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Latest On A’s, Josh Reddick

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10:47pm: There are no indications that the A’s and Reddick are anywhere near an extension, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Reddick is likely aiming for a deal worth upward of $15MM per annum for four-plus years, while the A’s are in the three-year, $30MM ballpark, according to Slusser.

12:24pm: The Athletics will re-open negotiations with Josh Reddick about a contract extension prior to the August 1 trade deadline, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter links).  If the two sides can’t reach an agreement to keep Reddick in Oakland beyond the 2016 season, it increases the chances that Reddick will be dealt.  That said, Rosenthal notes that the A’s “are comfortable” in keeping Reddick for the rest of the season and issuing him a qualifying offer, which would net the club a first-round draft pick as compensation if Reddick signed elsewhere in free agency.

Reddick and the A’s engaged in some talks during Spring Training, with Rosenthal reporting that negotiations stalled over contract length — the club wanted a three-year extension while the right fielder was looking for four years.  Reddick said he told his agents (Sam and Seth Levinson of ACES) that he didn’t want to personally involve himself in discussions unless a deal was close, which would seem to indicate that talks didn’t get too close to the goal line before the season began.

Of course, Reddick’s biggest concern at the moment is getting healthy, as he has been out of action since mid-May due to a fractured left thumb.  He is currently on a minor league rehab assignment that could rejoin the A’s as soon as Monday.  Before the injury, Reddick was enjoying a big season (.322/.394/.466 with five homers in 165 PA) that was boosting his stock as both a midseason trade chip and as a major offseason signing.

Prior to the season, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes speculated that Reddick could land a five-year deal in the $100MM range in free agency, both due to his talents and due to an overall lack of hitting depth on the open market next winter.  That asking price could dip a bit due to Reddick’s DL stint, though he still has plenty of season left to establish his health.

If he keeps producing, he’ll certainly top a three-year deal, so the A’s may have trouble offering a fair extension that would entice Reddick to stay.  The Athletics have rarely moved to extend veterans near free agency in the Billy Beane era, and barring a major about-face in payroll management, it would seem unlikely that the A’s would be a player for Reddick if he were to hit free agency.  Since the A’s seem confident they’ll receive at least a first-rounder back for Reddick in QO compensation, other teams will have to top that return if they’re interested in landing Reddick before the deadline.

Quick Hits: Mets, Yankees, Pirates, Tribe

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The Mets are unlikely to trade shortstop prospect Amed Rosario at this year’s deadline, reports Marc Carig of Newsday, with a source close to the team telling Carig that the 20-year-old “is going nowhere.” The 40-34 Mets haven’t involved themselves in any significant trade talks yet, according to Carig, who notes that Rosario would probably have to go in order to land the club a high-end player (Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, for instance). Rosario, who has spent most of the season at the High-A level and slashed .309/.359/.442 with three home runs and 13 steals in 290 plate appearances, entered the campaign as ESPN Keith Law’s 42nd-ranked prospect (Insider required). Baseball America (58th) and MLB.com (70th) also regard Rosario highly.

More from New York City and two other major league destinations:

  • The Yankees sat designated hitter Alex Rodriguez against Twins right-hander Tyler Duffey on Sunday, which could be the start of the Bombers only deploying the 40-year-old versus southpaws, writes George A. King III of the New York Post. In a minuscule sample size of just 55 plate appearances, Rodriguez has posed a legitimate threat this year versus lefties, against whom he has hit .275/.327/.510. Conversely, in 123 trips to the plate against righties, Rodriguez’s line is an unusable .200/.236/.348. Whether this is the beginning of the end of A-Rod’s long tenure in pinstripes is unclear, though releasing him could be an option eventually, according to ESPN’s Andrew Marchand (Twitter link). Rodriguez, who’s on a $20MM salary this year and has another $20MM coming to him in 2017, is sitting on 695 home runs – 350 of which have come in a Yankees uniform. Thus, it’s hard to imagine the club moving on from A-Rod before he joins Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth in the 700 club.
  • Pirates ace Gerrit Cole is making progress in his recovery from a strained right triceps, but it’s still unknown when the right-hander will return, per Adam Berry of MLB.com. Cole landed on the disabled list retroactive to June 11 and could have come back as early as Sunday, but he just threw off a mound for the first time since going on the DL on June 14. Cole could rejoin the Bucs’ rotation sometime in July, according to Berry, though it might not happen until after the All-Star break. With Cole unavailable, Chad Kuhl is a good bet to remain in the Pirates’ starting five. The 23-year-old righty made his major league debut Sunday against the Dodgers and threw five innings of three-run ball, striking out five and giving up four hits and four walks.
  • Winners of eight straight, the Indians own the third-best record in the American League (44-30) and are five games ahead in their division, but they still must make multiple additions to ensure a playoff berth for themselves, opines Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Specifically, the Indians need to augment their offense – perhaps by picking up an outfielder – and bullpen, Hoynes contends. Unsurprisingly, Hoynes doesn’t expect the Indians to move either of their top prospects, outfielders Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier, for a rental; however, he doesn’t dismiss the possibility of the Tribe dealing one for a player who’s under control for multiple years beyond 2016.

NL Notes: Braves, Mets, Rockies

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The recent success of Braves right-hander Bud Norris could make him an attractive option to playoff contenders as the Aug. 1 trade deadline nears, writes Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Norris dominated the Mets on Sunday over seven innings, surrendering just four hits while striking out eight. The 31-year-old lowered his ERA to 4.22 along the way and improved his strikeout and walk rates to 7.68 and 3.58, respectively, per nine innings. After a nightmarish April and a May spent in the bullpen, Norris has made six starts this month, allowing seven earned runs and collecting 29 strikeouts against eight walks over 29 1/3 innings. Norris is playing on an affordable salary ($2.5MM) this year and will be a free agent at season’s end. FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reported earlier this week that multiple teams, including the NL East rival Marlins, are interested in Norris.

More from the National League:

  • Infielder Jose Reyes might be more than a 2016 stopgap for the Mets, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. The contract Reyes, 33, inked with the Mets on Saturday also includes a team option at a league-minimum cost for 2017, according to Rubin. It’s worth noting that, thanks to third baseman David Wright’s injury troubles and second baseman Neil Walker’s status as a pending free agent, multiple positions in New York’s infield are unsettled beyond this season.
  • Rockies right-hander Eddie Butler has worked out of the rotation and bullpen this year, struggling in both roles, but the club isn’t bailing on his chances to serve as a long-term starting option. “For Eddie, his stuff is plus. You don’t want to give up on that,” manager Walt Weiss told Ben Weinrib of MLB.com. “We’ve seen him good as a starter. We’re not there yet where we’re going to give up on him as a starter.” A former high-end prospect, the 25-year-old Butler has racked up 42 1/3 innings as a starter this season and compiled a 6.54 ERA, 5.91 K/9 and 2.53 BB/9. Those numbers have contributed to his unimpressive career totals from the rotation (138 innings, 6.20 ERA, 4.89 K/9 and 3.98 BB/9).
  • The Rockies’ best current pitching prospect is righty Jeff Hoffman, whom they acquired from Toronto in the Troy Tulowitzki deal last year. Hoffman is faring well with Triple-A Alburquerque of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, as Nick Groke of the Denver Post details, but general manager Jeff Bridich told Groke that the Rockies aren’t going to rush the onetime Tommy John surgery recipient to the majors. For now, the 23-year-old Hoffman will continue sharpening his arsenal in Albuquerque. “He’s had all four pitches available to him and he’s using them,” Triple-A pitching coach Darryl Scott said. “He’s starting to recognize hitters. He’s coming into games now with a scouting report he put together, for a plan of attack. Not very many young pitchers take that step so early.”

East Notes: Sox, Buchholz, Braves, Teheran, Phillies

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In his latest rough outing, Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and five walks Sunday in a 6-2 loss to the Rangers. Afterward, manager John Farrell was noncommittal about Buchholz making his next start, per Scott Lauber of ESPN.com, though he conceded that the team might not have a better option. As their depth chart shows, Triple-A possibilities include Roenis Elias, Henry Owens and Joe Kelly, though each has fared terribly in the majors this year. Buchholz, who has spent some time in the bullpen this season, has logged a 5.90 ERA, 6.13 K/9, 4.24 BB/9 and 41.2 percent ground-ball rate through 76 1/3 innings. Those numbers are all markedly worse than the 31-year-old’s career totals and especially the terrific production he put up in 2015.

More from Boston and a couple NL East cities:

  • The Red Sox are scanning the trade market for help, but there are only five teams that have declared themselves sellers thus far as the Aug. 1 deadline nears, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Sunday. “It’s still a little early,” stated Dombrowski, who added that the Red Sox are “scuffling for positional players at this point.” (Twitter links via Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald). Injuries have sapped the Sox of depth in left field, where Brock Holt, Blake Swihart and Chris Young are all on the disabled list.
  • Red-hot Braves starter Julio Teheran has drawn interest from starter-needy Boston, but Atlanta might be better off retaining the 25-year-old than trading him, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution argues. O’Brien points to Teheran’s age, ultra-palatable contract and the lack of quality starters set to hit free agency during the upcoming offseason as reasons for the rebuilding Braves to go forth with the right-hander, who has thrown 23 straight innings without allowing a run and has lowered his ERA to a stingy 2.46 through 106 frames. Teheran has also recorded career-best strikeout and walk rates per nine innings (8.41 and 2.04, respectively) to this point. ERA estimators like FIP (3.68), xFIP (4.00) and SIERA (3.72) aren’t quite buying his results, but Teheran has consistently outperformed those figures throughout his career.
  • Phillies manager Pete Mackanin admitted Saturday that he’s in a bind with his team’s catchers, Carlos Ruiz and Cameron Rupp. “That’s the hard part of about this job. You have to give up something to get something, and right now we need offense. At least right now, Cam offers more offense,” Mackanin told Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “However, is it more important to guide the young pitcher and bring him along with some veteran experience?” With his .270/.306/.483 batting line and seven home runs in 183 plate appearances, the 27-year-old Rupp has been a bright spot in a toothless Phillies offense, though his 48:6 K:BB ratio doesn’t bode well going forward. However, while Mackanin’s worried about Rupp’s ability (or lack thereof) to aid his pitching staff, the backstop has graded well in the pitch-framing department this year. That’s not true of the 37-year-old Ruiz, who has also contributed to Philly’s offensive woes with a .219/.311/.333 line in 119 trips to the plate. Nevertheless, Mackanin is bullish on Ruiz’s game-calling abilities, notes Gelb.
  • Mackanin had center fielder Odubel Herrera shag fly balls in right field prior to the Phillies’ game Saturday, but that doesn’t mean a position change is coming. “If he reads something into it, good,” said Mackanin (via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). “Maybe he’ll think that he needs to do better. There’s nothing imminent. There’s no plans for me to move him out of there.” Notably, Herrera ranks last among qualified center fielders this year in Defensive Runs Saved (minus-7) and also grades poorly in Ultimate Zone Rating, but he has combated his fielding woes with a stellar .299/.392/.427 offensive showing and eight home runs through 319 PAs, also adding 41 walks against 58 strikeouts.

MLBTR Originals

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Here’s a look back at the original analysis MLBTR offered over the past seven days:

Pirates Designate Curtis Partch For Assignment

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The Pirates have announced a trio of roster moves, selecting the contract of righty Chad Kuhl from Triple-A so Kuhl can start tonight’s game against the Dodgers.  In corresponding moves, southpaw Kyle Lobstein was optioned to Triple-A and right-hander Curtis Partch has been designated for assignment.

[Related: Updated Pirates depth chart via Roster Resource]

Partch signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh last winter and had a brief cup of coffee in a Pirates uniform, appearing in one game and allowing three runs to the Cubs without retiring an out over three batters faced.  Partch has tossed 30 1/3 MLB innings since 2013 and he has a 4.60 ERA over 855 minor league frames (mostly in Cincinnati’s farm system) in a pro career that began in 2007.

Kuhl, a ninth-rounder in the 2013 draft, makes his big league debut tonight after rather quietly developing into one of the Pirates’ better pitching prospects.  The 23-year-old right-hander has 2.79 ERA and 2.79 K/BB rate over 438 innings in the Bucs’ system, not missing many bats (a 6.0 K/9) but generating a lot of ground balls.  MLB.com ranked Kuhl as the 16th-best prospect in the Pirates’ system while Baseball America ranked him 22nd.

AL East Notes: Buchholz, Floyd, Rays, Archer

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Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • Clay Buchholz is still getting attention from rival scouts, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports, as the feeling is that the Red Sox could make Buchholz available in a trade.  This is reliant on Buchholz regaining his old form in the rotation, of course, and if the right-hander does indeed look like the Buchholz of old, Boston could then simply keep him to reinforce the shaky back end of its rotation.
  • From that same item, Cafardo also opines that the Red Sox need to improve their bench depth by adding a veteran player or two.  An outfielder would be ideal, as that would allow Brock Holt to return to his ideal superutility role.
  • The Blue Jays announced that righty Gavin Floyd has been placed on the 15-day DL with shoulder tightness.  Floyd threw just four pitches in an appearance on Saturday before taking himself out of the game.  An arm injury of any sort is ominous for Floyd, who has missed extensive time in recent years thanks to a Tommy John surgery and two elbow fractures.  Floyd has had some problems with the long ball but has otherwise pitched pretty well in a relief role for Toronto this season, posting a 4.06 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 3.75 K/BB over 31 innings.
  • The Rays are on a 10-game losing streak and have sunk into last place in the AL East.  Not only are they looking like probable deadline sellers, but CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa wonders if it’s time for Tampa to undergo a fuller rebuild with this iteration of the roster.  The Rays have enough talent on their roster that they could again pursue their usual tactic of “constant retooling” by only moving a few notable players, though Axisa opines that the Rays’ belief in their core group could be shaken given how they’re approaching a third straight losing season.
  • Jake Odorizzi and Matt Moore are sure to be targeted by other teams approaching the Rays about pitching, but Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wonders if the Rays would consider moving Chris Archer.  The ace hasn’t pitched well since midway through last season (a 4.59 ERA over his last 32 starts) but between his track record and his inexpensive contract, he would surely net a big return if Tampa made him available.

Pirates Release Cory Luebke

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The Pirates have announced that southpaw Cory Luebke has been given his unconditional release, according to several media members (including MLB.com’s Adam Berry).  Luebke was released after he refused an assignment to Triple-A.

The Bucs designated Luebke for assignment earlier this week, ending a rough stint for the left-hander in Pittsburgh’s bullpen.  Luebke posted a 9.35 ERA over 8 2/3 innings, with 11 walks to nine strikeouts.  It was Luebke’s first taste of big league action since 2012 as his career was sidelined by multiple injuries, including two Tommy John surgeries.

Check out the MLBTR DFA Tracker for information on the many players currently awaiting their next assignment.

Mets, Giants Interested In Yunel Escobar; Angels “Listening”

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SUNDAY: The Mets have also shown interest in Escobar, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link).  Escobar could directly serve as a replacement for the injured David Wright at third, or his multi-position versatility could further add to a plethora of infield options for New York, especially now that Jose Reyes is also in the mix.

FRIDAY: The Angels are listening to offers on infielder Yunel Escobar, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). It appears that multiple teams have expressed at least some level of interest, with the Giants among them.

Escobar, 33, has continued to put up strong offensive numbers since he was acquired over the winter from the Nationals. All told, he owns a  .313/.369/.413 batting line over 892 plate appearances dating to the start of 2015. He has only hit a dozen home runs in that span, but has continued to hit at a high average while knocking 43 doubles.

Long a shortstop, Escobar has seen most of his action recently at third. He had been slated to play second for the Nats before internal needs dictated a change, though, and it seems that a contender could add him with intentions of utilizing him in any number of ways in the infield. Though the glove doesn’t rate very well, it’s versatile. It’s worth noting, too, that Escobar can be controlled for another season via a $7MM club option (with a $1MM buyout). He’s playing this year at the same reasonable annual rate, so there’s a bit of contract value included as well.

For the Giants, it’s hard not to tie interest in Escobar to Matt Duffy’s issues. He’s not expected to need a terribly long DL stint after a recent injury, but was off to a rough .253/.313/.358 start to the season that fell well shy of the above-average batting line he put up in 2015. Of course, he’s still a highly-valued defender, but it’s not difficult to see why the organization might want to add another piece with a bit more bat to the infield mix. Both Duffy and Escobar hit from the right side, but the latter could fill in now at the hot corner and then float around the infield thereafter. (Notably, second bagger Joe Panik and shortstop Brandon Crawford both hit from the left side, though quality young utilityman Kelby Tomlinson is another righty bat.)

If you’re curious how Escobar might hypothetically fit on the San Francisco roster, you can check out the team’s depth chart right here.

Angels Claim J.C. Ramirez From Reds

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The Angels have claimed righty J.C. Ramirez off waivers from the Reds, according to the Halos’ communications department (on Twitter).

Ramirez posted a 6.40 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 3.11 K/BB rate over 32 1/3 innings out of Cincinnati’s bullpen this season, allowing an ungainly seven homers over that stretch.  The 27-year-old has a 6.41 ERA over 80 career innings with the Reds, Diamondbacks and Phillies dating back to 2013.  He could serve as bullpen depth in Anaheim, given how the Angels already have a number of right-handed relief options, or it’s possible another move could be forthcoming.

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