AL East Notes: Story, Mullins, Green
Red Sox infielder Trevor Story is beginning a rehab assignment today, with Ian Browne of MLB.com relaying the details. Story will play five innings at shortstop in Friday’s game before serving as the designated hitter on Saturday and returning to the shortstop position on Sunday.
The shortstop position in Boston has been in flux since it was reported in January that Story had undergone internal brace surgery on his right elbow. They’ve rotated various players through the position in his absence, including Enrique Hernández, Yu Chang, Pablo Reyes and others. The Red Sox have a collective .216/.272/.322 batting line from the position, which translates to a wRC+ of 59, placing them 27th out of the 30 clubs in the league.
Story is a career .268/.336/.513 hitter and would certainly be a boost if he could come back at that level, though it’s no guarantee that he will. He hit .251/.329/.471 in his final year in Colorado and then .238/.303/.434 last year. After missing all of this season so far, it remains to be seen what form he will be in when he gets back. The Sox are currently three games out of a playoff spot and even a diminished version of Story should be an upgrade over the production they’ve had from the shortstop position thus far.
Some more notes from the toughest division in the league…
- The Orioles placed outfielder Cedric Mullins on the injured list earlier this week due to a groin strain, his second trip to the IL this year for that injury. Just the day prior, he had said he was hoping to avoid the IL, which made it fair to expect this stint would be minimal. That may not be the case, however, with Mullins providing more details to the media yesterday. He said that new symptoms emerged once his soreness went away, per Danielle Allentuck of the Baltimore Banner, with no timeline for his return right now. He said he’s hopeful of returning for the back end of the season, per Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball. That murkier timeline is surely an unpleasant development for the O’s, as Mullins continue to be an impact player when healthy. He’s hit .259/.347/.454 this year for a wRC+ of 123 and stolen 14 bases. His progress in the weeks to come will hopefully provide some more clarity but it doesn’t seem like an immediate return is likely.
- Blue Jays reliever Chad Green is set to begin a rehab assignment on Saturday, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. The Jays signed Green in the offseason to a convoluted deal, knowing that he wouldn’t be an option in the first half after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. He’s now rehabbing at an interesting time of the season, with the trade deadline just over the horizon. The righty has 272 appearances under his belt with a 3.17 ERA, 32.5% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. All contending clubs are looking for relief help at this time of year but Green’s impending return gives the Jays a chance to have that bullpen boost come from within. They are currently 54-43 and tied with the Astros for the second Wild Card spot. Green’s return will also give the club a couple of months to evaluate his status before deciding on the layered option structure of his contract. They first have to decide on triggering a three-year, $27MM option with $1MM in bonuses. If they decline, Green can exercise a 2024 player option with a $6.25MM salary and $2MM in bonuses. If he declines that, the Jays can trigger a two-year, $21MM option with $1MM in bonuses.
Blue Jays Designate Trent Thornton For Assignment
The Blue Jays have announced that right-hander Trent Thornton has been designated for assignment. His roster spot will go to lefty Génesis Cabrera, whom the Jays have acquired from the Cardinals, which was reported earlier today.
Thornton, now 29, made his major league debut for the Jays in 2019. He tossed 154 1/3 innings that year, mostly as a starter, allowing 4.84 earned runs per nine innings. In 2020, he was limited to just three starts, spending most of the shortened season on the injured list due to elbow inflammation.
The Jays moved him to a bullpen role in 2021 and he’s been serving as an up-and-down reliever for the past three seasons. He’s tossed 100 1/3 major league innings dating back to the start of that 2021 campaign with a 4.31 ERA in that time. His 22% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate for that stretch are both pretty close to league average. He’s also thrown 66 1/3 innings at Triple-A in that same timeframe with a 2.98 ERA, 21.8% strikeout rate and 10.9% walk rate.
It’s possible that Thornton’s time with the Jays was nearing an end even before this transaction. The club’s bullpen has been fairly strong this year, with their collective 3.62 ERA the fourth-best in the majors. Thornton has largely been squeezed out, only been able to make four appearances this year. He’s burning his final option year here in 2023 and will be out of options next year. He’s making a $1MM salary this year and will be eligible for arbitration again this winter.
The Jays will now have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers. Since he can still be optioned for the rest of the year, it’s possible a club in search of some extra bullpen depth would be interested in acquiring him. He could also be retained for future seasons via arbitration but, as mentioned, he’ll be out of options in 2024. If he were to clear waivers, he would be eligible to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency since he has more than three years of major league service time. However, since he has less than five years of service time, returning to the open market would mean forfeiting what’s left of that salary.
Blue Jays Acquire Génesis Cabrera From Cardinals
The Blue Jays have acquired left-hander Génesis Cabrera from the Cardinals, reports Katie Woo of The Athletic. The Cards had designated Cabrera for assignment earlier this week. In exchange, the Cards received minor league catcher Sammy Hernandez. The Jays will need to open a spot on their 40-man roster to accommodate Cabrera.
Cabrera, 26, once looked to be establishing himself as an impact relief lefty at the big league level. Across the 2020 and 2021 seasons, he made 90 appearances for the Cards with a 3.41 earned run average. He struck out 27.8% of batters faced and kept the ball on the ground at a 40.4% clip but also allowed walks at a 13.3% rate. Despite the obvious control issues, the punchouts were enough for him to move into a high-leverage role, recording 28 holds in 2021.
Things haven’t gone as smoothly for him since then, however. His strikeout rate dropped to 16.5% last year, helping his ERA climb to 4.63. This year, he’s got those strikeouts back, punching out 26.6% of hitters. But it hasn’t led to improved results, as he has a 5.06 ERA on the year. Home runs have become an increasing issue of late, as he allowed eight in the 2019-2021 period, but then eight more last year alone and another six this year.
The Cardinals are having a disappointing season and seem to be bound for some selling between now and the trade deadline. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak has been forthright about the club turning its attentions towards 2024, with various trades possible in the days to come. Cabrera got bounced off the roster ahead of time, likely due to his struggles but also because he apparently expressed some frustration with his role in St. Louis.
Despite his poors results of late, there are some logical reasons for the Jays to be interested in taking a shot. Cabrera is averaging 95.8mph on his fastball, a rare trait for southpaws. Statcast data has him in the top 10 in that category among left-handers with at least 500 pitches thrown this year. It’s also possible he has even more in the tank since he was at 97.6mph back in 2021. He also has an option remaining, which will give the Jays the ability to send him in Triple-A if they so desire.
He also relatively cheap, making $950K this season, which is barely above this year’s $720K minimum salary. He can also be retained for future seasons via arbitration, as he began this year with three years and 11 days of service time. That means he’s not slated for free agency until after 2025, and that could even get pushed back by a year if he spends some time on optional assignment. The Cards already optioned him at the start of the season, though he was quickly recalled on April 8 and stayed on the active roster until his recent DFA. If the Jays can help him get back into the form he showed a few years ago or help him rein in his command, he could be a multi-year asset for them.
The Jays have operated with Tim Mayza as their only left-handed reliever this year. He’s having a great season with a 1.10 ERA in 44 appearances, but Cabrera could give them a second option to call upon. They might make additional acquisitions before the trade deadline but Cabrera’s option means he can be a depth piece in the minors, even if he’s squeezed out of the picture at the big league level. The Jays are clear buyers, given that their 54-43 record has them tied with the Astros for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. The nearest non-playoff team, the Red Sox, are three games back of the Jays and Astros at the moment.
For the Cards, this is likely to be the first of many deals they make in the coming days, given their aforementioned seller position. Despite currently enjoying a six-game win streak, they are 8.5 games out of the playoff picture in the National League. They have various impending free agent pitchers that seem likely to be moved, such as Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Hicks and Chris Stratton, as well as a position-player logjam that could lead to a trade.
For now, they will add Hernandez, a 19-year-old catcher. He was selected by the Jays in the 14th round of last year’s draft and has been playing in the lower levels of their farm system. He’s hit .213/.287/.367 in 42 games across two different levels this year. He hasn’t generally been considered one of the club’s top 30 prospects.
MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: All Eyes on the Angels, Cardinals Trade Options and Buyers or Sellers
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:
- The Angels will consider trade offers on Shohei Ohtani (1:00)
- The Cardinals are shifting their focus to 2024 (6:45)
- Teams like the Tigers and the Red Sox are going to let the on-field results dictate their respective deadline strategies (14:25)
Plus, we answer your questions, including:
- Do you feel that the Yankees should be sellers? (17:25)
- If the Rangers were to acquire Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger from the Cubs, would that make them the favorite in American League? (21:30)
- What are the Blue Jays going to target at the deadline? (24:00)
Check out our past episodes!
- Top Deadline Trade Candidates, Ohtani Trade Potential and the Slipping Rays – listen here
- Free Agent Power Rankings and Aroldis Chapman to the Rangers – listen here
- The Angels Trade for Infielders, Indecisive NL Central Teams and Aaron Judge’s Toe – listen here
Blue Jays Select Jordan Luplow
The Blue Jays announced that they have selected the contract of outfielder Jordan Luplow. In corresponding moves, outfielder Nathan Lukes was optioned to Triple-A while right-hander Adam Cimber was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Luplow, 29, came to the Jays in April when they claimed him off waivers from Atlanta. He took seven trips to the plate in four games for the Jays before getting optioned to Buffalo and then outrighted off the 40-man roster. He’s made 208 plate appearances with the Bisons this year and is hitting .239/.341/.438 for a wRC+ of 93.
He’s occasionally been effective in a platoon role, which seems to have been the case this year. The right-handed hitter is slashing .254/.354/.552 against lefties but .218/.327/.331 the rest of the time. In his major league career, he’s hit .222/.333/.498 with the platoon advantage but .200/.290/.355 without, leading to a wRC+ of 122 for the former line and 77 for the latter. The Jays have a couple of left-handed outfielders in Daulton Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier as well as Brandon Belt in the designated hitter position, with Luplow perhaps helping the Jays shield that group from lefties a bit.
It’s possible that the Jays want to give him a few weeks to see if he can serve in that role before the trade deadline. The club hasn’t fared especially well against southpaws this year, with their collective batting line of .262/.329/.379 translating to a wRC+ of 98. The club was recently connected to free agent Nelson Cruz and general manager Ross Atkins today said the club could make use of adding a “really accomplished right-handed hitter,” per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.
As for Cimber, he’s been on the injured list since June 16 due to a shoulder impingement. As of last week, he still wasn’t throwing, per Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic. It seems the club wasn’t optimistic about him returning in the next month or so, as he’ll now be officially ineligible to return until mid-August.
Casey Lawrence Opts Out Of Minors Deal With Blue Jays
Right-hander Casey Lawrence was released by the Blue Jays recently, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Lawrence triggered an opt-out in his deal, reports Eric Treuden of Jays Journal, which led to him returning to the open market. Treuden adds that the righty is already working on a new deal, with the Cardinals and Yankees seeming to be in the mix.
Lawrence, 35, signed a minor league deal with the Jays in the offseason and has been pitching for their Triple-A rotation this year. He’s thrown 90 2/3 innings over 18 starts with a 4.67 earned run average in that time. He’s punched out 20.5% of opponents while walking 7.3% and has kept the ball on the ground at a 45% clip.
The Jays have been solid in the rotation this year from a health perspective, with each of Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi having made at least 19 starts this year. Alek Manoah was optioned to the minors for about a month after struggling badly at the start of the season but the club largely used bullpen games to cover for his absence. Lawrence never got the call during that time and seems to have less chance now that Manoah has retaken his spot in the rotation. Also, Hyun Jin Ryu is in the midst of a rehab assignment and should be able to return from last year’s Tommy John surgery in the next few weeks.
Given those factors, and the Jays possibly looking for more starting pitching at the deadline, it’s fairly logical for Lawrence to look for opportunities elsewhere. The aforementioned Cardinals, in particular, make sense as a landing spot for him. They have plenty of rotation uncertainty as it is and seem likely to trade impending free agents Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty prior to the trade deadline, meaning they will likely need veterans to soak up some innings later in the year.
Lawrence has just 96 2/3 innings of major league experience with a 6.80 ERA but he’s pitched in 112 Triple-A games across eight different seasons, posting a combined 3.80 ERA in those. The Yankees have a decent rotation at the major league level but their optionable depth starters haven’t been doing exceptionally well. Jhony Brito has a 6.39 ERA in Triple-A this year while Randy Vásquez is at 5.11, perhaps leading the club to desire a consistent depth arm like Lawrence.
Blue Jays, Astros Interested In Marcus Stroman; Astros Interested In Cody Bellinger
The Astros “checked in” with the Cubs about two of the team’s biggest trade chips, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that Houston inquired about right-hander Marcus Stroman and outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger. Either player would essentially be a rental pickup for the Astros, as Stroman and Bellinger are each widely expected to become free agents this winter — Stroman via an opt-out in his contract, and Bellinger in declining his end of a mutual option.
The Cubs are 43-49 after today’s loss to the Red Sox, and are facing an increasingly uphill battle in both the NL Central (though Chicago is the only NLC team with a positive run differential) and NL wild card races. Unless the Northsiders go on a real hot streak over the next two weeks, it looks like the Cubs again be looking to sell some veteran players at the August 1 trade deadline.
Houston GM Dana Brown has cited both starting pitching and a left-handed hitter as his team’s two primary target areas heading into the deadline, and landing Stroman and Bellinger in one mega-deal would check both boxes at once, if such a blockbuster trade could be negotiated. Of course, it isn’t known at this point whether or not the Astros’ inquiries were anything more than due diligence, and it may be yet some time before the Cubs determine whether or not to pivot into seller mode. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said yesterday that “there is nothing we want more than to add,” so if the Cubs are even still on the fringes of the playoff race, they might still opt to keep their roster mostly intact.
From a financial perspective, the Astros’ luxury tax number is approximately $218.2MM, as per Roster Resource. This is well under the first $233MM tax threshold, giving Houston some room to add salary — such as the roughly $10.43MM still owed to Stroman and the $5.21MM owed to Bellinger, plus the $5MM buyout of his mutual option — while avoiding a tax bill entirely. Houston were taxpayers in 2020, however, and it isn’t out of the question that they could absorb another one-year tax hit in the first penalty tier in pursuit of another World Series title. Of course, Chicago isn’t entirely in salary-dump mode since the organization clearly wants to compete as early as 2024, so the Astros could make a deal for either player more likely by offering more of a prospect return than a financial return. In that scenario, the question might be how much minor league depth would the Astros want to surrender for a rental player.
Starting with Bellinger, he would add some balance to a heavily right-handed Astros lineup, and strengthen an outfield that is missing both Yordan Alvarez and Michael Brantley. Alvarez is at least making some progress in his way back from an oblique injury, while Brantley’s status is still up in the air as he has experienced several setbacks in his recovery from shoulder surgery almost a year ago. If Bellinger stepped into the regular center field role, Chas McCormick could spell Bellinger against southpaw pitching, and the McCormick/Corey Julks/Jake Meyers group would rotate through left field duty, with Alvarez getting most of the DH time when he returns.
Bellinger is hitting .301/.358/.524 with 12 homers and 11 steals (from 14 chances) over 257 plate appearances. He missed about a month with a knee contusion that limited him to first base in his return to the field, but Bellinger has resumed his regular duty in center field and also regained his hitting stroke. Bellinger had a scorching 1.209 OPS over his last 69 PA heading into today’s game.
Stroman has been outstanding all season, posting a 2.88 ERA over 118 2/3 innings. Despite below-average strikeout and walk totals, Stroman has done an excellent job of limiting damage (an elite 3.6% barrel rate) and keeping the ball on the ground (58.4% grounder rate). A .251 BABIP has certainly contributed to Stroman’s success, but his knack at avoiding home run damage would likely translate well to any number of contending teams with decent infield defense.
As such, many teams will surely be calling the Cubs about Stroman’s availability, and another intriguing landing spot besides the Astros has already emerged. The Score 670’s Bruce Levine reports that the Blue Jays (Stroman’s former team) “have expressed strong interest” in the righty’s services, which would count as a bit of a surprise considering the hard feelings that reportedly existed between Stroman and the Jays before he was dealt to the Mets in 2019. However, Stroman expressed nothing but positivity about his old club when the Cubs visited Toronto last year, and assuming the Jays front office feels the same, a Stroman return would certainly bolster the rotation.
An inconsistent offense has perhaps been the Blue Jays’ bigger problem in 2023, as a rotation that was seen as a potential weak link has been more or less solid, due to Jose Berrios‘ resurgence and Yusei Kikuchi‘s ability to at least stick as a fifth starter. However, Alek Manoah‘s inexplicable first-half collapse makes him an x-factor going forward, even if Manoah looked sharp in his first start back after a month-long retooling process. Hyun-Jin Ryu (Tommy John surgery) is also expected back within the next few weeks, so technically, Toronto could have six viable starters and perhaps less of a pressing need to devote trade resources on a major arm like Stroman.
The Astros have a much clearer need for pitching, considering how injuries have drastically thinned the rotation. Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. are both gone for the season, and Jose Urquidy is just starting a rehab assignment after missing two and a half months with a shoulder injury. Framber Valdez has already been dealing with a sore ankle and left yesterday’s start with a calf problem manager Dusty Baker hoped was only a cramp. If this wasn’t enough, Cristian Javier has been badly struggling over his last few starts, leaving swingman Brandon Bielak and rookies Hunter Brown and J.P. France as the Astros’ most viable starters.
It simply isn’t a rotation that looks like it can contend for another championship, and even making the playoffs might be difficult for Houston given the Rangers’ lead in the AL West and the crowded nature of the wild card race. Adding a starter in some form certainly seems like a must for the Astros, and it will be interesting to see how aggressive Brown will be in bolstering the rotation in his first trade deadline as a Major League general manager.
AL East Notes: Rays, Mullins, Mountcastle, Romano
While the Rays are typically known for making careful, calculated moves in order to maximize long-term success, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times discussed yesterday the possibility of Tampa making a splash in the trade market prior to the trade deadline on August 1 by pursuing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, on whom the Angels are expected to consider offers.
Such a move would be a major departure from the club’s typical model, though president of baseball operations Erik Neander and his front office have shown a willingness to be more aggressive in recent years. Trading promising right-hander Joe Ryan for Nelson Cruz ahead of the 2021 trade deadline, extending Wander Franco on an 11-year deal that offseason, and pursuing Freddie Freeman in free agency are all signs from the relatively recent past that the Rays could be willing to take bigger swings in their pursuit of a World Series championship, and there’s no acquisition that would move the needle more than Ohtani.
While the club certainly has the pieces necessary to swing a deal for Ohtani between a farm system that ranks 8th in the majors per Fangraphs and a deep group of position players at the big league level, Topkin cautions that the Rays are highly unlikely to enter a bidding war for Ohtani as the club wouldn’t be able to retain the superstar in free agency. Between that unwillingness to beat out other potential suitors like the Yankees and Dodgers for Ohtani and the considerable chance that the Angels don’t move him at all, as they’re currently sitting just one game under .500 and five games back of a Wild Card berth, Ohtani in a Rays uniform certainly seems unlikely.
More from around the AL East…
- Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins exited yesterday’s game with right quad tightness, as noted by MASN’s Roch Kubatko. Mullins is currently considered day-to-day, and the club will check in with him today to determine the severity of the injury. Manager Brandon Hyde expressed optimism following yesterday’s game, telling reporters (including Kubatko) that the club is “hoping we caught a break there.” Fortunately for the Orioles, they boast a deep group of position players that can help cover for Mullins in the event he misses time, though properly replacing a strong defensive center fielder with a 123 wRC+ is easier said than done.
- Sticking with the Orioles, the club has been taking things slowly with first baseman Ryan Mountcastle as he returns from a month on the injured list due to vertigo. While Mountcastle has looked good in limited time since coming off the IL, with a single and a double in five trips to the plate, Kubatko notes that his ability to reclaim a full-time role has been further complicated by the emergence of Ryan O’Hearn as a legitimate starting option. In 156 plate appearances this season, O’Hearn has slashed an impressive .310/.359/.528 with a wRC+ of 143, albeit in a strictly platoon role. Though Mountcastle currently seems poised to see most of his starts come against southpaws, Hyde indicated that setup may not be permanent, telling reporters that he’s “sure” Mountcastle will get some starts against same-handed pitching and that “we’ll see how the second half goes.”
- Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano exited the All-Star game last week due to lower back tightness and has since undergone an MRI, as relayed by SportsCentre’s Scott Mitchell. Manager John Schneider told reporters, including Mitchell, that the imaging came back clean and Romano is currently considered day-to-day. Romano has established himself as one of the league’s best closers over the past four seasons, pitching to a 2.21 ERA (190 ERA+) and a 3.01 FIP while racking up 87 saves. In the event the right-hander is unavailable, Erik Swanson and Yimi Garcia appear to be the most likely candidates to handle the ninth.
Injury Notes: Edman, Candelario, Gausman, Sborz
Tommy Edman was placed on the Cardinals‘ 10-day injured list on July 7, as the multi-positional regular was suffering from inflammation in right wrist. A clean MRI provided some hope that Edman could be back soon after the All-Star break, but that doesn’t look like it will be the case, as manager Oli Marmol told reporters (including MLB.com) that Edman received an injection in his wrist. As a result, Marmol said it will be “several more days” before Edman can return.
Rotating between shortstop, second base, center field, and right field this season, Edman’s versatility and switch-hitting bat have been very helpful to St. Louis, even if his production at the plate has dropped off. Edman had a 108 wRC+ over 630 plate appearances in 2022, but he had only a 91 wRC+ (and a .237/.303/.391 slash line) over 307 PA thus far in 2023. It could be that the move to the outfield is hurting Edman’s hitting, as his offense has badly tailed off since the Cardinals started regularly starting him in center field in late May. With St. Louis looking like probable sellers at the deadline, it remains to be seen how Edman might fit into what could be a remodeled mix around the diamond, though the first order of business for the 28-year-old is just to get healthy. To be clear, there hasn’t been much trade buzz around Edman himself, and his lingering injury would certainly seem like a further obstacle to any sort of deal.
More injury updates from around baseball…
- Jeimer Candelario is a much clearer trade candidate as the deadline approaches, but the Nationals third baseman got an injury scare of his own yesterday when he injured his thumb during a pregame fielding drill. Manager Davey Martinez described the injury as a bone bruise, and Candelario tried to play through the pain but had to leave the game after his first at-bat. Candelario is day to day for now, as Martinez told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com) that the infielder was hoping to be ready as soon as tonight’s game with the Cardinals. While there’s no truly good time for an injury, the timing is particularly bad for Candelario and the Nats with the deadline approaching. Even a minimal IL stint will likely impact the club’s chances of maximizing value in a trade, or it could scuttle the chances of a deal altogether.
- Blue Jays righty Kevin Gausman was scratched from his scheduled start today due to soreness in his left side, with Chris Bassitt instead taking the hill against the Diamondbacks. Jays manager John Schneider told The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath (Twitter links) and other reporters that Gausman first felt the discomfort after his last start before the All-Star break, but an MRI didn’t reveal any injury. As such, Gausman might be able to return as early as Tuesday when the Blue Jays begin a series with the Padres. It’s no surprise that Toronto is being cautious with their ace, as a healthy Gausman (who leads all MLB pitchers with 4.0 fWAR) is critical to the Jays’ chances of reaching the postseason.
- The Rangers placed right-hander Josh Sborz on the 15-day injured list due to right biceps tendinitis, with a backdated placement date of July 12. Left-hander John King was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move. Sborz has been rocked for nine earned runs over his last 9 1/3 innings (four appearances) of work, spoiling what had been a quietly solid season for the righty in the Texas bullpen. In his previous 34 1/3 innings, Sborz had posted a 2.62 ERA while limiting opposing batters to a .460 OPS. Texas has already made an early trade for Aroldis Chapman in an attempt to shore up its inconsistent bullpen, and more relief help might be needed by the deadline if Sborz will now miss a significant amount of time.
Blue Jays Have Shown Interest In Nelson Cruz
Designated hitter Nelson Cruz is now a free agent after being released by the Padres earlier this week. The Blue Jays are looking for some more offense and have shown some interest in him, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.
Cruz, 43, has a long track record of success in his lengthy career, having launched 464 home runs while playing for the Brewers, Rangers, Orioles, Mariners, Twins, Rays, Nationals and Padres. However, his results have tapered off in recent years. He was still hitting well as recently as the first half of 2021, when he slashed .294/.370/.537 for a wRC+ of 142 with the Twins. But after he was dealt to the Rays, he hit just .226/.283/.442 for a wRC+ of 95 and hasn’t bounced back since. Between the Nationals last year and the Padres this year, he hit .237/.306/.352, 85 wRC+.
Despite that diminished production of late, it’s understandable why the Jays might be willing to take a shot on a bounceback. The right-handed hitter has generally fared better with the platoon advantage in his career, hitting .292/.378/.550 against lefties compared to .266/.329/.499 otherwise. He hasn’t hit well against either side here in 2023 but was fairly effective against southpaws last year, batting .248/.345/.383 for a wRC+ of 106.
The Blue Jays have been an above-average offensive club overall this year, with their collective batting line at .259/.326/.415, 107 wRC+. But against lefties, that line drops to .257/.325/.375 and a 96 wRC+. If the club feels Cruz can still contribute in that capacity, perhaps he could take the short side of a platoon. Cruz hasn’t played the outfield since since 2018 and only has eight career innings at first base, so he’s essentially only an option for the DH slot at this point of his career.
The Jays’ primary designated hitter is lefty Brandon Belt, who is hitting just .167/.250/.167 against southpaws this year. When the club has faced a lefty, they’ve generally given the start to either Alejandro Kirk or Danny Jansen, depending on who’s catching. Neither is an ideal platoon made for Belt right now. Jansen has reverse splits for his career, hitting just .189/.285/.391 against lefties, with an even worse showing this year. Kirk has hit southpaws well in his career but is struggling this year, batting just .208/.316/.229 against them.
Cruz is making a salary of $1MM this year, which the Padres remain on the hook for now that he’s been released. That means that the Blue Jays, or any club, could sign him and pay him only the prorated league minimum salary with that amount subtracted from what the Padres pay. With the trade deadline now two weeks away, Cruz could be given a bit of a window to see how he fares. If he can get back to anywhere near his previous form, it would be a nice buy-low move. If he can’t, he can be easily jettisoned at no financial cost and replaced with a deadline pickup of some kind.