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Archives for June 2017

Yankees Sign First-Rounder Clarke Schmidt

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The Yankees have announced the signing of first-round pick Clarke Schmidt. He’ll receive a $2,184,300 bonus, per Jack Curry of YES Network (via Twitter), falling well below the $3,458,600 slot value of the 16th overall selection.

Much of the savings from that selection will go toward second-round choice Matt Sauer, whose signing was also announced. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently reported, Sauer will receive a well-over-slot $2.5MM bonus. Likewise, the Bronx Bombers paid extra for third-round pick Trevor Stephan, fourth-rounder Canaan Smith, and seventh-round choice Dalton Higgins, per the MLB.com signings tracker.

In Schmidt, the Yanks have added a quality righty out of the University of South Carolina. Though his stock fell when he required Tommy John surgery earlier this year, that has not proven a major barrier to other young draftees and perhaps gave the Yankees a chance to achieve some added value with their overall draft pool.

Schmidt mostly drew top-50 grades in pre-draft rankings, including those of MLB.com and Fangraphs, while ESPN.com’s Keith Law was less bullish (ranking him 74th) due to questions about mechanics (and the potentially related UCL tear). The Baseball America team was highest on Schmidt, rating him the 32nd-best prospect available, crediting him with two useful fastballs, a quality slider, and a promising change that made him a rising prospect before the injury.

Giants Designate Aaron Hill

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The Giants have designated veteran utilityman Aaron Hill for assignment, as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area was among those to tweet. Prospect Ryder Jones has had his contract purchased to take the open roster spot, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported on Twitter.

Like their neighbors in Oakland, the Giants are in the midst of a mid-season roster transformation with contention out of reach. San Francisco has already called upon several young players for their first MLB stints, and Jones now joins that group.

Hill, 35, has struggled mightily in the early going. Through eighty trips to the plate, he carries a .132/.250/.235 batting line — though he has managed 11 walks against just 13 strikeouts. He had earned a roster spot after joining the organization on a minors deal, but has never found a groove while also spending time on the DL.

It seems likely that other organizations will show some interest in Hill, though his $2MM annual salary will be something of an impediment to a trade. It’s perhaps more likely at this point that he’ll end up heading to free agency and signing another minor-league pact.

As for Jones, a second-round pick back in 2012, the current season has represented a big step forward. He had largely struggled to do much at the plate on his way up the ladder, but showed well in the Arizona Fall League and has broken out at Triple-A. Through 228 plate appearances, Jones owns a robust .299/.390/.553 slash withten long balls.

Jones is expected to line up at third base for the Giants while Eduardo Nunez is sidelined. Given that Nunez is also a trade candidate, that could be a signiicant opportunity for the 23-year-old. Of course, San Francisco previously gave a shot to young infielder Christian Arroyo, who struggled in his first call-up but surely factors into the long-term plans somewhere on the diamond.

Pirates Outright Josh Lindblom

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The Pirates announced that righty Josh Lindblom has been outrighted to Triple-A. He had been throwing at Indianapolis already on a rehab assignment.

Lindblom, who just turned 30, threw 10 1/3 rough innings for Pittsburgh as a long reliever before hitting the DL with an oblique injury. Entering the season, he had not seen much big league action since 2013.

Pittsburgh had brought Lindblom in on a minors deal after he spent two years with Korea’s Lotte Giants. Before being called up, he was throwing fairly well at Triple-A, with 29 2/3 frames of 3.64 ERA ball and 7.3 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9.

Athletics Promote Franklin Barreto

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12:11pm: Barreto was not in the initial lineup, with Adam Rosales penciled in at short and Lowrie at second. But he’s now taking the latter’s place, with the club announcing that Lowrie “has been scratched.”

It’s just a slight knee sprain for the veteran, skipper Bob Melvin tells reporters including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). So, it seems there’s no reason to read anything into the move at the moment, though presumably Lowrie could be dealt at any point before the trade deadline.

9:36am: The Athletics are set to call up top infield prospect Franklin Barreto, according to a club announcement. He’ll take the roster spot opened by the team’s placement of Chad Pinder on the 10-day DL for a left hamstring strain.

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Barreto, just 21 years of age, is a key piece of the A’s past and future. He came to Oakand as the prospect centerpiece of the shocking deal that sent superstar third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Blue Jays back in November of 2014. Even assuming Barreto can stay on the MLB roster from this point forward, he would not be in line to achieve Super Two status; instead, he’d project to achieve arbitration eligibility after the 2020 season while reaching free agency in the fall of 2023.

Since landing with his new organization, Barreto has steadily climbed the ladder and developed into a consensus top-50 prospect leaguewide. He struggled a bit last year in his first attempt at the upper minors and in a stint in the Arizona Fall League, and hasn’t exactly dominated this year at Triple-A. Given his age, though, the A’s still obviously see room for growth — and clearly believe he’s ready now to handle duties at the game’s highest level.

Over his 309 plate appearances this year at Nashville, Barreto owns a .281/.326/.428 batting line. He has knocked eight long balls and stolen four bags, though he has also been cut down on five attempted steals and has a history of being caught on the bases.

Barreto is known as a solid defender at short, but may ultimately line up at second base or even center field in the long run. With Pinder joining the rehabbing Marcus Semien on the DL, though, it seems reasonable to anticipate that Barreto will line up at his natural shortstop position in his first taste of the majors. He could move over to second, though, once Semien returns.

This move comes as part of a wave of others for the struggling A’s, who own the worst record in the American League. Oakland is in the midst of a transition that has already seen several promotions along with the departures of veterans Trevor Plouffe and Stephen Vogt. Odds are that veteran Jed Lowrie will follow them out of town — though he’ll likely be dealt rather than designated for assignment — leaving second base open for Barreto.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Marlins’ Sale Efforts

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There has been a flurry of new information on the Marlins’ efforts to find new ownership. There’s still little clarity about how things will turn out, though indications are that a near-term agreement of some kind remains the expectation. Here’s the latest from Miami:

  • As things stand, there are no prospective new owners ready or able to meet the asking price of current owner Jeffrey Loria, Charles Gasparino of FOX Business (Twitter link) and Jon Heyman of Fan Rag recently reported. With the club struggling financially — Heyman says it may lose as much as $75MM this year — there are ongoing questions about just where the purchase price will land and just how much cash a new ownership group will need upon taking the reins.
  • While former Florida governor Jeb Bush had seemingly bowed out of the process after leaving the Derek Jeter-led bidding group, it now seems he’s changing teams. According to Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg, Bush is now participating in the bidding group led by Tagg Romney. With businessman Wayne Rothbaum also said to be in on that would-be partnership, providing the bulk of the proposed money along with Romney, it seems that things could be lining up for a competitive bid.
  • In that newly arranged bidding effort, it seems that Rothbaum would end up being the control person, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. That title could still end up going to Romney, he notes, but Bush will not be named the control person. (He had, at one point, been proposed to take that role when aligned with Jeter.) Per Jackson, former big league hurler Al Leiter is also involved in the effort along with Tom Glavine and Dave Stewart, two other notable pitchers.
  • Of course, there are still complications. Jeter is still involved, though the financial picture there remains unclear. And there’s now said to be a third bidder as well, though Jackson says that group is behind the others in the process. Previously unidentified, the new entrant is businessman Jorge Mas, as Jackson reported yesterday. Like the other groups, it’s not clear exactly how or how much he’ll pay for the franchise. Per Jackson, though, Mas is willing and able to post $200MM (if not more) as a starting point for a bid. Mas, chairman of the Cuban American National Foundation, is already a powerful figure in Miami.

Injury Notes: Alvarez, Nunez, Duffy, Smith, Freeman, Perez, Hatcher, Bailey

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Former All-Star righty Henderson Alvarez put on a showcase yesterday, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). There’s no word yet on how it went, though it’s certainly promising that he was able to take the mound at all. Alvarez, who only just turned 27, is said to be to full health. He last appeared in the majors early in the 2015 season, before a string of shoulder problems intervened. About half of the MLB clubs were represented at the showcase, per Heyman; it’s not surprising to hear of the interest given Alvarez’s young age and track record of success — including a sterling 2014 campaign in which he placed 12th in the NL Cy Young voting.

Here’s more on some injury situations from around the game:

  • Giants infielder Eduardo Nunez is heading to the 10-day DL with a hamstring injury, as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter. That placement opens space for Conor Gillaspie to return from his own stint on the disabled list. It doesn’t seem to be a major injury, as the club has given Nunez time to try to work through the issue, but clearly the hope will be that he can return sooner than later. Nunez seems like the most obvious trade piece on the San Francisco roster, and he’ll need to be in top form at the deadline to maximize his return.
  • Rays skipper Kevin Cash says that infielder Matt Duffy had a procedure to “remove a pea-sized calcium deposit” from his problematic left heel, as Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links). The hope is that doctors have identified the cause of Duffy’s ongoing pain, which has lingered much longer than anticipated. Cash says he expects Duffy to return to action this summer, which could represent a nice boost.
  • There’s still no clarity on the status of Red Sox righty Carson Smith, who has been working back from Tommy John surgery. But president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager John Farrell weren’t exactly brimming with confidence yesterday, as Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com reports. It has now been ten days since Smith last threw, and he’ll be evaluated by medical personnel before picking up a baseball again. At this point, there’s no clear timetable for Smith to make it back to the majors, though Farrell says the organization has “not closed the book in a sense on anything Carson can contribute this year.”
  • While his potential shift to third base has drawn all the headlines, it’s also notable that Braves slugger Freddie Freeman has made major strides in the healing process for his broken wrist. As David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter links), Freeman says that doctors have seen dramatic improvement over the last week. While he says he can still feel some pain in the surgically repaired joint, he stressed that “it’s pain, it’s not hurt” at this stage.
  • Rangers lefty Martin Perez is headed to the 10-day DL with a fractured right thumb, per a club announcement. Fortunately, that’s his non-pitching hand, so it seems likely he won’t require an extended absence. (Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has the story on the injury, which was caused by a rogue hotel door.) Texas will also welcome back southpaw Cole Hamels, who is slated to take the MLB mound on Monday.
  • The Dodgers announced yesterday that righty Chris Hatcher will head to the 10-day DL with thoracic inflammation. The 32-year-old has struggled to a 4.66 ERA, with seven home runs clouding his stat sheet though he also carries a strong 10.6 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. He has been replaced on the active roster by fellow right-hander Ross Stripling.
  • And finally, the Reds have officially activated righty Homer Bailey. That move was expected at this point, but it’s still plenty notable. The high-priced righty has made just eight MLB starts since the beginning of the 2015 season, and will be trying to reestablish himself as a healthy and productive big leaguer. Young outfielder Jesse Winker was optioned to create roster space.

Yankees Designate Chris Carter

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After last night’s game, the Yankees announced that first baseman/DH Chris Carter has been designated for assignment. He’ll be replaced by prospect Tyler Austin, who returns to the majors for the first time this year.

Carter was a surprising non-tender after providing the Brewers with 41 home runs last year. The streaky, strikeout-prone slugger ultimately landed in New York on a one-year, $3.5MM deal. Unfortunately for player and team, the results simply haven’t been there this year.

Through 189 plate appearances, Carter has managed eight home runs along with a 70:18 K/BB rate. He has always had a huge amount of swing and miss in his game, but in his more productive years has been able to draw a few more walks while striking out with a bit less frequency. Plus, Carter is bringing a sub-.200 isolated slugging mark that lands well shy of his .241 career average.

All said, the .204/.286/.383 slash that Carter has provided is just not enough output for the Yankees. While defensive metrics grade him as a more-or-less average defender at first, he doesn’t provide any versatility and the Yanks already have a full-time DH in Matt Holliday.

As for Austin, he has already showed some capacity for hitting in the majors after turning in a .241/.300/.458 batting line with five home runs over ninety plate appearances last season. He also struck out 36 times in that stint, and strikeouts remain the big question facing the 25-year-old.

Thus far at Triple-A, Austin has battered International League pitching to the tune of a .292/.355/.552 batting line. That’s actually shy of his output there last year, when he delivered similarly impressive power numbers while also walking at a 13.7% rate and striking out at a 25.2% clip. So far in 2017, Austin is going down on strikes in nearly three of ten plate appearances while drawing free passes less than ten percent of the time.

The hope had never been for Carter to handle regular duties at first base, but he was thrust into the role when Greg Bird struggled and then went down to injury. While Bird works back toward a hopeful return, and with the trade deadline looming, the Yankees decided to make a change. Even if Austin shows himself worthy of a roster spot, it’s possible to imagine the Yankees dabbling in the trade market — particularly if there’s a power left-handed bat available to provide a complement to the existing right-handed-hitting options. Of course, there are other needs as well — especially at third base and in the rotation — so the Yanks’ course remains unclear at this point.

Alex Dickerson Expected To Miss Remainder Of Season

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Padres outfielder Alex Dickerson is slated to undergo back surgery on Wednesday, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on Twitter. The procedure, in which “bulging disc material” will be removed from Dickerson’s back, will keep him out for at least three or four months.

Unfortunately, that means that the 27-year-old won’t have a chance to suit up at the major league level this season. He went down in camp with a disc protrusion; while the hope at the time was that surgery wouldn’t be required, that changed after a setback. As Lin writes, Dickerson does have a history of back issues dating to his teenage years, though the hope is that this procedure will at least resolve things fore the foreseeable future.

If all goes as hoped, Dickerson will have a long winter to work back to health and prepare once again to battle for a job in Spring Training. He turned in a .257/.333/.455 slash with ten home runs and five stolen bases over 285 MLB plate appearances in 2016, and has always hit in the minors, so he figures to have a solid shot at earning a return trip to the majors at some point.

NL Central Notes: Greene, Brewers, Cervelli, Meadows

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The Reds’ efforts to sign right-hander Hunter Greene are complicated by the need to wait for fourth overall pick Brendan McKay to reach agreement with the Rays, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. It seems that Greene is still hoping to emerge as the highest-paid player in the draft, with Cincinnati apparently willing to oblige to the extent possible. Buchanan runs the math on where the Reds’ pool money stands and notes that the club has given no indication of concern that Greene will choose to head to UCLA rather than starting his professional career.

Elsewhere in the NL Central…

  • Heyman also writes that the Brewers, a surprising division leader, could look to add some bullpen help prior to the trade deadline this summer. Milwaukee’s top tier of prospects, however, looks to be nearly untouchable in trade talks, he continues, listing the likes of Josh Hader, Lewis Brinson, Luis Ortiz, Corey Ray and Isan Diaz. Heyman also notes that Travis Shaw was a target of the Brewers’ front office from day one last offseason, though it took until the Winter Meetings in early December to finalize a deal with the Red Sox.
  • In Pirates injury news, Pittsburgh placed catcher Francisco Cervelli back on the 7-day concussion disabled list for a second time this season yesterday. Cervelli was only activated for about a week between his two stints on the DL. Pirates head trainer Todd Tomczyk described Cervelli’s symptoms as “post-concussive” and “post-viral,” writes MLB.com’s Adam Berry, who notes that this is at least the third concussion with which Cervelli has been diagnosed in his pro career. In Cervelli’s absence, the Bucs have again recalled 27-year-old Jacob Stallings from Triple-A Indianapolis.
  • Top Pirates prospect Austin Meadows will be sidelined for at least a week in Triple-A after an MRI revealed a hamstring strain, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Meadows, 22, entered the year as a consensus top-10 prospect leaguewide. But he has struggled thus far at Triple-A, with a .248/.313/.358 batting line through 281 plate appearances. With this injury now limiting him, it seems all but certain the Bucs won’t be in a rush to call him up to the majors — which perhaps alters the team’s calculus somewhat at the trade deadline, with longtime star Andrew McCutchen potentially featuring as an important chip.
  • Finally, in agency news, Reds infielder Jose Peraza has elected to join ISE Baseball, according to Robert Murray of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The 23-year-old entered the year with 141 days of service, so he could reach arbitration eligibility after the 2018 season as a Super Two player.

Avila: Tigers Open To Trade Talks On Veterans

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Tigers GM Al Avila says that his organization is willing to begin listening to inquiries on the organization’s players, Evan Woodberry of MLive.com reports (Twitter links). While that doesn’t mean the club is specifically seeking to make early deals, says Avila, it will be amenable to considering them.

It’s not particularly surprising, at this point, to learn of the Tigers’ current approach. The organization announced last fall that it intended to pursue a younger, less costly roster; while that never really came to pass over the winter, it obviously remains a broad strategic imperative.

With the club now bringing up the rear in the AL Central, with the second-to-worst record in the American League, contention seems unlikely. Instead, it seems, the team will look to add the kind of young talent that will support a more sustainable approach to contention in the future.

Detroit’s most obvious trade asset is slugger J.D. Martinez, who has been outstanding since missing the early part of the season due to injury. Current closer Justin Wilson also stands out. Otherwise, the club will have to navigate no-trade protection and big contracts to find trade partners for many of its best players. Second baseman Ian Kinsler can block moves to ten teams and is controlled with a $10MM option for 2018, though stars Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander enjoy full no-trade rights and much larger salary commitments.

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