Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons signaled on Monday that Troy Tulowitzki won’t be ready for Opening Day, writes MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. “I think you can write Tulo off [for Opening Day] right now,” said Gibbons of his shortstop, who is currently dealing with a bone spur in his right heel. Tulo’s lack of availability likely means the Jays will carry just seven relievers to open the season Morosi notes, which will allow the team to bring four middle infielders — Devon Travis, Aledmys Diaz, Yangervis Solarte and Gift Ngoepe — when they break camp.
Meanwhile, both John Axford and Tyler Clippard are likely to make the Blue Jays’ bullpen after signing minor league deals, per Morosi. Gibbons praised a new two-seam fastball that Axford has been utilizing as well as improved control from the veteran righty. “What’s jumped out at me is he’s keeping that thing in the zone,” said Gibbons. “What little I’ve known in the past, at times he could scatter, but really that hasn’t happened at all this spring. That’s encouraging. And he still throws really, really hard.”
More from the AL East…
- The Yankees announced today that top prospect Gleyber Torres has been optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The move doesn’t come as a huge surprise given the team’s signing of Neil Walker to a one-year deal and Torres’ struggles this spring as he makes his way back from Tommy John surgery in his non-throwing arm. Torres, who has just 55 games above Class-A Advanced under his belt and just 96 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, went 4-for-25 with seven strikeouts in Grapefruit League play. The 21-year-old will likely make his MLB debut with the Yankees at some point in 2018, and optioning him comes with the added benefit of pushing back his service clock to gain an extra year of club control (assuming he spends at least three weeks or so in the minors to open the season).
- The Orioles spoke with Lance Lynn’s agents right up until the time he signed with the Twins, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. However, Lynn was seeking a two-year deal from the Orioles, whereas he agreed to a one-year, $12MM deal in order to join the Twins. Kubatko adds that the Orioles are of the impression that fellow right-hander Alex Cobb is also seeking a multi-year deal and that a contract comparable to Lynn’s pact with the Twins won’t get the job done.
- The Red Sox would like to stash some MLB rotation depth at Triple-A but are having a tough time getting deals done, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston writes. Remaining hurlers are understandably interested in joining teams where they’ll have a reasonably achievable path to the Majors. Boston entered the winter with a rather full set of starters, though as Drellich notes, there’s increasingly more opportunity to offer with a variety of (hopefully) minor injuries cropping up. The Sox faced a similar struggle in attracting veterans on minor league deals last winter, Drellich notes.
Forget Cobb
Who? Wasn’t Arrieta the last free agent left?
8 hours later Torres reported… nice to see yous woke up from your naps
Its not huge news. He stunk in ST, and they signed a better 2B.
Ya really nailed em there, bud.
I’ve seen some users get annoyed with the minor league signing updates, but it’s not hard to understand why they’re posted.
Torres wasn’t going to make the club out of spring training anyways. And that was sealed with the Walker signing.
Might I suggest the MLB transactions page, since you seem to want details of every player not breaking camp with the big club? You can’t possibly expect MLBTR to post all of those transactions…
card collector18…..It was mentioned in today’s chat while Steve was answering a question……
Steve Adams
4:29
“I don’t think so. He’s still so valuable, and I don’t think the Rays are going to be nearly as bad as most people think. Maybe next offseason, but even then, they have three years of him. They’ll listen, like always, but they’re not going to move him unless someone bowls them over — as in an offer bigger than the Quintana package or on par with the Sale package.
Yankees optioned Gleyber Torres — not much of a surprise there.”
I guess you missed that. Were you napping?
You proud of that? Good job. Sorry this awesome, free baseball news source isn’t good enough for you. You can leave
^ +1
I just wanted to see how many people I could upset honestly
So… a troll? Good one!
No. I’m guessing you missed the chat got proven wrong and are coming up with an excuse.
+2
Well, we’ve found the newest troll. This website really shouldn’t allow 12 year olds to comment…
card needs more Tide Pods.
Orioles need to do whatever it takes to sign Cobb. I believe that pitching staff is going to be good .
lol. Good luck with that O’s fans
So we are just supposed to sit around and say negative stuff about our team? Sorry that some of us have faith in our team even when others dont.
well, they have the 5th best rotation in the AL East so, that’s something to be excited about
Thx for your rotation expertise bastros. Been breaking down the AL East pitching huh? Gimme a break. Oh… and congrats on being a stros’ fan since last October! Lol!!!
Are you saying bastros is wrong? They have a bottom 5 rotation in the league
I’m saying he doesn’t know. No one does. The O’s rotation has the potential to be very good or very bad. More so than almost any other team. It’s impossible to say where they’ll end up. Lotsa teams would LOVE to have Bundy and Gausman (not to mention Hunter Harvey on the way).
And Oriole fans would love to have Lance Lynn. The O’s don’t even have a number 1 or 2. They don’t have a 6 and 7 either. I love Bundy and Gausman, and Castro is intriguing. Cashman is ok. But they needed a Lynn and Cobb to have a chance.
What I love about the Orioles, and I’m a Jays fan, for what it’s worth, is the fact that they get written off year after year and yet somehow stay competitive for the bulk of the season. Respect.
It has been a long, rough road since 1983.
I agree that they need to do whatever it takes to sign Cobb. I do not agree that the pitching staff is going to be good. I think they max out at slightly above average.
What minor league pitchers do the Red Sox have that can be called up? E-Rod, Pom, and Wright opening the year on the DL means Johnson and Velazquez will start the year in the rotation I imagine. I love Johnson’s whole story but… Yikes!
Not sure about the truth to this but heard on sportsnet radio that tulo might be out until at least the all star break
Lol Sawx
Are you serious, no one wants you
A pillow contract w 7 series vs the Yanks
What
You would think Boston would be a relatively attractive destination for back-end SPs because they are the one legit WS contender that has the greatest opportunity for fringe starting pitchers to get a lot of innings pitched.
Pretty tough place to pitch if they even get a big league start, though.
Yes Boston is not for cowards.
You’ll be history here if you fail unless you are perceived as giving 100%.
This, right here? Is why people hate us. Stop that.
I guess Panda Sandoval is a coward
come on, that’s just one of many reasons
That’s kind of where I’m at… If you’re a starting pitcher looking for a minor league deal, but you’re not confident you can beat out Rodriguez and Wright for a starting job, you really don’t have a very high opinion of yourself. Rodriguez has electric stuff, but still fails to harness it consistently, not to mention the injuries. Wright was a nice story, but the chances after all this down time that he comes back and is anything near the All-Star that faded to injury last year are slim to none. If he can give me 125-150 innings of 4.00 ERA ball, I’ll be very pleased.
The type of veterans the Sox are looking for to eat some innings should be very confident they can start out the year throwing 50 innings of 4-4.50 ERA ball. If they do that and avoid blowing big situations, they will hold down a rotation spot all year through injuries.
P.S. If we think what Brian Johnson is doing against single-A hitters is the answer, we are dead wrong.
Sox should sign Cobb. He’s primed for a good year (i.e. great at the end of last year). With unknown results in Boston’s rotation (Price, Porcello, Wright, Pomeranz, E-Rod) it would be a good backup plan.
Hometown boy!
Clippard has barely pitched this Spring and all of a sudden he’s got a job? Doubtful. Especially since they’d have to take 2 guys off the 40 man roster to add him and Axford.
One cut will be Loup. Mayza could be the other. Or they trade Pearce which would also free up the outfield jam to keep Teoscar up as the 4th OF. It can be done.
why Loup? As much as it makes cringe to say this but hes our best left handed reliever right now… Cut Mayza & Dermody
I highly doubt Mayza is cut. I’d guess that Carlos Ramirez and Dwight Smith would be the first to go. Maybe even Taylor Guerreiri, which I think would be a mistake.
Loup will not be cut. He’s their only lefty with MLB experience…as awful as it is to watch him go out there.
Pompey is one candidate to be cut and maybe Dwight Smith Jr. as far as outfielders go. The only other guy I can see being expendable at this point is Carlos Ramirez.
The Boston aspect of this article is very strange?
Boston is a viable contender so SP would most likely “want” to come to Boston.
Boston pays well so SP would most likely “want” to come to Boston.
Boston will likely need SP due to injuries so SP would most likely “want” to come to Boston.
Boston has one of the highest payrolls in baseball so SP would most likely “want” to come to Boston.
Boston has notoriously “overpaid” for many many players so SP would most likely “want” to come to Boston.
Boston fans demand a winner so SP would most likely “want” to come to Boston.
Many seem to think Boston has enough SP already.
But the reality is this, they don’t have enough SP to go all the way only enough to get to the playoffs, just as they did in 2017. .So SP would most likely “want” to come to Boston.
The only legitimate issue I can see about a SP not wanting to come to Boston is fear of media scrutiny.
Boston is notorious for eating players alive that dog it . Sandoval, Crawford, Price, Manny Ramirez, etc. Even ARod was ridiculed here as a NYY due to his roid use.
Boston is a hard place to play.
The fans demand results.
So maybe SP don’t want to come here because they can’t dog it anymore here.
The party’s over, the word is out.
The fans and the owner expect results.’
And they just dump people that don’t produce.
Just ask Sandoval.
And they put a microscope up everyone’s a.s now.
Signed “Boston Chamber of Commerce”
did your quotation marks key throw up on you?
Stfu Georgie geez
There is not a problem with pitchers wanting to go to Boston. Boston, though, is not trying to recruit major league pitchers to Boston. They’re trying to recruit them to Pawtucket. Not the same thing.
They could recruit Clay Bucholz and he would end up on the DL all season.
Really think all the iffy people they have, along with another they have in Justin Haley and jalen Beeks are about as good as washed up veterans who sign on minor league deals anyway for the most part.
Maybe not everyone “want” to go to Boston. Maybe some “want” other teams. Maybe some “want” to not play for Boston. I don’t “want” to live in Boston.
And I don’t want to live in Chicage.
But if I got paid big bucks I could handle it for a few years.
Chicago pays well so SP would most likely “want” to come to Chicago.
Chicago will likely need SP due to injuries so SP would most likely “want” to come to Chicago.
Chicago has one of the highest payrolls in baseball so SP would most likely “want” to come to Chicago.
Chicago has notoriously “overpaid” for many many players so SP would most likely “want” to come to Chicago
Chicago fans demand a winner so SP would most likely “want” to come to Chicago.
Players “want” “want” “want” “want” to play in Chicago. Just ask Darvish.
Apparently Jake Arrieta and Wade Davis didn’t.
Criticize the guy and then do the exact same thing you just criticized…. interesting way to try and make a point.
Players want to play for the team that will pay them the most and for the most years. They don’t care if it’s Tampa, Pittsburgh or Chicago or Boston….it’s all about the cash!
Darvish wants to play in Chicago, after Texas, LA, NY, Boston and Milwaukee all deline to pay what he wants. Congrats on being preferred to Minnesota, his only other choice.
Pretty sure chicago didnt want arrieta or davis considering the cubs never made either a formal offer.
You know you guys can leave right?
Not many starters left on the market according to MLBTR’s list. Only guys that would really make sense for Boston would be Peavy, Bucholz, and maybe Chris Smith. Anderson, Cahill, Heckislson, and Cobb will all be looking for MLB contracts. Dickey and Lackey will likely retire. Not much more out there.
The article was about “The Red Sox would like to stash some MLB rotation depth at “Triple-A”
They’re not likely to go after a free agent and pay big bucks to stash him in AAA. This article makes no sense.
Why would a veteran free agent want to be stashed in AAA?
And I agree, there’s not much out there the Red Sox would want even if they did?
Peavy… Buchholz… Lackey… well, it worked five years ago *shrug*
Chris Smith? Why would he make any sense?
Because that is what a depth starter is.
Hellickson will probably take what he can get. Though you’d have to imagine his odds of sticking in the rotation would be better elsewhere.
Yea he has a much clearer path to the MLB with a team like the Philles or O’s. Not Boston.
“Spends 3 weeks or so in the minors to open the season”
The exact number is actually 16 days, and would extend Yankees’ team control of Gleyber Torres through 2024, Gleyber’s Age-27 season.
But before you scream “service time manipulation”
1) Neil Walker was signed. (Competent 2B replacement)
2) The demotion was warranted! Gleyber hit .160 (0RBI and HR) in 25 at-bats, in 11 ST games. Seemed like he needed to shake off some of that rust off in the minors, after Tommy John surgery, in his non-throwing arm.
Wait that means “he’s a scrub” and they should trade him for a PTBNL.
Not if he’s ranked game’s #5 prospect (MLB.com), #6(BA) with Zero MLB at-bats to his name.
The “scrub” – in question – I was referring to was Tyler Wade who in his 2017 debut, hit below Gleyber’s .160, in more than double Gleyber’s 2018 ST at-bats, you are trying to use, to make me look bad.
Gleyber Torres>> Tyler Wade
He’s worth more than a PTBNL. Ok? I’m just not as high on Tyler Wade, as others. Spring training #’s mean nothing, we’ll see what he does during the regular season (if he plays)
I’ll admit I was wrong if Wade exceeds, or takes a step forward, in 2018. If it was up to me, I’d trade him. But apparently, suggesting that unpopular opinion here, doesn’t make me a Yankee fan, from some newer Yankees posters, here.
Question my opinion, but question my fandom because of that opinion, is where I draw a line! Carl, lol
Please stop bringing it up and let 2018 show which one of us is right. It’s obvious to me, majority of mlbtr sides with you.
Wade indeed is gonna succeed,he’s the kind of spark plug player with speed,defense,the Yankees need. I could really care less about those prospect lists to a certain extent because in reality prospects can indeed bust. Cashman was smart as hell to acquire Drury and then sign Walker,cause they couldn’t really have two rookies with that much pressure on them. I think that guy Carl or any others were probably just pulling your chain. Now that guy michaelw the Cubs fan is toxic to so many posters on here and I wouldn’t be surprised that he tried that junk he trolls everyone.
Thanks, For what it’s worth, I hope I’m wrong. Either way, I’m excited for 2018, and get why I looked like a fool, for throwing shade at Wade, for 58 MLB at-bats.
Can my defense be, his 2017 struggles, felt longer than 58AB?? Lol
Sox are going to need pitching depth. High wire act on the mound at Fenway this year – fingers crossed.
I can see Boston and Baltimore having a few 18 inning games that end 14-12.
Way to go Axford!
Troy Tulowitzki is hurt? That’s weird….
Why the hell haven’t the Jays moved Tulo to DH? Jeez Louise. The guy can just plain hit but his body is made of balsa wood. So what do you do? Field him at the position that correlates the strongest with injuries….