Here’s the latest from around the league.
- The Indians aren’t likely to option Jose Ramirez or call up Francisco Lindor, writes Paul Hoynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. As Hoynes puts it, Ramirez often does something to help the team win despite a .184/.252/.245 slash. The club would like to see more from Lindor before considering a promotion. He’s currently hitting .265/.341/.383 at Triple-A. Mike Aviles is stretched thin covering for both Ramirez and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall. The team could promote utility infield Zach Walters, but there’s no guarantee he would be an upgrade. As such, Ramirez will probably continue to play with regularity.
- Astros top prospect Carlos Correa could be promoted as soon as their upcoming series against the White Sox, writes Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle. Manager A.J. Hinch spoke with reporters about the importance of being mentally and physically prepared for the majors. With Jed Lowrie sidelined, the club has turned to a combination of Marwin Gonzalez and Jonathan Villar. The pair have not performed well. Given Houston’s place atop the AL West, there is some pressure to summon Correa. Since his promotion to Triple-A, he’s hitting a restrained .253/.324/.429 in 102 plate appearances.
- The Astros have the highest bonus pool for the upcoming draft, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Houston can spend $17,289,200 because they have the second and fifth overall picks. GM Jeff Luhnow aims to have the “best yield” of any club. In the past, the Astros signed Correa to an under-slot contract in order to go over-slot for Lance McCullers and Rio Ruiz. They attempted to do the same last year with Brady Aiken and Jacob Nix, but Aiken’s failed physical ruined that plan.
- The Mets have scrapped their six-man rotation, and Dillon Gee will move to the bullpen, writes Adam Rubin of ESPN. Gee is unhappy with the move. He believes he’ll have less value to the team and on the trade market as a reliever. He’s owed $5.3MM in 2015 and is club controlled through 2016. The club was using a six-man rotation to limit the workloads of Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard. New York may also promote Steven Matz at some point. He has a 1.94 ERA with 9.08 K/9 and 3.27 BB/9 in the hitter friendly PCL.
- The next few weeks will decide if the Reds are deadline sellers, writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. The team is currently 23-31 and seven games back from the second Wild Card slot. If the club continues to scuffle, players like Aroldis Chapman, Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, and Jay Bruce could be shopped. Cueto and Leake are free agents at the end of the season.
Lindor has 2 strikeouts in his last 52 PA’s, he has a 900+ ops since May 25th to go along with his supposed superb defense. Jose Ramirez isn’t as bad as he’s played but lindor this second is a upgrade and the Indians aren’t that far away from contending.
He is not exactly tearing the cover off the ball…this year…he’s hitting .260 ….has 8 errors in the field…has been caught stealing 6 times…as Terry Francona said….he’s not ready for the big’s…..
Neither is carlos correa, not yet anyways.
He has a poor BABIP meh and is heating up. And errors are a poor indicator of defense. Jose Ramirez and his wRC+ in the 30s to go along with pretty poor defense is killing the Indians
Sometimes poor BABIP is a result of grounding out to 3b/SS/2b as your way of hitting. What’s his Line Drive%? Average? or Below?
He has a high ground ball % but having a high ground ball percentage isn’t that bad. For a guy like lindor worse thing would be hitting the ball in the air. Mlbfarm has him at 18% line drive% to go along with 50% ground ball % and his BABIP has been rising of late
Okay. 18% is just slightly lower than you’d expect. Still gives a small indication that he wasn’t locked in. His BABIP can be rising of late if that LD% was also rising since your BABIP is so much more improved on that.
And he doesn’t need to have a 800+ ops to be a upgrade over Ramirez and aviles has looked bad defensively so far Indians pitching is getting killed because of awful defense.
Lindor at SS and Aviles at 3B would help the club. Lindor may not be ready to tear the cover off the ball at the level but I don’t think he would embarrass himself either and he’d help the club defensively without killing them offensively like Ramirez has
Minor league LD% is not useful, at all. Very, very inaccurate.
I don’t get your logic. Why is it very,very inaccurate?
I imagine it’s from the mediocre equipment used in the minors leading to incorrect classifications. Much like how you can’t get UZR/DRS for the minors, the resources are being used for the majors.
That’s stuff that we have to look at to go off of. Cleveland certainly has their own scouts in the stands writing their own determinations on the contact. So they’d have there own luck factor to go off of.
Lindor isn’t lighting the world in power numbers so it’s easy to believe he’s not locked in with Line Drive tendencies besides having a poor BABIP.
he’s hitting 260 probably cause of some bad luck, and is hitting much better of late, he’s making a lot of contact, the reports have continued to be great defensively, errors tell you very little about a players defense and the caught stealings mean absolutely nothing as he won’t be running much in the majors at all.
Steals are very important….especially if he’s capable of doing it….if wants to be a five-tool player and maximize his potential…he would have to hit for high average..hit for some power..hit for extra-base hit (doubles/triples)..play gold glove defense..and steal bases annually….
Lindor: 8 errors, 210 chances.
Semien: 19 errors, 235 chances.
Desmond: 13 errors, 245 chances.
Andrus: 12 errors, 262 chances.
Castro: 12 errors, 264 chances.
Santana: 12 errors, 221 chances.
Flores: 10 errors, 200 chances.
Galvis: 8 errors, 228 chances.
Gregorius: 8 errors, 198 chances.
Ramirez (whom he would be replacing): 8 errors, 153 chances.
Segura: 8 errors, 176 chances.
Errors are certainly not the end-all-be-all of defense, but the bigger point here is that shortstops commit errors. Lindor, if his errors and chances were exactly the same in the majors, would be an upgrade over the current starting shortstop for the Indians in that regard. There’s little doubt in anyone’s mind that he would also be an upgrade offensively.
Would anyone take Gee? Decent bench piece in return?
Probably bench help or BP help. Gee isn’t a bad 5th starter but the Mets have far too many arms and most are young and very talented. Not Gee’s or the Met’s fault, it’s just a cluster of arms and something had to give.
I’d be perfectly fine with either. Brings 1) Bench help 2) allows Matz to be brought up 3) money off of the books.
Personally, I’d love to get Van Slyke from the Dodgers. With Puig back and their need for a Starter, it makes sense for both teams.
that would be a very lopsided trade being as van slyke is actually good
How about VIllar or Marwin Gonzalez from the Astros for Gee.
Don’t the Astros want someone who could start in the playoffs?
Of course but if they are going to call up Correa soon, one of Gonzalez or VIllar won’t be needed at all anymore and might as well trade for a SP if they can get one for one of the SS. What would it hurt?
Maybe they should save them for part of a package for a front end starter.
Van Slyke would definitely be an absolute steal for Alderson if Gee got him in return.
lol, no contender is trading a bench bat for a fringe upgrade 5th starter, maybe someone like jacob rhame from the dodgers, can touch 98 but no real great secondaries that profiles as a 7th inning guy. but cost controlled and very likely ready for a september call up this year.
Well, considering the Mets were watching Segura/Aramis Ramirez. Gee for Ramirez seems about right
the brewers are reubilding, they want prospects not a 5 mil dollar guy when they are out of it
Ramirez buddy, not Gomez or Segura. This is a retired after this season Ramirez I’m talking about who’s making 14mil this season. Who has a .623OPS at this current moment.
The Brewers would be lucky to get Gee to shed Ramirez to be the Team’s #4/5 SP under the team control remaining.
Meanwhile the Mets get a 3b who’s maybe more useful this season than Gee ever will be for them anymore
yes, they would rather have a bullpen prospect than gee, he is literally of no use to them.
There isn’t any prospect to be had with Ramirez is what I’m saying. Barring Milwaukee sending over 5-8mil in money to attract one.
I don’t see where Gee’s no use for him comes from. Lohse will be gone. Garza is a trade possibility Who fills the Brewers rotation out for the rest of this season and next?
Brewers have no value in Ramirez…this season anymore. Mets have none in Gee. That’s why the trade makes sense. Gee would be protection to pencil in a rotation spot for Milw depending on all their trades forthcoming or just drop him next season.
You have an apparent over price on Ramirez who to me is a negative value to any one. Ramirez is a strictly salary dump, and Gee fits that too with the Mets.
he was a better than league average hitter last year, bad 2 months doesnt negate that.
Your opinion not mine. This is a retirement guy with a negative WAR thus far being paid 14mil…whatever that translates to(6-9mil) remaining. depending when traded. I’m a Brewer fan, and I’m being realistic on Ramirez’ value. Garza at 12.5mil a year is considered overpriced in pay…Ramirez making more with no future? He’d also be moving out of MP in to Citi field and the NLeast making any sort of power projection next to nil. The only reason any team takes a chance on him is because of that last season and hoping he gives them at least avg level of play at 3b which isn’t worth 7mil a season much less 14.
Truthfully, say the Mets got Ramirez, I’d think it’d be for a 1month tryout. If he didn’t perform to make Sept, and that highly likely due to “Retirement Age” He’d be waived off the team. What would you give up for that scenario? Dillon Gee is the answer. And if you’re the Brewers, you accept that in an instant.
They wont get a good prospect but they dont want to take back 5 mil. It defeats the purpose.
Gee consistently puts up #4 to #5 numbers. He had a few games where he blew up, but over the past 3+ seasons…he has been a very serviceable backend guy. Teams need a #4/#5 to win games if they want to get into the playoffs. He won’t make an impact in the playoffs, but he can win some games to get a team there.
I understand the frustration on Gee’s part, it’s not what he’s used to and likely isn’t the best role for him. That being said, I don’t see his trade value or value to the team for that matter being greatly effected, he’s not going to bring the team an incredible haul anyhow, and the rotation is stacked as is with talent.
whatever happened to being a team player?
It’s on the shelf right next to next to rich owners building their own ballparks sans subsidies.
Not to mention, he is being a team player.
“Gee, 29, candidly said he feels the decision to move him to the bullpen diminishes his value to the team as well as his trade value. Still, he pledged to do his best in the unfamiliar role.”
Why should the Reds wait? Things aren’t going to get better the way they are. The youth movement has started in starting pitching….now let’s unload and geT some young bats now to create excitement or you might as well just move the team to Montreal because you are losing your fan base!!!
They are waiting till after the all star game to trade him…..
They’re waiting until the AS break, and teams get more desperate towards the trade deadline to acquire players. Think a team like the Yankees. If Tanaka is back, they won’t be players for a Cueto, but if Tanaka blows up again, the market could be bigger for Cueto. Same with Porcello in BOS.
They aren’t gonna trade anyone because they want the market to be as big as possible for the AS Game. Frazier, Cozart, Cueto, Votto and Chapman all have chances to be there.
It’s not an IF with Tanaka…but WHEN. The dude isn’t magically going to heal.
Higher prices?
I’m sorry, but the Astros aren’t getting a Correa or McCullers out of this draft.
I haven’t seen a draft this bad in depth of top talent in years.
Yeah, plus no matter what a lot of high overall picks will bust, and a lot later round picks will boom. But yeah, this year, there is no guy that looks to be a sure thing. AKA, no Buxton, Bryant, Correa.
Another thing I thought was interesting is that since the Competitive Balance draft picks are the only ones you can trade, and being the draft class is so thin, why haven’t teams who have those picks pulled the trigger on trades involving the picks? I would think that packaging a draft pick in a thin draft class with other pieces for someone who could help a team win this year wouldn’t be a bad idea. ex: Dodgers or Cardinals giving their competitive balance pick and other players to get Cole Hamels (or any SP).
It is insanity the cards still get a “competitive balance pick”.
Yeah I’m a cards fan, but 100% they shouldn’t of gotten that pick. They judge it by market size I think. They should just do it by worst records, so maybe take the 12 worst records of the previous year and randomly select 6 of the 12 who get an extra pick in the competitive balance round.
Or just eliminate those picks all together, because both the Cardinals and Dodgers got those picks, which is crazy. And I don’t even think Cincinnati should of gotten one, when they’re are teams like the Rays and Diamondbacks who should of gotten one. It’s completely broken.
I hear people saying this draft class is deep, just doesn’t have standout talent at the top. The competitive balance round could be great picks.
correa was hardly a “sure thing”. same with buxton. people even questioned whether bryants height would allow him to hit enough to justify his power. there is always question marks.
You mean to tell me this draft’s depth isn’t 1 player deep? Seeing as the Astros have #2 and #5 choices?
Dillon Gee would be an upgrade over Jeff Locke, I’d like to see the Pirates get on the phone with the Mets about a trade there. The Pirates are good enough to be a Wild Card team with the rotation set up as it currently is, but they are not going to catch the Cardinals with Locke trotting out there every fifth day.
Villar is actually hitting .273 on the season, and .327 over the last month, so to say he hasn’t performed well isn’t entirely accurate. I realize that “super prospect comes up to save the day” is a fun narrative, but it doesn’t necessarily apply in this case.
The Mets had it right the first time with the 6 man rotation, they need to limit the innings of Harvey and their other young pitchers. Pitching is not their problem, their lack of quality position players looks to be their downfall.
Agreed , why they haven’t made a move for Rockies or Brewers players like players , could you see Tulo and the Hebrew Hammer in New York.But you have to give something to get something.Mets been on this same treadmill the last few years. They wait until to late to make move !