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AL Notes: A’s, Red Sox, Rangers

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The Athletics optioned highly touted shortstop prospect Franklin Barreto to Triple-A on Friday, though it seems he could enter the picture in Oakland sometime this year. “I think we’d all like to see him up here at some point and that’s our anticipation,” executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane said of Barreto, who slashed .481/.500/.667 in 27 spring at-bats (Twitter link via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Because Marcus Semien occupies short for the A’s, Barreto’s major league debut is likely to come at second base, per Beane, who noted Friday that the keystone is “probably his quickest path to the big leagues” (via Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area). The 21-year-old Barreto, whom Oakland acquired from Toronto in 2014 in the A’s ill-fated Josh Donaldson trade, tops out as Baseball America’s 40th-ranked prospect.

More from the American League:

  • Beane also revealed Friday that the Athletics aren’t going to react to right-hander Sonny Gray’s lat strain by attempting to acquire pitching. Rather, Beane’s confident in the depth the A’s have on hand. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a fertile market to be diving into right now anyway this time of year,” he said. “I think we prefer to stay in-house and give maybe somebody an opportunity.” Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea and Jharel Cotton are set to comprise the A’s top three starters in a temporarily Gray-less rotation, leaving the final spots to two of Jesse Hahn, Andrew Triggs or Raul Alcantara, writes Stiglich. One hurler who won’t factor into the rotation is righty Frankie Montas, who will work as a reliever this year, according to Beane. However, the A’s still see him as a long-term starter (Twitter link via Slusser).
  • Although Red Sox first baseman/designated hitter Hanley Ramirez hasn’t been able to play the field this spring because of a shoulder issue, manager John Farrell doesn’t regard it as a serious injury, relays Rob Bradford of WEEI. “We feel like there’s been a little bit of a breakthrough here,” Farrell said Saturday. “We’re anticipating that throwing to continue to progress and ramp up. The goal, obviously, is still to get him games at first base while in camp, and we’re moving towards that.” Ramirez hasn’t been able to throw, but Farrell pointed out that “he still continues to drill work and ground balls at first base.”
  • The Rangers won’t need a fifth starter until April 15, meaning they could opt for a four-man rotation until Andrew Cashner returns, per skipper Jeff Banister (via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News). Cashner has made encouraging progress since he suffered a setback in his recovery from biceps tendinitis on March 9.
  • One of Cashner’s teammates and fellow starters, Chi Chi Gonzalez, was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear on Friday. That left Gonzalez “stunned,” writes Grant, who adds that the 25-year-old is likely to get a second opinion. “I had some soreness, but thought it was the usual spring training stuff,” Gonzalez told Grant. “I thought it was something minor. And it’s something people often can’t even throw with and here I was pitching. It’s disappointing.”

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Jays, Nats, Rays, Twins, Royals, D-backs, Bucs

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This week in baseball blogs:

Please send submissions to ZachBBWI @gmail.com.

NL Notes: Cardinals, Giants, Braves, Rockies

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Right-hander Luke Weaver entered spring training with a chance to win the last spot in the Cardinals’ rotation, but that bid officially ended when they optioned him to Triple-A on Saturday. Weaver dealt with back spasms earlier this month and performed poorly when on the mound.  In five spring innings, the 23-year-old allowed seven earned runs on seven hits and eight walks, and struck out only one hitter. Michael Wacha has fared much better, meanwhile, and taken hold of the No. 5 role as a result, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It seems Trevor Rosenthal will begin the year in the bullpen, then, though the Cards aren’t yet sure how they’ll use him. Both a long relief role and a “hybrid high-leverage job” are on the table for the former closer, per Goold.

More on St. Louis and three other National League clubs:

  • After sitting out nearly all of last season and then settling for a minor league contract with the Giants in December, Michael Morse could be hitting his way to a job as a bench player with the team. Regarding Morse, who has slashed .308/.400/.615 in 26 spring at-bats, manager Bruce Bochy said Friday (via Chris Haft of MLB.com), “If the bat plays, you find a place for him.” Morse had only lined up at first base this spring until he manned left field Friday, leading Bochy to note that “he needs more time out there.” It’s possible the right-handed Morse will end up platooning with lefty-swinging left fielder Jarrett Parker, writes Haft. The 34-year-old Morse realizes he’s not exactly an ideal fit for the outfield, though. “It was fun. It was like riding a bike … with two flat tires,” he quipped after playing left Friday (Twitter link via Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area).
  • Although the Cardinals’ Matt Adams has only seen action at first base since debuting in 2012, the club will give him some left field work on the back fields of its minor league complex Saturday, tweets Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. St. Louis is “curious” to see how Adams will look in the outfield, adds Langosch. With Matt Carpenter taking over at first, Adams doesn’t appear likely to receive much playing time at his typical position this season. The fact that Adams slimmed down over the winter could help make him an outfield candidate, though the Redbirds already have everyday-caliber corner options in Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk.
  • There’s “nothing happening” right now between the Braves and free agent outfielder Angel Pagan, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). The Braves have reportedly made “multiple” attempts to sign Pagan, who’s among the best free agents still on the board, though he’s holding out for a higher offer.
  • Rockies left fielder David Dahl is making progress in his recovery from a ribcage injury and could “increase activity” soon, manager Bud Black told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Dahl was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his sixth rib 12 days ago, and the Rockies said at the time they’d re-evaluate him in two weeks. The highly promising 22-year-old has only taken four at-bats this spring.

East Notes: Blue Jays, Mets, Marlins, Yankees

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Agent Scott Boras is unhappy with the Blue Jays for not awarding pre-arb right-hander Aaron Sanchez a higher salary for 2017, but the star hurler doesn’t seem fazed. Sanchez told Paul Hagen of MLB.com he “absolutely” believes Blue Jays management values him, adding: “We just had a disagreement, and I want to leave it at that. There are no hard feelings between [general manager Ross Atkins] and I, between me and this organization. It’s time to go play baseball, really. All that other stuff isn’t relevant to me.” With his first trip through arbitration a year away, Sanchez, 24, will try to build on a sterling 2016 campaign in which he posted a 3.00 ERA, 7.55 K/9, 2.95 BB/9 and 54.4 percent ground-ball rate over 192 innings.

More from the East Coast:

  • Major League Baseball has spent the past four-plus months investigating domestic violence allegations against Mets closer Jeurys Familia, but it appears he’ll escape serious punishment from commissioner Rob Manfred. While Manfred will hand Familia a suspension, the ban won’t be “very long,” reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. That could rule out a potential 30- to 50-game suspension for Familia.
  • Mets infielder Wilmer Flores isn’t pleased with his role as a part-time player, writes Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. Even if injured third baseman David Wright misses regular-season time, the Mets will still have a full complement of infielders in Lucas Duda, Neil Walker, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes. With those four on hand, the right-handed-hitting Flores is unlikely to play much against same-handed pitchers. “I’ve been comfortable (against right handers) since I started playing baseball,” Flores said. “I got a lot of opportunities against lefties (last year), but against righties, I feel really good.” Flores hasn’t made a strong case to face righties, having hit just .253/.287/.374 against them in 905 career plate appearances. Regarding Flores’ dissatisfaction, manager Terry Collins told Ackert: “The one thing about his situation is you don’t have to like it. You just have to accept it and be ready to play.”
  • Marlins third baseman Martin Prado will undergo an MRI on Saturday after injuring his hamstring during Venezuela’s loss to the American team in the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday, per Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. “Hamstrings take a little bit of time, and we’ll let the doctors determine what grade it is and see what we’re going to have to do,” said manager Don Mattingly. Should Prado miss regular-season action, it’s likely the Marlins would give the lion’s share of playing time at third to Derek Dietrich, who enjoyed a career year in 2016 while primarily filling in at second for the suspended Dee Gordon. An injury to the productive Prado obviously isn’t ideal, though, especially considering he’s entering the first season of a three-year, $40MM contract.
  • A poor 2016 spent with the Pirates and Mets forced now-Yankees southpaw Jon Niese to settle for a minor league contract during the offseason, leading the 30-year-old to tell Ken Davidoff of the New York Post: “It’s a tough business to be in, but at the same time, it gave me this opportunity here with the Yankees. I can’t totally be down on myself about it. I’m looking forward to embracing this bullpen role. Hopefully it can springboard my career.” Niese had been a quality starter from 2011-15, but he’d only crack the Yankees’ roster as a reliever. His new role comes with a different mindset. “Basically, I’m just treating those three outs as a game,” he added.

Central Notes: Tigers, Cabrera, Carrasco, Brantley, Broxton, Brewers, Twins

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The Tigers are continuing to scan the market for center field upgrades, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Detroit has been looking around for more options throughout camp, though perhaps the time isn’t quite ripe to make a move with other organizations holding onto their depth until their own situations are resolved. Rosenthal notes that JaCoby Jones has shown most impressively thus far among the in-house competitors with a .346/.393/.615 batting line. Alex Presley has also hit well this spring, though he has spent most of his time in the majors in a corner spot, while fellow competitors Tyler Collins and Mikie Mahtook have each struggled at the plate in game action.

Here’s more from the central divisions:

  • Miguel Cabrera left yesterday’s WBC action with back tightness, but Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he’s not concerned with his star’s health, as Evan Woodberry of MLive.com reports. Team Venezuela skipper Omar Vizquel, who’s also a member of the Detroit coaching staff, notified Ausmus that it’s nothing more than a minor issue.
  • The Indians received positive health updates on two critical players, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports. Carlos Carrasco is ready to begin throwing again, with the organization expressing optimism that his elbow soreness was little more than a blip. Meanwhile, outfielder Michael Brantley “feels good” after a five-inning appearance on the minor-league side of camp. His shoulder health remains a major variable for the defending American League champs.
  • The Brewers pulled center fielder Keon Broxton from the team’s game today after he experienced soreness in his surgically repaired wrist, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports (Twitter links). Fortunately, though, it’s just a minor bone chip that’s said not to represent a significant concern. Broxton impressed in his limited time in the bigs last year and is hitting a scorching .395/.489/.737 in 14 games this spring, so the club is undoubtedly relieved that it can still look forward to a full season from the 26-year-old.
  • Of course, the Brewers are also hoping that another wave of young outfielders will push Broxton and others before long. The organization plans to field a Triple-A outfield of Lewis Brinson, Ryan Cordell, and Brett Phillips, Haudricourt further writes. That’s at least somewhat surprising in the case of Phillips, Haudricourt notes, given his rough 2016 campaign at Double-A.
  • Twins GM Thad Levine spoke with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand about a variety of topics in his first spring with his new organization. He says the Twins are hoping to avoid the lengthy rebuilding processes that some other organizations have pursued in recent years, citing the “wealth of young talent” the club will field at the major league level. The 103-loss 2016 campaign was something of an anomaly, he suggests, given the talent level. While the hyped Minnesota position players are well known, Levine also suggests there’s some cause for optimism in the pitching staff. He suggests there’s “some burgeoning pitching talent” on hand and also notes that he expects better health — and results — from Phil Hughes and others. There’s plenty more to digest from the interview for the Twins’ faithful.

Jordan Schafer To Undergo Elbow Surgery

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FRIDAY: Fortunately, Schafer was able to receive the repair procedure rather than requiring a full ligament replacement, as MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reports. That leaves him with an approximately seven-month rehab timeline. While he won’t be able to pitch this season regardless, Schafer will have much more time to show he’s back to health before seeking his next opportunity.

TUESDAY: Cardinals left-hander Jordan Schafer, who is in his second season of pitching after opening his career as an outfielder, is headed for elbow surgery, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. It’s not yet clear whether he’ll need Tommy John surgery or the less-invasive “primary repair” procedure (the same operation that former Cardinals righty Seth Maness underwent last August), though either operation would end Schafer’s season.

An MRI taken this weak revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament in Schafer’s left elbow, per Goold, and Dr. George Paletta will determine upon cutting into Schafer’s arm which operation he will receive. (As Goold explained in reporting on the primary repair operation earlier this winter, candidates cannot yet be identified until the procedure is underway, as it’s largely dependent on the extent of and location of the tear.)

The 30-year-old Schafer had been attempting to make the Cardinals’ roster as an outfielder/reliever and had pitched 3 2/3 innings this spring in addition to making seven plate appearances. As Goold notes, Schafer making the team was contingent on how well hit pitched. Schafer felt something in his forearm in each of his final two pitching appearances this spring but attempted to pitch through the discomfort in hopes of making the Cardinals’ roster.

Once a well-regarded outfield prospect in the Braves organization, Schafer is a .228/.308/.307 hitter through 1472 plate appearances between Atlanta, Houston and Minnesota. Though he hasn’t hit much in the Majors, Schafer offers well-above-average speed and can play anywhere in the outfield, so adding relief work to his resume would’ve made him an interesting and uniquely versatile reserve piece for the Cards. In 49 1/3 minor league innings with the Dodgers last season, Schafer pitched to a 3.83 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9. Opposing lefties batted just .189/.267/.396 against him in 61 plate appearances.

Offseason In Review: St. Louis Cardinals

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.

The Cardinals added two top free agents this offseason and said goodbye to some longtime contributors as they tinkered with the core that won them 86 games in 2016.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades And Claims

Extensions

  • RHP Carlos Martinez: five years, $51MM (includes club options for 2022 and 2023)

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

The Cardinals ended the 2016 season by parting ways with a longtime star, giving the aging Matt Holliday a $1M buyout rather than exercising a $17MM option. Though he hits capably, the 37-year-old Holliday no longer provided enough offense to offset his salary and health and defensive issues. He headed to the Yankees, who can use him as a DH. The Cardinals also saw the departure of another veteran slugger, Brandon Moss, who didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the club before he ultimately landed with the Royals.

The Cardinals thus set about adding another outfielder who could bump 2016 center fielder Randal Grichuk to a corner. They were linked to a number of high-profile names, including Adam Eaton, Charlie Blackmon, Lorenzo Cain, Jarrod Dyson and Ian Desmond, before ultimately signing Dexter Fowler to a five-year, $82.5MM deal.

Dexter FowlerThe Cardinals’ seemingly singular focus on finding a center fielder rather than a corner outfielder initially seemed odd, since advanced stats actually identified Grichuk as a better defensive center fielder than Fowler and several of the other rumored options. UZR pegs Grichuk as being a few runs above average in about 1,200 career innings in center field, and Defensive Runs Saved is even more bullish, rating Grichuk as 14 runs above average. Both stats rate Fowler as a hair above average last year, but below average (sometimes significantly so) in the five seasons before that. Fowler will also be 31 later this month, and though his athleticism makes him likely to age relatively gracefully, his defense seems unlikely to improve as he ages and slows. The Cards reached agreement with Fowler during the Winter Meetings — relatively early in the offseason, and significantly before most of the other outfield bats signed. They also paid almost $20MM more for him than MLBTR projected he’d receive. One wonders whether they might have gotten better value had they kept Grichuk in center and signed one of the many cheaply available sluggers to join him and Stephen Piscotty in their outfield.

There was also another cost to signing Fowler, in that the Cardinals forfeited their top 2017 draft pick, No. 19 overall, to complete the signing. That loss will hurt, particularly since the team also lost its next two picks (Nos. 56 and 75) as part of its penalty for its role in the Astros hacking scandal.

Perhaps that’s overthinking it, however. The only free agent outfielder who compared favorably to Fowler in overall value was Yoenis Cespedes, who was already off the market by the time the Cards landed their man. Unlike some of the defensively challenged sluggers who languished on the free agent market, Fowler’s well-rounded game insures him somewhat against decline. At least in the short term, he should upgrade the Cardinals’ offense with his on-base ability and their defense by virtue of being significantly better than players like Holliday or Moss. And, of course, in signing Fowler, the Cardinals lured a talented player away from the rival Cubs, who replaced him with the much less costly Jon Jay.

More analysis after the break …Read more

John Mozeliak Discusses Yadier Molina Contract Situation

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Cardinals GM John Mozeliak addressed the contract situation of long-time catcher Yadier Molina with Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Though he declined to address specifics of any extension talks, Mozeliak emphasized that the club is “always open for business.”

That comment largely confirms the status quo; it has long been assumed that the Cards would attempt to work out a new contract for Molina, whose former extension includes only a mutual option for 2018. As camp opened, the sides were said to have begun at least preliminary talks, and agent Melvin Roman said recently that “both sides are trying to work hard and see if we can make it happen.” At the moment, Molina is away from the club while he competes with the Puerto Rican entrant in the World Baseball Classic.

But Mozeliak did also make clear that the organization wouldn’t put any timelines on talks. “We are not a deadline organization, historically,” he explained. “So, as far as timing and how that goes, I’m not drawing any lines in the sand.” Whether or not Molina and his representatives would be amenable to continuing discussions into the season remains to be seen, though Mozeliak’s comments seem to put that possibility on the table.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals GM didn’t express any alarm at recent comments from former big leaguer Bengie Molina, who suggested his brother would test free agency if he didn’t receive an offer to his liking. That’s to be expected, Mozeliak indicated. Much as the Cardinals star will be looking out for his own interests, the veteran exec says he’ll be “trying to do what’s best for [the Cardinals] organization,” noting that “there is always a short-term approach and a long-term approach” that must be accounted for even as he acknowledged Molina’s importance to the team.

Molina’s central role and workhorse approach present a somewhat unique situation. At 34 years of age, it’s at best questionable whether Molina can continue to thrive while playing 130 or more games annually. And the team has a prized prospect on the way in Carson Kelly. Figuring out how lengthy a commitment to make, and at what price, isn’t straightforward for the Cards. Molina’s current contract paid him $75MM over five years, with the final $2MM of that guarantee coming in the form of a buyout of the $15MM mutual option.

Chi Chi Gonzalez Diagnosed With Partial UCL Tear

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Rangers righty Chi Chi Gonzalez has been diagnosed with a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News was among those to report. For the time being, he’ll receive a platelet-rich plasma injection and stop throwing for at least six weeks.

At this point, the course of treatment does not include any plans for Tommy John surgery or another procedure to address the injury. Given the promise some other pitchers have shown in bids to avoid such an invasive approach, with the lengthy attendant rehab timeline, perhaps Gonzalez too can return to action without going under the knife.

Indeed, just that hope explains the organization’s decision to pursue treatment at this stage. Club doctor Keith Meister “felt that with the area where the injury is, he has historically had a pretty good success rate for the conservative route of the [PRP] injection,” says assistant GM Josh Boyd. After the six-week layoff, the club will order up another examination to check the progress and determine the next steps.

Gonzalez, 25, worked to a 3.90 ERA in his first 67 MLB frames upon his 2015 call-up. But he managed only thirty strikeouts to go with 32 walks in that span. Though he was able to generate a strong 48.6% groundball rate and limit opposing hitters to a sparse tally of 49 base hits, he was aided by an unsustainable .206 BABIP.

The results didn’t carry over into 2016. Gonzalez spent most of the year at Triple-A, where he compiled a 4.70 ERA in 138 frames with 5.9 K/9 to go with 2.9 BB/9. He did move into the MLB rotation briefly, but was shelled for ten earned runs on 21 hits — with seven punchouts against nine free passes — in his 10 1/3 innings.

A former top-100 prospect and first-round selection, Gonzalez has long been expected to provided Texas with useful major league innings. But his pronounced struggles over the past two seasons were met with further difficulties this spring, and the injury clouds his future yet more.

In the near term, the loss of Gonzalez for at least a significant chunk of the upcoming season depletes the Rangers’ rotation depth. The organization has seen some promising signs from Andrew Cashner, at least, but at present appears likely to utilize A.J. Griffin and Dillon Gee to open the year while awaiting the return of Cashner and Tyson Ross. There are some other options on hand: Nick Martinez, Eddie Gamboa, Tyler Wagner, and Yohander Mendez all pitched in the majors last year and occupy 40-man spots. Still, the appeal of bringing back the still-unsigned Colby Lewis has only increased since camp opened, though there’s still no apparent movement on that front.

Rayan Gonzalez Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Right-handed Rockies pitcher Rayan Gonzalez will likely require Tommy John surgery, Nick Groke of the Denver Post reports via Twitter. Gonzalez suffered an apparent elbow injury in his most recent spring outing.

The 26-year-old reliever was added to the 40-man roster over the offseason and had seemed slated to take up a slot on the bullpen depth chart. While there was never any expectation that Gonzalez would crack the active roster to open the season, he’d likely have been one of several interesting young arms to take up residence at the highest level of the minors.

Gonzalez showed enough in 2016 to lead the Rox to protect him from prying rivals in the Rule 5 draft. Last year, over 52 Double-A frames, he worked to a 3.12 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 while allowing only 44 hits (just two of which were home runs).

As MLB.com’s Thomas Harding explained at the outset of camp, Gonzalez seemingly made yet more strides in the Arizona Fall League, where he allowed just three earned runs on seven hits over 11 2/3 innings. Beyond the results, he had impressed the organization with improvement in his fastball command, which had often been fleeting (4.1 BB/9 lifetime walk rate) over his time in the minors.

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