify. And the younger Manuel Margot has his own case for a promotion; he’s hitting well in his first go at the highest level of the minors and could represent a near-future option in center.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported that Upton had been traded to Toronto (via Twitter); Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reported the return and financial details (Twitter links). Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca first reported in a tweet that a significant portion of Upton’s salary would remain with the Padres.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Blue Jays Considered “Front-Runners” For Melvin Upton
11:04pm: It seems that the O’s are next in line behind the Jays in the current pecking order, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter), with the Friars expected to make a final decision tomorrow.
8:57pm: The Blue Jays are considered the “front-runners” to acquire outfielder Melvin Upton from the Padres, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. The 31-year-old has been a healthy scratch in each of the last two days as the team looks to secure a trade, though skipper Andy Green noted earlier today that “nothing’s done yet,” as Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune was among those to tweet.
Both the Orioles and Indians remain in pursuit of Upton, according to Rosenthal, so indeed it seems that a deal isn’t quite complete. Prior reports had suggested that Baltimore was the likeliest landing spot, though, so it would appear that there has been some recent movement in the market as San Diego tries to find the best possible return for the resurgent veteran.
Toronto has been said to be seeking another outfielder to slot into the mix. As the Jays’ depth chart shows, the team currently features two left-handed-hitting options in Michael Saunders and Ezequiel Carrera, along with righties in center fielder Kevin Pillar and right fielder Jose Bautista. The versatile Upton, who has spent plenty of time in left this year and up the middle in the past, would make a solid fit with the rest of the unit. He offers value on the field and on the bases to go with a bat that has been above-average since the start of 2015, though his ongoing strikeout proclivity remains a concern.
While Saunders is in the midst of a breakout campaign and has hit southpaws with aplomb in 2016, he does carry typical (but not drastic) platoon splits over his career. Pillar has not been as dynamic at the plate as might have been hoped this season, as he carries a .260/.290/.382 batting line. And the superstar Bautista is only just returning from a toe injury, with that malady only adding to the pre-existing reasons (advancing age and declining defensive metrics) to limit his exposure in the outfield.
It is not clear exactly how a deal might be structured between San Diego and Toronto. Upton is earning $15.45MM this year, with $16.45MM promised to him for 2016. Rumors of a potential swap with the O’s centered around an exchange of similarly-expensive contracts — righty Ubaldo Jimenez would apparently head out west in that scenario — with Baltimore giving added value in a prospect package.
There doesn’t appear to be a player on Toronto’s books that is analogous to Jimenez, though just-designated reliever Drew Storen — who’s owed $8.375MM this year — could represent an offset, and the Pads could simply hold onto whatever salary is needed to facilitate both teams’ interests. While the Jays opened the year right near their team-record payroll, they might also conceivably take on more of Upton’s salary to reduce the minor league assets needed to make a deal. That could be easier to do for the 2016 portion of the obligations, as the substantial salaries of Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and R.A. Dickey will all leave the balance sheet after the present season.
As with the Orioles, the Blue Jays have also been said to have engaged the Padres on starter Andrew Cashner. It certainly still seems plausible that he and Upton could be packaged, or that they could be moved in separate deals. Regardless of how things turn out, the righty’s own availability would seem likely to factor into these teams’ decisionmaking process regarding Upton.
Blue Jays Designate Junior Lake For Assignment
The Blue Jays have designated outfielder Junior Lake for assignment in order to clear a spot on the roster for right fielder Jose Bautista, who has been activated from the disabled list, tweets Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star.
Lake, 26, appeared in 19 games with the Jays this season, though he totaled just 38 plate appearances and batted a paltry .206/.289/.382 in his short stay north of the border. Lake first debuted with the Cubs back in 2013 at the age of 23 and posted an impressive .284/.332/.428 batting line with six homers in 254 plate appearances. That production, though, was buoyed by a .377 BABIP that he’s never since come close to replicating. Lake has also demonstrated a prolonged susceptibility to strikeouts in the Majors, having punched out in 31.1 percent of his plate appearances as a big leaguer. All told, he’s a career .236/.279/.377 hitter in the Majors.
Bautista returns to the Blue Jays from a foot injury that has sidelined him since mid-June. Bautista is getting on base at a strong clip and hitting for power, but his .230/.360/.455 slash line is a departure from his recent seasons of excellence. He’ll hope for better results over the season’s final two and a half months as looks to bolster his stock heading into the free agent market.
Blue Jays Sign Scott Copeland To Minor League Deal
- The Blue Jays have signed right-hander Scott Copeland to a minor league deal, per a club announcement. Copeland, 28, was previously in the Toronto organization from 2012-15, mostly working in the minor leagues. He got his first taste of big league action last season and allowed 11 earned runs on 24 hits in 15 1/3 innings. Copeland only walked two hitters in that span, but struck out just six. The Blue Jays then sold Copeland to the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization, where he struggled through 63 1/3 innings this year in the hitter-friendly league.
Latest On Melvin Upton, Andrew Cashner
SUNDAY: The list of teams interested in Cashner is close to 10, writes Heyman. That includes the previously reported Marlins, who have discussed many of their top prospects – including first baseman Josh Naylor – with the Padres, Heyman hears. The surging Astros are also in the Cashner sweepstakes.
SATURDAY, 11:51am: The Marlins are also still discussing Cashner with the Padres, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
10:17am: The Giants have also checked in on Cashner, according to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman (Twitter link), though San Francisco is more focused on adding bullpen help before the deadline. The Dodgers don’t appear to be in the mix for Cashner as they “seem to be aiming even higher” for a rotation upgrade, which Heyman speculates could be Chris Sale or one of the Rays’ starting pitchers. In another Heyman tweet, he writes that the Orioles and Blue Jays are thought to be the leaders for Upton, though the two clubs are also exploring bigger deals that could involve Upton and other Padres changing teams.
8:48am: The Orioles are chasing two high-profile names from the Padres, as they are looking at Melvin Upton and Andrew Cashner in separate trade talks, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link). Reports surfaced yesterday that the O’s and Padres were discussing a swap that would’ve sent Ubaldo Jimenez and a prospect to San Diego for Upton. That deal would be something of a fit of large contracts, whereas for Cashner, Rosenthal notes that San Diego is asking for two prospects.
Interestingly, Baltimore isn’t the only AL East team linked to these two Padres stars, as the Blue Jays have also discussed Upton and Cashner with San Diego, Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). The Padres are trying to get the division rivals into a bidding war over Upton, though it isn’t certain if Toronto would have interest in the outfielder if Cashner wasn’t part of the deal. Even the Cashner talks with Toronto may not have much momentum, as Rosenthal notes that the Jays and Padres have differing opinions on Cashner’s value.
As of yesterday, the Padres were telling other teams that they were close to finalizing an Upton trade, which at the time was perceived as a possible negotiating tactic on the Friars’ part. A rival official for a team not interested in Upton observed to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune that the Padres were “trying to get someone else to bite before they are forced to send him to the one club ready to move on him.”
Given Rosenthal’s subsequent tweets, it would seem that Toronto could be the “someone else” in that description while the O’s could be the more eager suitor for Upton’s services. Then again, Upton makes sense as an outfield upgrade on a few different contenders. For instance, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that the Indians have also talked to the Padres about Upton over the last few weeks, though nothing is close on that front.
Of the three teams mentioned, the Orioles would seem to have the clearest need for Upton given their left field void (as both Joey Rickard and Hyun Soo Kim are on the DL), plus Upton could also provide cover in center behind Adam Jones. Jimenez’s contract also helps offset the large amount of money still owed on Upton’s contract, as the outfielder is set to earn $16.45MM in 2017 and roughly $5.31MM remaining this season; Cleveland and Toronto don’t have any Jimenez-esque large salaries that could be dealt to create payroll space.
The uncertainty surrounding Michael Brantley’s status could certainly put Cleveland in the market for outfield help, though the Tribe have been getting some very solid contributions from their current outfield mix of Tyler Naquin, Jose Ramirez, Rajai Davis and Lonnie Chisenhall. The Blue Jays are pretty set in the outfield with Michael Saunders, Kevin Pillar and Jose Bautista (who could return from the DL as early as Monday), so Upton doesn’t really have a regular spot. Toronto could use Edwin Encarnacion more regularly at first to get Upton into left field and Saunders at DH, depending on matchups.
Cashner, meanwhile, has been linked to several teams in need of rotation help. The O’s don’t have a terribly deep minor league system, and while Cashner wouldn’t necessarily command top-tier prospects in return, it’s still possible Baltimore could be outbid by another suitor (such as the Rangers) who simply have more quality minor leaguers to offer. Cashner fits as a big upgrade for the Orioles’ struggling pitching staff, and he also fits in Toronto given that Aaron Sanchez may yet be moved to the bullpen to control his innings.
Blue Jays Designate Drew Storen For Assignment
The Blue Jays have designated right-handed reliever Drew Storen for assignment, Barry Davis of Sportsnet was among those to report (Twitter link). To take his roster spot, the team has recalled fellow righty reliever Ryan Tepera from Triple-A Buffalo.
[RELATED: Updated Blue Jays Depth Chart]
Storen’s designation is the latest chapter in a disastrous 2016 for the 28-year-old. After Storen served as a reliable option for the Nationals from 2010-15, the Jays acquired him for outfielder Ben Revere in January and hoped he’d add a quality arm to their bullpen. Storen went on to throw 33 1/3 frames of 6.21 ERA ball in Toronto despite posting quality strikeout and walk rates of 8.64 and 2.7 per nine innings, while also generating grounders at an above-average clip (47.2 percent). A sky-high home run-fly ball rate (17.6 percent, well above his career mark of 8.2) and a drop in velocity helped lead to Storen’s undoing with the Jays.
Given his track record in Washington, where he picked up 95 saves and compiled a 3.02 ERA, 8.65 K/9, 2.59 BB/9 and 44.9 percent ground-ball rate, Storen seems likely to catch on elsewhere for the stretch run. If he clears waivers and signs with another team, that club would only be responsible for a prorated portion of the league minimum. Aside from that figure, the Blue Jays would be on the hook for what’s left of Storen’s pricey $8.375MM salary.
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/23/16
Saturday’s minor moves from around baseball:
- Blue Jays right-hander Dustin Antolin cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo, reports Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star (Twitter link). The Jays designated Antolin for assignment Friday after he threw just two innings for them, but he previously tossed 38 frames of 2.37 ERA ball in Buffalo, where he also struck out 9.95 batters per nine innings. He offset that somewhat with a lofty walk rate, though (5.45).
- Left-hander Nick Lee, whom the Nationals designated for assignment Wednesday, cleared waivers and was sent outright to Double-A Harrisburg, tweets Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. The 25-year-old Lee put up a 4.54 ERA, 9.1 K/9 and 7.6 BB/9 over 35 2/3 innings with Harrisburg this year before his designation.
Blue Jays Designate Chris Colabello From 25-Man Roster
The Blue Jays have designated Chris Colabello off their 25-man roster now that the first baseman’s 80-game PED suspension is over and he has been reinstated from the restricted list, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports (Twitter link). This isn’t a standard case of a player being designated for assignment, as Colabello is still on Toronto’s 40-man roster. As Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star notes, the move is akin to the Jays simply optioning Colabello to the minors.
Colabello was a surprisingly big contributor to Toronto’s 2015 AL East championship team, hitting .321/.367/.520 with 15 home runs over 360 plate appearances. The Jays entered the season planning to platoon Colabello and Justin Smoak at first (with Edwin Encarnacion getting the occasional start but mostly seeing DH duty), though Colabello got off to an ice-cold start, with just two hits in his first 32 PA of 2016. It’s reasonable to guess that the impending PED suspension may have been weighing on Colabello’s mind, given that he was first informed of his positive result on March 13 and was appealing the result.
In theory, Colabello’s reinstatement could help the Jays, especially given that Smoak has posted barely replacement-level numbers. GM Ross Atkins, however, was recently rather non-committal about Colabello’s role with the team, especially since Colabello won’t be eligible for postseason play under the terms of the league PED policy. While the Jays have mostly been linked to pitching upgrades on the trade deadline rumor mill, they’ve also been connected to outfielders like Melvin Upton Jr., Josh Reddick and Jay Bruce. Getting a new regular outfielder would force Encarnacion or Jose Bautista into more action at first, leaving no room for Smoak or Colabello in the everyday lineup.
Blue Jays Looking At Both Starters, Relievers
- The Blue Jays have been talking to multiple teams about both starters and relievers, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi tweets. Bullpen is the more pressing concern for Toronto, though if Aaron Sanchez is shifted to a setup role as planned, that leaves a big hole in the rotation (especially given Marcus Stroman’s inconsistency and Marco Estrada’s recurring back issues). Then again, Sanchez has been so good this season that the Jays could reverse course and keep him as a starter, which would increase their need for relief help.
