Click here to read a transcript of today’s live chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Archives for June 2016
Blue Jays Designate Matt Dominguez Off Active Roster
TODAY: Dominguez has cleared waivers and been optioned, so he’ll stay with Toronto, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
YESTERDAY, 2:34pm: Dominguez is only being designated off of the active roster so he can pass through optional assignment waivers, Nicholson-Smith clarifies on Twitter. That procedural step was required because he is three or more years removed from his major league debut. It’s a revocable waiver placement that is generally considered a formality, so Toronto does not appear at risk of losing Dominguez.
1:39pm: The Blue Jays have designated third baseman Matt Dominguez for assignment, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets. His roster spot will go to switch-pitching reliever Pat Venditte.
Dominguez has seen only five games of action for Toronto in two brief stints, recording no hits in 12 plate appearances on the year. He does own a useful-enough .287/.333/.419 slash over 183 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, but clearly he was on the fringes of the Jays’ plans.
It’s not clear whether the 26-year-old will ever get another full crack at regular major league action, but he’s young and skilled enough for it to remain a possibility. Dominguez has a twenty home run MLB season under his belt and is capable of playing both corner infield spots.
NL Notes: Velasquez, Fernandez, Posey, Peralta, Masterson
Phillies righty Vincent Velasquez was pulled from his start today after just two pitches — neither of which clocked in over 87 mph, per Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links). That’s an ominous sign for Velasquez, who just turned 24 yesterday. He has shown both immense promise and some inconsistency, but overall has looked like an important piece of the organization’s future by throwing 61 1/3 innings of 3.67 ERA ball with 10.7 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9. The team is calling it right biceps soreness for now, as MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki tweets, but that doesn’t necessarily reduce any concern. It’s too early for a full assessment, of course, but the fact that the former Tommy John patient has a problem in the elbow area is troubling.
Here’s some other news form the National League:
- The Marlins are “pessimistic” about their chances of inking ace Jose Fernandez to a long-term pact, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. He has been at peak form since returning from his Tommy John surgery, especially of late, and the club appears to think he wouldn’t bite at the $25MM AAV put on future free agent seasons in Stephen Strasburg’s recent extension.
- Superstar Giants catcher Buster Posey is dealing with an irritate nerve in his right thumb, but he suggests it’s an injury that can be managed (video link via KNBR). Posey, 29, is hitting well below his career rate over his first 212 plate appearances, though he’s still humming along at a productive /.257/.316/.450 clip.
- Cardinals infielder Jhonny Peralta sees his move to third base as more than just a temporary switch, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Soon to turn 34, Peralta says that he could find a home at the hot corner. “I know I am getting older and you have Diaz being younger,” he said, “so third base might be my future. I have a future there. Hopefully, I’ll play it as well as I need to play it. It could be my fit.” As Goold notes, the front-loaded structure of Peralta’s contract leaves the team on the hook for just $10MM next year. Peralta will hit the open market again thereafter. He has maintained his offensive production since signing with St. Louis, posting a .269/.336/.429 batting line over 1,272 plate appearances.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington says that the organization has seen some promising signs from veteran righty Justin Masterson, MLB.com’s Adam Berry reports, though there’s still work to be done. “You still see the life in the fastball,” said Huntington, “but it’s not the mid-90s power-sink that Justin had when he was so successful. We’re still working to get him back … to get the mechanics to where he’s comfortable with them and build the arm strength. We’re still in that phase.”
AL East Notes: Swihart, Kelly, Sox Pitching, HanRam, Gallardo, Wandy, Forsythe
Red Sox catcher/outfielder Blake Swihart appears to be dealing with a fairly significant ankle injury, as Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald tweets. For now, he’s in a hard cast, and skipper John Farrell declined to address whether or not the injury could sideline him for the entire season. The club is expected to assess the options in two weeks’ time. Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal asks whether the loss of Swihart, who just joined Brock Holt on the DL, means it’s time for the team to go find a left fielder via trade. Boston doesn’t seem inclined to lean on Rusney Castillo, and prefers Chris Young in a fourth-outfielder role. MacPherson ticks through a few trade possibilities.
Here’s more out of Boston and the rest of the AL East:
- Adding to the pitching questions facing the Red Sox, righty Joe Kelly left his Triple-A start yesterday with a groin injury, as Bill Koch of the Providence Journal reports. There’s no indication yet on his prognosis, and Kelly has struggled to establish himself at the majors, but the club can scarcely part with any depth at this point. It’s worth noting, too, that some have suggested the team consider shifting the power righty to the bullpen, so any loss could tell in that department as well.
- The Red Sox face a tall task in adding a starter, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe opines. For one thing, the market could be thin; for another, some injuries to and performance dips from upper-level prospects have reduced the club’s pool of trade chips. Tim Britton of the Providence Journal looks at some rotation options for Boston, and his list of possibilities largely validates Cafardo’s outlook.
- There have been plenty of good vibes and positive signs from Hanley Ramirez this year, but Alex Speier of the Boston Globe wonders whether we’re seeing a larger decline from the Red Sox first baseman. As Speier explains, Ramirez is exhibiting troubling signs of a loss of power and erosion of ability to make frequent and good contact.
- The Orioles are nearing a decision on whether and when to activate rehabbing starter Yovani Gallardo, as Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com writes. He’s lined up to take the mound in Toronto this weekend, but the club could let him make another rehab start after a somewhat tepid outing yesterday.
- Meanwhile, Orioles righty Wandy Rodriguez is nearing a decision on whether he’ll opt out of his minor league pact with the organization, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). He has the right to decline a minor league assignment, and reportedly prefers to find a major league opportunity. The veteran threw yesterday at extended Spring Training and is expected to make the call in the near term.
- Rays infielder Logan Forsythe is headed out on a Triple-A rehab assignment, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. That keeps him in line to return early next week, which could provide a significant boost to a club that remains five games under .500 and stuck in last place in the AL East. Forsythe is one of several important players who are currently sidelined for Tampa Bay. Pitchers Alex Cobb and Brad Boxberger as well as outfielders Kevin Kiermaier and Brandon Guyer are all on more extended timelines to return, with only Guyer expected back within the next few weeks.
Top 10 Trade Candidates
This represents the second iteration of MLBTR’s top 10 trade candidate series. We’ve already seen a name fly off the shelf, as last week’s fifth-ranked trade candidate — James Shields — was flipped from the Padres to the White Sox.
Remember, we’re not just ranking players by skill alone; we’re looking at overall asset value and trade likelihood. To assess trade value, we’re starting with overall on-field value — with a premium on an ability to make an impact in the current season — and then adjusting for contract and market factors. With contenders’ needs in relatively sharp focus, limitations such as future contract status, age, and niche role (platoon bats, relief-only pitchers) tend to have less of a drag on value — though obviously they still matter quite a bit. With regard to the likelihood of a swap, the focus is on potential selling teams’ motivation to deal, with contract status, near and long-term roster fit, and overall competitiveness all weighing heavily. Some teams simply aren’t in a position at present where it makes sense to include their top potential trade chips, but that will evolve over the coming weeks.
Without further ado, here’s this week’s list:
1. Jonathan Lucroy, C, Brewers — Lucroy holds the top spot again, and barring a surprise move up the charts, he could stay there until he’s traded. It probably makes sense for Milwaukee to let the market shake out a bit before a deal, though, as several clubs with plausible catching needs may wish to wait and see how injury and performance issues progress over the coming weeks. Plus, with a high-value asset, an unexpected injury can always have a huge impact.
2. Rich Hill, SP, Athletics — Hill is currently out with a groin strain, but hasn’t yet been put on the DL, and the hope is that he can take the ball on Friday. At this point, a minor non-arm injury isn’t enough to ding Hill’s interesting trade candidacy. But the 36-year-old has already recorded more major league innings this year (64) than he has in any season since 2007, and durability will be watched closely by suitors looking to gauge his value.
3. Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers — Speaking of injuries, that’s probably the biggest variable on the market for the veteran Milwaukee slugger. He’s missed nine of the club’s last 21 games, and the list of maladies seems only to grow. But Braun has been as good as ever when he has been on the field, so he continues to occupy a top spot.
4. Jay Bruce, OF, Reds — After two straight years with below-average offensive production, Bruce is mashing. Yet he finds himself rated at or just above replacement level by measure of WAR. The culprit? A precipitous dive in his defensive metrics. He’s tied for a league-worst -11 defensive runs saved and is the lowest-rated qualifying defender in baseball by measure of UZR. The struggles with the glove limit his value and his market, but he’s still a prime target for teams in search of offense.
5. Arodys Vizcaino, RP, Braves — The Viz Kid has been among the game’s top 15 relievers by most any measure, and he’s posted significant jumps in ground-ball rate (56.9%) and swinging-strike rate (17.2%) to support his improvement over an already-strong 2015 season. Vizcaino has three more years of arb control remaining and should remain quite affordable, even though his save accumulation will begin to boost his salaries. That makes him a future asset for Atlanta, but the bet here is that he’s the likeliest of the team’s controllable assets to be dealt this summer.
6. Danny Valencia, 3B, Athletics — Valencia continues to rake, and the A’s continue to scuffle, so he makes a big move into the top ten. Needless to say, the one-time journeyman doesn’t seem terribly likely to maintain his current .343/.387/.580 batting line — he’s carrying a .374 BABIP, for one thing — but it’s hard to ignore that the 31-year-old has hit at a .291/.336/.492 clip over nearly 1,000 plate appearances dating back to 2013. Though Valencia doesn’t grade out very well at third or on the bases, his overall value is boosted by the fact that he’s appeared in the corner outfield and even second base at the game’s highest level. Jed Lowrie is another second/third candidate to watch from Oakland.
7. Julio Teheran, SP, Braves — Every quality start Teheran turns in raises his appeal — along with Atlanta’s already-steep asking price. Teams will forgive his 1-6 record, of course, and they’ll be drawn to his 200-inning history and 2.92 ERA. On the other hand, the 25-year-old continues to outperform ERA estimators and isn’t elite in the strikeout or ground-ball departments. While Teheran may be available for the right offer, it remains tricky to see a deal coming together.
8. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Rockies — I’ve said before that I’m not convinced the Rockies will sell, let alone that they’ll move the second of their two former franchise faces. But with the team still producing middling results and new stars rising, perhaps the time for a CarGo swap is finally upon us. Since reeling off a five-game winning streak in mid-May, Colorado has gone 6-13 and currently sits eight games back of the Giants in the NL West. Gonzalez, meanwhile, is producing at a typically solid clip and would be one of the game’s bigger deadline chips. He’s still just 30 years of age, and while his injury history is troubling, he seems reasonably priced at $17MM this year and $20MM next.
9. Fernando Abad, RP, Twins — He’s still the best high-performing, obviously-available lefty out there, and he’d appeal to a wide variety of teams since he’s playing for a relative pittance. But Abad’s time on the top-ten list may not be long; even if he doesn’t follow Shields as an early trade piece, there are some other arms that may soon challenge. The Brewers’ Will Smith could warrant for a spot if he continues to pitch well upon his return, though he’s no certain trade piece since he’s only a Super Two. Keep an eye on Jake McGee of the Rockies; his velocity and swinging strike rates are off, and he’s not especially cheap, but his track record is intriguing. Oh, and I hear that the Yankees have a couple of guys — if they decide to sell. And that’s all before accounting for the right-handed relief contingent.
10. Melvin Upton, OF, Padres — The much-maligned elder Upton isn’t exactly living up to his old standards, but he’s running wild on the bases and playing quality defense while hitting enough to be a useful reserve outfielder for a contender. True, Jon Jay is a more valuable trade chip — he’s doing more at the plate, is much cheaper, and is a pure rental — and he’s the pick here of my colleague Steve Adams. But I’m going with Bossman Junior for now because the Friars have shown some real salary-shedding motivation of late — not just in moving Shields, but also in the very swap that brought Jay to San Diego (for Jedd Gyorko and a big chunk of his contract) and, to some extent, both the Craig Kimbrel deal and the trade that landed Drew Pomeranz (with over $5MM of salary going with the players that headed to the A’s). The time may be right to offload as much as possible of the Pads’ remaining commitment (he’s earning $15.45MM this year and $16.45MM next). On the topic of shedding salary, the Padres would probably love to shed Matt Kemp’s deal, but it’s tough to envision suitors lining up for a .249 OBP, even if his production has been on the upswing for 10 games or so.
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Falling Out:
Chris Carter, 1B, Brewers — He is now in an extended stretch of marginal hitting, which reduces the goodwill he built up early.
Trevor Plouffe, 3B, Twins — Plouffe continues to underwhelm, and the Twins’ trade intentions remain unclear despite their increasingly dire straits at the major league level.
Already Traded: James Shields (Padres to White Sox)
Just Missed:
Sonny Gray, Jed Lowrie, Ryan Madson & Sean Doolittle (Athletics) — We’ll see how Gray rebounds and how the A’s approach the deadline with respect to a core player who doesn’t need to be moved unless a great opportunity arises. All of these players come with future control, with high price tags likely being slapped onto Gray and Doolittle, especially.
Ender Inciarte (Braves) — Inciarte could have a future role in Atlanta and isn’t at peak value right now.
Jeremy Jeffress & Will Smith (Brewers) — Likewise, these two arms are affordable and controllable, so there’s no rush; but if the trade chatter picks up, and Smith proves he’s back, then both could move onto the board.
Jeremy Hellickson, David Hernandez, Andrew Bailey & Jeanmar Gomez (Phillies) — Philadelphia somewhat surprisingly still remains within striking distance of contention as of early June, but even that might not necessarily deter them from flipping Hellickson while his value is at a considerably higher point than it was when he was originally acquired. Hernandez is a one-year rental, and Gomez’s out-of-the-blue emergence as the team’s closer will balloon his arbitration salary, so perhaps the Phillies will look to sell high on him as well. Bailey hasn’t been healthy in years, but he’s whiffed 17 hitters in 17 2/3 innings this season, and is lined up to hit free agency this winter, so moving him certainly makes sense.
Brad Ziegler, Daniel Hudson, Tyler Clippard & Welington Castillo (Diamondbacks) — I’m bumping the fading D-Backs into the likely seller camp, but their intentions remain unclear and all of their most obvious potential chips come with some questions (both as to quality and the willingness of the team to move them).
Andrew Cashner, Derek Norris, Jon Jay & Fernando Rodney (Padres) — Cashner and Norris just haven’t performed thus far. Rodney has, at least in the earned run department (he hasn’t allowed one), but the K/BB ratio doesn’t suggest vintage Rodney and there’s some batted-ball luck (.167 BABIP-against). On the other hand, his swinging-strike rate has recovered to prime levels and his batted-ball profile (lots of soft contact and grounders) looks like it did in Rodney’s excellent 2012-13 seasons, so he’s certainly one to watch.
Zack Cozart (Reds) — Always a gifted defender, Cozart’s bat is on the rise again this year, but it remains to be seen how interested Cincinnati is in moving him and the demand side at shortstop remains unclear. Fellow infielders Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips both have no-trade rights and big contracts, so unless something changes they don’t seem likely to move.
Ervin Santana (Twins) — Santana is not so different from Shields at this stage of their respective careers, so he could rise with some improved results.
Injured: Tyson Ross (Padres), Josh Reddick (Athletics)
Not Yet Eligible: I’m still not quite willing to push the Rays, Yankees, or Angels into the selling ranks. All of these clubs still are holding out hopes of contention, and the latter two in particular will likely wait until the bitter end before making their best assets available.
Top Draft Prospect Delvin Perez Fails Drug Test
11:08pm: Perez tested positive for “an undisclosed performance enhancer,” according to John Manuel and J.J. Cooper of Baseball America. Cooper and Manuel cite conversations with “multiple decision makers” in adding that there’s an expectation that he’ll still go in the first round to a team that gets approval from ownership, as his talent will be deemed too enticing to pass up.
Cooper and Manuel also report that University of Kentucky infielder JaVon Shelby tested positive for Adderall, which is considered a performance enhancer despite its common usage as a treatment for ADHD. Shelby isn’t as highly regarded as Perez, though he did rate 260th in BA’s compilation of the top 500 prospects in this year’s draft class.
6:00pm: Top draft prospect Delvin Perez, a shortstop out of Puerto Rico, has been sliding on recent mock drafts from draft experts, and Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the reason for the slide is a failed drug test. ESPN’s Keith Law tweets that he’s heard the same. It’s not clear whether the substance in question was recreational or performance enhancing, but Law adds that he’s been told the substance was not marijuana. Baseball America’s John Manuel adds further context, tweeting that the Major League scouting bureau tests the top 200 prospects in the draft each year and sends results to teams, but this year’s batch of test results are “unusually late” and have not yet been received by MLB clubs.
Perez, still just 17 years of age (he’ll turn 18 in November), has drawn interest as high as No. 2 overall in the draft (the Reds), according to Heyman. While he was projected to go in the top five to 10 selections of the draft earlier this spring, he fell out of the first round entirely on Baseball America’s most recent mock draft (published earlier today) and slid to No. 13 on Law’s latest attempt to map out the first round.
Baseball America’s scouting report (subscription required and wholeheartedly recommended) pegs Perez as a true shortstop with all the tools to stay at the position from a defensive standpoint as well as plus speed and excellent bat speed. MLB.com’s scouting report on Delvin offers many of the same pluses and minuses, as each outlet notes that he needs work on his pitch recognition and approach at the plate. Earlier today, Law called him “the most tooled-up player in the [draft] class” and added that he’s the “ideal high-ceiling selection” for a patient team that is content to wait for the considerable development and refinement which Perez requires (Insider subscription required and recommended here as well).
Details surrounding Perez’s test remain unclear, so for the time being it’s impossible to determine exactly what type of slide he’ll experience in the draft. It’s not uncommon to see high school players that slide in the draft ultimately attend college instead of signing, but per BA’s scouting report, Perez has not committed to a college. Of course, depending on the substance in question, there may not be any type of slide at all; Rockies right-hander Jon Gray tested positive for Adderall in the weeks leading up to the draft and was still selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 draft, for instance. Braves righty Aaron Blair, who went 36th overall to the Diamondbacks that same year (roughly in line with many of his initial projections), tested positive for Adderall as well.
NL Notes: Taillon, Masterson, Bryant, Phillies, McCarthy
Jameson Taillon’s much-anticipated Major League debut will come tomorrow, as the Pirates announced earlier today, but GM Neal Huntington implied that the young right-hander’s promotion may be rather short-lived in nature. Via Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link), Huntington said: “This may be a spot start for Jameson. A lot of that decision will be beyond his control.” Taillon has utterly dominated Triple-A Indianapolis this season, posting a 2.04 ERA with a 61-to-6 K/BB ratio in 61 2/3 innings, spanning 10 starts. One has to imagine that innings are a concern for the Pirates when it comes to Taillon, as injuries prevented the former No. 2 overall pick from pitching in both 2014 and 2015.
Here’s the latest from the National League:
- Right-hander Justin Masterson will take Taillon’s spot on the roster at Indianapolis, tweets the team’s media communications coordinator, Ryan Sheets. Masterson sat down recently with Charlie Wilmoth of MLBTR and SB Nation’s Bucs Dugout to discuss his rehab from shoulder surgery, his decision to sign with the Pirates and the long-term talks he had with Cleveland prior to hitting the open market in the 2014-15 offseason. Masterson acknowledged that his shoulder hasn’t been in great shape for quite some time and implied that it could’ve derailed an agreement in Cleveland even if one had been reached. He also praised the Pirates organization as an appealing landing spot and added that the location of the club’s Triple-A affiliate, in Indianapolis where he makes his home, was alluring as well.
- Service time considerations played an oft-noted role in the promotional timeline of young Cubs star Kris Bryant, leading to a still-pending grievance. As Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports, though, Bryant calls the matter a thing of the past. While the actual grievance proceeding has yet to reach a hearing, with all involved seemingly waiting for the new CBA to be negotiated, Bryant says it “never even crossed [his] mind” entering the season. “For me it’s just important to continue to go out there and do what I do, so that I can help the team in any way possible in where we’re at today,” Bryant said. “It’s just important for me to not even worry about it right now because it takes away from so much of what we have going this year. And that was last year’s news.”
- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin says that he’s nearing a resolution of the team’s first-base situation, as Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com reports. It seems quite possible that Tommy Joseph will receive the official designation as the starting first bagger, which is essentially the way things have been trending anyway. That would put Ryan Howard in a tenuous position, though it’s not at all clear whether Philadelphia has any intentions of cutting him loose. The 24-year-old Joseph is off to a nice .311/.313/.590 start over his first 64 MLB plate appearances, while the 36-year-old Howard is mired in a .150/.210/.333 opening to the year. In years past, we’ve talked about the former star slugger as a possible trade chip who might allow the Phillies to save some cash. Now, however, it seems he’ll either finish out the season in a limited role or end up hunting for another team on the open market.
- Dodgers right-hander Brandon McCarthy will begin a minor league rehab assignment within a week, manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). McCarthy had Tommy John surgery just weeks into the first season of a four-year, $48MM contract with the Dodgers and has been rehabbing since undergoing the operation late last April. A return to health would be a nice boost to a Dodgers rotation that has been ravaged by injuries, though he’ll of course need some time to build up innings in the minors. As for another of the Dodgers’ injured starters, Hyun-jin Ryu, Roberts said the team still doesn’t know when the left-hander will appear in a game at any level. Shoulder problems have sidelined Ryu for much of the past two years.
AL Central Notes: Indians, Sox, Bruce, Rodon, Buxton
Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti joined ESPN’s Buster Olney on his podcast on Tuesday (audio link) and discussed a number of topics, including the recent suspension of Marlon Byrd, the breakout of super utilityman Jose Ramirez, Michael Brantley’s shoulder rehab, the upcoming amateur draft and the club’s financial flexibility as the trade deadline approaches. “I don’t expect that we’ll be limited,” said Antonetti. “In fact, the years in which we’ve been in contention, ownership’s always been great about providing us the resources that we would need to improve the team. I think that we’ll still always have to be cognizant of contracts that we take on, but if there’s the right player out there on the right deal, and the talent return is the right value for us, then I’m confident we’ll be able to improve the team.” Many expect Cleveland to be on the hunt for outfield help with Byrd and Abraham Almonte suspended due to failed PED tests and Brantley’s return still undetermined.
Elsewhere in the AL Central…
- The White Sox aren’t planning to simply sit back idly after acquiring James Shields from the Padres, writes Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago. The amount of money that San Diego kicked in to cover the cost of Shields’ contract has the White Sox positioned to add “at least two more important cogs for a playoff push,” per Levine. Chief among the Sox’ needs at this point are a left-handed bat and a left-handed setup man for the bullpen. Levine lists Jay Bruce as a player of interest, though he notes that when the Sox spoke to the Reds about Bruce in Spring Training, Cincinnati was “adamant” that the Sox would have to cover at least $11MM of the $12.5MM that Bruce is earning in 2016. Beyond that, Levine writes that the chances of the South Siders parting with top prospects Tim Anderson and Carson Fulmer in any trade this season, regardless of target, are “close to zero.” For those interested in some names that could be available as targets for the Sox, MLBTR’s Jeff Todd penned an updated list of the game’s top trade candidates earlier today.
- In other White Sox news, the team will skip the next start of left-hander Carlos Rodon due to discomfort in his neck which eventually extended into his arm, per CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes (links to Twitter). The Sox had Rodon undergo an MRI as a precaution, but the test revealed no problems. GM Rick Hahn tells Hayes that Rodon wasn’t happy to be skipped, and Hayes notes that the problem appears to be short term in nature, as Rodon has been cleared to return to the mound. Miguel Gonzalez will start in his place on Thursday, and Rodon will rejoin the rotation following that.
- Byron Buxton chatted with Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press about his recent demotion and the way in which it allowed him to refocus and reevaluate his approach at the plate. As Berardino notes, Buxton has hits in all six games since returning from Triple-A Rochester, including multi-hit games in his past three contests. Buxton batted .336/.403/.603 in his 29 games with Rochester and credited Triple-A hitting coach Chad Allen for helping him to restore his confidence at the plate. While the six games since his return are obviously too small a sample from which to glean any form of definitive insight, it’s also the best stretch of games he’s delivered this season.
Angels Acquire Jose Valdez, Designate Chris Jones
The Angels announced that they have acquired right-hander Jose Valdez from the Tigers in exchange for cash considerations. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Valdez, the Halos have designated left-hander Chris Jones for assignment.
Valdez, 26, has just nine innings of Major League experience, all coming last season with Detroit. However, he’s posted fairly intriguing numbers at the minor league level, including a 3.34 ERA in 67 1/3 innings at Triple-A and a 3.32 ERA in 276 2/3 innings overall. Control has been a persistent problem for Valdez, who has averaged 5.4 walks per nine innings throughout his minor league career. He’s also averaged more than a strikeout per inning, though his ability to miss bats has not yet manifested at the Triple-A level, where he has a 51-to-43 K/BB ratio in those 67 1/3 frames.
Entering the season, Baseball America rated Valdez as Detroit’s No. 23 prospect, praising his “high-octane stuff” and calling both his fastball and slider plus pitches. However, BA also noted that Valdez’s struggles with control often leave him pitching behind in the count.
As for Jones, the 27-year-old was in his first season with the Angels organization, having been acquired in a minor trade late in Spring Training. Previously, Jones spent parts of nine seasons in the minor league systems of the Indians, Braves and Orioles. The former 15th-round pick entered the season with a 3.12 ERA in 340 1/3 innings of Triple-A work, but he’s been rocked for a 7.33 ERA in 50 1/3 innings this season. All told, he has a 3.66 ERA in 390 2/3 innings at Triple-A and a 3.62 ERA in 754 1/3 total minor league frames.
White Sox Designate Jerry Sands For Assignment
The White Sox have designated first baseman/outfielder Jerry Sands for assignment, per a club announcement. The DFA of Sands clears a spot on the 25-man roster for James Shields to be officially added. Beyond that, the Sox have also optioned outfielder Jason Coats to Triple-A Charlotte and reinstated Melky Cabrera from the family emergency leave list.
Sands, 28, has batted .236/.276/.291 through 58 plate appearances with the ChiSox this season and has struggled versus left-handed pitching despite a strong track record when holding the platoon advantage. The right-handed slugger owns a lifetime .285/.335/.477 line against southpaws but has just a .522 OPS this season, albeit in a limited sample of 20 plate appearances. With the exception of the 2013 season, Sands has spent time in the Majors each year dating back to 2011. He’s a career .238/.306/.367 hitter in 464 trips to the plate at the Major League level and has been a thorn in the side of Triple-A pitchers, against whom he’s mashed at a .268/.357/.492 clip over the life of 439 games.
Sands is no stranger to DFA limbo, as this is the fourth time he’s been designated for assignment since the beginning of the 2015 season. (Cleveland designated him on three occasions before he was ultimately claimed off waivers by the Sox.) Chicago will have 10 days to trade, outright or release Sands, though even if he clears outright waivers, he’d have the option of rejecting the assignment in favor of free agency, as is the right of any player that has been previously outrighted.
