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Archives for May 2019
Tigers Sign Carlos Torres To Minors Deal
The Tigers have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Carlos Torres, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports (Twitter link).
Torres recently opted out of his previous minor league deal with the Padres, and will now look to crack Detroit’s 25-man roster and appear in his tenth Major League season. The 36-year-old ate a lot of innings and posted some quality results for the Mets and Brewers from 2013-17, averaging 79 innings and 61 games per season over that five-year stretch, with a 3.52 ERA, 2.6 K/BB rate, and 8.0 K/9.
Torres had something of a down year in 2017, and he had to settle for minor league deals from the Indians and Nationals in 2018, posting only a 6.52 ERA over 9 2/3 IP for Washington at the big league level last season. Torres has by far the most experience of any reliever in the Tigers’ organization, giving the team some veteran depth as they figure out their struggling bullpen situation. If Torres can regain any of his old workhorse form, he could be a solid long-relief addition to a pen that could see some changes before the trade deadline, most notably if closer Shane Greene is moved.
Nationals Notes: Strasburg, Scherzer, Anibal, Ross, Knorr
Here’s the latest from the D.C. baseball world, on a day that saw the Nationals defeat the Marlins to record their first three-game win streak of the season…
- If the Nats can’t get back into the postseason race, Stephen Strasburg or Max Scherzer could potentially become trade candidates at the deadline depending on the team’s future direction, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes in a subscriber-only piece. If the Nationals plan to reload for 2020, neither ace will be dealt, though a larger shakeup (and subsequent scaling-back of the team’s payroll) could see Strasburg or Scherzer on the block. Both starter has a hefty salary, however, that will present obstacles to a deal. Strasburg and Scherzer are each owed over $100MM on their contracts, both during the life of those deals and into the future, as per the Nationals’ deferral-heavy payment structure. In Strasburg’s case, he is under contract through 2023 but can also opt out after either this season or the 2020 season, so potential trade suitors could either balk at the remaining salary, or balk at giving up a lot of prospects for a pitcher who could leave as early as this offseason.
- Anibal Sanchez is set to throw a bullpen session tomorrow as he continues to rehab from a hamstring injury. While Sanchez could potentially be activated to start for the Nats on Wednesday, Martinez told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com) that no decision has been made about Wednesday’s starter, and Sanchez could still make a minor league rehab start. The veteran right-hander has gotten off to a tough start this year, posting a 5.10 ERA in his first 42 1/3 innings of 2019.
- Joe Ross was sent down to Triple-A on Saturday, where he will be stretched out once again as a starting pitcher, Martinez told the Washington Post’s Sam Fortier and other reporters. Injuries have limited Ross to just 285 Major League innings over four-plus seasons, and Washington deployed Ross as a reliever this season as he continues to recover from the Tommy John surgery that cost him virtually all of the 2018 campaign. Like many in the Nats bullpen, however, Ross struggled — he posted a 9.22 ERA over 13 2/3 innings, with 12 strikeouts against eight walks. “I think this gives him an opportunity to get comfortable, stretch him out, and hone in,” Martinez said, describing Ross’ shift back to starting pitching as a “longer term” move.
- In his latest video update for FOX Sports (Twitter link), Ken Rosenthal reports that Triple-A manager Randy Knorr is seen by some in the Nationals organization as a natural choice to take over the big league managerial job (at least with an interim tag) if the embattled Davey Martinez is fired. Knorr has worked in a variety of roles for the organization since 2005, including stints as the Nats’ bench coach and bullpen coach, and a manager at multiple levels of the farm system. Rosenthal notes that Knorr’s supporters see him as a potential Brian Snitker-like figure — a longtime organization man who has managed or coached almost everyone on Washington’s roster at one time or another, so a transition from yet another managerial change could be somewhat smoother if a familiar face like Knorr took over.
Phillies Place Pat Neshek On 10-Day Injured List
TODAY: Neshek is dealing with rotator cuff inflammation, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Breen tweets. Neshek will “be out for a little while,” though the team doesn’t believe the injury will threaten his season.
SATURDAY: Phillies reliever Pat Neshek is expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters including Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link). He is dealing with shoulder soreness.
The specifics of the malady aren’t clear, but caution is typically the wisest course when that particular joint is involved. Neshek, 38, had an excellent record of durability before running into some health issues last year.
It’s hard not to notice that the veteran hurler has had a few rough outings of late. In particular, he allowed three runs and two long balls in his latest appearance, bumping his season-long ERA from 3.24 to 4.67.
There have been some changes in the underlying numbers for Neshek, though it’s hard to know precisely what they mean in such a short sample. Neshek has only nine strikeouts on the year, but he has also allowed only a single walk in his 17 1/3 innings. His swinging-strike rate has dipped to 8.9%, markedly lower than his recent levels. And the typically flyball heavy sidearmer has drawn more grounders than usual, even while allowing homers at a greater rate (16.0% HR/FB) than ever before.
Astros Likely To Place Aledmys Diaz On 10-Day IL
A left hamstring strain forced Aledmys Diaz to be removed from the Astros’ lineup during the first inning of today’s game, and manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan) that the injury is likely to send Diaz to the 10-day injured list. Diaz missed three games last week due to hamstring soreness, and re-aggravated the injury while running the bases today.
Like pretty much everyone on the Astros’ roster this season, Diaz has been enjoying a good year at the plate, hitting .286/.321/.510 with five homers over 109 plate appearances. Houston acquired the 28-year-old utilityman in a trade with Toronto during the offseason, seeing Diaz as an alternative to departing free agent Marwin Gonzalez. Diaz has lived up to that versatile billing, starting at least two games at five different positions (all four infield slots and left field) this year. Much of Diaz’s recent action has come at second base, as he has been filling in for the injured Jose Altuve.
While it hasn’t yet affected their big lead in the AL West, the Astros have been bit by the injury bug over the last few weeks, with Altuve, George Springer, Collin McHugh, Max Stassi, and now Diaz all sidelined. The good news is that Altuve is expected back in a few days’ time, filling one major hole in the club’s lineup. Depending on how long Diaz is out of action, Yuli Gurriel could handle backup shortstop duties behind Carlos Correa, though Gurriel has only played two games at short in his four MLB seasons. Myles Straw is another consideration, as the outfielder has been seeing action at shortstop at Triple-A.
Phillies Move Vince Velasquez To Bullpen, Recall Pivetta
The Phillies are tinkering with their starting rotation, recalling Nick Pivetta, who will reclaim his spot in the rotation and is slated to start Tuesday’s game against the Cardinals, tweets Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Meanwhile, right-hander Vince Velasquez will transition to a full-time bullpen role moving forward.
Velasquez, who boasts impressive strikeout stuff, has long been mentioned as a candidate to work out of the bullpen, and now we will have a chance to see just how his stuff plays in abbreviated outings in relief. After an impressive two-inning performance on Friday in which he struck out four batters, the Phils will give the 26-year-old Velasquez an extended look out of the bullpen. Velasquez certainly fits the prototype for converted relievers: for his career, the right-hander averages more than one strikeout per inning pitched, but that talent has thus far translated to a mediocre 4.52 career ERA. This season, walks and home runs have emerged as an issue, surrendering 1.9 HR/9 to go with 4.5 BB/9.
Taking his spot in the starting rotation will be Pivetta, who earned himself a short stint in the minor leagues after a frustrating start to his 2019, a year in which he was supposed to break out. Needless to say, there’s still time for Pivetta, who has long tantalized fans with elite pure stuff, to reverse his early-season misfortune and make good on his potential. If his six minor-league starts are any indicator of what’s to come, his raw stuff is still there: the 26-year-old struck out 50 batters in 37 Triple-A innings, good for a ratio of 12.2 K/9. By and large, though, it has been the long ball that has plagued Pivetta in 2019, having allowed 2.5 per nine innings pitched, an average that must come down if he’s to return to the form that he flashed last season.
An improved version of Pivetta would certainly be welcomed by the Phillies, who have received mixed results from their starting rotation, received good production from Zach Eflin, though Aaron Nola has yet to perform like the ace of last year’s staff. At the same time, experimenting with Velasquez in the bullpen could unlock something that prevented him from reaching his full potential as a starter. If something clicks, the Phillies could have themselves a versatile multi-inning threat, a role that surely is of considerable value for a contending team.
Minor MLB Transacations: 5/26/19
Here are the latest minor moves from the baseball world…
- The Blue Jays outrighted left-handed pitcher Ryan Feierabend to Triple-A, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. The knuckleballer cleared waivers after he was designated by Toronto on Friday. In two outings for the Blue Jays, including one start, Feierabend was largely ineffective, conceding seven runs in 5 2/3 innings, including two home runs.
- Mets relievers Paul Sewald and Tim Peterson, each of whom was designated for assignment, have also cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Control was an issue for Peterson, who walked six batters in his five appearances. Sewald misses a decent amount of bats, but is the owner of a mediocre 5.18 career ERA.
- The Tigers claimed 32-year-old right-handed pitcher Austin Adams, who had been designated by the Twins. According to Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group, Adams was subsequently placed on the active roster, replacing left-handed pitcher Matt Hall, who was optioned today after spending just one day with the Major League club.
Orioles Place Chris Davis On Injured List
The Orioles have placed first baseman Chris Davis on the 10-day injured list, according to an official team announcement. Right-handed pitcher Evan Phillips has been recalled from Triple-A to replace Davis on the active roster. Davis has been bothered by inflammation to his left hip.
Davis has not started a game since Thursday and last appeared for the Orioles on Friday, which might have been attributed to his recent struggles at the plate. However, it now appears that the lack of playing time was at least partly due to an injury.
The former slugger, who showed signs of a resurgence after his historic slump, has found that success sandwiched between bouts of poor performance; over his last ten games, Davis has struck out 22 times in 36 plate appearances, a frustrating development for a veteran who looked to have overcome some of the issues that held him hitless for the first 12 games of the season.
Evan Phillips, 24, is back with the big league team after a brief stint in the minor leagues. He has appeared in 11 games for the O’s, pitching 12 2/3 innings and striking out 16 batters against 10 walks.
Angels Reinstate Andrew Heaney, Option Jaime Barria
The Angels have reinstated left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney from the injured list, per an official club announcement. Heaney will start Sunday’s game against the Rangers in his season debut. To make room for Heaney on the active roster, right-hander Jaime Barria has been optioned to Triple-A.
The 27-year-old Heaney is prepared to make his 2019 season debut, which couldn’t come sooner for the struggling Angels—the team’s own starting pitching has perhaps been the most substantial impediment to the Halos’ postseason aspirations. On Sunday, though, the club will welcome back Heaney, who enjoyed a breakout 2018, which marked the first time in his Major League career that the injury-riddled southpaw was able to make 30 starts in a season.
Last year, Heaney struck out 180 batters in as many innings, leading many to express optimism that he could anchor the 2019 Angels rotation, a development that has been years in the making due to Heaney’s injury-marred past, which included a Tommy John surgery that cost him most of the 2016 and 2017 seasons. For that reason, the elbow issues that landed him on the IL to open this season were that much more troubling. However, Heaney has served his time and is in position to provide a considerable boost to an Angels team that has endured more than its fair share of health-related misfortune.
Barria, who will go the minors, has kicked in 14 1/3 innings for the Halos, mostly coming out of the bullpen. Following a rookie season in which he posted a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts, Barria has worked out of a long-relief role this year, though he has gotten work as a starter in Triple-A Salt Lake, where he has a 6.58 ERA in 5 games.
Giants Option Andrew Suarez
The Giants have optioned left-handed pitcher Andrew Suarez to Triple-A, tweets Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. His spot on the roster will go to right-hander Sam Coonrod, who has been recalled from Triple-A.
Suarez’s demotion comes after making just two starts for the Major League club, neither of which yielded particularly promising results. In ten innings of work this season, Suarez has conceded three home runs and ten earned runs while walking as many batters as he has struck out.
Of course, the 26-year-old Suarez is still young and relatively inexperienced, having worked just 170 1/3 career innings in the big leagues. Though the early returns for the 2019 season have been ugly, his rookie numbers were far more encouraging, suggesting that Suarez is at least worthy of consideration for a spot in the rebuilding Giants’ starting rotation. For the time being, though, his tryout for new president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi will be put on hold and Suarez will head to the minors to iron out his issues.
As Baggarly notes, it appears that Suarez’s absence will clear the way for Dereck Rodriguez to reclaim his spot in the rotation. However, that is not certain; Tyler Beede is another candidate to replace Suarez in the rotation. Rodriguez, for his part, has not enjoyed much more success than Suarez in 2019, but after a brief stint in the minors he could be given the chance to show that his rookie success was no fluke. Sam Coonrod, meanwhile, will pitch out of the bullpen as he makes his Major League debut.
Coonrod, a fifth-round selection of the Giants in 2014, is a 26-year-old right-hander who began working out of the bullpen in the minors last season after beginning his professional career as a starter. Coonrod has played at the Triple-A level in 2019, pitching 18 innings in as many games, striking out 30 batters and walking 11. Though his 7.00 ERA is unsightly, his peripherals are considerably more impressive and point to MLB-caliber stuff.
