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Draft Chatter: Lewis, McKay, College Arms, Mock Drafts, A’s

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With the MLB Draft just a few hours away, there’s some increasing talk that the Twins are giving serious consideration to high school shortstop Royce Lewis with the No. 1 overall pick. John Manuel of Baseball America tweeted today that Lewis is in consideration and adds that he was told by a Twins official that signability is a factor for the Twins up top. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweets that the Twins are down to Lewis and Louisville left-hander/first baseman Brendan McKay. Meanwhile, 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson tweeted that as of this morning, a Twins front office source told him that no decision has been made.

For those wondering whether the Twins may cut a deal with Lewis to save money and allow greater spending with their Comp Balance pick and second-round selection, FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Lewis has a high asking price. (Lewis is reportedly being advised by agent Scott Boras.) Adding to the Lewis/Twins steam is La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, who tweeted that with less than three hours until the Twins are on the clock, the Lewis steam is real. McKay and flamethrowing righty Hunter Greene are both in the mix, Neal adds, and money is a significant factor in the decision. Obviously, the Twins will spend their entire allotted draft budget regardless of who they take, but the amount for which the first overall pick signs will determine how aggressive the Twins can be on pick Nos. 35 and 37 as well as with the rest of their selections.

A bit more on tonight’s draft…

  • Fangraphs’ Gerald Schifman takes an excellent look at the usage of some of the top college arms in the draft, examining each pitcher’s average pitches per start, the percentage of starts in excess of 115 pitches and the number of “Pitch Smart” violations. (More details on the Pitch Smart guidelines here.) Notably, projected top picks like Vanderbilt’s Kyle Wright and Louisville’s Brendan McKay have had their pitch counts and rest between starts managed quite well for the most part. On the other end of the spectrum is UCLA righty Griffin Canning, who has throw 115+ pitches in 53 percent of his outings in the past two seasons. Missouri’s Tanner Houck has also had some troubling usage trends, including high pitch counts and a lack of rest between outings.
  • As is always the case on draft day, there are a number of last-minute mock drafts from some industry experts that readers and draft followers will want to check out. Both Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com agree that the top five picks will go Brendan McKay (Twins), Hunter Greene (Reds), MacKenzie Gore (Padres), Royce Lewis (Rays) and Keston Hiura (Braves). That, somewhat surprisingly, would leave Kyle Wright out of the top five, though Callis has him going sixth to the A’s, while Mayo has him going seventh to the D-backs. BA’s John Manuel agrees with that top three, though he has high school outfielder Bubba Thompson going to the Rays and Wright going to the Braves at No. 5. ESPN’s Keith Law also published a draft-day mock, listing McKay, Greene, Gore, Lewis and Wright as his respective top five.
  • The Athletics are up with the No. 6 pick in the draft tonight, and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle connects them to a number of outfielders and pitchers. High school lefty MacKenzie Gore is on Oakland’s radar, though many project him to go before the A’s are on the clock. High school outfielder Austin Beck is also an Athletics target and recently had a private workout with the A’s. Slusser notes that they’d be thrilled to see Kyle Wright slip to them with the sixth selection, similarly to the manner in which Florida lefty A.J. Puk dropped to Oakland last year after being discussed as a potential 1-1 option. Wright’s teammate, outfielder Jeren Kendall, is also intriguing to the A’s, per Slusser.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/12/17

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Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the game…

  • The Twins have signed right-hander Tim Melville to a minor league deal and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, according to Nate Rowan, the PR director of their Rochester affiliate (Twitter link). The 27-year-old Melville was a fourth-round pick by the Royals in 2008 and made his big league debut with the Reds last season, yielding 11 runs on 16 hits and nine walks in just nine innings of work. That unsightly cup of coffee aside, Melville has been enjoying a nice season with the independent Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks. Through 47 innings, he’s worked to a 3.45 ERA with a 48-to-18 K/BB ratio. Melville has a rather pedestrian 4.61 ERA in 160 career innings at Triple-A, but he’ll add some depth to a Twins organization that recently released Nick Tepesch and promoted Triple-A lefties Nik Turley and Adalberto Mejia to the Majors.

Astros To Place Lance McCullers On Disabled List

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The Astros are placing right-hander Lance McCullers on the 10-day disabled list due to discomfort in his lower back, reports Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). McCullers, the Astros’ No. 2 starter, will join ace Dallas Keuchel on the shelf. Kaplan tweets further that the team is hopeful that McCullers can avoid a lengthy stay on the DL, though the placement of the team’s top two starters on the disabled list is obviously of some concern even if neither injury is believed to be serious at this time.

[Related: Updated Houston Astros depth chart]

The silver lining for Houston, of course, is that the team has such an enormous lead on the division that weathering the loss of its top two starters for a short period is perfectly plausible. The Astros are currently 12 games ahead of the second-place Angels and 13 games ahead of both the Mariners and Rangers. Right-hander Joe Musgrove is being activated to start tonight’s game, per Kaplan, though there’s no word yet who’ll start in place of McCullers tomorrow.

McCullers, 23, has been not only one of the best arms on the Astros but one of the best young arms in the entire American League. Through 76 2/3 innings in 2017, he’s pitched to a pristine 2.58 ERA with a gaudy 89-to-23 K/BB ratio and a sensational 63 percent ground-ball rate. With both Keuchel and McCullers sidelined for the time being, Houston will likely rely on a rotation consisting of Musgrove, Mike Fiers, Brad Peacock and David Paulino.

Top prospect Francis Martes, conceivably, could step into the team’s rotation, and dominant multi-inning reliever Chris Devenski at least makes sense as a speculative option. Other candidates on the current 40-man roster are a bit scarce, as righties Charlie Morton and Collin McHugh have not yet begun a minor league rehab assignments. Prospect Brady Rodgers, meanwhile, is out for the year due to Tommy John surgery.

Taking Inventory: Kansas City Royals

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This is the fourth entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory series. Click for entries on the Phillies, Pirates and Giants.

The Royals entered the 2017 season knowing full well that the majority of their World-Series-winning core was slated to hit free agency. Rather than blow it up this offseason, Kansas City traded only Wade Davis, extended Danny Duffy and then made some low-cost veteran additions to help round out the roster. Many of those moves were made in the wake of tragedy, as the Royals suffered the devastating loss of one of their core pieces this offseason when Yordano Ventura’s life was tragically taken in a car accident.

Unfortunately for Dayton Moore and his staff, their offseaon maneuverings have yet to yield on-field success. Kansas City is 5.5 games out of first place in the American League Central and currently sports Major League Baseball’s fifth-worst run differential (-47). Their 4.38 team ERA ranks 18th in the Majors, and they’re without their top pitcher, Duffy, through at least the All-Star break due to an oblique injury. Kansas City has scored the second-fewest runs in baseball as well, and their collective 80 wRC+ is the game’s third-worst mark.

According to just about any report one reads, the Royals haven’t yet decided to call it quits and are still intent on trying to make one more run. But as the summer wears on, it becomes likelier and likelier that they’ll be forced to begin fielding trade offers. Let’s break down who could become available…

Rentals

Lorenzo Cain, CF | Salary: $11MM

A premium defensive center fielder with plus baserunning skills and an above-average bat, Cain would likely be the most coveted trade asset the Royals have to offer in a potential sale. He’s hitting .265/.345/.412 with six homers (while playing in a pitcher-friendly home park), 12 steals and three to four runs saved with his glove (per Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved). His defensive prowess in center would allow him to play plus defense in an outfield corner, as well, so even contending clubs that already have center field covered could slide him (or the incumbent option) over to left or right.

Eric Hosmer, 1B | Salary: $12.25MM

Hosmer had a terrible second half in 2016 and got off to a slow start in 2017, but he’s reminded everyone why there’s talk of him potentially signing a mega-deal this offseason with his recent play. He’s hitting .314/.363/.469 on the season as a whole, and if you throw out his first 20 games of the season, that slash line jumps to a preposterous .370/.415/.574. That’s admittedly an arbitrary cutoff, and Hosmer has shown to be too ground-ball happy and prone to slumps in the past. But for the past 42 games, he’s been among baseball’s very best hitters, and a club with a void at first base/DH such as the Yankees, Rangers or Mariners (if the latter two end up as buyers) could benefit.

Mike Moustakas, 3B | Salary: $8.7MM

Moustakas missed most of the 2016 season due to a torn ACL, and while there was no way to be certain that he’d return to form in 2017, he’s done that and then some. With 17 homers and a .275/.314/.554 batting line, he’s on his way to the best offensive season of his career. Defensive metrics typically grade Moose as an above-average performer at third base, though they’re a bit mixed in the wake of last season’s knee injury. DRS has him at -3, while UZR has him at +1. At the worst, interested clubs could expect merely passable glovework accompanied by huge production against righties, though Moustakas remains overmatched by left-handed pitchers (.212/.241/.481).

Alcides Escobar, SS | Salary: $6.5MM

Escobar has never been much of an offensive performer, but he’s simply not hitting at all in 2017. With a .180/.205/.234 batting line, he’s been baseball’s least-productive bat (among qualified hitters). However, Escobar remains a gifted defender at a premium position (+2 DRS, +5 UZR) and still runs the bases well. At the least, he could be a bench piece on a contending club.

Mike Minor, LHP (reliever) | Salary: $4MM (plus $1.25MM buyout of $10MM mutual option)

Minor has thrived upon his shift to a bullpen role, embracing relief work with a 2.25 ERA, 9.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 44.4 percent ground-ball rate through 32 2/3 innings. Lefties have posted a pathetic .125/.205/.175 batting line against him, and right-handers haven’t fared especially well, either (.243/.300/.351). Minor is technically controlled through 2018, but mutual options are so rarely exercised by both parties that he’s best viewed as a pure rental. I do think there’s at least a plausible scenario where both sides pick the option up due to Minor’s excellence but limited ’pen track record and recent health troubles. But, the contracts secured by Mike Dunn and Brett Cecil on last year’s open market suggest that Minor can do better if he continues at this pace.

Jason Vargas, LHP (starter) | Salary: $8MM

I doubt that many are buying Vargas’ sensational 2.18 ERA, but even if he’s still just viewed as the mid-rotation innings eater he’s always been, there’s plenty to like. He’s affordable, has posted modest improvements over his career K/9 and BB/9 rates and looks to have bounced back from the 2015 Tommy John surgery that ultimately cost him the better part of two seasons. Vargas might not be part of a postseason rotation, but he’d be a valuable rotation stabilizer for a team with uncertainty at the back of its starting five.

Peter Moylan, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $1MM

Moylan’s ERA is currently residing just north of 7.00 due to the fact that he’s been annihilated by left-handed batters. However, he’s been untouchable against righties, limiting same-handed opponents to a putrid .212/.268/.273 batting line through 71 plate appearances. If used properly, he can be a nice bullpen piece, and he’s certainly affordable from a financial standpoint.

Chris Young, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $5.75MM (plus $1.25MM buyout of $8MM mutual option)

Young was outstanding with Seattle and Kansas City in 2014-15, but he’s been rocked for a 6.31 ERA over the past 117 innings, and his secondary stats don’t offer much encouragement. He’ll need to improve over the next month-plus to have much in the way of trade value. He could also be an August trade candidate, as his salary is all but a lock to clear waivers.

Controlled Through 2018

Kelvin Herrera, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $5.325MM (arbitration-eligible this winter)

Herrera looks like one of the best bets to be traded this summer, but his recent performance can’t be helping his stock. Over his past 10 1/3 innings of work, Herrera has allowed 10 earned runs on the strength of three homers. So long as the homer troubles don’t continue, most will probably look past that blip and find plenty to like in the 27-year-old’s 28-to-5 K/BB ratio through 25 1/3 innings. He’s averaging nearly 98 mph and can help out a team for the next year and a half if he returns to form.

Joakim Soria, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $8MM in 2017, $9MM in 2018 (plus $1MM buyout of $10MM mutual option for 2019)

Soria’s stock in 2017 is up after a pedestrian campaign in 2016. While his 3.81 ERA isn’t too much of an improvement over last year’s 4.05 mark, Soria has averaged a career-best 12.1 K/9 to complement a career-high 60.3 percent ground-ball rate. His walks are up this season, but his uptick in strikeouts and grounders could portend a drop in his ERA. (FIP, xFIP and SIERA all like him for a sub-3.00 mark.) Given his salary, the Royals may still have to kick in a bit of cash to make him truly appealing, but he’s more marketable than he was last year.

Brandon Moss, 1B/OF | Salary: $3.75MM in 2017, $7.25MM in 2018 (plus $1MM buyout of $10MM mutual option for 2019)

It’d be tough to move Moss right now, given his woeful .181/.250/.406 batting line through his first 152 plate appearances as a Royal. He’s striking out in nearly 35 percent of his plate appearances and has become more pull-happy than ever as his hard-hit rate has dropped to its lowest level in the past three seasons. There’s still time for him to improve, but this version of Moss doesn’t carry much value.

Travis Wood, LHP (reliever) | Salary: $4MM in 2017, $6.5MM in 2018 (plus $1MM buyout of $8MM mutual option for 2019)

Like Moss, Wood signed a two-year deal with Kansas City late in free agency and looked like a nice modestly priced addition. Instead, he’s going through the worst season of his Major League career, pitching to an 8.31 ERA with as many walks (17) as strikeouts in just 21 2/3 innings. Wood’s struggles have been pretty consistent, and even left-handed hitters, who usually struggle against Wood, have teed off against him in 2017.

Jason Hammel, RHP (starter) | Salary: $5MM in 2017, $9MM in 2018 (plus $2MM buyout of $12MM mutual option for 2019)

Another two-year offseason deal that hasn’t panned out, Hammel is sitting on a 5.43 ERA with 7.1 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 35.4 percent ground-ball rate. Each of those marks represents a significant step back from his 2015-16 numbers, though Hammel has offered a glimmer of hope with a pair of excellent outings in his two most recent starts (three runs on nine hits and no walks with 11 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings). If he can continue to right the ship, his salary is reasonable enough to appeal to clubs in need of back-of-the-rotation fortification.

Drew Butera, C | Salary: $1.5MM in 2017, $2.3MM in 2018

Butera hasn’t come close to last season’s career year at the plate, though he’s never been close to even average offensive output with the exception of 2016, so expecting a repeat wasn’t really fair. He’s a well-regarded defensive catcher that could give clubs a veteran backup down the stretch.

Longer-Term Assets

Ian Kennedy, RHP (starter); Alex Gordon, OF; Seth Maness, RHP (reliever); Billy Burns, OF

The opt-out clause in Kennedy’s contract and the remaining $43MM on his contract (through 2020) make him an almost impossible player to move in light of his struggles. Kennedy’s K/BB numbers have taken significant steps back in 2017, and his 5.40 ERA makes it look certain that he’ll forgo that opt-out at season’s end, barring a sensational turnaround.

Gordon isn’t hitting at all right now, and it’s as difficult to envision a team being willing to take on his a chunk of his contract as it is to envision the Royals eating a huge chunk of money just to get rid of a player that has achieved borderline franchise icon status.

Maness and Burns are both on the 40-man and have both had some Major League success in the past. Burns is getting on base but not hitting for a shred of power in Triple-A. Maness has been better in Omaha than he has in the Majors this year, but the larger story on him is that he appears healthy after undergoing an experimental Tommy John alternative last August.

Matt Andriese Likely Out Until August With Stress Reaction In Hip

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Rays right-hander Matt Andriese has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his hip, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). The injury will likely sideline him into the month of August, according to Topkin. Well-regarded prospect Jacob Faria has been recalled to start in place of Andriese this week and could be in line for a long-term audition in the rotation.

Per Topkin, Andriese needs a “few weeks” off his hip before he’s able to begin a throwing program and then build up arm strength. There’s no fracture in the hip, and Andriese will not require surgery.

Andriese, 27, may not carry much name recognition among casual fans, but he’s been a key member of the Tampa Bay rotation thus far in 2017. Through 61 innings, he’s logged a 3.54 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 46.4 percent ground-ball rate. That performance had earned him a definitive spot in the Tampa Bay starting five after splitting time between the rotation and bullpen a year ago.

With Andriese out for upwards of two months, it seems that the Rays will deploy a rotation of Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Alex Cobb, Erasmo Ramirez and Faria for the time being. Top prospect Jose De Leon is on the disabled list in Triple-A with a right lat injury, so he isn’t an option to step up for the time being. Southpaw Blake Snell has been excellent since being optioned to Triple-A earlier this year, but the Rays, at least for now, seemingly want to see sustained success out of the longtime top prospect before bringing him back up to the Majors, where he struggled to begin the year.

As for Faria, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that the 23-year-old hasn’t earned a lengthy look in the Majors. Through 58 1/3 innings of Triple-A work this year, he’s pitched to a 3.07 ERA with 12.9 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 41.5 percent ground-ball rate. He’s already made his big league debut with the Rays as well, making a spot start last week during which he limited the White Sox to one run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts across 6 1/3 innings.

Poll: Who Will Be The No. 1 Overall Draft Pick?

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Major League Baseball’s annual amateur draft kicks off tonight at 7pm ET, and the Twins will be on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since selecting local catcher out of St. Paul’s Cretin-Derham Hall high school named Joe Mauer back in 2001. While some draft classes have a very clear top overall pick (e.g. Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg), that doesn’t appear to be the case this season. There have been rumors circulating about who the Twins will select No. 1 overall tonight for months, now, and the top three names on the board, at the very least, seem to be clear….

  • Hunter Greene, RHP/SS, Notre Dame HS (Sherman Oaks, Calif.): Greene has been the most talked-about player in the draft class for the past year. A two-way high school star that has already graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and generated awe with a fastball that has reached 102 mph, Greene sits atop the draft rankings of MLB.com, Baseball America and ESPN. However, while he has the highest upside in the class, there’s also never been a high school right-hander selected No. 1 overall in the draft, and the risks associated with a prep pitcher are greater than those associated with a college player or even a fellow high school pitcher. Most mock drafts from experts have had the Twins passing on Greene, though he’s undoubtedly a tempting option for the new-look Minnesota front office.
  • Kyle Wright, RHP, Vanderbilt: Wright ranks first on Fangraphs’ list of draft prospects, just edging out Greene for that top spot. Over the past month, he’s been the most oft-connected name to the Twins, with most draft experts and scouting reports touting him as the best combination of ceiling and certainty. Armed with a fastball that sits in the low to mid 90s and can reach 97 mph, Wright also has solid control and three secondary offerings that scouting reports peg as average to above-average. He may not have generated as much fanfare and intrigue as the two-way stars that join him atop the draft class, but Wright is very much in the mix to go first overall.
  • Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Louisville: Scouting reports on McKay are split on whether his best long-term fit is on the mound or as a position player, but there’s a general belief that he could excel either way. Whether a team prefers McKay as a pitcher or a hitter, he seems like a virtual lock to go in the top five of the draft. MLB.com’s report gives him a future 60-grade rating in either role, while ESPN’s Keith Law notes that he showed a bit of fatigue on the mound late in the season. Dedicating himself fully to one discipline under a professional coaching/player development staff could allow McKay to take his game to a new level in either direction. The Twins have been connected to McKay quite often, and while most mocks had Wright going No. 1 overall for the past month, McKay’s name has regained a bit of steam in the past few days.

Readers can check out more details on this year’s draft class by diving into the excellent work from Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (free); Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs (free); Keith Law of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required/recommended); and John Manuel and his team over at Baseball America (subscription required and, once again, recommended).

But, if you already have an opinion on the matter formed, let’s get right to the poll (link for Trade Rumors mobile app users)…

Quick Hits: Martinez, Gonzales, Altavilla

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The Tigers themselves are waiting to see how what general manager Al Avila calls “the J.D. Martinez situation” unfolds, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press writes. The Tigers are currently mired in third place at 29-32, but could potentially work their way more clearly toward contention, or out of it, over the next month. If they do find themselves leaning toward trading him, the quality of Martinez’s own play and his health are two more variables, along with which contenders want him and how badly. The Tigers could also keep him and collect a draft pick should he reject a qualifying offer, although they might stand to get more if they trade him this summer. Employees from other teams suggest the return for Martinez might not be spectacular, but it would be considerable. “Maybe the ‘1A’ prospect. Not the tip-top, but among the better group,” says an NL scout. “I’d happily give away our No. 2 and No. 4 prospect,” says a scout from the AL. Martinez has clearly established himself as a consistent power hitter, and his .297/.389/.714 line in 108 plate appearances since returning from a spring foot injury can’t hurt his stock. Here’s more from around the league.

  • Cardinals lefty Marco Gonzales will make his first big-league appearance since 2015 in a start on Tuesday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com writes. Gonzales made it to the Majors barely a year after the Cardinals picked him 19th overall in the 2013 draft, but he struggled in 2015 and missed the entire 2016 season after having Tommy John surgery. Now, after six mostly successful minor-league starts, he’s back.
  • Mariners special assistant and former scouting director Tom McNamara says his club “got lucky” in finding righty Dan Altavilla out of Division II Mercyhurst University and taking him in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, David Laurila writes in his weekly notes column for FanGraphs. The Mariners had already seen Altavilla pitch in the Cape Cod League, but ended up taking him in part because of a coincidence of geography, as Altavilla happened to be pitching again a few miles from where Mariners officials were watching another game. “We were going to watch LSU versus Vanderbilt,” says McNamara. “It was (Aaron) Nola against (Tyler) Beede. Our scout who had Pennsylvania, Mike Moriarty, told us, ‘Hey, you know what? You guys could see the kid from Mercyhurst, too. He’s pitching at noon, and then you can go see the Vanderbilt game at seven o’clock. So we went.” Now, of course, Altavilla is a hard-throwing reliever in the Mariners’ bullpen.

Draft Notes: Twins, Reds, Rays, Braves

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A day before the start of the 2017 MLB Draft, here are the current rumblings.

  • The Twins look likely to select Vanderbilt righty Kyle Wright or Louisville two-way player Brendan McKay with the first overall pick, John Manuel of Baseball America writes in his last mock (which came out Friday). Late last week, Jim Callis of MLB.com suggested the Twins were leaning toward McKay, although it seems the first pick is still the subject of some uncertainty. Both sources have the Reds taking California high school righty Hunter Greene at No. 2 and the Padres going with North Carolina high school lefty MacKenzie Gore at No. 3, although those picks could seemingly change based on what the Twins end up doing. (ESPN’s Keith Law, by the way, has a long profile of Greene, calling him “the best prospect in the draft class and one of the most gifted teenage players I’ve ever seen,” even as he notes that kind of praise can lead to burdensome expectations.)
  • Interestingly, Jonathan Mayo’s latest update in the MLB.com link above cites speculation that the Rays at No. 4 and the Braves at No. 5 could make predraft deals with players to save money against the value of their picks and then go after highly regarded talents in later rounds. (The Rays have a pool of about $12.5MM, with the Braves at just under $10MM.) One possibility should the Rays go that route is Alabama high school outfielder Bubba Thompson, who MLB.com currently rates as the No. 26 prospect in the draft. Atlanta could do something similar, but they could also take Wright or California high school SS/OF Royce Lewis if those players are still available when they make their first selection.
  • It’s possible you remember Darren Baker, Dusty’s son, as the small batboy being yanked away from home plate by J.T. Snow in the 2002 World Series. Now, though, Darren is an outfield prospect with a commitment to Cal. Dusty says, though, that Darren will honor that commitment unless he’s drafted “real, real high,” according to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post (on Twitter).

East Notes: Glover, Eaton, Moreland, Rays

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The Nationals have announced that they’ve placed closer Koda Glover on the 10-day DL with lower back stiffness. They’ve replaced him on their active roster with Joe Blanton, who had been out with a shoulder injury. After struggling against the Rangers on Saturday, Glover told the Nationals he had hurt his back while in the shower. In the short term, Glover’s injury could clear the way for Matt Albers to pick up saves chances. In the longer term, the Nationals could still acquire a closer from outside the organization, having been connected to a number of names recently. Here’s more from the East divisions.

  • Nats outfielder Adam Eaton says he’s “ahead of schedule” in his return from a torn ACL, writes Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Eaton isn’t sure exactly how far ahead of schedule he is, and his chances of playing again this year aren’t known, although it didn’t appear likely he would at the time of the injury. He’s keeping an eye toward the future. “Not just this year, not just next year, but the longevity of my career and how it may be shaped by this injury,” he says of his thought process. Eaton also sounds keenly aware of fan opinions of the costly trade that brought him to Washington. “I hope my presence here is felt, just in the sense that I’m dedicated to them just as they’ve been dedicated to me. The trade this offseason probably wasn’t the most popular one, but I love this city,” says Eaton. The outfielder remains signed through 2019 with reasonable club options for 2020 and 2021, so there will be time for him to contribute to the Nationals once he heals.
  • The Red Sox’ signing of first baseman Mitch Moreland rather than Edwin Encarnacion looks like a good one, Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com writes. Moreland’s offense so far this season has been the best of his career — he’s currently batting .281/.382/.492 with 26 extra-base hits. Encarnacion, meanwhile, has hit .245/.351/.446 with Cleveland, although he’s hit well recently. Interestingly, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi tweeted today that Moreland turned down more money from the Indians to play for the Red Sox.
  • With the arrival of this week’s amateur draft, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times ranks the Rays’ top choices in each year of their existence. It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the (Devil) Rays’ history that Topkin finds some brutal misses, including 2001 third overall pick Dewon Brazelton and 2005 eighth overall pick Wade Townsend (who the Rays selected from a star-studded class while Andrew McCutchen and Jay Bruce remained on the board). 2006 third overall pick Evan Longoria and 2007 first overall selection David Price were big successes, though, and 2003 first overall pick Delmon Young helped the Rays acquire Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett, leading to their first playoff berth.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/11/17

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the game.

  • The Mets are the latest team to take a flier on righty Daniel Bard, signing him to a minor league deal, as SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. Bard was once a first-round pick and top prospect of the Red Sox, but the 31-year-old’s wildness has reached Rick Vaughn levels in recent seasons, as he’s posted BB/9 rates above ten in eight consecutive stops from the Majors to the minors to winter ball. The Cardinals released him last month after he walked 19 batters in 8 2/3 Double-A innings.

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