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Blue Jays Activate Marcus Stroman, Place Aaron Sanchez, Jaime Garcia On DL

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5:57pm: Garcia will join Sanchez on the DL, as Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com tweets that he’s dealing with shoulder tenderness. The Jays will recall reliever Tim Mayza from Triple-A Buffalo to take Garcia’s roster spot, though it’s not yet clear whom they’ll tab to fill out their rotation. Garcia, whom Toronto signed to a one-year, $10MM guarantee over the winter, has joined Stroman and Sanchez in disappointing this season. Long a solid back-end starter, Garcia has scuffled to a 6.16 ERA with 8.22 K/9, 4.55 BB/9 and an uncharacteristically low grounder rate (42 percent) through 61 1/3 innings.

5:13pm: The Blue Jays have reinstated right-hander Marcus Stroman from the disabled list and placed fellow righty Aaron Sanchez on the DL, retroactive to Friday, per a team announcement. Sanchez is dealing with a right index finger contusion.

Stroman went on the DL on May 11 with right shoulder fatigue, which continued a rough start to the season for the 27-year-old. After establishing himself as an effective workhorse over the previous two seasons, during which he eclipsed the 200-inning campaign each year, Stroman opened this season with a 7.71 ERA across 37 1/3 innings and seven starts before going on the DL. While Stroman had posted a career-best 7.71 K/9 in that span and continued his groundball-inducing ways (60.5 percent), he also logged personal-worst walk and home run figures (4.34 BB/9, 1.21 HRs per nine). Additionally, Stroman experienced a drop in velocity and was prone to hard contact, evidenced in part by his lofty .404 xwOBA against.

Stroman drew offseason trade interest and, with Toronto struggling, could have been a candidate to move prior to deadline had he performed well and stayed healthy over the first couple months of 2018. Instead, given Stroman’s early woes, he seems likely to at least finish the year with the Blue Jays – who can control him via arbitration through 2020. He’ll return to the hill Saturday against the Angels.

As is the case with Stroman, this hasn’t been an ideal year for Sanchez. The 25-year-old previously endured a subpar 2017, thanks in part to blister issues that limited him to 36 innings. He has far surpassed that total this season, having tossed 79 2/3 frames in 15 starts, though Sanchez has only managed a 4.52 ERA thus far. Sanchez has recorded normal strikeout and grounder rates (7.57 K/9, 50.2 GB rate), but he has surrendered a career-worst 5.08 walks per nine and dealt with a mild decline in velocity.

With the Jays temporarily trading Sanchez for Stroman, both Sam Gaviglio and Jaime Garcia will remain in a rotation that also includes potential trade pieces in impending free agents J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada.

Athletics To Select Edwin Jackson

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The Athletics will select right-hander Edwin Jackson from Triple-A Nashville, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. He’ll make a start Monday in Detroit, Slusser adds.

Oakland will need to make a corresponding 40-man move to create room for Jackson, as its roster is already at capacity. The club may elect to shift injured righty Andrew Triggs from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL, thus opening up a spot for Jackson, per Slusser.

The promotion of Jackson is rather notable because it puts him in position to tie a major league record. The A’s will be Jackson’s 13th MLB team, matching former reliever Octavio Dotel’s all-time mark. Jackson joined the A’s on a minor league deal on June 6 and earned his way back to the majors with a 4.02 ERA and 16 strikeouts against eight walks over 15 2/3 innings/three starts with their Triple-A club. Overall, including 55 2/3 frames with the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate, Jackson has logged a 3.53 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 this season.

Now that he’s heading to the A’s, who have several starting options on the DL, Jackson will be in position to earn at a $1.5MM rate. The 34-year-old will also bring significant experience to the team’s rotation, having amassed 377 appearances and 288 starts since debuting with the Dodgers in 2003. Jackson has registered a 4.67 ERA with 6.94 K/9, 3.55 BB/9 and a 43.7 percent groundball rate over 1,800 1/3 MLB innings. He racked up 76 of those frames in Washington last year, when he struggled to a 5.21 ERA despite playable strikeout and walk rates (7.11 K/9, 3.43 BB/9). Jackson also averaged 93.5 mph on his fastball and recorded a 10.1 percent swinging-strike rate, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted last month.

Dodgers Activate Clayton Kershaw

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The Dodgers announced today that they’ve officially activated legendary southpaw Clayton Kershaw from the disabled list, optioning lefty Adam Liberatore to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

It was reported yesterday that Kershaw was set to forego a rehab assignment and start tonight’s game. The three-time Cy Young Award-winner has only made eight starts to date this season, which haven’t been quite on par with his usual standards; the lefty owns a 3.47 FIP in 2018 to go with 53 strikeouts against 11 walks in 49 innings. While still respectable, that FIP would be Kershaw’s highest mark since his rookie season in 2008.

The 30-year-old will finally get a chance to re-establish his value in advance of a potential bout with free agency. It’s widely-known that Kershaw can opt out of the remaining two years and $65MM on his contract in order to test the open market, but a hurler who has long been known as the most dominant in the game suddenly has an injury reputation after missing time in each of the past three seasons with back issues. How he performs the rest of the season and whether he stays healthy will both have an impact on whether the future Hall of Famer ends up a free agent at the end of the year.

Liberatore has spent his entire major-league career with the Dodgers, pitching in parts of each season since his debut in 2015. He owns a lifetime ERA of 3.55 in the majors to go along with 9.44 K/9 and 3.65 BB/9. His control appears to have gotten away from him this season, however, as that walk rate has spiked to 5.54 BB/9 (though in an admittedly small 13-inning sample size). Liberatore has pitched fewer than one inning in eight of his 17 appearances on the season.

Angels Claim Hansel Robles

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The Angels announced today that they’ve claimed righty reliever Hansel Robles off waivers from the Mets. Robles was designated for assignment just yesterday. Rene Rivera was transferred to the 60-day DL in order to make room on the expanded roster.

As MLBTR’s Jeff Todd noted at that time, Robles put up some solid numbers for the Mets during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. He pitched 131 2/3 innings during that span, allowing 52 earned runs while racking up 146 strikeouts. Robles also pitched three scoreless postseason innings in 2015 without allowing a walk or a hit.

That seems to be in the distant past now, as Robles has an ERA close to 5.00 since the start of the 2017 season. He’s also seen a spike in his walk rate to 4.59 BB/9 during that time frame. Still, the Angels will hope he can add depth to a bullpen that seems to lack stability, as they’ve got a number of relievers with upside but none who have proven themselves reliable across an extended stretch. For the time being, Robles will report to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/23/18

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This post will serve as a tracker for today’s minor moves…

  • The Rays announced yesterday that infielder Rob Refsnyder cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Durham. The club had acquired the 27-year-old Refsnyder from the Indians at the tail end of spring training in exchange for cash, but designated him for assignment earlier this week after watching him hit just .167/.314/.274 across 103 plate appearances at the MLB level (albeit with a surprisingly fantastic 17.5% walk rate). Refsnyder has also spent time with the Yankees and Blue Jays since his MLB debut in 2015.

Royals Activate Lucas Duda

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The Royals have activated first baseman Lucas Duda from the disabled list and optioned outfielder Paulo Orlando to Triple-A, tweets Rustin Dodd of The Athletic.

Duda had been sidelined since May 14th due to plantar fasciitis. Although manager Ned Yost had initially given reporters a three-week stint as the high end for a DL stint, the recovery obviously took almost twice that long. The injury is often difficult to predict, of course; it’s affected other notable baseball players for unexpected lengths of time, including Albert Pujols, Corey Dickerson, and, recently, Jay Bruce.

Regardless, today’s return gives Duda ample time to establish his value as a potential trade chip for the rebuilding Royals prior to the non-waiver trade deadline at the end of July. After an injury-plagued second half in 2017, the long-time Mets slugger was only able to secure a one-year, $3.5MM pact with Kansas City. Even prior to this season’s injury, Duda hasn’t shown the same type of power output he managed across the 2014-2015 campaigns, when he mashed 57 homers and put up a .249/.350/.483 batting line. His walk rate this year is barely half of his career average, as well. If he can return to form, there are plenty of teams who would likely be interested in adding him for such a small salary.

Notably, 26-year-old Hunter Dozier survived the roster crunch created by Duda’s reinstatement. Though he’s hit just .227/.281/.353 across 128 plate appearances and figures to see a dramatic reduction in his playing time, the team clearly favors him on the active roster over the 32-year-old Orlando, who’s made 907 trips to the plate for the Royals since debuting in 2015.

Brewers Option Domingo Santana

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The Brewers announced today that they’ve optioned outfielder Domingo Santana to Triple-A Colorado Springs. In a related move, the club has elected to promote Brad Miller, whom the team acquired from the Rays just under two weeks ago.

It’s been quite the fall from grace for the soon-to-be 26-year-old Santana, who last season enjoyed a breakout campaign headlined by 30 homers, 15 stolen bases and a .278/.371/.505 batting line. That hardly seems like a fluke on the surface, considering Santana’s .362 xwOBA ranked just outside the 10th percentile among 546 hitters with at least 50 batted ball events. His hard contact rate (39.7%) and plate discipline (12% walk rate, 26.5% chase rate) also supported the argument that Santana was simply a very good hitter.

Santana’s struggles this season have been well-documented. He appears to have taken a step backwards in nearly every facet of his game. Certainly the power has mysteriously disappeared, evidenced by a mere three homers and .354 slugging percentage. But equally alarming is the fact that his walk rate has dropped off significantly; his 8.5% clip so far would be the lowest of his career by a full two points (not including an 18 PA cup of coffee in 2014). Santana’s batting average has also dropped a full 31 points even despite a marginal increase over last year’s gaudy .363 BABIP. His one stolen base thus far puts him on pace for a dramatic drop-off from the 15 bases he stole in 2017.

One of the biggest differences in Santana’s game this year is his batted ball profile. His line drive rate has plummeted from 27.4% last season to 22.8% so far in 2018. Those lost liners have all turned into ground balls, and as a result Santana’s hit the ball on the ground more than half the time this year. He’s also been chasing quite a few more pitches outside of the strike zone; his chase rate of 30.8% is a large jump from last year’s 26.5% clip.

The move likely means more playing time for Jesus Aguilar, who’s been a revelation for the Brewers this season. Aguilar, who came to Milwaukee last year after being designated for assignment by the Indians, has been one of the top ten best hitters in baseball this season. However, due in part to the return of Eric Thames to the lineup, Aguilar has sat on the bench twice in the past week. The removal of Santana from the active roster should help clear up a bit more playing time for a hitter who has certainly earned it with his 16 homers and .975 OPS.

Tigers Sign Josh Thole To Minor-League Deal

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The Tigers have signed catcher Josh Thole to a minor-league deal and assigned him to Double-A Erie, per the SeaWolves’ Twitter account.

Thole, 31, is perhaps best known as the personal catcher for Cy Young-winnings knuckleballer R.A. Dickey during some of his best seasons. The relationship between the two was strong enough to facilitate the addition of Thole into the December 2012 trade that sent Dickey from the Mets to the Blue Jays; the backstop ended up appearing in 102 games for Toronto in the two years following that swap.

The veteran Thole has certainly never been known for his bat. He last appeared in the majors during the 2016 season, when he hit just .169/.254/.220 across 136 plate appearances. For his MLB career, Thole sports a wRC+ of just 73, in part due to a slugging percentage that barely tops .300.

To be fair, though, Thole’s never been valued for his bat. Despite these laughable offensive numbers, Fangraphs’ WAR formula rates Thole as an above-replacement-level player for his lifetime due to solid defensive numbers. Thole’s also shown an aptitude for catching knuckleballs during his career, which is no simple feat.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Jones, Orioles, Sanchez, Blue Jays

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It’s still early in the season relative to the league’s non-waiver trade deadline at the end of July, so with the disclaimer that trade are still subject to change before then, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports that the Red Sox “have an eye on” adding a reliever and a right-handed hitter to complement the team. Drellich points out that these types of additions would not mean “mortgaging” the team’s already-thin farm system, as the addition of a righty-bat would likely be an infielder to balance out the club’s lefty-heavy group. He also cites some troubling statistics about the usage and performance of pinch-hitters for the club, signaling that a backup plan for Dustin Pedroia could help the team in matchup situations. The veteran was seen as likely to resume baseball activities shortly after returning to the DL on June 2nd, but still has yet to be cleared for such activities three weeks later.

Other news and notes from around a topheavy AL East division…

  • Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun takes a look at the situation of Orioles outfielder Adam Jones, who’s enjoying one of his best calendar months in years. Per Meoli, Jones isn’t concerned about all the resulting trade chatter surrounding him. “I can’t let it bother me. I’m in a different part of my life to where I’m not anticipating a $150 million, $200 million, $300 million offer this offseason. I’m more just, ’Let me go be a pro, do what I do best,’ and that’s play the game hard and live with the result. All the other stuff, all the projections and this and that, that’s all whatever.” Notably, Jones is well aware that he “holds all the cards” in regards to where (or if) he’s traded, as the veteran’s been with the O’s long enough to qualify for ten-and-five rights.
  • Speaking of the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com takes a look at what the club’s infield (and roster) could look like post-Machado, if and when the veteran is shipped to another club. Kubatko notes that where fellow infielder Tim Beckham plays will depend upon whether or not the O’s get a major-league ready shortstop as part of the return for their superstar (if the don’t, Beckham seems likely to take over the position). In addition to all this speculation, Kubatko adds that Danny Valencia could see time at third in that case, but has also played himself into potential trade-chip status.
  • Young Blue Jays hurler Aaron Sanchez left last night’s game with a finger contusion, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports, noting that his departure throws a question mark into Toronto’s rotation. It’s not clear at this juncture whether Sanchez’ current finger issue is in any way related to the blister-related issues that limited him to just 36 innings last season, though reports of a contusion would seem to make that improbable. With so many moving parts on the Jays’ pitching staff, the Davidi wonders how the rotation alignment will shake out; there’s been some suggestion that Jaime Garcia could move to the bullpen with Marcus Stroman and Sam Gaviglio set to return from the DL and paternity list soon, respectively.

2018 Amateur Signings: 6/22/18

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Let’s round up Friday’s draft deals of note. As always, the rankings referenced come courtesy of Fangraphs, MLB.com, Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law; Fangraphs and MLB.com scouting reports are available to the public free of charge, while the others require subscriptions.

  • The Pirates have a deal with second-rounder Braxton Ashcraft, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. Aschcraft’s $1,825,000 bonus comes in well over the slot value for the 51st overall selection ($1,382,400). The Baseball America (#58) and MLB.com (#64) analysts were highest on the reputedly athletic hurler, who’s regarded more for his projectability than his present ability on the mound. He’ll forego a commitment to Baylor to join the Bucs, who have inked most of their top picks but are still trying to work things out with sandwich round selection Gunnar Hoglund.
  • Astros second-rounder Jayson Schroeder also lands over slot, Callis tweets. Like Ashcraft, Schroeder is a high-school righty who still needs polish but has shown promising tools. He’ll take home a $1.25MM bonus after being taken 66th overall, a choice that carried a $965,300 allocation. Schroeder had been slated to attend the University of Washington.
  • The Brewers announced their deal with second-round choice Joe Gray, with Callis again tweeting the dollars. Gray lands right at the $1,113,500 allocation for the 60th selection. He’s another toolsy player who’ll forego a collegiate commitment, but in his case he’s an outfielder who has decided against a run at the University of Mississippi. A quality defender with power, Gray is seen as possessing significant upside — if his hitting ability can catch up to his other talents. Notably, the Brewers have yet to ink first-rounder Brice Turang. And amateur scouting director Tod Johnson suggested today that a deal is not inevitable, telling Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Twitter link): “Obviously he and his family have to make a decision as to whether he wants to get on the field and start playing professionally, or go down to LSU and go that route.”

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