Padres general manager A.J. Preller was on-hand to watch the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate earlier this week, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The Roughriders, Grant notes, were playing the Padres’ own Double-A affiliate so there’s the possibility of reading too much into the situation, but he notes that the GMs of selling clubs are more concerned with watching who they might acquire this time of year rather than evaluating their own internal talent. Per Grant, the Athletics also had one of their top minor league evaluators, Billy Owens, present at that contest. Grant notes that names like Andrew Cashner and Rich Hill have been connected to the Rangers in recent weeks, so there’s reason to believe that some homework on one of those two very available pitchers was being done. On a related note, the Padres are reportedly hoping to trade Cashner before his scheduled start tomorrow evening.
A few more notes out of the American League West…
- ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that rival evaluators and executives are trying to determine exactly how much the Rangers truly value Joey Gallo (Twitter link). Some within the industry, according to Olney, feel that the Rangers’ firm reluctance to part with Gallo is actually a smokescreen, and they’d be more willing to part with him than has otherwise been indicated. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reported something similar earlier this week, writing that some rival executives do think the Rangers would move Gallo for the right offer. Many Rangers fans questioned why Gallo wasn’t promoted today with news of Prince Fielder’s potentially season-ending injury breaking, but as MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes, the likely reason for that is that the Rangers are planning to give the lion’s share of Fielder’s at-bats to another ballyhooed young player: Jurickson Profar.
- Astros top prospect — and the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, per ESPN’s Keith Law — Alex Bregman played left field for the first time with Triple-A Fresno tonight, writes Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle. As Kaplan notes, increased defensive versatility will make it easier to keep Bregman in the lineup once he joins the big league club — especially with Yulieski Gurriel not far behind him. Kaplan says that while the Astros aren’t publicly tipping their hand as to when Bregman will be promoted, it could happen as soon as Friday for the club’s weekend series against the Angels. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX and MLB.com hears similarly, tweeting that Bregman could be playing left field in the Majors by next week.
- The Mariners received a devastating bit of news today, as the club’s first-round pick, Kyle Lewis, suffered a torn ACL as well as medial and lateral meniscus tears in his right knee in a collision at home plate. The former Mercer outfielder was said by some to be the top talent in the 2016 draft but slid to Seattle with the No. 11 pick. The 6’4″, 210-pound Lewis was off to a brilliant start to his pro career, slashing .299/.385/.530 with eight doubles, five triples and three homers through 135 plate appearances with Seattle’s short-season Class-A affiliate in the Northwest League. He’ll be sidelined for the remainder of the 2016 season and hope to be back to full health in time for the opening of the 2017 season.
- Sticking with the Mariners, the team’s acquisition of Dan Vogelbach in today’s Mike Montgomery trade leaves Adam Lind with a virtually MLB-ready prospect waiting in the wings at Triple-A. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter) that many executives believed that the Mariners would shop Lind, who has had a disappointing season, even before acquiring Vogelbach. The addition of the slugging first baseman/designated hitter makes it even likelier that the club will move on from Lind. Of course, Lind is having arguably the worst season of his career; he did slug a homer today (his 15th) but is still hitting just .231/.264/.449.
There must be a curse on the Mariners farm system. None of their prospects seem to turn out very well (until after they leave, i.e. Justin Smoak) even the top prospects they acquire seem to fade (i.e. Jesus Montero). In all seriousness, they really need to improve in the player development department. Tough break with Lewis, hope he recovers well.
Would love to see the Braves get Gallo. We need a big ole dinger machine. His numbers look good this year at Round Rock. Would prefer a righty masher, but dude can flat out take
What would they give up to get him? Julio is the only person worth him and I doubt the Rangers would be willing to match the Miller return.
Doubt Julio truly requires a Miller return, that is just the starting point. Gallo plus Tavares and maybe Trevino. Not like they expect Gallo, Brinson and more.
Would like to see Gallo Tate Taveras and a lotto ticket prospect. Maybe send a B spec back to them
For a guy who’s not an ace? Way too much. Teheran has never topped 3.5 WAR in his career. He’s a good #2 and a great #3.
Braves want Gallo no way they get Tate as well.
More realistic package would be Gallo, Morgan, De Leon, Trevino, and someone like Victor Payano.
Or you could go Tate, taveras, mendez, ibanez, trevino type deal.
Teheran isnt fetching two top 50 prospects. At best maybe one top 50 and one between 51-100, two top 100 prospects.
But hes not netting two top 50 and more.
Top 50, top 51-100, and 2-3 more guys depending on who.
Mooreland is a free agent at end of the season. Gallo is likeliest to get the nod. Unless a team can convince the rangers to forgo that long term plan fan can dream all they want, but wont be happening.
Teheran absolutely can get two top 50. Not even a question in my mind. Gallo and Tate are the framework of any Teheran return package from TEX. Absurd to think that Teheran, with his age, performance [high2/low1], and ridiculously team friendly contract, can’t get two Top50. Just a question of which team will pay the piper at this point.
ugh…phhhbbtttt
agreed.
If hes getting two top 50 prospects then thats all theyre really getting.
Texas, nor any team, is gonna part with two top 50 prospects and then another top 10 prospect in their system for a non ace
His contract is team friendly, but teams know hes not an ace. He doesnt havee the xfip, k/9, and other metrics to be a staff ace in a hitters park.
Hes a flyball pitcher given his weak GB rates around 40%, most his career its sub 40. That wont play well in texas.
If its gallo and tate the other 2-3 will be high upside high risk type guys that are outside the top 20.
Personally I’m not a huge fan of Gallo. If the braves did deal Teheran to the Rangers (which I doubt) I’d rather Profar be the center piece. Something along the lines of Profar, Brinson and Mendez for Teheran, Rio Ruiz and Vizcaino. Of course that would probably take some serious adjusting.
In truth I would not be surprised if the Rangers looked to acquire Cashner and Norris from the Padres. I don’t think it would cost them as much as Teheran.
Can Profar’s bat play at 3rd? We don’t a MI at this point.
You cannot really argue I with Profar, even with Albies and Swanson, one of them could be used in another trade. I agree with Southi, he is a good one to have.
He’d have only 3 more years of control, but Profar could end up being a .280 hitter with 15 homers. He has played all over the infield this season, including third. I don’t see why he couldn’t fit.
280 and 15 are good to great MI numbers, but they’re below average at 3B. Would rather have a true power bat there and keep our MI guys who have the full six years of control.
yeah, it looks like they’re going the cashner route – but that’s what is so great about the tdl – half the time it’s surprising.
Gallo has serious power that can’t be ignored, but until he significantly reduces his K rate he cannot be taken as a serious everyday player at the MLB level.
If the Rangers wanted to acquire Teheran, I would much rather see a package worked out with Profar, Brinson and Ryan Cordell + a few lesser specs heading to Atlanta. Teheran, Vizzy & Gant heading to TX.
Astros fan here, but ultimately a baseball fan who gets to attend many Round Rock Express games.
I’ve seen Joey Gallo play many ball games over the last two seasons. He is every bit as advertised. If you look at his sheer numbers, they’re a bit misleading. His batting average isn’t as high as you might like, but every ball he hits seems like it’s hit off the barrel and exiting at 110 MPH. He has serious pop from the left side.
If I was Cashman and on a calling with Daniels, I’d be throwing anything Daniels wanted for Gallo. I can only imagine the damage that kid would do in Yankee stadium for 81 games. Not to mention, he’s actually a very underrated defender with an absolute cannon for an arm.
So as an Astros fan, I’d like to see the Rangers trade him.
As an Astros fan, I’m not the least bit worried about a guy who strikes out over once every 2 and a half at bats in the minor leagues. I’m all but convinced that he’s never going to be able to handle major league pitching. You can hit all the cannons you want, but that K rate is not gonna bode well for ML success.
You also forget how bad Rizzo was his first time up in the bigs with the Padres. High miss and miss rates at also a very young age. Simmer down bud.
Horrible comparison. Gallo is striking out at over 40% in the minors in the same number of ABs as Rizzo.. Rizzo was at 22%… and had it at 20% in his last stint with the Cubs in AAA… But to Gallo’s defense, he has his K numbers down to 37% this year in AAA…
yeah, no thanks on that guy. Maybe he can have a Dan Uggla kind of career.. just don’t sign him past 30…
Wow, terrible news for Lewis. Hate to hear about that for any youngster, but at same point, Braves dodged a bullet on that one.
Gogerty, if the Braves had drafted Lewis then he wouldn’t have been involved in the play he was injured in. The Braves didn’t dodge anything other than drafting a highly rated, near MLB ready college bat in a system short on hitting prospects with power.
Sorry a bit of a stretch I know, but you cannot tell me he has this injury a week before the draft and he doesn’t slide, teams would have been worried right? It is just an injury that causes concern is what I meant.
If your saying that Braves dodged a bullet by not drafting Lewis you are very wrong, Lewis would of been in a completely different situation and never torn his acl, and his stats were looking very good after a rough first couple of weeks, although he could of gotten injured a different way.
Sorry, just makes me wonder on his overall conditioning. You are probably right, might not have happened if not right in that situation.
This has nothing to do with the Braves. It was a tough luck injury that could have happened anywhere and it did because of his hustle. Good for him. I still think he will have a better career than He years, whom he has been linked too. As a Braves fan I was sad we didnt draft him, but he wouldn’t have allowed us to acquire the arms we did. All for the best. Looking forward to seeing him in bigs soon.
Well said Run, as always.
How did the Braves dodge a bullet?? Kid gets hurt in Rookie ball and will miss a few games. He has his whole career in front of him. Lewis may eventually be better than anything the Braves currently have in their entire system. No one knows how these kids will turn out but knee surgery is not a career ending injury. Let’s give this young man the benefit of the doubt.
I understand that comment was a bit premature. And I am not saying this kid automatically becomes “injury prone.” But honestly does make me think that he already has an injury like this, doesn’t entirely bode well.
But obviously that is no different than a pitcher with TJ history. Which Braves organization knows so well.