Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Nationals Rumors

Rob Manfred On Schedule, Managers, MASN

By | at

David Lennon of Newsday reported in July that Major League Baseball and the players’ union were discussing shortening the regular season, perhaps from 162 games to 154. Those talks are ongoing, according to commissioner Rob Manfred, who told reporters Saturday that the league and the union are “in the midst of conversations” about the schedule. Manfred didn’t offer further details, saying that the topic “belongs at the collective bargaining table, which is where it is right now.” Manfred revealed last week that the two sides should reach a new collective bargaining agreement by the end of the postseason, so a resolution on the length of the season could come soon. The current CBA is set to expire in December.

More from the commissioner:

  • There are only three minority managers in baseball, but Manfred contends that its hiring process “is as strong as possible in terms of making sure that when we have field manager openings … diverse candidates have an opportunity to get those jobs.” Since the regular season ended, the White Sox have promoted former bench Rick Renteria, who’s of Latin American descent, while Ron Washington, an African American, is a finalist for the Braves’ job. Atlanta also interviewed three other minority candidates – Bo Porter, Eddie Perez and Terry Pendleton. Perez is now on the radar of the manager-less Rockies.
  • While Manfred expressed confidence in July that the league would ultimately decide the long-running dispute between the Nationals and Orioles centering on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, that’s no longer the case. “I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that that situation is going to play out in the courts, and there’s not a lot that I can do to move that process along,” said Manfred. The Orioles own 90 percent of MASN compared to the Nationals’ 10 percent, and the teams are fighting over how much in broadcast fees the Nats should receive.

Wilson Ramos Discusses Knee Injury

By | at

The Nationals and Wilson Ramos suffered a crushing injury earlier this week when Ramos tore his ACL — an unfortunate incident that will obviously prevent him from playing in the postseason and may severely hamper his free-agent stock this winter. The full extent of his injury won’t be known until he goes under the knife, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted earlier this morning that it’s believed there could be damage to Ramos’ meniscus as well, which certainly wouldn’t make rehab any easier.

Ramos is thinking of the team first, he told reporters, including MASNsports.com’s Byron Kerr (via an interpreter), explaining how difficult it will be if his injury and rehab needs force him to watch the postseason from home rather than alongside his teammates. Manager Dusty Baker said he’s hopeful that Ramos can at least be available to stay with the team during the playoffs so that he can provide leadership and instill some wisdom and scouting reports into backstops Pedro Severino and Jose Lobaton in October.

From a personal standpoint, Ramos said he hopes to remain with the Nationals but conceded that he’s not sure he’ll be able to play with a National League club next season — seemingly implying that his knee injury may require some days as a designated hitter, at least in his first year back: “Unfortunately, this injury happened so close to the end and it may affect whether I’m able to stay with a National League team or not, but if it’s up to me, I definitely would like to keep playing for the Nationals and play as long as I can.”

Ramos was previously a lock to receive and reject a qualifying offer in search of what we at MLBTR were projecting to be a five-year contract, though his untimely injury certainly reduces the likelihood of that scenario and probably eliminates it altogether. It’s difficult to know exactly where to peg Ramos’ free agent stock until we have a timeline for his recovery, and that won’t be known until after his surgery takes place. As MLBTR’s Jason Martinez observed, Yasmani Grandal underwent surgery in July 2013 to repair both his ACL and MCL but was ready for a full Spring Training and the Opening Day roster in 2014. Ramos’ injury, of course, is not only different but is potentially more difficult to rehab, as he’s older and this is the second time he’s torn his right ACL in his career.

If Ramos is able to make it back for a significant portion of the 2017 campaign and an American League club proves to be the best fit based on his medical evaluation, then there should be no shortage of teams on the lookout for a catcher this winter. The Angels, Astros, White Sox, Twins, Orioles and Rays could all use upgrades behind the dish (though a catcher with knee problems may wish to avoid running on the turf at Tropicana Field, and even at a reduced price, Ramos may prove too costly for Tampa Bay).

Wilson Ramos Diagnosed With Torn ACL

By | at

SEPT. 29: Surgery will reveal the full extent of Ramos’ knee injury, but it’s possible there are also some tears in his meniscus, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

SEPT. 27: Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos has received the devastating news that he has again torn his right ACL, manager Dusty Baker told reporters (via CSN Mid-Atlantic, on Twitter). Ramos previously suffered that injury — which isn’t exactly typical for a catcher — back in 2012.

With just a week left in the regular season, and the division already locked up, the Nationals now face a void at the catching position entering the postseason. Ramos’s huge season — a .307/.354/.496 slash with 22 home runs over 523 plate appearances — was among the factors that helped drive the Nats’ success this year after both player and team disappointed in 2015.

Of course, the injury also casts a massive shadow over Ramos’s upcoming free agency. It had seemed all but certain that he’d receive and decline a qualifying offer, then enter the market in search of four or five years at over $10MM per season. Instead, in all likelihood, he’ll now likely be looking for an entirely different sort of contract.

Washington had reportedly just taken a crack at extending Ramos, though the team’s reported offer (something a bit north of three years and $30MM) didn’t seem all that likely to result in a deal. As I noted in that post, Ramos had already taken on basically all of the risk of performance and injury decline, reducing his incentive to sell his future seasons at a discount. But the relatively meager odds didn’t prevent the catastrophic injury, which is all the more concerning given that Ramos has already had that ligament replaced.

The Nats will go with Jose Lobaton and Pedro Severino for now, and will simply have to make do with that pair for the playoffs. It’s now certain that the organization will need to replace Ramos after the season — there would seem to be little chance that he’ll be ready for the start of 2017 — though it could also sign a gap-filler and explore some kind of multi-year arrangement to keep him around for the future.

Just how things will play out remains unknown, with Ramos’s anticipated timeline still yet to be determined. The repeat nature of the surgery likely increases the uncertainty surrounding his recovery, and the situation as a whole only adds to concerns about how the large-bodied receiver would age, particularly with the litany of leg injuries he has suffered.

On the positive side, “the Buffalo” — as he is affectionately and appropriately known — just turned 29 in early August, so he’s still rather youthful. He has already proved capable of working back from an ACL tear, and has held up to an immense amount of abuse before this hard-luck injury, appearing in 259 games since the start of 2015.

All said, it’s extremely disappointing to see such misfortune for a universally respected player who has already been through so much. Hope remains that he’ll be able to return to being a productive big league receiver, but it won’t be in 2016.

The injury also creates some added opportunity for other catchers on the free agent market, such as Matt Wieters and Jason Castro, who may see their demand increase. And it could shift the trade winds, potentially enhancing the Yankees’ bargaining position with veteran Brian McCann and adding to the appeal of struggling Padres receiver Derek Norris.

Injury Notes: Kluber, Strasburg, Ross

By | at

There’s been plenty of notable injury news around the league today. The Nationals received a crushing blow in the form of a torn ACL for Wilson Ramos, while the Blue Jays lost setup man Joaquin Benoit for two to three weeks due to a torn calf muscle. The Red Sox, meanwhile, announced that Drew Pomeranz will be, at best, a bullpen option from this point forth due to forearm soreness and a significant increase in his workload.

Here’s a look at a few more injuries pertaining to a pair of playoff clubs and a potential 2017 trade chip…

  • The Indians announced some relatively good news following an MRI for ace Corey Kluber. The test revealed a mild quad strain for Kluber, per the club, but the Cy Young candidate dodged a potentially more serious groin injury. He’ll be ready to return to game action in seven to 10 days, per the Indians, which obviously rules him out for the remainder of the regular season but gives him time to recover for the American League Division Series, which begins on Thursday, Oct. 6.
  • The news wasn’t as positive for the Nationals when it comes to right-hander Stephen Strasburg, as general manager Mike Rizzo told reporters, including Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post, that it’s doubtful that Strasburg will be ready to return for the National League Division Series. “I think it would be pushing it,” said Rizzo of Strasburg, who is dealing with a strained flexor mass in his right forearm. “I think that’s fair to say. Again, I haven’t seen him after his throwing program today, but just the calendar, it’s unlikely that he’d contribute in that first series.” Strasburg did play catch from 90 feet today, per Janes, but it appears that the Nats will need to advance to at least the League Championship Series if there’s any hope of Strasburg making a postseason impact. With Strasburg out, Max Scherzer, Tanner Roark and Gio Gonzalez would probably get the first three looks in the Division Series, and Joe Ross could be a factor as well.
  • Tyson Ross has received multiple medical opinions over the past couple of weeks, skipper Andy Green told Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, and surgery to repair his right shoulder is a possibility. Ross, naturally, prefers to avoid that endgame, and he’s exploring all possible alternatives for the time being. The Padres hope to have a plan mapped out for Ross by the end of the regular season, Lin writes, and an ultimate decision could come later this week. Ross is earning $9.625MM this season but pitched only once for the Friars, on Opening Day, before going down with a shoulder injury that would eventually wipe out his entire season. Additionally, Lin writes that righty Jarred Cosart underwent an MRI and X-rays on his right elbow to determine the severity of a bone spur that he said he’s been pitching through.

Quick Hits: Britton, Harper, Ramos, Bregman, McCullers, Rasmus, Abad

By | at

Orioles closer Zach Britton has turned in a season to remember, and it’s not all that surprising given his recent excellence. Still, it wasn’t long ago that such a showing seemed highly improbable, as Danny Knobler of Bleacher Report writes. Britton was no lock to make the O’s roster out of camp in 2014, but the refinement of his unbelievable power sinker that year has turned the southpaw into arguably the game’s most dominant reliever. Knobler takes an interesting look at Britton’s transformation as a pitcher, as well as his earlier path toward the majors.

Here are a few more stray notes from around the game:

  • Nationals star Bryce Harper suffered a thumb injury that caused some concern, but manager Dusty Baker said tonight that X-rays were negative, as Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). Washington is suddenly facing a variety of significant health concerns as it readies for the NLDS, though at least in Harper’s case the prognosis seems promising. Catcher Wilson Ramos is a new concern after leaving tonight’s game following a play at the plate. He’s due for an MRI tomorrow, the results of which could have huge implications for both the team and his coming run through free agency.
  • Burgeoning Astros infielder Alex Bregman could be back sooner than expected after a “leap forward” in his recovery from a hamstring strain, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports. Indeed, he could appear as soon as this week. While the timetable isn’t quite as promising for righty Lance McCullers Jr., he might be ready to go for the postseason if Houston can sneak in. Meanwhile, there’s said to be little chance that outfielder Colby Rasmus will return to uniform before qualifying for free agency.
  • It’s possible that Red Sox deadline addition Fernando Abad won’t even crack the team’s postseason roster, as Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports. The veteran southpaw has largely been quite good against opposing lefties since coming to Boston, but he has still coughed nine earned runs with a dozen strikeouts and eight walks in his 12 2/3 innings of work. Though nothing has been decided, manager John Farrell did acknowledge that the club is assessing both Abad and rookie lefty Robby Scott for the postseason pen. Scott, 27, has just six MLB appearances on his ledger, though he has yet to allow a run.

Wilson Ramos Departs Game With Leg Injury

By | at

The Nationals are holding their collective breath after seeing Wilson Ramos land awkwardly on a play at the plate. The big catcher was helped off of the field with an apparent right leg injury.

It’s far too soon to know whether the injury is a serious one, but it comes at an awful time for player and team. Washington is preparing for a postseason run in early October, while Ramos is not only playing to help the team but also to set up his free agent market after the year.

Washington is not particularly well-equipped to deal with any missed time from Ramos, who has carried a big load this year. Switch-hitting reserve Jose Lobaton has taken just 104 plate appearances, with a decent but unexciting .220/.317/.363 slash. Intriguing prospect Pedro Severino has shown well in his 11 game stint, but his Triple-A numbers don’t suggest that he’s ready for a regular role.

Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Ramos has already logged 130 games for the Nats entering tonight’s action. He has been nothing short of outstanding, finally realizing his talent fully. In 520 plate appearances, Ramos owns a .307/.354/.497 slash with 22 long balls.

That output has Ramos primed to hit the open market with a chance to take his pick from a wide variety of suitors. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently ranked him fifth in earning power among pending free agents, with Ramos standing out as the top catcher available.

Pirates Acquire Chris Bostick From Nationals

By | at

The Pirates announced that they have acquired infielder Chris Bostick from the Nationals in exchange for minor league catcher Taylor Gushue and cash. Bostick, who was designated for assignment by the Nats earlier this month, has been added to Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster but won’t join the team for the final few games of the season. He’ll take Josh Harrison’s spot on the 40-man, with Harrison being transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

Bostick, 23, split his season between Double-A and Triple-A with the Nats, hitting a combined .250/.313/.386 with eight homers and 11 steals while playing second base, third base and left field. He was ranked as the organization’s No. 25 prospect by Baseball America last offseason, with BA noting that he’s an above-average runner who stands out for a line-drive approach to all fields but may lack a true defensive home. He’s consistently displayed the pop necessary to reach double-digit home run totals and also averaged 27 steals per season from 2013-15.

The 22-year-old Gushue was Pittsburgh’s fourth-rounder back in 2014 and spent the 2016 campaign with their Class-A Advanced affiliate in Bradenton, where he batted .226/.282/.357. At the time Gushue was drafted, BA wrote that he was a good receiver with an average or even above-average arm behind the dish despite difficulties he’d had throwing out runners in college. Their report called him a below-average overall hitter but did note that he has average raw power. Gushue did hit a career-high eight homers in 90 games this season, though his 25 percent caught-stealing rate still leaves something to be desired.

Injury Notes: Harper, Choo, Gray, Wendelken

By | at

The latest on some developing injury situations from around baseball…

  • Bryce Harper is day-to-day with a thumb injury, and the Nationals star outfielder will undergo x-rays tomorrow to determine the extent of the problem.  The injury, suffered on an awkward slide into third base, forced Harper to leave after the third inning of today’s 10-7 Washington win over the Pirates.  Harper “didn’t sound especially worried” (in the words of MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman) when discussing the injury with media after the game.  The Nationals has already clinched the NL East and know they’ll be facing the Dodgers in the NLDS, so while homefield advantage has yet to be determined, the Nats would probably feel safe in sitting Harper to rest his injury (assuming it isn’t overly serious) for the last week of the regular season.
  • Shin-Soo Choo will begin three days of play in the Instructional League to see if he can be ready to return to the Rangers in time for the postseason, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes.  Choo is rather surprisingly close to getting back in action after suffering a fractured left forearm in mid-August, and if all goes well, the outfielder believes he could return to the Texas lineup on Friday for the beginning of a season-ending series against the Rays.  Plans could quickly change, of course, if Choo has a setback or if he doesn’t look sharp in his very limited rehab assignment.  Sullivan notes that Choo’s situation is one of many postseason roster questions for the Rangers, as the club is also undecided about whether Jeremy Jeffress, Tony Barnette or Derek Holland will be in the bullpen for the ALDS.
  • Sonny Gray will make one more start in 2016, albeit an abbreviated one.  Athletics manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jane Lee) that Gray will be on a limited pitch count when he starts Wednesday’s game against the Angels, and Ross Detwiler will step in after Gray tosses an inning or two.  Gray has been on the DL since early August due to a right forearm strain, the second extended DL stint of what has been a disappointing season for the A’s ace righty.  In 116 innings, Gray has posted a career-worst 5.74 ERA.
  • Athletics righty J.B. Wendelken will get a second opinion about whether he needs Tommy John surgery or not, John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reports (Twitter link), though the odds are “not optimistic” that Wendelken can avoid the procedure.  Wendelken made his MLB debut this season, posting a 9.95 ERA over 12 2/3 relief innings for the A’s.  Going by the usual recovery timeline for TJ patients, Wendelken will be sidelined until the beginning of the 2018 season.

NL Notes: Nationals, Roster Expansion, Coke

By | at

Major League Baseball and many teams are currently celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, but Hispanic identity is a complex topic for the many US-born players of Latin descent, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post writes in an interesting look at the highly variable backgrounds of MLB players. “If I talk to a Latin ballplayer, I’m Cuban. And if I talk to an American guy, I’m American. No matter what,” says Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez, who is of Cuban heritage but who was born in the Miami area. “You’re never going to win in that argument. It’s never a win-win situation.” Nats reliever Rafael Martin, meanwhile, was born in the Los Angeles area but spent much of his childhood in Mexico. He had never met Latinos who weren’t Mexican before becoming a pro baseball player. “At first, it’s interesting,” says Martin. “Weird sometimes. Especially like [how] other countries use different words in Spanish. I find it very interesting, the way people come up in different countries, different styles.” Here’s more from the NL.

  • September roster expansion has led to some exhausting games between the Mets and Phillies this weekend, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. On Thursday, the Mets used 27 players and the Phillies 22 in an 11-inning game that lasted well over four hours. On Friday, the two teams combined to use 38 players in a game that lasted 3:40. Mets starter Gabriel Ynoa pitched just two innings and allowed two runs before departing, leading to a conga line of relievers and pinch-hitters. “It’s getting a little out of hand, but I think everybody would do the same thing,” said Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson. “You’ve got 15 guys down there, why not use them all? And it worked.” Rules regarding September roster expansion could be on the docket during CBA talks this offseason, Gelb notes. One possibility would allow teams to expand rosters to 40 as they currently do, but require them to submit a 25-man active roster before each game. That would limit the amount of specialization that’s currently so prevalent in September games.
  • Veteran lefty Phil Coke has spent the 2016 season traveling around the state of Pennsylvania, Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. After being released by the Braves near the end of Spring Training, Coke joined the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League. He eventually signed with the Yankees and headed to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, about two and a half hours away. Coke was in Scranton following the end of the minor league season when Yankees GM Brian Cashman called him earlier this week to ask if he wanted to join the Pirates’ bullpen. “OK, that’s not far away,” Coke said. “I’m in.” He officially headed to the Pittsburgh organization on Thursday in a minor trade.

NL Notes: Giants’ Pen, Garcia, Murphy, McCarthy, Rodriguez

By | at

As the Giants have struggled to lock up the ninth inning down the stretch, GM Bobby Evans discusses his decision not to push harder for a top-tier closer at this year’s deadline, as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Evans told Jon Heyman of Fan Rag that the struggles have made him feel like a “knucklehead,” though he notes to Schulman that he was saying that in jest. The San Francisco general manager went on to explain a bit more about the team’s efforts to acquire Mark Melancon, who ended up with the Nationals, from the Pirates. “It was very comparable to what they ultimately got,” he said of the Giants’ offer. “You think about it. ’Was there something else I could have done? Was there another name I could have pushed across the table?’ They ended up getting one guy who throws 100 and another who throws 98.” But as Evans went on to discuss, it’s ultimately a matter of hindsight. “Those are just reflections,” he said. “… All I can do is think about how I handled it and how far I went.”

  • The Cardinals are still tinkering with their pitching mix, and will now re-insert Jaime Garcia into the rotation in the place of Luke Weaver, as Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. Garcia has shown well in his brief move to the pen, while Weaver has struggled in his most recent outings after an excellent start to his major league career.
  • Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy has been diagnosed with a strained glute, as MLB.com’s Jamal Collier reports on Twitter. Murphy last played a full game on September 17th and will rest for a few more contests before returning to action. Obviously, the Nats will be sure to rest him well with the NL East in hand, as Murphy figures to be a key piece of the team’s postseason hopes after posting a remarkable .347/.391/.596 batting line thus far.
  • Brandon McCarthy will become the latest Dodgers pitcher to return to action on Saturday, when MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick says the veteran righty will be activated (Twitter link). The 33-year-old has produced strong results despite allowing over six walks per nine in his eight starts on the year, with a 9.9 K/9 mark and just twenty hits allowed helping to offset the free passes. It remains to be seen what role he’ll play in the postseason for Los Angeles after working back from a hip injury.
  • Phillies reliever Joely Rodriguez looks to be a keeper, as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Acquired in the Antonio Bastardo trade, the 24-year-old southpaw has developed upper-nineties heat in a relief capacity. He has allowed just a single hit in his first 5 1/3 major league innings, with four strikeouts and two walks also on his ledger.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top