Rays first baseman James Loney is headed to the DL for the next four to six weeks with a broken finger, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. While the 31-year-old has not exactly been tearing things up at the plate, he is a particularly difficult player for Tampa Bay to replace. As Topkin explains, the club’s 40-man roster does not admit of any ready options at Triple-A. That could lead the Rays to look outside the organization, he suggests, with players in DFA limbo (Casey McGehee, Travis Ishikawa), on the open market (Kila Ka’aihue), or possibly available via trade (Garrett Jones) seeming like potential options. Both McGehee and Ishikawa will, presumably, ultimately be exposed to waivers, though both come with significant salary commitments ($4.8MM and $1.1MM, respectively). The Giants could be motivated to strike a deal involving one of those players if Tampa is willing to take on some cash.
Here’s more from the AL East:
- Blue Jays star Jose Bautista is still struggling to deal with painful shoulder inflammation, as Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star writes. Bautista says he appreciates the difficulties in lineup construction that the injury has caused, but made clear that he is doing all he can by taking on DH duties. The team’s upcoming interleague stretch and Bautista’s own pain levels were factors in the decision to treat him with a cortisone shot, per the report. It’s an interesting piece that delves into many of the day-to-day matters that have a significant impact on a player over the course of a season, but which often go underappreciated.
- Struggling badly hitting from the right side, Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval is seriously considering facing opposing southpaws from the left side of the box, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports. “There’s conversation at various points about that. He’s even initiated it at times,” said manager John Farrell. “But until that change is made, that’s something that certainly will include him in that process.” Certainly, it’s interesting to see player and club contemplating such a move just a few months into a five-year, $95MM contract.
- Joe Kelly and the rest of the Red Sox rotation have all been consistently inconsistent, as Britton writes. The up-and-down performances across the staff have put the club in a tough position, making it difficult to pull the trigger on a move to try another option. “There’s no decision here in this moment,” Farrell said of Kelly’s rotation status. “He’s shown us the ability to go out and work deep in a ballgame. There’s no denying the stuff. It’s a matter of consistent location with his fastball.”
- Top Orioles pitching prospect Dylan Bundy has been scratched from his start today after experiencing stiffness in his right shoulder, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. While it’s far from clear that there is cause for alarm — the team says it hopes Bundy is simply suffering from tendinitis — Bundy has already been forced to rehab back from Tommy John surgery. Another highly-rated young arm, Hunter Harvey, has dealt with more obviously concerning injury issues. The club’s future hinges in no small part on the health and development of those two players, along with the equally-hyped Kevin Gausman.
Kelly to AAA…. Who would of thought 1½ years of Lackey was actually traded for 2-AAA (non)prospects?
Totally agree. When the trade happened I thought the Red Sox got the better of the Cards. Joe Kelly has shown really good stuff and I thought he was a future top of the rotation arm. Maybe Craig should look into getting some glasses or something. He has gone down the Uggla path.
As the Cardinals are one of the teams I follow closely, when the trade happened, I couldn’t figure out what the Red Sox were thinking. Trading with the Cardinals is like trading with the Braves…..
They know their players best, and they don’t give up anyone with much tread left.
Which is why the Braves-Cardinals trade for Heyward and Shelby Miller was so interesting. Cardinals took a flyer thinking Heyward would thrive (as so many other had) playing in the Cardinals environment. But in that case, the Braves knew their player best, and they knew Shelby Miller as well. Fascinating trade.
It’s still a little early to judge that trade. Hayward may just be feeling the pressure of looming free agency. However, early returns give it to Atlanta.
Apparently, the Cardinals were still feeling bad about the Wainwright trade and decided to make it up to the Braves. I don’t follow the Cardinals very much but there pitching regimen is known throughout baseball.. I thought they were sending Craig to offset Kelly because Craig was owed a ton of money.. Turned out to be a total fleecing..
Lackey was getting paid league minimum and it wasn’t a rental since they got him more then just a season. Lackey is getting paid less then Kelley this season although not by much.
Tampa’s interest in Jones should only be a thing if they only really need a short term fix and the waiver wire options become unreachable, for their sake. He’s got some pop in his bat, and that’s about it, just enough bat there to be a bench bat beyond a short stint starting. All it’d take to get him is some small, insignificant piece that would make it worthy for NY to eat a chunk of his salary.
For Jones the Rays have to send back Willy Adames or Daniel Robertson…..
Lol Robertson for Jones. Cashman would be named executive of the year for sure if he was able to make that trade..
Might not be enough, probably have to throw in Archer or Odorizzi too.
Kelly could still be very good. He’s just inconsistent. Craig’s fall is hard to explain.
His only good pitch is his fastball. And it’s not near as good as most 96 MPH fastballs. Yesterday he threw 38 two seamers, he got one swing and miss. He is what he is, a long reliever/spot starter.
No way, Joe Kelly is still young and has good stuff. I think he will be much more than what you said, give him some time to figure stuff out.
He might become a great setup or even closer. Hard to know. Others have disappointed in a starting role but excelled in the pen. He’s not a kid but with the right team/coach—he may still be a productive pitcher. It took a while for Kluber to develop.
The rotation status for Kelly is about whether he would be in the rotation or the bullpen. Those who assume that he would be better in the ‘pen need to look at his numbers inning by inning or each time through the order. His first inning ERA is 8.00. The first time through the order he gives up a .324 batting average. The second time .254. The third time .196. What about those numbers suggests he would be a good reliever? If you could get the batting average down for the first time through the order, then you have the makings of a good starter. Those trends are consistent throughout his career only with better numbers in earlier years. This is not reliever material.
Well said. People think when a starter isn’t making it he can be just plugged into the bullpen. Same thing goes with Wright. Do you really want a knuckleballer coming in with runners on? He is a starter or not.
Those are some interesting numbers.
I remember him in the NL living off of fastballs between the belt and the letters which, sadly, were incredibly effective against the team i root for. I don’t ever remember him locating consistently though.
Hat tip to baseball-reference for the numbers. I wish the Internet had been invented earlier so that we could have had that site and MLBTR earlier.
He could be a totally different pitcher in the bullpen. Starters have to conserve their energy to try to go late in games. Relievers can throw harder from the get-go because they will only be in for 1 inning. Look at the difference it made for Wade Davis. He throws about 5mph harder as a reliever than as a starter. Trying to project what a starting pitcher would do in the bullpen based on his inning by inning performance as a starter is a crap shoot at best. The only way to really find out is to try them in the role.
he logged some innings in relief a couple of years ago and his relief numbers were worse than his starting numbers. Granted, he was not working solely in relief at the time but I think they either need to fix him as a starter or drop him.
That was then, with a different team. Now be has different coaches in Boston. What would it hurt to try?
The Yankees can’t trade Garrett Jones, he’s a solid reliever with a 0.00 ERA.
Oh, you.
But his FIP is 12.14 and he has a 0.00 k/9 and a 13.5 BB/9.. Yanks need to trade him while his value is sky high!! Maybe Jones, Beltran and Drew for Archer or an injured Cobb, Souza and Robertson. Seems fair for both sides..
O’s need to trade Bundy while his value is still high. They are not going to get what they could have a couple of years ago but some teams still hold him in high regard. He has the stuff but is way too injury prone for a budget conscious team like the O’s..