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Submit Your MLBTR Mailbag Questions

By Jeff Todd | August 16, 2016 at 6:25pm CDT

The August trade market is as tricky to navigate for observers as it is for teams, so we thought now would be an opportune time to re-start the MLBTR mailbag. You can submit your questions about team needs, possible trade targets, and even the offseason to come by shooting an email to mlbtrmailbag@gmail.com.

While we can’t get to all the inquiries that we receive, rest assured we read them all and do our best to answer those of greatest interest. We’ll run our responses tomorrow, and you can keep a look out on Mondays for future iterations of the mailbag.

Pirates News & Rumors: Happ, Huntington, McCutchen

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2016 at 10:22pm CDT

Here’s the latest from the Steel City…

While J.A. Happ is enjoying a strong season with the Blue Jays, Pirates GM Neal Huntington (via Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) didn’t express too much regret over not re-signing the southpaw after his turnaround performance in Pittsburgh. “We wanted to re-sign J.A. We weren’t able to meet the financial asks, or chose not to. Toronto was aggressive and came and got him,” Huntington said. While noting that “hindsight always gives you the opportunity to wish you had done something differently,” Huntington also mentioned that Happ is still not even a full season through the first year of the three-year deal, so it could be too early to judge the signing.
Huntington also told reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam Berry) that the Pirates are actively scouring the waiver wire for possible additions, though he cited the inherent difficulties of landing players through the unpredictable August waivers process. Some of the salary saved in the Francisco Liriano trade could help the Bucs make claims on pricier players, Huntington said, whether it’s to actually obtain the players themselves or simply block them from going to rival teams.
If the Pirates were willing to sell low on Liriano just to get his contract off the books, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonder if the club would consider the same with Andrew McCutchen this winter. The former NL MVP is owed $14MM in 2017, and the Bucs have a $14.5MM club option ($1MM buyout) on his services for 2018. McCutchen’s contract has long considered one of the game’s most team-friendly deals given how the outfielder emerged as a superstar after signing the extension, so while it seems wild to now consider it a financial burden, McCutchen is suffering through the worst season of his career, hitting just .241/.314/.404 with 15 homers through 443 PA. Despite these struggles, you would figure that the modest contractual commitment, McCutchen’s relative youth (he’s 29) and excellent track record would still figure to make him a sought-after trade chip if Pittsburgh indeed made him available. Highly-touted prospect Austin Meadows is also waiting in the wings for the Pirates as a possible outfield replacement.

Updated MLB Depth Charts At Roster Resource

By Jason Martinez | July 31, 2016 at 7:54pm CDT

Whether you need to refer to the current state of a team’s roster or farm system in the midst of an interesting trade rumor or want to have a look at an updated lineup projection immediately after a roster move is announced, Roster Resource has got you covered.

Now under the Trade Rumors umbrella, Roster Resource has a number of great improvements planned for the near future that will make your browsing experience even better. At this time, we offer up-to-the-minute rosters and depth charts with a ton of additional information to help give you a solid understanding of each organization.

Below, I’ve linked to depth charts for each of the 30 teams — with all of the recent trades and other transactions reflected — along with links to some other useful features to check out as the deadline draws near.

MLB Team Info Tracker (40-man roster counts, “how acquired” breakdown, projected payroll)
MLB Team Info Pages (Team Payroll, Service Time, etc.)
MLB Transaction Tracker (official roster moves and future expected moves)
MLB Injury Report (DL’d players, retroactive date, rehab assignments, injury updates)

Trade Market For Relievers

By Jason Martinez and Jeff Todd | July 29, 2016 at 8:35pm CDT

Pitching is the priority for most contenders. Starting pitchers, however, are costly and there aren’t many good ones available right now unless a team has and is willing to trade away an elite prospect or possibly even two.

The alternative is to trade for a reliable reliever or two, which could help a team who isn’t getting enough quality innings out of their starting pitchers. As the Royals have proven, you don’t need six or seven innings from your starting pitchers to succeed as long as your bullpen can pick up the slack. Three dominant relievers to cover the 7th, 8th and 9th innings helped in their case, but they also had several others who made a strong contribution to the team’s success.

This is the time for a contender to assess how much help their bullpen needs and ensure that they’re stocked up for the stretch run. Here are some relievers who are likely available on the trade market.

Premium Relief Arms

Andrew Miller (Yankees), Wade Davis (Royals), Mark Melancon (Pirates), David Robertson (White Sox), Alex Colome (Rays), Arodys Vizcaino (Braves), Jeremy Jeffress & Will Smith (Brewers)

Miller and Davis represent the top of the class, but much like the many controllable starters we’ve heard so much about, it’s not clear that either is available for anything less than a true haul. The Yankees already dealt away Aroldis Chapman, and have seemingly put an immense price tag on Miller, who is now unquestionably one of the very best relievers in baseball. The same can be said of Davis, though he hasn’t been quite as excellent this year as last and has one less season of control on his contract, which runs out after 2017.
There were rumblings before the year that the Bucs could look to swap out Melancon and his $9.65MM salary. The cash probably isn’t a major concern at this point, but the Pirates are in a somewhat difficult position for contention and have reportedly considered a deal for a pending free agent. Melancon is still trucking along with a 1.51 ERA and 8.2 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9, all within range of the new standard he set for himself beginning in 2013. Since Pittsburgh is still a plausible post-season threat, it seems that the team would be looking for a somewhat unique scenario — the ask is for a solid set-up arm to plug onto the MLB roster as well as a prospect haul to make up the difference in value and bolster the organization’s future.
Robertson is having a fine season and is surely a late-inning upgrade for some contenders. But he’s still due close to $30MM through the 2018 season and he’s just not the same pitcher he was when he signed his current deal with the White Sox. If the Sox were willing to take on some of Robertson’s remaining salary, however, they could well generate a solid return — especially if the names just listed prove too expensive to change hands.
If the Rays are willing to trade away one of their controllable starting pitchers, as the rumors indicate, then they’d certainly trade All-Star closer Colome. Even with four years left of club control remaining after 2016, Colome won’t have as much value to the Rays until they’re ready to contend again. Still, the price will be high for the 27-year-old and the Rays won’t be motivated to move him unless they’re blown away with an offer.
Jeffress and Vizcaino are in the same boat as Colome with their respective teams. Young, controllable and talented closers with teams that aren’t competitive now and might not be for at least a couple more years. The price is high, but these guys are definitely available. The question with Jeffress is whether another team will value his groundball-driven approach as highly as do the Brewers. As for Vizcaino, some recent stumbles and a DL stint have significantly reduced the likelihood he’s dealt.
That leaves Smith, who missed a big chunk of time earlier this year and has been more solid than great since returning. The 27-year-old southpaw owns a 3.60 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 over twenty innings, representing a drop-off from the 3.79 K/BB ratio he ran up a season ago. With three remaining seasons of arbitration eligibility, Milwaukee may choose to see if he can build up value over the next several months before exploring a deal in earnest.

Click to read below for the rental relievers and other pen arms with future control:

Pure Rentals

Righties Joe Smith (Angels), Daniel Hudson (Diamondbacks), David Hernandez (Phillies), Jim Johnson (Braves), Ross Ohlendorf (Reds)

The 32-year-old Smith isn’t nearly as effective as he once was, but he’s a pending free agent and one of the Halos’ few obvious trade pieces. Smith’s K rate has fallen off a cliff, but he still gets groundballs and has turned in seven appearances running without allowing a run (or recording a single strikeout or walk).
Hudson’s chief appeal at this point is velocity, as he continues to run up a consistent mid-nineties heater. But the results haven’t been there (6.08 ERA with 7.5 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 over 37 frames) after a solid bounceback 2015 following years of arm troubles. Hudson is an obvious trade piece as a soon-to-be free agent for a disappointing D-Backs club that will probably just need to get what it can for him.
There was a point earlier in the year where Hernandez was looking like he might be a nice trade piece for the Phils, but he has come back down to earth as the season has gone on. Over 47 1/3 innings, he owns a 4.37 ERA that largely mirrors his career results. The double-digit strikeouts per nine is appealing, as is a fastball that sits around 94 mph, but Philadelphia won’t expect a ton in return.
Johnson may or may not be traded within minutes of this post going live. He’s not producing like the closer of yore, and his fastball velocity continues a slow decline, but he’s still generating a 56.4% groundball rate.
Though he’s over-extended in his current late-inning role in Cincinnati, Ohlendorf is recording more than a strikeout per nine, bringing a mid-90s fastball, and carryig a usable 4.27 ERA in 46 1/3 innings. Plus, given his history as a starter, teams could conceivably use Ohlendorf for multiple innings if needed.

Lefties Boone Logan (Rockies), Marc Rzepczynski (Athletics), Eric O’Flaherty (Braves)

Logan looks to be the prime rental LOOGY on the market, with a rather remarkable 17.0% swinging strike rate and — finally — the results to match. Those numbers have been mostly achieved against same-handed hitters, as Logan has nibbled against righties and put on too many via the walk, but he could be a nice weapon down the stretch.
At thirty years of age, “Scrabble” (that’s Rzepczynski) carries a 3.19 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9. He has always been deployed mostly against lefties, but has actually been better against right-handed hitting thus far in 2016.
O’Flaherty has posted some of the game’s ugliest earned-run marks over the last two years, but ERA estimators think he’s been much better this season. Over 22 2/3 innings, he has struck out 6.8 and walked 2.0 batters per nine with a 53.8% groundball rate, with a .355 BABIP and 55.2% strand rate telling heavily in his results.

Future Control

Righties Jeanmar Gomez (Phillies), Huston Street (Angels), Tyler Clippard (Diamondbacks), Brandon Kintzler (Twins), Tyler Thornburg (Brewers), Erasmo Ramirez & Brad Boxberger (Rays), Ryan Madson (Athletics), Brandon Maurer (Padres), Blake Wood (Reds)

It’s unlikely that any contending team would view Gomez as their closer. As effective as he’s been for the Phillies, he has a 5.6 K/9 and throws his fastball in the low 90’s. Not exactly the prototypical late-inning reliever. There should be solid interest, though reports suggest Philadelphia isn’t terribly interested in moving Gomez with another year of control remaining.
Street has been injury-prone the past few years and hasn’t been very good in 2016. With a 4.79 ERA, 11 walks and 11 strikeouts in 20.2 innings, it’s doubtful that there will be a ton of interest even if the Angels were to keep a majority of the estimated $13MM remaining on his contract. In all likelihood, he’ll be kept in hopes of a turnaround.
Clippard may have hit a wall at 31 years of age after years of heavy usage. He’s striking out batters right at his career-peak rate of around 11 per nine, but he’s giving up more line drives and less lazy flyballs than he used to, leading to a dramatic rise in the batting average on balls in play against him. He’s available, but is also expensive with a $6.15MM salary on the books for 2017.
In a down year for the Twins, Kintzler has been a nice surprise. He is outperforming his peripherals with a 1.99 ERA, and doesn’t get many strikeouts, but he also basically doesn’t walk anyone and draws a ton of worm-burners (63.6% groundball rate). Kintzler will be entering his last year of arbitration at an appealing price tag, so he’s a solid piece.
Thornburg has worked his way into the elite class of setup men and appears destined to be a closer in the near future. With three years left of club control, that opportunity will probably come with the Brewers once they trade Jeffress. But you also can’t rule out a team being more aggressive to acquire Thornburg, who has a 2.21 ERA, 18 holds and a 12.6 K/9 in his 42 appearances.
The Rays have already drawn calls on Ramirez, who offers a swingman option and three years of cheap future control. He’s carrying a 3.90 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9, all right at his career numbers. It’s quite a different situation for Boxberger, who has missed almost all of the season with arm issues but was just activated from the DL. The 28-year-old offers plenty of upside with his typically high whiff rate and three years of arb years to come, but he’s a big injury risk and we haven’t really heard him mentioned as a trade candidate.
Madson was great in a setup role with the Royals in 2015, but has struggled as the A’s closer this season. If a team thought he’d be more effective once moved back into a setup role, they’d better be very confident about it because he’d be one of the highest paid setup men in the game. He’s due close to $20MM through the 2018 season.
Long an intriguing arm, Maurer has shown new life and recently took over the closer’s role in San Diego. If you look behind his 4.59 ERA, you’ll see a useful 10.5 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 in 49 innings. Better still, his velocity is moving in the right direction. Maurer comes with three arb-eligible years.
Though he isn’t drawing any headlines, Wood has checked in with a 3.42 ERA over 47 1/3 innings. Thing is, he’s also coughing up 5.3 free passes per nine, which makes his 8.6 K/9 mark decidedly less appealing than it would be in isolation.

Lefties Fernando Abad (Twins), Zach Duke (White Sox), Jake McGee (Rockies), Xavier Cedeno (Rays), Ryan Buchter & Brad Hand (Padres), Ian Krol & Hunter Cervenka (Braves), Tony Cingrani (Reds)

Abad is one of the prime trade pieces on this market, though Minnesota doesn’t have to deal him with another year of cheap control left to go. The 30-year-old carries a 2.53 ERA on the year, though his once sparkling peripherals have fallen off a bit (7.9 K/9 vs. 3.9 BB/9).
Though Duke isn’t cheap — he’s earning $5MM this year and $5.5MM next — he should hold solid appeal. Since his reinvention began in 2014, he’s running a 2.88 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9. While he struggled against righties last year, moreover, the former starter has returned to posting neutral platoon splits this season.
It’s been a struggle for McGee since he arrived in Colorado, with notable declines in virtually every area. In particular, he is striking out about half as many hitters he did last year (with a career-low 7.8% swinging strike rate) and has lost a tick on his already-diminished fastball. With a $4.8MM salary for 2016 and a raise coming, he’s nothing close to the asset he once was.
With arbitration beckoning, the 29-year-old Cedeno could become a trade piece for the Rays. He hasn’t been quite as good in the results department this year as he was last, but Cedeno is still putting up a 3.62 ERA with impressive peripherals — 8.9 K/9 with 2.5 BB/9. He has allowed less than a hit per inning and just one home run. Cedeno has to have the game’s best 88 mph heater; he’s racked up about a 14% whiff rate over the last two campaigns while relying heavily on his cutter, mixed in oft-changing ratios with a hook.
Buchter has been a revelation since getting a chance with the Friars, but with gobs of control remaining he won’t come cheap. Hand, meanwhile, has long been a useful swingman, but he has been a different pitcher since changing homes. Over 55 1/3 innings, he’s running up a 3.09 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 — both of which are much higher than he has typically shown. Hand has relied more on his two-seamer and, especially, his curve while largely dropping his change, with generally promising results.
With arbitration beckoning, the 25-year-old Krol has impressed. He’s sitting with a 3.14 ERA and 10.1 K/9 vs. 3.1 BB/9 to go with a 51.3% groundball rate over 28 2/3 frames. Teams will still be wary of the track record — control has long been fleeting — but Krol is sitting at a career-best 94.0 mph with his average fastball, carries a double-digit whiff rate, and has managed to get his first pitch over for a strike much more frequently than he has in the past. Cervenka is actually a year older than Krol, but only just debuted. His double-digit punches per nine is impressive but he’s also walking more than five batters per regulation game. Brandishing a slider in over half of his pitches, Cervenka has permitted just 20 hits in 31 1/3 innings and owns a 2.87 ERA. With a full slate of control remaining, though, Atlanta has little reason to deal him — and teams probably won’t pay much of a premium in hopes of slotting him into their pen down the stretch given the risks.
Though he has a 3.20 ERA on the year and a solid prospect pedigree behind him, Cingrani has recorded just 6.4 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9 in his 45 innings on the year. His results are propped up by a .238 BABIP, though it’s fair to note that Cingrani is not permitting a ton of hard contact or line drives. He’s also pushing 94 mph with his average fastball, well above his velo as a starter; that’s particularly important since he uses the pitch over 80% of the time. Cingrani will reach arb eligibility after the year, and the budget-conscious Reds could see this as a reasonable time to try to cash him in — if another organization has interest.

2017 Qualifying Offer Estimated At $16.7MM

By Jeff Todd | July 27, 2016 at 1:35pm CDT

Current estimates on the 2017 qualifying offer have it priced at $16.7MM, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). That would represent a year-over-year rise of $900K.

That’s a rather standard increase for the qualifying offer, which is determined by averaging the league’s 125 contracts with the highest mean salaries. It sat at $15.8MM for the current year, after rising from $15.3MM in 2015, $14.1MM in 2014, and $13.3MM in the inaugural year of 2013.

Teams can offer their departing free agents a one-year deal, at the established price tag, within five days of the conclusion of the World Series. Over the next seven days, players who receive the offer are allowed to talk with other teams and decide whether to take the single-season pact. If they reject it, then draft implications attach: their former team stands to gain a compensation pick in the following year’s draft, while a new signing team must give up their highest non-protected draft choice.

The real question with the qualifying offer, though isn’t so much its specific price tag as it is the underlying rules. With a new collective bargaining agreement being negotiated at present, many have suggested that it’s one of the most important issues that is — or, at least, could be — on the table for change. Even if something gets done, though, it presumably wouldn’t go into effect for the coming offseason.

It’s not yet clear whether there’s any realistic possibility of modifications to a system that has had a notable dampening effect on the market experiences of numerous mid-level free agents in recent years. Players entering the market after declining the one-year qualifying offer come with the added cost of draft compensation. That has arguably forced certain good but not great players — those who have the toughest decisions to decline the QO — to shoulder an out-of-proportion piece of the dampening effect that the system imposes on player salaries.

Notably, this last offseason was the first in which any player accepted a qualifying offer — thus taking a one-year deal (admittedly, at a nice price) rather than rolling the dice on a stalled market situation. Matt Wieters of the Orioles, Brett Anderson of the Dodgers, and Colby Rasmus of the Astros all took the deal. The fact that some players have now elected to take the big one-year payday and re-enter the market could conceivably make teams think twice about slapping the offer on marginal candidates.

For those who aren’t familiar with the qualifying offer system, you can check out this old-but-good overview and read up on why “avoiding the qualifying offer” is so important for a free agent’s value.

Playoff Contender Needs (National League)

By Jason Martinez | July 15, 2016 at 5:36pm CDT

Yesterday, I analyzed the most pressing needs for the 11 American League playoff contenders just in time for the Red Sox to fill their starting rotation void with the acquisition of Drew Pomeranz. If we’re lucky, one of these eight National League contenders will follow suit and give us another early Trade Deadline present this weekend.

NL EAST

Washington Nationals
54-36, 1st Place, +6
CENTER FIELDER/LEADOFF MAN

Ben Revere has a .268 on-base percentage and still has the privilege of being the starting center fielder and leadoff man for a 1st place team that is 18 games over .500. What does that tell us? For starters, Nationals manager Dusty Baker apparently doesn’t care if his leadoff man gets on base or not. It also means that the Nationals’ lineup and most of the 25-man roster is filled with talent, which is why Baker probably doesn’t lose much sleep over his leadoff man’s inability to be good at the most important aspect of his job.

In all seriousness, the Nats are well aware that they are in need of an upgrade, which is why Trea Turner, who is blocked by Danny Espinosa at the shortstop position, was playing center field in Triple-A before he was recently called up to replace an injured Ryan Zimmerman on the roster. While he could be given a shot as the Nats’ regular center fielder at some point, general manager Mike Rizzo is likely to first explore the trade market, where Charlie Blackmon, Peter Bourjos, Coco Crisp, Jon Jay (likely to return from the disabled list sometime in August) and Melvin Upton Jr. are all likely available. And all are having much better seasons than Revere or his platoon partner, Michael Taylor.

Nationals Depth Chart

Miami Marlins
47-41, Wild Card (2nd-T), +1
STARTING PITCHING

Mention the Marlins to a baseball fan and the first thing that comes to their mind is the amazing power of Giancarlo Stanton. It really is quite breathtaking, after all. But the most interesting part of this up-and-coming young team is that they have five regulars not named Stanton hitting over .300. Even 42-year-old Ichiro Suzuki, who has played on a semi-regular basis, is hitting .335 and having his best season since he was in his mid-30’s. The bullpen, which now includes Fernando Rodney setting up for All-Star closer A.J. Ramos, is also talented and a lot of fun to watch.

Unfortunately, unless Jose Fernandez can pitch more than once every five days, the Marlins’ rotation isn’t good enough to make a legitimate run for a Wild Card spot. The fact that they’ve pushed Fernandez back a few times to limit his workload makes the rotation that much more of a priority. Wei-Yin Chen, who signed a potential $80MM free agent deal in the offseason, can’t seem to string together more than one good start. If not for Adam Conley, there’s no way the Marlins would be in the mix for a playoff spot.

Rich Hill and Jake Odorizzi are on their radar, as was the recently-traded Drew Pomeranz, but it’s likely that they’ll cast a wide net in hopes that they can acquire some help despite a farm system that is currently light on talent.

Marlins Depth Chart

New York Mets
47-41, Wild Card (2nd-T), +1
STARTING PITCHING

David Wright could miss the season with a herniated disc in his neck. Lucas Duda is out for an extended period with a stress fracture in his back. Michael Conforto was sent to the minors because he stopped hitting. So can you believe that the Mets’ top priority might be starting pitching?

While they are reportedly prioritizing their bullpen at the moment, they will need to address their very fragile rotation at some point. Matt Harvey’s season-ending surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Zack Wheeler’s delayed return from Tommy John surgery—he’s not expected back before late August—and bone spurs in the elbows of young stars Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz should have the Mets looking to land at least one reinforcement and possibly two.

Mets Depth Chart

***Click below to read breakdowns of all the other NL contenders***

NL CENTRAL

Chicago Cubs
53-35, 1st Place, +7
RELIEF PITCHING, IF THAT

On paper, the Cubs probably have the best 25-man roster in baseball. They’re pretty good between the lines, too, as they’ve compiled the second best record in baseball. But a team that won just six of 21 games heading into the break isn’t without a weakness.

Jason Heyward is probably the most disappointing Cub, although Miguel Montero and Justin Grimm have also underperformed. But with rookie Willson Contreras in the mix at catcher and in the outfield, and Heyward likely to figure things out—he’s 10-for-28 since being moved down in the order to the No. 6 spot—I doubt that the Cubs are too worried.

While Travis Wood has pitched effectively in the 7th inning setup role that Grimm failed to hold down and Joe Nathan has shown well in his Minor League rehab assignment and could join the team soon, it probably wouldn’t hurt to add one more reliable late-inning arm to pair with Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop.

Cubs Depth Chart

St. Louis Cardinals
46-42, Wild Card (4th), -1
RELIEF PITCHING, IF THAT

Carlos Martinez continues to move closer to “ace” status, but the other four starters in the Cardinals’ rotation have ERAs over 4.00. Trevor Rosenthal lost his closer’s job and Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk, who were expected to take big steps forward in ’16, were both demoted to the minors for short periods of time due to poor performance. And yet, the Cardinals have quietly hung around in the pennant race.

When Brandon Moss and Matt Carpenter return from the disabled list, this is a very balanced and productive offense. Wong and Grichuk have been better since returning. The lineup should be fine, as should the rotation. Their starting five is healthy, which is more than most teams can say, and they’re talented and battle-tested.

Seung-hwan Oh has been terrific in his first MLB season and that should continue regardless of whether he’s the closer or setup man. Kevin Siegrist and Jonathan Broxton are reliable setup men. Top prospect Alex Reyes is also an intriguing option in a late-inning role just in case Rosenthal cannot regain his form. Or they can trade for one more proven reliever. Not a very convincing case, but this is still an impressive roster despite the less-than-stellar results.

Cardinals Depth Chart

Pittsburgh Pirates
46-43, Wild Card (5th), -1.5
STARTING PITCHING

Since dropping to five games under .500 on June 23rd, the Pirates have gone on a 13-4 run to re-introduce themselves as legitimate playoff contenders once again. Interestingly, the’ve called up three top prospects in recent weeks who could play a major role in the 2nd half.

If this trio — first baseman Josh Bell and starting pitchers Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon — are the reinforcements, then the Pirates could pass on adding any more talent via the trade market. In fact, indications are that they’re shopping Jon Niese and Jeff Locke, which would ensure that at least one of Glasnow and Taillon have spots. Niese being moved to the bullpen today also makes it a pretty good bet.

However, Gerrit Cole, who is set to return from the disabled list on Saturday, has been the team’s lone reliable starter and leaning heavily on rookie starting pitchers in a pennant race isn’t ideal. A veteran rental who can at least do better than what Niese and Locke are giving them could improve their chances to return to the post-season for a fourth consecutive season.

Pirates Depth Chart

NL WEST

San Francisco Giants
57-33, 1st Place, +6.5
STARTING PITCHING, MAYBE

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Giants have the best record in baseball. They’re a solid team with plenty of talent and leadership and a great manager. And despite the injury gods doing everything possible to stop the trend of the Giants winning the World Series every other season, they still keep rolling along.

Most of the major players with health concerns seem to be on the mend, but the rotation remains a bit of a question mark. If they can get a healthy Matt Cain back in the 2nd half—he’s currently on a rehab assignment—I don’t see any reason to mess with a good thing. That’s a big “if”, though, since the veteran righty is increasingly removed from his days as a top-of-the-rotation workhorse.

With such a big lead in the NL West, they have time to wait out Cain. But if he struggles upon returning, general manager Bobby Evans might set his sights on the trade market.

Giants Depth Chart

Los Angeles Dodgers
51-40, Wild Card (1st), +2.5
OUTFIELDER

The Dodgers have plenty of depth and talent at the Major League level and down on the farm, which has helped them during their current 23-10 run despite a string of injuries to key players. At full strength, they might not necessarily have a glaring need, unless you really aren’t a believer in the unbelievable job that Joe Blanton and Adam Liberatore have done as the setup men for All-Star closer Kenley Jansen. But a closer look at the offense, which is ranked 25th in the majors in OPS, points out the weakness — which is in the corner outfield.

Yasiel Puig’s production since returning from the disabled list (19-for-60, 2 HR, 8 BB, 10 K) is encouraging and Howie Kendrick finished the 1st half on a high note by going 13-for-37 with six doubles in his last ten games. But Trayce Thompson has struggled over the past month and we don’t know how productive Andre Ethier will be when he finally makes his 2016 debut.

In a quote provided by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says that the team is focused on acquiring “elite-level” players. That doesn’t sound like they’re planning a few tweaks here and there to shore up the bench and bullpen. Jay Bruce and Josh Reddick would fit nicely in the Dodgers’ lineup, although it wouldn’t surprise me to see a blockbuster deal, possibly involving a third team with Puig and others going elsewhere.

Dodgers Depth Chart

Check Out BaseballIC.com

By Tim Dierkes | July 15, 2016 at 11:00am CDT

This is a sponsored post from Corey Dawkins of Baseball Injury Consultants.

“Clayton Kershaw had a 4.3% chance of getting injured last night when he pitched, but only a 0.7% chance of being hurt if he took the mound today instead.”

This fictitious example highlights one goal of my company, Baseball Injury Consultants, in the medical management of professional baseball players. We are trying to take the seasonal risk assessment to a daily, and then a pitch by pitch, basis among other things. We have seen pre-season risk assessments for years, but how useful is that information other than at the start of the season? Once the season begins, it doesn’t factor in any new information that comes in during that year. What if the Red Sox had a hard number to assess the risk of keeping Blake Swihart in left field on the day the wind was coming in from right field, pushing the ball closer to the cement wall on which he sprained his ankle?

We have moonshot goals because, despite great strides in the treatment of baseball injuries, the number of professional baseball injuries is only getting worse. It is not for a lack of trying or lack of talent. It just has not been put together yet. However, it is not impossible. Something has to be done because reducing injuries will, of course, make a difference in their athletic careers, but also improve the quality of life 20 years later.

We start by collecting daily injury and performance data on all professional baseball players, giving the capability to provide customized reports and for any sector, industry, company, team, individual researcher or fan. This can include baseball operations, daily fantasy baseball players, season-long fantasy baseball players, medical researchers, biomedical device manufacturers, or insurance entities to name a few.

We track as much information as we can find, from injury details to weather information to performance data, knowing that any piece of information might be the one that solves the puzzle.
Since someone checks the information before importing into the databases every morning, we fill the information void left over from automated scripts scraping news or transaction sites that don’t categorize injuries according to accepted medical terminology and/or don’t update the original listing. For example, here’s a graph of MLB Tommy John surgeries by year.

So once we get validated information into the database and onto our website, you can find the information in ways you will not find anywhere else. If you are a casual fan or want a snapshot of MLB, you can check out our “Quick Look” page for summary information and the records I have updated within the last seven days. In the three bar/column graphs, you can hover over individual sections to find greater detail about that particular item.

You can search and find summary team data on the “Teams” page.

You can also find search for players by name, browse by last name or find players by position on the “Players” main page.

Then once we find the player we want, we can go to the individual page for details at a level you will not find anywhere else. Similar to the “Quick Look” page, you can hover over the columns to find the exact categories and measured levels.

On the “Custom Search” page, you can find information in countless combinations.

We’re not stopping with just putting the information on the website. We have plans to create and put a model on the website that estimates how productive a player will be for daily fantasy leagues, based on an injury two or three days ago, such as a bruised hand. The website will also have an educational section for evidence-based injury analysis.

However, our biggest moonshot goal is to create individualized risk assessment models, drilling down information to the pitch by pitch level. This would give on-field managers and baseball operations something they never had before. What if they knew that a bruised bottom hand for a hitter affects his power by a certain percentage? What if the risk of throwing a slider on pitch number 103 more than quadrupled the risk not just immediately, but three weeks down the line as well?

These are the goals we are shooting for and hope to raise enough capital to do so soon. We look forward to you creating an account on Baseball Injury Consultants and checking out what we have to offer as well as improving the site.

The 5 Most Important Roster Decisions Of The Week

By Jason Martinez | July 8, 2016 at 6:13pm CDT

1. Mets SP Matt Harvey Placed On 15-Day DL

If there was any consolation for the Mets with young rotation stars Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard having to pitch with bone spurs in their elbows and Zack Wheeler’s 2016 status being up in the air after his latest setback, it was that Matt Harvey had gotten past his early season struggles.

With six strong starts in a row (2.27 ERA, 35.2 IP, 27 H, 8 BB, 28 K), the 27-year-old was heading into his 4th of July start against Miami on a roll. But not only did Harvey’s hot streak end then, his season would also unknowingly come to an end.

The Marlins lit Harvey up for five earned runs and 11 hits in 3.2 innings. Two days later, he was placed on the 15-Day disabled list with shoulder discomfort. Today, it was announced that he’ll undergo season-ending Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery.

At least in the short term, it will be Logan Verrett (5.32 ERA, 23.2 IP, 14 BB, 16 K in five starts) taking Harvey’s rotation spot. Sean Gilmartin (4.48 ERA, 2.4 BB/9, 8.6 K/9 in 13 Triple-A starts) could also on a very short list for a start or two after the All-Star break. Unlike previous seasons, there isn’t a top prospect ready to step in. Jacob deGrom and Bartolo Colon will be relied upon heavily down the stretch, as will Wheeler, if and when he returns.

Mets Depth Chart

2. Cardinals 2B Matt Carpenter Placed On 15-Day DL

Even with Matt Carpenter having an MVP-caliber season, the Cardinals were having a hard time staying anywhere near striking distance of the division-leading Cubs. With their best hitter now sidelined—Carpenter was placed on the 15-Day disabled list with a strained oblique on Thursday—they’re in danger of losing ground in a very competitive Wild Card race.

The semi-good news is that Kolten Wong, who has stepped back into the starting second base job, has been better since being recalled from Triple-A with a .277/.358/.340 slash line. Randal Grichuk, who appears slated for regular action in center field with Wong back to the infield, is 5-for-8 with a homer since his return. He was demoted in mid-June after a terrible start.

They Cardinals will need those two young hitters, as well as the rest of the lineup to step up. With Brandon Moss also on the disabled list with a sprained ankle, Matt Adams’ left-handed bat has become that much more important. And he’s currently in a 3-for-39 slump, which is the exact opposite of “stepping up.”

Cardinals Depth Chart

3. Royals Closer Wade Davis Placed On 15-Day DL

The Royals won the 2015 World Series with a mediocre starting rotation—Edinson Volquez (3.55 ERA, 3.2 BB/9, 7.0 K/9) was probably their ace—and a superstar-less lineup—Kendrys Morales led the team with an .847 OPS. What they did have, though, was an elite bullpen with a closer, Wade Davis, who was pretty much un-hittable (4.4 H/9).

Fast-forward to 2016. The starting rotation isn’t any better. The lineup was just decent before losing Mike Moustakas for the season. And now the strength of their team, the bullpen, will be without Davis, who was placed on the 15-Day disabled list on Tuesday with a strained forearm. There’s an optimistic tone coming out of Kansas City, but forearm troubles are always of at least some substantial concern.

While bullpen depth isn’t an issue in Kansas City, closer candidates Kelvin Herrera and Joakim Soria –the Royals haven’t named either as the clear 9th inning option—each gave up runs in non-save situations since Davis went down. That can’t be a good sign for a team that currently has no clear team strength. They have plenty of post-season experience, but getting there will be a challenge.

Royals Depth Chart

4. Mets INF Jose Reyes Has Contract Purchased From Minors

When Jose Reyes last played for the Mets, he was a superstar shortstop headed for a huge payday in free agency. Four-and-a-half seasons later, the 33-year-old has been traded twice (Miami-to-Toronto; Toronto-to-Colorado) and was recently released by the Rockies after serving a 51-game suspension for domestic violence. Now, he’s hoping to rebuild his career and image.

After signing with the Mets on a Minor League contract on June 25th, Reyes joined the big league club in his familiar leadoff role. This time around, though, he’s the starting third baseman with David Wright out indefinitely due to a herniated disc in his neck.

Bringing back Reyes, who has a pair of doubles and a homer in his first three games, is a relatively risk-free move (public relations aside). Since the chances of their starting rotation carrying them in 2016 have decreased greatly over the past few weeks, the Mets really need a spark out of their lineup. A rejuvenated Reyes at the top could do the trick.

Mets Depth Chart

5. A’s SP Rich Hill Activated from 15-Day DL

In last week’s “Top 20 Trade Candidates”, Jeff Todd ranked Rich Hill No. 11 and wrote that he wouldn’t make it into top-five status again until he proved that he was back to pre-injury form. Well, he’s made it back and it didn’t take him long: Hill checks in at 3rd on the updated list. If he didn’t re-establish his value after his first start back on July 2nd when he logged a quality start against the Pirates (6 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K), he certainly did so with his dominating performance against the Astros on Thursday (7 IP, ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 10 K.)

Anything can happen in the coming weeks as Hill can still make 2-3 starts before being dealt. But, barring another injury, his value isn’t likely to decrease at all. The 36-year-old lefty has been one of the best and most consistent starting pitchers in baseball since the Red Sox gave him a shot last September. In 17 starts, he has a 2.06 ERA, 2.8 BB/9, 10.8 K/9 and has not allowed more than three earned runs in any start. That kind of production is going to cost a contending team some real prospect value.

Athletics Depth Chart

MLBTR Podcast: Lincecum, Rotations, Fantex

By Cray Allred | May 6, 2016 at 3:44pm CDT

On this week’s show, Steve Adams joins host Jeff Todd to discuss whether the Tim Lincecum hype makes sense and what alternatives there might be for teams looking for rotation help. After touching upon what the Phillies’ impressive pitching could mean for that organization’s near future, Steve and Jeff delve into the increasing array of financial mechanisms (in particular, the Fantex model) that players may be able to use to lock in guaranteed cash while retaining future earning upside.

Click here to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and please leave a review! The podcast is also available via Stitcher at this link.

Additional PED Suspensions Expected

By Jeff Todd | May 4, 2016 at 10:25am CDT

On the heels of several recent PED suspensions, several additional players are expected to receive 80-game bans as a result of positive tests, according to a report form ESPN.com’s T.J. Quinn. Player identities are not known, but Quinn notes on Twitter that no major names are believed to be involved.

Interestingly, he notes, several of the recently busted players were caught with the steroid turinabol. That substance is known more for its role in pumping up eastern bloc Olympic athletes in the seventies than for cutting-edge performance enhancement.

It’s not entirely clear why that’s occurred, but Quinn notes that advances in testing have almost certainly played a role. While it used to be that turinabol could only be detected within about one week of its use, traces can now be found in a much larger window. With several players caught during Spring Training, when testing would be anticipated, it could simply be that drug handlers were not caught unprepared.

Beyond that link, though, Quinn says the recent run of suspensions — which has included, most notably, Dee Gordon and Chris Colabello — doesn’t appear to revolve around any single nexus, as occurred in the Biogenesis case.

Looking forward, Quinn says that the unnamed players who triggered positive tests have been informed of their pending suspensions and are in various phases of the “administrative process.” While it’s unclear how many of those names currently appear on big league rosters, any 40-man members would have the chance to initiate a grievance to challenge any suspension, potentially adding more delay before any bans are officially applied and announced.

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