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Archives for July 2015
Trade Market For Second Basemen
With less than two weeks until the trade deadline, a number of clubs find themselves in need of infield help. The Yankees, Royals and Angels, in particular, stand out as first-place clubs that have gotten little production out of the second base position. Though the Cubs and Nationals don’t presently appear to have a spot open, either club could shift other assets around and move its incumbent second baseman to another spot in order to improve its overall lineup production. Here’s a look around the league at some players that could at least theoretically make sense as trade options…
2015 Starters
Ben Zobrist (A’s), Brandon Phillips (Reds), DJ LeMahieu (Rockies), Chris Owings (D-Backs), Jedd Gyorko (Padres), Chase Utley (Phillies), Omar Infante (Royals)
- Zobrist is the most interesting name on the second base trade market and has been for quite some time, though reports out of Oakland have consistently indicated a reluctance to sell. Zobrist is a free agent at year’s end, however, and his versatile nature (he can play virtually any position) and solid bat make him a very appealing trade chip for the A’s. Because he can play anywhere, one could reasonably present a case to be made for 20 teams to show interest in Zobrist, who will be one of the only credible infield bats on this year’s trade market.
- A number of road blocks stand in the way of trading Phillips. First and foremost, the veteran and longtime Red has 10-and-5 rights, meaning he’d have to personally approve any trade to another club. Secondly, he’s still owed about $5.5MM in 2015 and $32.5MM through the 2017 season. The trouble with that, of course, is that Phillips is no longer the offensive threat he once was. While the 34-year-old still is considered a plus defender at second, he’s batted just .271/.311/.370 since Opening Day 2014 despite playing his home games in one of the better hitting environments in Major League Baseball. (His OPS+ of 89 this season matches his 2014 output exactly.) Expensive, aging assets with declining skills at the plate are tough sells on the trade market.
- There’s been nothing to this point that would indicate that LeMahieu is available, but the 27-year-old’s value isn’t likely to get much higher than it presently is. LeMahieu is not yet arbitration eligible but will be this winter. He’s a premium defender in the midst of a career year at the plate. While many teams won’t be sold on his offense — and rightfully so; his home OPS is 216 points higher than his road mark — there’s probably enough bat and certainly enough speed/defense here for the last place Rockies to receive a solid offer or two.
- The Diamondbacks’ middle infielders have drawn consistent interest, and Owings could be viewed by some as a long-term piece at shortstop or at second base. He’s not hitting in 2015 (.231/.261./.328), but he was a Rookie of the Year candidate prior to getting hurt in 2014 and is controllable through 2019.
- Gyorko’s stock peaked at the end of the 2013 season, resulting in a five-year, $35MM extension. It’s been all downhill from there, as Gyorko has followed up a 23-homer, .249/.301/.444 rookie season with a .214/.283/.334 triple slash in 171 games. He was signed by San Diego’s former front office, so it’s possible that the new regime isn’t as fond of him as former GM Josh Byrnes and Co. (Byrnes is now with the Dodgers.) Gyorko’s still just 26 and is not far removed from ranking as one of the game’s top prospects, so perhaps a team with a need at second can dream on Gyorko a bit and buy low on the change-of-scenery candidate. Getting out of Petco Park would certainly help any hitter.
- Utley, like Phillips, has 10-and-5 rights that allow him to veto a trade to any club. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has already stated that he doesn’t think Utley is his team’s best second baseman (though Amaro walked those comments back somewhat), so perhaps that potentially abrasive statement will make Utley more amenable to a trade. Of course, a team would still have to express interest in Utley, which may not be likely. He’s slashing .179/.257/.275 and earning $15MM in 2015.
- The Royals shopped Infante for much of the offseason and would undoubtedly like to escape from the remaining $3.44MM on Infante’s 2015 salary — to say nothing of the $17.75MM he’s owed in 2016-17. It’s tough to envision a taker, given Infante’s .232/.245/.303 batting line, though. I would think he could be moved in a swap of bad contracts or that a rebuilding club could take on what’s left of his deal in order to entice Kansas City to part with more talent in a trade.
Current Backups/Utility Options
Alex Guerrero (Dodgers), Brad Miller (Mariners), Grant Green (Angels), Derek Dietrich (Marlins), Aaron Hill (D-Backs), Cliff Pennington (D-Backs), Stephen Drew (Yankees), Emilio Bonifacio (White Sox), Gordon Beckham (White Sox), Brock Holt (Red Sox), Eric Sogard (A’s), Yangervis Solarte (Padres), Dan Uggla (Nationals), Adam Rosales (Rangers), Ryan Goins (Blue Jays), Eduardo Escobar (Twins), Eduardo Nunez (Twins), Ryan Raburn (Indians), Pete Kozma (Cardinals)
- Guerrero may be the most interesting name here. He’s come up in trade rumors on numerous occasions and shown excellent power in a pitcher-friendly environment. However, he also gains the right to become a free agent at season’s end if he’s traded at any point throughout his deal.
- Miller is young and has the upside remaining to profile as a starter for interested teams (though possibly at shortstop and not second base). He’d probably be difficult for the Mariners to move, but they have Robinson Cano at second base and other internal shortstop options such as Chris Taylor and the currently injured Ketel Marte.
- Green and Dietrich have been looked at as potential starters in the past and have been productive Triple-A bats with limited success in the Majors. Neither exactly fits the mold of top prospect, but a team looking for controllable infield depth could inquire on either. Dietrich is hitting well for the Marlins this season, but he grades out poorly from a defensive standpoint at both second base and his current position, third base. He’s already 26, and if the Marlins hang onto Martin Prado, he’d be left without a starting spot for 2016.
- There’s been nothing to suggest that Holt is available in trades, but from a purely speculative standpoint, his versatility would make him appealing to other clubs if the 42-49 Red Sox are open to dealing from their big league roster.
- Hill falls into the “overpriced veteran” territory, as does Drew (to a lesser extent). The rest of the list consists of utility types (Solarte, Bonifacio, Pennington) and/or defensive specialists (Goins, Kozma).
Currently in the Minors
Javier Baez (Cubs), Arismendy Alcantara (Cubs), Nick Franklin (Rays), Jose Pirela (Yankees), Erisbel Arruebarrena (Dodgers)
I kept the list of players at the minor league level to those that have experience in the Majors already, as listing every productive minor league second baseman that could be dealt opens an extremely wide range of speculation — even for the purposes of a post like this. Baez’s name is the most highly regarded in this bunch. His power and bat speed are well known, but so, too, is his proclivity for strikeouts. He’d still probably have to be a return for a pretty notable piece in order to be traded. Alcantara and Franklin have both been viewed as potential starters in the past, while Pirela’s probably more of a utility option. Arruebarrena is an expensive defensive specialist that has seemingly fallen out of favor with his organization.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Pitching Market, O’s, Zunino, Inciarte, Astros
In his latest notes post for FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal writes that while he opined on Saturday that pitching-hungry GMs should act sooner rather than later, he spoke to one exec yesterday that plans to wait until the trade deadline is nearly at hand, believing prices will drop late in the month. A second exec opined to Rosenthal, though, that the market for pitchers other than Johnny Cueto and Cole Hamels will soften in the coming days. Rosenthal gets the sense that the trade market will “erupt” and action will be “frenetic,” but it might take awhile to reach that boiling point.
Some highlights from his column (though I’d recommend checking out the entire column)…
- Orioles GM Dan Duquette is very serious about wanting to add a bat and has indeed expressed interest in Jay Bruce, Justin Upton and Carlos Gomez, but as Rosenthal notes, the Orioles may have the thinnest farm system in the game. Baseball America ranked Baltimore’s farm just 29th heading into the season, and that was before recent injuries to top arms Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey. The team has some interesting names ready at the Triple-A level, but they also need to replace departing free agents Chris Davis, Matt Wieters and Wei-Yin Chen and will need to rely on the farm to fill some of those holes.
- The Mariners aren’t just looking for a backup to Mike Zunino, Rosenthal hears, but a veteran option who would allow them to send Zunino back to Triple-A. Of course, he points out the fact that Seattle had such a player in the form of Welington Castillo but traded him to the D-Backs in the Mark Trumbo deal, only to watch Castillo out-hit Trumbo.
- The Padres talked with the Diamondbacks about a trade that would’ve brought both Aaron Hill and Ender Inciarte to San Diego during Spring Training, and they’ve made a much more recent inquiry on Inciarte than that as well. The D-Backs are also receiving interest in David Peralta, Rosenthal writes, but Arizona isn’t motivated to trade either outfielder. Both are controlled through the 2020 season. Inciarte is a logical trade candidate for the Padres, in my mind, as a plus defender in center field and a left-handed bat — two things which the club currently lacks.
- The Phillies may end up hanging on to Jeff Francoeur rather than trading him, according to Rosenthal. While a last-place team hanging onto a short-term veteran such as Francoeur seems counter-intuitive, he notes that the return on Francoeur would be extremely minimal, so the team may value his leadership over the warm body they’d receive for trading him. I agree that the return on Francoeur, who’s hitting .257/.288/.449 with suspect range in the corner outfield, wouldn’t be all that exciting.
- The Astros do want to add a bat, but the team’s search for starting pitcher is a significantly greater priority, sources tell Rosenthal. GM Jeff Luhnow did tell MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart on Friday that getting a bat is a growing area of focus, however, and Chris Carter hasn’t played since Friday due to an ankle sprain. (He and other Houston first basemen have struggled at the plate even when healthy, as well.)
NL Notes: Mercer, Morel, Cueto, Bruce, Alvarez, Upton
Pirates infielder Jordy Mercer was injured by a take out slide while turning a double play earlier today. The extent of the injury is unknown. The Pirates may activate utility infielder Brent Morel if Mercer misses more than a few days, writes Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The club is already carrying a short bench, and none of the three healthy players have experience at third base. Morel was pulled from his Triple-A start today. The Pirates 40-man roster is full, so activating Morel will require a roster move.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter) heard that the Reds did not want to trade Johnny Cueto last month because they feared having to watch him pitch for another team in the All-Star Game. Of course, Cueto was not named an All-Star and he remains a member of the Reds as of this writing.
- The Orioles are among the teams scouting the Reds, tweets Morosi. They’re most interested in Cueto and outfielder Jay Bruce. Cueto is a free agent after the season, but Bruce is under contract through 2016 for $12.5MM with a $13MM ($1MM buyout) for 2017.
- Pirates manager Clint Hurdle acknowledged the challenges Pedro Alvarez is having in his first season at first base, but he told reporters, including Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that he’s not about to lobby GM Neal Huntington to make a move. “I think our [GM] knows as well as I do what we’re looking to identify as strengths and weaknesses on our club,” Hurdle said. “We will do everything we can to fortify and make our club better. I’m not a fan of saying OK, we need A, B and C when A, B and C are out there [in the clubhouse].”
- Justin Upton was pulled out of today’s game early, but it wasn’t a sign of an impending trade as many speculated. The Padres simply had a muscle tighten up on him in the middle of today’s contest and he was pulled from the game as a precaution due to weather, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
Phillies Notes: Hamels, Revere, Giles
Phillies lefty Cole Hamels had a rough outing on Sunday but he insists that he’s healthy, as Todd Zolecki of MLB.com writes. He also says he’s not worried about how his recent outings may impact his value. “I think my track record speaks for itself,” the Phillies ace said. “But sometimes you can get yourself in a rut and you’ve got to get yourself out, and sometimes you get on a hot streak and you can go for months, so it’s just being able to start back over and see what I can do from the first pitch.”
Here’s more related to Hamels and the Phillies:
- People around baseball are wondering if there’s something wrong with Hamels, Buster Olney of ESPN.com tweets. In his last two outings, Hamels has thrown a combined 6.1 innings while allowing 14 runs, 20 hits, and two walks. Hamels has a history of minor elbow and shoulder injuries. He missed a few starts earlier this season with a hamstring strain. For what it’s worth, his velocity has remained consistent through his recent plunge. A decline in velocity is often a leading indicator of injury.
- The Red Sox sent VP Allard Baird to scout Hamels today, reports Gordon Edes of ESPN. Unfortunately, today’s outing probably didn’t provide much useful information for potential suitors. In my opinion, the Red Sox may not be the best positioned to acquire Hamels. On the fringe of the AL East pennant race, Boston is on Hamels’ limited no-trade list. It’s unclear if he would waive his no-trade protection to join the Sox if they fall farther out of the race.
- In addition to the Red Sox, the Dodgers, Orioles, Rangers, and Cubs had scouts in attendance for Hamels’ start, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Angels were also present, but they were said to be scouting hitters.
- Outfielder Ben Revere understands he could be traded in the next few days, writes Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He admits that anxiety increases as the trade deadline approaches. Revere, 27, is hitting .297/.336/.377 with a career high .080 ISO. It wouldn’t shock me if the Phillies kept Revere. None of the current contenders are said to be looking for a speedy outfielder, so most teams probably view him as a tertiary target. I could see him filling a role similar to that of Royals outfielder Jarrod Dyson. However, with his huge range in the outfield and reliable offensive production, he can be of some benefit to the Phillies as they break in a new generation of pitchers.
- Ken Giles is prepared to step in as closer, writes Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Phillies are widely expected to trade All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon in the next couple weeks. Giles ticks all the prerequisites of the modern closer. His fastball touches 100 mph, and he also features a wipeout slider. In his brief major league career, he has a 1.46 ERA, 11.99 K/9, and 2.92 BB/9 in 86 innings. For those looking to keep up to date on all closer news, check out @CloserNews on Twitter.
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/19/15
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- The Nationals are set to call up reliever Abel de los Santos, tweets Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. The 22-year-old was acquired over the offseason from the Rangers (along with infielder Chris Bostick) for Ross Detwiler. A hard-throwing righty, de los Santos had a 2.65 ERA, 8.44 K/9, and 1.69 BB/9 in 37 innings at Double-A. His promotion will necessitate a move on the Nationals’ 40-man roster which is currently full.
- Evan Meek has signed with an unknown Korean team, reports Sung Min Kim of River Ave Blues. Meek, 32, threw 37 innings for the Nationals Triple-A affiliate this season. He posted a 2.15 ERA with 7.88 K/9 and 4.54 BB/9. A veteran of six major league campaigns, Meek has a career 3.63 ERA in 196 relief innings. He was an All Star in 2010 while playing with the Pirates.
- The Mariners have optioned designated hitter Jesus Montero to Triple-A, writes Greg Johns of MLB.com. Montero, 25, was temporarily filling J.A. Happ’s roster spot. As many remember, the Yankees traded Montero for Michael Pineda during the 2012-2013 offseason. Neither player returned much value prior to this season, but Pineda has emerged as a force in the Yankees rotation and Montero is now showing some life too. During his five game audition, he went 3-for-10 with three walks and one strikeout. He’s hitting .332/.370/.529 at Triple-A with 15 home runs in 368 plate appearances.
- The Brewers have released former 2009 second round pick Cameron Garfield, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Constitution. In parts of six seasons, Garfield failed to advance beyond High-A. This year, he hit .233/.267/.306 in 202 plate appearances. Per Haudricourt, the Brewers had five picks in the first two rounds of the 2009 draft. Garfield was the last one remaining in the system.
AL Rumors: Axford, Hamels, Red Sox
It’s been almost one year since the trade that sent Tommy Milone from the A’s to the Twins and the deal has suited the hurler well, Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com writes. Through eleven starts this season with Minnesota, Milone owns a 2.84 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. Milone didn’t demand a trade from Oakland, but he did politely request one.
“It wasn’t like a ‘Here, trade me type thing,’” Milone said. “Obviously it wasn’t something that was supposed to be (public). It’s just one of those things that if they felt there wasn’t a spot open up here, then I’d like to see if there’s an opportunity elsewhere. And I guess it presented itself with Sam Fuld being available. It’s kind of bittersweet to leave after a few years of being here, leaving some of the guys and the coaching staff. But there was an opportunity.”
Here’s more from the AL..
- The Tigers are among the teams that have inquired on Rockies reliever John Axford, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. However, at this point, it’s far from a certainty that the Tigers will be buyers. The Tigers are 45-46 after today’s loss against the Orioles. Here’s more from the American League..
- The Red Sox, as expected, were on hand for Cole Hamels’ Sunday start and Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that there was a high-ranking scout there to watch the Phillies ace. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter) noted that it might be hard to gauge Hamels as the Marlins are missing Giancarlo Stanton, Dee Gordon, and Michael Morse. Even with Miami at less than 100% strength, Hamels didn’t have a great showing, allowing five runs on eight hits in three innings of work.
- A scout at today’s game told Crasnick (on Twitter) that Hamels “looked hot..and not very interested in being out there.” Of course, that’s somewhat understandable to those of us in the Northeast today.
- Manager John Gibbons told reporters that Aaron Sanchez will pitch in relief when he returns to the Blue Jays later this week, Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star tweets. One might speculate that Sanchez being slotted in the bullpen might be a sign that Toronto intends on acquiring a starter between now and the deadline. Sanchez will make one relief appearance in Triple-A before joining the Blue Jays’ bullpen.
Orioles Interested In Upton, Gomez
4:08pm: The O’s have also inquired on Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. As Rosenthal writes, it’s questionable as to whether the Orioles have the prospects necessary for a big move.
Rosenthal reported on Saturday that the Astros have also scouted Gomez. Late last week, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported that the Brewers are now showing a willingness to trade both Gomez and Jean Segura.
3:50pm: The Astros also have interest in Upton, Morosi tweets. The Astros are on their way to a 51-43 record as they lead the Rangers by a wide margin.
3:45pm: The Orioles have expressed interest in trading for Padres outfielder Justin Upton, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The O’s have been looking to add an outfielder this season.
The Orioles aren’t the first team to show interest in Upton this summer. The Mets are reportedly aiming high in their pursuit of outfield help and Upton is high on their list. Upton, who is in his first year with the Padres, is owed the prorated portion of a $14.5MM salary for the rest of the season. Through 370 plate appearances this season, Upton owns a slash line of .252/.331/.426 with 15 homers plus 17 stolen bases.
For his part, Upton said recently that he hopes to stay in San Diego.
“At this point, I haven’t given up on the team,” said Upton late last week. “I really like the guys, and I like the clubhouse. We still have some time to change the minds of the front office. In a perfect world, we play well over the next two or three weeks and [GM] A.J. [Preller] pumps the brakes on dismantling the team.”
The Orioles are 46-45 after topping the Tigers earlier today, putting them 4.0 games behind the first place Yankees in the AL East.
Mets Not Anxious To Trade Jon Niese
The Mets view prospects such as center fielder Brandon Nimmo, shortstop Gavin Cecchini, and right-hander Michael Fulmer as trade chips in a possible deal, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. Meanwhile, Puma also hears that the Mets are not anxious to move Jon Niese since they may need his innings going forward. Marc Carig of Newsday (on Twitter) hears that the Mets feel they have enough talent in the system to get help at the deadline.
On Sunday morning, Cafardo wrote that there’s currently a feeling in the organization that the Mets will make a move for a hitter in the coming days with Niese being the outgoing asset. Niese has been pitching well as of late, but that hasn’t sold everyone.
“It changes nothing for me,” an NL exec told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. “Stuff has gotten lighter every year. The Mets are going to tell everyone it’s as good as ever to keep trade value high.”
Nimmo, 22, was the Mets’ No. 13 overall pick in the 2011 draft. The center fielder has spent the bulk of the year in Double-A Binghamton and has hit .284/.346/.373 in 260 plate appearances. Coming into the year, Nimmo was ranked as the No. 45 prospect in the country by Baseball America while Fulmer was rated No. 98. All three prospects are former first-round selections.
Angels Interested In Jay Bruce
2:00pm: The Angels doing their due diligence on a number of Reds players, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times tweets. There’s no trade brewing at this point with Bruce or any other Reds player.
1:33pm: The Angels are interested in Reds outfielder Jay Bruce, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Morosi adds that the Halos have a scout in Cincinnati watching the Reds take on the Indians.
It was reported on Saturday that the Reds have opened the doors on a fire sale and Bruce was among the many players listed as possibilities to be shopped. Through 86 games this season, Bruce has hit .255/.342/.474 with 14 home runs.
Bruce, who is owed about $19.5MM through 2016, has a $13MM club option for 2017 on his contract as well. He underwent knee surgery early last season but rushed back in less than a month, which some believe to be a significant factor in his diminished play in 2014 and early 2015. Bruce can reportedly block trades to the D-Backs, Red Sox, Marlins, Twins, Yankees, A’s, Rays and Blue Jays.
Even though Bruce has only come up in trade rumors in recent weeks, ESPN’s Buster Olney heard that the Reds have had the outfielder “available for awhile.” For his career, Bruce owns a .251/.325/.467 slash line through eight seasons with the Reds.
