Twins To Select Contract Of Bartolo Colon, Outright Dillon Gee
The Twins have prepared their roster moves to accommodate the promotion of recently signed veteran Bartolo Colon. Minnesota will outright fellow righty Dillon Gee, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (via Twitter), with slugger Kennys Vargas being optioned for an active roster spot.
Once that move is official, the 44-year-old Colon will be ready join his tenth MLB organization. The twenty-year MLB veteran signed on with the Twins on a minors deal after a disappointing start to the year with the Braves, who’ll remain responsible for the vast majority of his $12.5MM salary.
With the Minnesota front office eyeing possible pitching upgrades at the trade deadline — with a focus on controllable arms, per reports — it’ll have a few chances to see Colon pitch again in the majors before making any final decisions. It’s unlikely that the ageless wonder will significantly alter the club’s decisionmaking, but if he shows well the team would obviously have somewhat less incentive to consider giving up talent or taking on salary for a short-term rotation boost.
Though Colon was knocked around with the Braves, coughing up 57 earned runs on 92 hits in his 63 frames, he has been much better in recent years. In 2016, in fact, he spun 191 2/3 innings of 3.43 ERA ball. That kind of productivity isn’t to be expected, of course, but perhaps there’s reason to hope he can still turn in some reliable frames. That’d be a welcome development for the Twins, who hope to stay in the postseason hunt but surely don’t wish to push in too many chips to do so as the organization’s new front office keeps the focus on achieving sustainable contention.
Gee, 31, was briefly called up after joining the Twins on a minors deal. But he did not appear before being optioned back to Triple-A. He made four appearances earlier in the year with the Rangers, but has spent most of the season at Triple-A. Gee has been rather effective in his 66 innings over a dozen starts, working to a 3.00 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9. A veteran of eight MLB campaigns, Gee is looking to reestablish himself at the game’s highest level after a pair of rough seasons.
Blue Jays Designate Lucas Harrell For Assignment
The Blue Jays announced that they’ve recalled right-hander Dominic Leone from Triple-A Buffalo and designated fellow righty Lucas Harrell for assignment in order to clear a spot on the roster.
Signed to a minor league pact this offseason, the 32-year-old Harrell made his way to the Jays’ big league roster earlier this month and made four appearances out of the bullpen. In 6 1/3 innings, Harrell yielded five runs on 10 hits and four walks with six strikeouts, resulting in an unsightly 7.11 ERA. He’s had a nice season for the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate in limited action, though, pitching to a 2.11 ERA with a 15-to-8 K/BB ratio through 21 1/3 innings.
Harrell logged a 4.21 ERA in 47 innings between the Braves and Rangers last season and has totaled 455 big league innings to date. In that time, he has a career 4.81 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 between the White Sox, Astros, Braves, Rangers and Jays. The veteran seems fairly likely to make it through waivers, at which point he could either accept or reject an outright assignment back to Triple-A. However, a team in need of some short-term rotation depth or long relief could opt to grab Harrell and plug him into the 25-man roster.
Nats Select Jacob Turner’s Contract; Edwin Jackson Likely To Start Tuesday
The Nationals announced today that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Jacob Turner and transferred Koda Glover to the 60-day disabled list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. As MASNsports.com’s Dan Kolko tweets, newly acquired Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson will join the team tomorrow in Los Angeles, so Turner’s recall could just be a one-day stint. Because Blake Treinen went to the A’s in that trade, there’s already an open spot on the 25-man roster for Turner.
While Turner could conceivably start tomorrow’s game in place of the injured Joe Ross, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reports that Edwin Jackson will be called upon to start tomorrow’s contest. Signed to a minor league deal last month, the veteran Jackson has allowed just one run on nine hits and 10 walks with 22 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings with Triple-A Syracuse. That performance, it seems, has earned him the first crack at the fifth spot in the rotation, which is now vacant following the news that Ross will require Tommy John surgery. His promotion will require another 40-man move.
Regarding Glover, manager Dusty Baker told reporters today that the 24-year-old hasn’t yet thrown since being placed on the disabled list more than a month ago (Twitter link via Castillo). However, Baker also said that he’s hopeful Glover will be able to return when he’s first eligible to be activated. That seems like an ambitious but not impossible goal. Glover has already spent 37 games on the shelf, but if he’s able to resume throwing in the near future, the club could get him on track for a couple of minor league rehab innings within that roughly three-week window.
Rays Designate Jumbo Diaz
The Rays have designated reliever Jumbo Diaz for assignment, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). To take Diaz’s place, they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Andrew Kittredge from Triple-A.
In booting Diaz from their 25- and 40-man rosters, the Rays are moving on from a pitcher they’ve relied on somewhat heavily this year. The same went for Danny Farquhar, whom the Rays designated in late June and outrighted earlier this month after he racked up 35 innings from their bullpen.
Diaz tossed 30 innings before his designation, though he struggled mightily over that span. The 33-year-old flamethrower has registered a bloated ERA (5.70) and a minuscule ground-ball rate (30.7 percent), and his 4.51 FIP isn’t particularly appealing. The righty’s strikeout and walk rates aren’t horrible (8.4 K/9, 4.5 BB/9), though, and he ranks third among relievers in infield fly rate (22.5 percent). Diaz also carries a cheap salary and comes with three years of arbitration eligibility, so he could be a waiver target for another club. That’s how Diaz joined the Rays, who claimed him from Cincinnati back in March.
Regardless of where Diaz goes next, his designation seems to further increase the odds of the Rays acquiring bullpen help before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. There have been multiple reports this month connecting the team to relievers, including the Giants’ Hunter Strickland. For now, they’ll turn to the 27-year-old Kittredge, a 45th-round pick of the Mariners in 2008 who hasn’t yet pitched in the majors. The Rays acquired Kittredge from the Mariners over the winter, and he has since posted a 1.90 ERA, 9.35 K/9, 2.08 BB/9 and a 52.2 percent grounder rate through 52 innings and 30 appearances (two starts) with Durham.
Nationals Acquire Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson
The Nationals made their long-awaited strike for bullpen help, acquiring relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson from the Athletics, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). Right-hander Blake Treinen, minor league left-hander Jesus Luzardo and minor league third baseman Sheldon Neuse are headed to Oakland. The Nats have officially announced the move, adding that Joe Ross has been transferred to the 60-day DL to create roster space.
The trade ends months of speculation about how Washington would address its struggling bullpen, which sits last in baseball with a cumulative 5.34 ERA and -0.9 fWAR. The Nats were linked in trade rumors to seemingly every available reliever in the sport and finally settled on a familiar trade partner in Oakland. Rosenthal reported yesterday that the Nationals were looking to add both Doolittle and Madson from the A’s in a single deal. Both Madson and Doolittle have closing experience and either could slide right into Washington’s open ninth-inning role, though the club could also alternate between the two depending on how matchups favor the right-handed Madson or the left-handed Doolittle.
The Nats are undoubtedly very familiar with Madson from his years pitching for the Phillies in the NL East, though that almost seems like another career for the 36-year-old, who missed all of 2012-14 due to injury before resurfacing as a shutdown reliever for the 2015 World Series champion Royals. Madson parlayed that comeback year into a three-year, $22MM deal with the A’s and has performed well in Oakland, posting a 3.03 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 3.38 K/BB rate in 104 IP wearing in the green-and-gold.
Drafted 41st overall by the A’s in 2007, Doolittle has been a staple of the A’s bullpen for the last six seasons, with a 3.09 ERA, 10.7 K/9 and a sterling 6.38 K/BB rate over his 253 career innings. He has run into a bit of trouble with home runs over the last two seasons, which could hint at an issue as he moves from the Coliseum to a more hitter-friendly venue in Nationals Park.
Doolittle is owed roughly $1MM more this season and $4.35MM in 2018, as per an early-career extension signed with the Athletics in April 2014. The Nationals also hold club options on Doolittle for 2019 ($6MM, $500K buyout) and 2020 ($6.5MM, $500K buyout), making him an affordable long-term answer in their bullpen. Between both Doolittle and Madson, the Nats have addressed their pen both now and in the future with the trade.
Rosenthal reports that no money will change hands in the trade, so the Nationals will fully absorb the Madson and Doolittle contracts. The Nats will therefore add $11.85MM in payroll next season, though some money will come off the books with the likes of Jayson Werth, Joe Blanton, Oliver Perez and Stephen Drew hitting free agency (though Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy are due hefty raises and will eat up almost $15MM of that open money).
Treinen was part of another Oakland/Washington deal back in January 2013 when the then-Athletics prospect was dealt to the Nats as part of the three-team deal with the Mariners that saw John Jaso go to the A’s, Mike Morse to Seattle and A.J. Cole to the Nationals. Armed with both a 96mph-fastball and an ability to keep the ball out of the air (62.2% career ground-ball rate), Treinen put up good numbers for the Nats in 2014-16 before running into problems this season. Treinen has a 5.73 ERA over 37 2/3 innings, though a bloated .381 BABIP is partially to blame — Treinen’s ERA predictors (3.75 FIP, 4.09 xFIP, 3.75 SIERA) are much more forgiving of his performance.
The righty will only be arb-eligible for the first time this coming winter, so the Athletics have acquired a big arm under team control through the 2020 season. Santiago Casilla is likely to be Oakland’s primary ninth-inning option in the short term, though Treinen surely projects as a potential closer of the future for the A’s, and could conceivably audition in the role before this season is out.
Luzardo and Neuse were respectively rated 15th and 17th by the Baseball America Prospect Handbook’s preseason ranking of the top 30 prospects in the Nationals’ system. Luzardo is a hard-throwing 19-year-old who was a third-round pick for Washington in the 2016 draft, despite undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2016. He quite possibly would’ve been taken earlier in the draft were it not for that surgery, and Luzardo has only just begun his pro career, with three starts this season for the Nationals’ rookie league team.
Neuse was a second-round pick in 2016, and is hitting .291/.349/.469 with nine home runs over 321 A-ball plate appearances this year. Neuse is described by the BA Handbook as possessing average power potential, with “a short, compact swing” that allows him to hit to all fields.
Angels Designate Danny Espinosa For Assignment
The Angels have designated second baseman Danny Espinosa for assignment, the team announced on Twitter. Right-hander Parker Bridwell was called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
[Updated Angels depth chart at Roster Resource]
Espinosa was acquired from the Nationals last offseason as a possible answer to their long-standing hole at second base, though 2017 has been a disastrous year for the 30-year-old. Espinosa has hit just .162/.237/.276 over 254 plate appearances for Los Angeles, owning both the lowest wRC+ (40) and the sixth-highest strikeout rate (35.8%) of any player with at least 250 PA this season. While his defensive numbers have still been solid-to-average depending on the metric (+3.4 UZR/150, zero Defensive Runs Saved), Espinosa’s offensive futility has made him a below-replacement level player.
While Espinosa has never been much of a hitter over his career, there were signs that he had turned a corner at the plate last season, hitting 24 homers and posting strong numbers against left-handed pitching. Between that offensive promise and his excellent defensive track record, the Angels thought they were obtaining good value for a second baseman, at Espinosa’s $5.425MM price tag after avoiding arbitration.
Now, unless another team works out a trade with the Angels or claims Espinosa on waivers, the Halos will be on the hook for the roughly $2MM remaining on Espinosa’s contract. The infielder is a free agent this winter and may be hard-pressed to find a guaranteed Major League deal, barring a turn-around with another team in the second half of the season.
Nick Franklin and Cliff Pennington will form a platoon at second base for the time being in Los Angeles, though the position is a clear target area for the Halos if they choose to be buyers at the trade deadline. The Angels just got Mike Trout back from the disabled list, though with a 45-49 record and a four-game deficit in the wild card hunt, they’ll need to get on track quickly to justify making a purchase before July 31. Not many teams are looking for second base help this summer, so the Angels could enjoy a wide berth in the market, and they’ve already been linked to one long-term asset in Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon.
Rockies Place Tyler Chatwood On 10-Day DL; Activate Ian Desmond
The Rockies have placed right-hander Tyler Chatwood on the 10-day DL with a right calf strain, and activated first baseman/outfielder Ian Desmond in a corresponding move.
Chatwood threw just 19 pitches Saturday before being removed from his start due to the injury. Chatwood has a 4.74 ERA, 7.36 K/9 and 56% ground-ball rate over 106 1/3 IP for Colorado this season, as his usual grounder-heavy attack has been hampered by a lack of control (5.08 BB/9 and a league-high 60 walks) and a spike in home runs allowed — 22.1% of Chatwood’s fly balls allowed have left the yard.
As the one veteran arm in the Rockies rotation, Chatwood’s absence will tax a pitching staff that is already seeing some juggling of young arms. Kyle Freeland is being temporarily removed from the starting five in order to protect his arm, leaving the Rockies with Jon Gray, German Marquez, Jeff Hoffman and Antonio Senzatela comprising the rotation. Tyler Anderson and Chad Bettis could provide reinforcements in late July and late August, respectively, though you would expect Colorado to explore some starting pitching options before the trade deadline. Pitching has long been an issue at Coors Field, though Rockies starters have held their ground this season with a cumulative 6.8 fWAR (11th in baseball) and 4.68 ERA (17th in baseball).
Desmond was placed on the DL with a calf strain of his own on July 3, his second DL stint of the season after suffering a hand fracture during Spring Training. It’s fair to say that the injuries have kept Desmond from really getting on track during his first season in Colorado, as the veteran has hit only .283/.321/.388 over 236 PA this year.
Joe Ross To Have Tommy John Surgery
Nationals starter Joe Ross will have Tommy John surgery on Wednesday in Texas, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post tweets. The Nats pulled Ross from his most recent start, then placed him on the DL with what the team first described as triceps discomfort and then as an elbow sprain.
Ross will, obviously, miss the rest of the season. The loss leaves the Nationals with a lack of good rotation depth — they have an enviable front four in Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark, but there’s a considerable dropoff after that. Potential short-term options include A.J. Cole, Jacob Turner, Austin Voth and Edwin Jackson, none of whom have done much this season to inspire confidence. Prospect Erick Fedde has fared well this year, but he only recently reached the Triple-A level.
The Nationals could, then, enter the trade market for starting pitching. As Jeff Todd pointed out yesterday, the Nats don’t necessarily need an extra starter for the playoffs, and they have a comfortable 9.5-game lead in the NL East. But the addition of another starter would likely give their bullpen a degree of comfort while also insuring themselves against the possibility of another injury to a starting pitcher.
The 24-year-old Ross had a 5.01 ERA in 73 2/3 innings this season, largely because of his 16 home runs allowed in that span. He posted 8.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 37.5 GB% that had fallen off sharply from the 49.8% rate he posted as a rookie in 2015.
White Sox Acquire Yeyson Yrizarri From Rangers For International Bonus Slot
The Rangers have announced that they’ve traded minor-league infielder Yeyson Yrizarri to the White Sox for an international bonus slot. The move gives the Rangers additional flexibility to sign international amateur talent. Their July 2 class is currently headlined by Venezuelan outfielder Wilderd Patino ($1.3MM), Venezuelan shortstop Keyber Rodriguez ($1M) and Mexican right-hander Damian Mendoza ($1M).
That Yrizarri would be traded for the rights to international bonus spending is somewhat ironic, since he himself was the product of an earlier international spending spree. The 20-year-old Dominican signed for $1.35MM during the Rangers’ 2013-14 signing period, in which they spent more than $8MM on international talent. He has played this season for Class A Hickory and Class A+ Down East, posting a cumulative line of .258/.285/.399 with 57 strikeouts and just six walks.
Despite a worrisome lack of strike-zone control, though, Yrizarri does rate as a real prospect — MLB.com rated him the No. 17 farmhand in the Rangers organization, praising his bat speed and noting that he seems likely to stick at shortstop. He’ll join a White Sox prospect list that’s heavy on players also acquired in recent trades, including Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dylan Cease, although, of course, he’ll rank lower on the list than any of those players.
Brewers Sign Jeanmar Gomez
The Brewers have announced that they’ve signed righty reliever Jeanmar Gomez, presumably to a minor-league deal. (They also announced that they’ve signed righty and former Rockies farmhand Alec Kenilvort and released righty Stephen Kohlscheen.) Gomez is a client of Magnus Sports.
The Phillies designated Gomez for assignment and then released him last month after he posted a 7.25 ERA and and seven home runs allowed over 22 1/3 innings, albeit with a decent 8.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. Gomez recorded 37 saves for Philadelphia in 2016 (a performance that earned him a $4.2MM deal as an arbitration-eligible player last winter) but was quickly replaced in the closer’s role after getting off to a bad start this April. It’s perhaps also worth noting that Gomez doesn’t have archetypal closer stuff — he’s a groundball pitcher with a low-90s fastball. He has, however, previously proven fairly useful in parts of eight big-league seasons, particularly given his ability to pitch in multi-inning stretches (and even start as needed, although he hasn’t done so since 2013). For his career, Gomez has a 4.39 ERA, 5.6 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 515 innings.