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Archives for July 2017

Dodgers Acquire Luke Farrell From Royals

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The Dodgers announced on Friday that they’ve acquired right-hander Luke Farrell from the Royals in exchange for cash. Farrell was designated for assignment earlier this week when Kansas City acquired the trio of Trevor Cahill, Brandon Maurer and Ryan Buchter from the Padres. The Dodgers moved lefty Adam Liberatore to the 60-day disabled list to create space on the 40-man roster.

Farrell, 26, made his MLB debut with K.C. this season but was shelled for five runs on seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Unsightly as that spot start was, Farrell has produced some solid results with Triple-A Omaha in each of the past two seasons, working to a combined 3.92 ERA with 8.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and roughly a 36 percent ground-ball rate. He comes from a good baseball family as well, given that his father, John, currently manages the Red Sox.

Farrell has never ranked among the Royals’ top echelon of prospects, though Fangraphs prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen did mention him when profiling the Royals’ farm system this offseason. Per Longenhagen, Farrell works 90-92 mph with his fastball and has an average cutter and fringe curveball.

Trade Rumblings: Lynn, Darvish, Strickland, Johnson, Cubs, Blevins

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Teams around the league are waiting for the Cardinals to give a clear indication that they intend to trade right-hander Lance Lynn, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney. The impending free agent is among the most sought-after assets in a thin market for starting pitching, Olney adds. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests, though, that the Cardinals haven’t exactly made Lynn’s availability a secret. St. Louis is “in the process of generating a market and offers” for Lynn, according to Goold, though they’re also still trying to acquire a bat to put in the middle of their lineup. Goold speculates that once Sonny Gray is finally traded, other clubs may then pivot to the Redbirds and make their best offer for Lynn, who hasn’t had any substantive talks with Cardinals brass about an extension. The Yankees have interest in Lynn, per Goold, who also notes that the Dodgers and Indians have scouted St. Louis recently. MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets that the Royals have also had recent talks with the Cardinals about Lynn.

More trade rumblings with the non-waiver deadline now less than 72 hours away…

  • Yu Darvish is still the Dodgers’ top target, but the team isn’t likely to surrender any of its “very top prospects” in order to pry him away from the Rangers, per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. The Dodgers view Sonny Gray as a fallback option for Darvish, who is also drawing interest from the Yankees, Cubs and Astros, according to Heyman.
  • ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Giants are open to moving Hunter Strickland but feel that the vast number of relief options available on the trade market could prevent them from extracting max value. As such, San Francisco may simply elect to hold onto the 28-year-old with the intent of pairing him with Mark Melancon, a returning Will Smith and a seemingly rejuvenated Sam Dyson at the back of the bullpen in 2018. (On a somewhat related note, MLBTR recently ran down the trade market for right-handed relievers and for left-handed relievers.)
  • Also from Crasnick (Twitter link), the Braves are listening to offers for right-hander Jim Johnson, though they’re not actively trying to move the veteran, either. The 34-year-old is playing out the first season of a two-year, $10MM extension inked last October. He’s worked to a 4.10 ERA through 41 2/3 frames, albeit with a career-high 10.8 K/9 that has contributed to a more encouraging 3.21 SIERA mark. Johnson’s 50.5 percent ground-ball rate is the lowest of his career, though, and his 3.2 BB/9 represents his highest mark since a brutal 2014 season.
  • The Cubs have been oft-connected to Tigers catcher Alex Avila as they seek to acquire a more experienced backup option to young Willson Contreras, but MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that Avila is one of many names on the Cubs’ list. He’s not a priority for the Cubs, per Rosenthal, who adds that Chicago is seeking more of a defense-first upgrade. MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets that Chicago could be in on Marlins veteran A.J. Ellis as a possible option. Among the catchers that are likely to be available, Rene Rivera may well have the best defensive reputation.
  • Newsday’s Marc Carig tweets that teams have continued to call the Mets on the availability of left-hander Jerry Blevins, but GM Sandy Alderson and his staff aren’t keen on moving the 33-year-old. Blevins is viewed by the Mets as an important piece to the team’s 2018 plans, per Carig. Blevins is much more of a specialist than fellow southpaw trade candidates Justin Wilson and Brad Hand, having limited same-handed opponents to a putrid .173/.230/.185 batting line. Conversely, right-handed opponents have absolutely clobbered Blevins (.316/.469/.632) through 49 plate appearances. He’s earning $5.5MM i 2017 and has a $7MM club option for the 2018 campaign.

Mariners Designate Tyler Smith For Assignment

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The Mariners announced today that infielder Tyler Smith has been designated for assignment to clear a spot on the roster for right-hander Cody Martin, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Tacoma. Seattle also optioned righty Andrew Moore to Tacoma and recalled right-hander Casey Lawrence.

Smith, 26, made his Major League debut with the Mariners this summer and appeared in 10 games, though he totaled just 19 plate appearances with a .188/.263/.250 slash in that minuscule sample. The second baseman/shortstop was hitting .239/.330/.347 with six homers and four steals through 330 PAs with Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma at the time of his DFA.

As for Martin, he’ll rejoin the Mariners’ 40-man roster outrighted back in January. Seattle claimed Martin, 27, off waivers from the division-rival A’s in 2015, and he tossed 25 2/3 innings for them in 2016 before being removed from the 40-man roster this offseason. Through 28 1/3 innings out of the Tacoma bullpen, Martin has a 3.81 ERA with an impressive 11.8 K/9 mark against 2.5 BB/9. After logging a 47.1 percent ground-ball rate with the Mariners last year, he’s been an extreme fly-ball pitcher in 2017, inducing grounders at just a 29.7 percent clip in Tacoma.

Red Sox Place David Price On DL, Aren’t Currently Planning To Pursue Starters

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3:30pm: President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski addressed the Boston media today and definitively stated that he’s not in the market for rotation help (Twitter link via the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier). “We’re not going to go out and make a big trade for a starting pitcher,” said Dombrowski, adding that Doug Fister is slated to step back into the Boston rotation.

Evan Drellich of CSN New England tweets that Dombrowski was confident that Price will return this season, though he was again non-specific about the nature of Price’s injury. Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal adds that the injury was described as inflammation in Price’s elbow, not his forearm. His timeline for a return to the mound is uncertain.

11:18am: At present, Boston doesn’t intend to enter the market for starters, per Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (via Twitter).

10:04am: Price will go on the DL, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter).

9:13am: It has been an eventful season for Red Sox lefty David Price, who opened the year on the DL and has since become embroiled in a running spat with the Boston media. Now, with the trade deadline just days away, Price is again dealing with elbow issues, according to Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).

The full severity of the problem isn’t yet apparent, but Price underwent an MRI yesterday, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). Notably, it’s the “same forearm issue” that the southpaw dealt with earlier this year, per Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald (via Twitter), and it’s likely that he’ll be scratched from his scheduled start this evening.

It’s too soon to guess at the implications of this news. But it’s obviously troubling to hear of new elbow questions for a Red Sox club that was hoping to count on Price as a key member of the staff down the stretch and into the postseason. And that’s all before considering the massive future obligations still owed under the contract that drew Price to Boston before the 2016 season.

If the Red Sox feel there’s enough concern to warrant a look at the trade market, they’ll find a long list of possible targets. But the few impact hurlers that may be available figure to draw high prices. Unless there’s a clear indication that Price could be looking at an extended absence, then, the club may prefer to simply go with what it has and hope for the best. It’s important to remember that the August revocable waiver period could also offer some possible solutions.

Giants Shopping Denard Span

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The Giants are shopping center fielder Denard Span, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, but they’ve yet to drum up a market for the 33-year-old veteran.

Span is in the second season of a three-year, $31MM contract with the Giants, though the backloaded nature of the contract makes the notion of moving him especially tricky. Span’s deal came with just a $3MM salary in its first year, so he’s owed $19.2MM through the completion of the 2018 campaign (including the buyout of a 2019 mutual option and one more payment on a partially deferred signing bonus, per Cot’s).

Span remains a highly productive bat, hitting .286/.337/.451 with seven homers, 22 doubles and four triples despite playing his home games in perhaps baseball’s most pitcher-friendly venue — AT&T Park. It’s worth noting, though, that nearly all of his damage has been done against right-handed pitching (.234/.290/.281 vs. lefties; .299/.350/.496 vs. righties). Beyond that, the once-premium center field defender has seen his defensive ratings slip from anywhere to below average (per Ultimate Zone Rating) to disastrous (per Defensive Runs Saved).

Unfortunately for the Giants, there’s no shortage of outfield bats available. While Span is still playing center field, his sub-par performance there could lead opposing teams to view him as more of a corner option. If that’s the case, he joins a market that’s flooded with the likes of Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Melky Cabrera, Seth Smith, Matt Joyce, Rajai Davis, Howie Kendrick, Jose Bautista and perhaps Carlos Gomez (assuming the Marlins do not reverse course and make any of their outfielders available). That’s a fair bit of options when few contending clubs are seeking outfield help in the first place, and Span is owed more money than anyone on that list.

Twins Outright Anthony Recker

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The Twins have outrighted veteran catcher Anthony Recker off of the team’s 40-man roster, as LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune tweets. It is not clear if the team anticipates a corresponding move at this time.

Recker, 33, went to Minnesota along with Jaime Garcia just days ago. Since that time, it seems, the club may have reevaluated its deadline posture, though perhaps it was never anticipated that Recker would necessarily hold down a roster spot for the rest of the year.

As he has previously been outrighted (including once this year), Recker can elect free agency rather than taking the assignment. His priority will surely be finding a place where he can obtain another opportunity in the majors; after a nice run in 2016, he has received just seven MLB plate appearances this season.

For Minnesota, Recker becomes the second backstop to depart the organization in short order, as John Ryan Murphy was dealt away yesterday. With today’s move, the Twins now have a pair of open 40-man spot, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press tweets.

Martin Prado To Undergo Knee Surgery

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TODAY, 12:03pm: The procedure wasn’t a major one, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Prado could return in three to five weeks after a “cleanup” operation.

9:18am: Prado will undergo surgery, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The precise nature of the procedure and anticipated recovery period are not yet known, but clearly he won’t be a trade candidate for teams looking at third base options.

YESTERDAY: With his knee failing to progress as hoped, Marlins third baseman Martin Prado is weighing a surgical approach, manager Don Mattingly tells Craig Davis of the Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). He’ll make a final decision tomorrow.

The 33-year-old infielder had drawn some interest as a trade candidate. In the midst of a roster reshaping and organizational sale, the Marlins have seemed motivated to move some of the sizable contract — three years and $40MM — that Prado just began this season.

Leg troubles and performance problems, though, had already made a trade seem like an unlikely proposition. Prado was slashing just .250/.279/.357 in his 147 plate appearances on the year, and recently hit the DL for the third time after two prior placements connected to hamstring troubles.

In any event, today’s news makes it all but certain that Prado won’t be traded in the next few days. His contract will surely clear waivers in August, so he could conceivably be dealt at a later point, though that’d likely also require that he make it back on the field in time to prove his health.

Latest On Dan Straily

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TODAY: After shopping Straily yesterday, the Marlins have “taken him off the market” today, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).

That said, it is difficult to imagine that Straily simply cannot be obtained now when just yesterday the club was reaching out to rivals to gauge interest. It’s more likely, perhaps, that Miami has simply not found any indication that a major package can be achieved.

That interpretation lines up what MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand is hearing (Twitter link). As he puts it, the Fish are “still very much open” to making a deal on Straily. (That said, given the remaining control over Straily, the team surely won’t just be taking the best offer.)

YESTERDAY, 5:43pm: Eight teams have spoken with the Marlins on Straily, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (via Twitter). But it seems that most of the contact has been initiated by the Miami organization, per a tweet from Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network, with hopes of finding a “home run” of a trade package.

12:51pm: After focusing primarily on trades involving their relievers over the past couple of weeks, the Marlins have now informed teams that they’re open to trading right-hander Dan Straily, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

The 28-year-old Straily was essentially a free pickup for the Reds in Spring Training 2016 and has continually built up increasing trade value over the past season and a half. Cincinnati dealt him to Miami in exchange for a prospect package headlined by flamethrowing rookie starter Luis Castillo this offseason, and it’s possible that the market for controllable starters is thin enough that the Fish can recoup comparable or even superior value after four more strong months out of Straily.

While Straily definitely won’t be mistake for a top-of-the-rotation starter, he’s been a durable mid-rotation piece dating back to Opening Day 2016. Over his past 308 2/3 innings, Straily has averaged 7.8 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9 with a 33 percent ground-ball rate en route to a 3.79 ERA. Alternative metrics like FIP and xFIP don’t love Straily, though as an extreme fly-ball pitcher, he’s more likely to sustain his .251 BABIP than a more ground-ball oriented pitcher would be. (Fly-balls in play, generally speaking, are easier to turn into outs than grounders.)

Straily’s true value, however, comes through the simple fact that he’s a solid mid-rotation piece that is controlled not just through the 2017 campaign but all the way through 2020. He’s yet to reach arbitration eligibility (though he will this offseason) and should be affordable, from a financial standpoint, for any team in the Majors.

The Marlins have begun to replenish a perilously thin farm system by trading David Phelps to the Mariners, and it stands to reason that they’ll also part with closer AJ Ramos and, perhaps, Straily over the next 96 hours. Virtually all reports on the team have suggested that they’re not open to trading core offensive players like Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, Giancarlo Stanton and J.T. Realmuto, and the team has several potential trade chips on the disabled list in the form of Kyle Barraclough, Edinson Volquez and Martin Prado.

Whether their likely inability to cash in on those players impacted Miami’s willingness to move Straily isn’t clear, but now is among the best times possible to be marketing an affordable, controllable starter — even if his ceiling is that of a workhorse rather than that of an ace. Moving both Straily and Ramos in the coming days won’t dramatically overhaul the Miami farm system, but it’d further begin to build up a minor league reservoir of talent that has been thinned out by trades and injuries to recent top picks Tyler Kolek and Braxton Garrett.

Trade Market For Right-Handed Relievers

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This is the final entry in MLBTR’s 2017 Trade Market Series. Prior entries cover left-handed relievers, starting pitchers, outfielders, shortstops, second basemen, first basemen, third basemen, and catchers.

Anthony Swarzak and Pat Neshek recently became the latest right-handed relievers to be dealt to contenders this July, while Steve Cishek and Erasmo Ramirez were just swapped for one another. Those pitchers won’t be the last of their kind to move via trade — far from it, in fact. Quite a few appealing trade candidates will likely go to the highest bidder, with others perhaps also available at the right price:

Rentals

Addison Reed, Mets | $7.75MM in 2017 ($2.75MM remaining)

The Mets’ closer is one of the most marketable arms out there, as he’s been an absolute buzzsaw since going from Arizona to Queens. Reed misses bats and has a minuscule walk rate, though there’s been at least one report suggesting that there could be concerns about his heavy workload with the Mets. All the same, he could very well be the most impactful right-handed rental on the relief market.

Brandon Kintzler, Twins | $2.95MM in 2017 ($1.05MM remaining)

The Twins’ hopes at a playoff berth are increasingly slim, and Minnesota is reportedly listening on short-term pieces after being passed up by the surging Royals and Indians. If they make him available, Kintlzer’s heavy sinker and strong control would make him an in-demand commodity. He’s cheap and effective and would make a nice setup piece in a contender’s bullpen.

Drew Storen, Reds | $3MM in 2017 ($1.07MM remaining)

He’s not the strikeout machine he was when closing for the Nats a few years ago, but Storen is averaging better than eight strikeouts per frame with a strong ground-ball rate. He’s also on a cheap one-year deal, which should make him attractive to teams that want to bolster their bullpen without taking on too much cash.

Craig Stammen, Padres | $900K in 2017 ($320K remaining)

Stammen entered the year with just four big league innings since the conclusion of the 2014 season, but he’s up to 53 2/3 frames now with a 4.02 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 51.9 percent ground-ball rate. He can go multiple innings and is on a bargain contract for a team that is selling anything that’s not nailed down.

Bud Norris, Yusmeiro Petit & David Hernandez, Angels | $1.75MM; $2.25MM; unknown salary in 2017 

Tuesday’s poor outing notwithstanding, Norris has risen from reclamation project to shutdown reliever for most of the season, with 11.4 K/9, 4.0 BB/9 and a 48.4 percent ground-ball rate. His 3.12 ERA is backed up by FIP, xFIP and SIERA. Meanwhile, teams seeking multiple innings might not be able to better than Petit. The longtime Giant has totaled 56 2/3 frames in just 36 appearances while racking up a gaudy 59-to-12 K/BB ratio. Hernandez, like Norris, has missed bats and kept the ball on the ground, but he’s done so with fewer K’s and much better control (9.6 K/9, 2.1 BB/9). All three veterans are cheap and effective.

Juan Nicasio, Pirates | $3.65MM in 2017 ($1.3MM remaining)

As noted when looking at the trade market for lefty relievers, the Buccos may very well be buying, but they still flipped Mark Melancon at last year’s deadline with a Wild Card spot in arm’s reach. They’re closer to the division this time around, though, so perhaps flipping rentals isn’t in the cards. If they do, Nicasio has been terrific in 2017.

John Axford, Athletics | $5.5MM in 2017 ($1.95MM remaining)

The walks are back. Axford has issued 17 free passes in 21 innings (7.3 BB/9), and the resulting 6.30 ERA / 5.72 FIP is downright ugly. It’s tough to see anyone taking this contract following Axford’s recent DFA.

Seung-hwan Oh, Cardinals | $2.75MM in 2017 ($977K remaining)

The 35-year-old’s sophomore season in the Majors hasn’t gone as well as his brilliant rookie campaign. Oh’s strikeout rate is down, and he’s already allowed more homers in 2017 (eight) than he did in all of 2016 (five). His walk and ground-ball rates have also gone in the wrong direction.

Joaquin Benoit, Phillies | $7.5MM in 2017 ($2.66MM remaining)

Benoit hasn’t exactly lived up to his $7.5MM salary, but he’s still throwing hard (94.8 mph average fastball) and missing bats (9.1 K/9). His ground-ball rate is way down, though, and his control has been below average.

Joe Smith, Blue Jays | $3MM in 2017 ($1.07MM remaining)

Smith only just returned from the DL, but he’s racked up a ridiculous 50-to-8 K/BB ratio with a slightly above-average ground-ball rate in 33 2/3 innings. If teams are convinced that he’s healthy, they’ll want him. He’s arguably one of the more attractive rental options in the game, depending on one’s view of his health.

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Mariners Acquire Erasmo Ramirez From Rays For Steve Cishek

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The Marines and Rays have announced a swap of right-handed pitchers, with Erasmo Ramirez heading back to Seattle and Steve Cishek going to Tampa Bay in return.

Seattle will reportedly also send $1MM to Tampa Bay to help account for the differences in the salaries of the two players. Cishek is earning $6MM this year before reaching free agency, while Ramirez carries a $3.125MM annual salary and can be controlled for two more years via arbitration.

Both teams are pressing for a postseason berth — indeed, they could end up fighting one another for Wild Card position in the American League. This deal, then, appears mostly to be a lateral move designed to meet the particular needs of each organization.

Jun 21, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Erasmo Ramirez (30) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Ramirez, 27, has functioned as a swingman for the Rays since coming over from Seattle before the 2015 season. Now, he’ll head back to his original organization to provide another rotation option. He’ll also represent a potential part of the staff through 2019.

[Related: Updated Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners depth charts]

While Ramirez carries only a 4.80 ERA on the year, and has worked mostly from the pen over the past two campaigns, he has mostly been himself in 2017. The positive areas (7.1 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 48.6% groundball rate) are on par with Ramirez’s career figures, and the problems (1.30 HR/9) are familiar. His velocity and swinging-strike rate sit right at career averages.

If and when his 63.8% strand rate normalizes, Ramirez will likely settle back into being a useful back-end starter or solid long-relief arm. And that’s what the M’s will need from him to stay in contention down the stretch. Seattle has cycled through starters for much of the year and still has an uncertain rotation mix. It’ll be interesting to see whether the club continues exploring the market for starters.

Jun 18, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Steve Cishek (31) in action during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, that came at a cost, as the Mariners will sacrifice a solid late-inning option in Cishek. That’s just what the Rays have been searching for, with the team perhaps more willing to part with Ramirez with a variety of rotation options at or near the MLB level.

Since returning from hip surgery, Cishek has given the Mariners twenty frames of 3.15 ERA ball. But there are some worrying signs when you look below the surface. Cishek has managed just 6.8 K/9 on a career-low 7.5% swinging-strike rate. His velocity has dropped significantly. And he’s permitting 1.35 homers per nine on a 23.1% HR/FB rate.

Despite the concerns, the Rays will hope that Cishek can continue to be a force against right-handed hitters. He has always been less effective against southpaws, and perhaps now more than ever will be best utilized situationally, but the Rays have enough late-inning options that they won’t need to use Cishek in a strictly defined role.

Jon Morosi of MLB.com (via Twitter) first said the deal was close, with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (Twitter link) adding that it was Cishek who’d go in return for Ramirez. Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune suggested on Twitter that the swap was fully agreed to, while ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links) had the financial element.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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