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Archives for July 2019

Brewers To Call Up Travis Shaw

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The Brewers will call infielder Travis Shaw up from Triple-A prior to tomorrow’s game, The Athletic’s Robert Murray and Ken Rosenthal report (Twitter link).  Shaw will take the 25-man roster spot left open by Jhoulys Chacin’s placement on the 10-day injured list.

Shaw was demoted on June 27, but has since shredded Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .316/.494/.754 slash line and eight home runs over only 77 plate appearances.  While the Pacific Coast League is notoriously hitter-friendly, Shaw’s breakout provides some hope that he has gotten on track after a dreadful beginning to the 2019 season.  Shaw hit just .164/.278/.290 with six homers over 212 PA for the Brewers, though his performance could have been hampered by a wrist injury that cost him roughly three weeks on the injured list.

While Shaw may be back in the majors, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be back in an everyday role.  The Brewers are likely to stick with Keston Hiura at second base as long as the prized rookie’s bat stays hot, and Shaw obviously isn’t supplanting Mike Moustakas at third.  This could leave first base as Shaw’s best option for playing time, though Eric Thames (another left-handed bat) is hitting well in part-time duty alongside struggling right-handed hitter Jesus Aguilar.

Milwaukee could also simply use Shaw in several places around the diamond, seeing time at first, second, and third base spelling the regulars or being a late-game replacement.  With the trade deadline also looming on July 31, the Brewers could also be looking to shop Shaw (or Thames or Aguilar) to any interested parties, as pitching seems like a much bigger need for the Brew Crew than infield depth.

Mets “Fully Intent” On Trading Syndergaard, Considering Extending Wheeler

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4:03pm: The Mets “want to move” Syndergaard in a trade, a rival evaluator tells ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link).  The feeling amongst many outside evaluators is that the Mets are “fully intent” on dealing Syndergaard.  As to The Athletic’s Marc Carig hears from a rival executive, the asking price on Syndergaard is something in the range of a top-30 prospect “and a couple of other solid pieces.”

3:22pm: Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler have been often mentioned as trade candidates this summer, with Wheeler considered the likelier of the two to depart since he is a free agent after the season.  According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link), however, the Mets are also exploring a scenario that would see them sign Wheeler to an extension and deal Syndergaard before the July 31 trade deadline.

The upside of this strategy is obvious.  Wheeler’s trade value is currently limited due to his rental player status, and the fact that he isn’t scheduled to come off the injured list until Friday, due to a particularly ill-timed shoulder impingement.  When healthy, though, Wheeler has shown flashes of being a front-of-the-rotation pitcher, particularly during his impressive 2018 season.  In extending Wheeler, the Mets would be able to keep one solid arm in their rotation over the longer term, which would then free them up to make a bigger deadline score now by moving Syndergaard, whose extra years of control and higher talent ceiling have made him an attractive commodity to other teams.

It isn’t known whether the Mets have reached out to Wheeler’s representatives at Jet Sports Management about extension talks, or if Wheeler has any interest in even signing such a deal to remain in Queens rather than testing the open market this winter.  Wheeler has a 4.69 ERA over 119 innings this season, though with some solid advanced metrics and ERA predictors (3.66 FIP, 3.85 xFIP, 4.01 SIERA) that suggest he should be pitching better than his actual ERA suggests.  On the down side, Wheeler is allowing significant more hard contact than he did in 2018, and a big spike in homer rate (13.7% in 2019 as compared to 8.1% last season) can be seen as the culprit for that inflated ERA.

It all makes for a good but not great platform season for Wheeler.  Depending on how he pitches the rest of the way this year, he’ll be heading into free agency without the benefit of a real ace-level season, he turns 30 next May, and he’ll have a qualifying offer hanging over his head.  With all of these factors in mind, Wheeler and his reps could prefer the security of an extension (if the price is right, of course) rather than testing what has become an increasingly fraught free agent market over the last couple of years.

Negotiating an extension with Wheeler, of course, would add an extra layer of complications to the Mets’ plans in the final week before the deadline.  Naturally you’d think the club would want Wheeler locked up before dealing Syndergaard, though the Mets could also try to get the framework of a Syndergaard deal lined up in advance.

Still, it makes for an awful lot of moving parts within what would be a franchise-altering decision.  Syndergaard doesn’t turn 27 until next month and is controlled through the 2021 season via arbitration, and while the right-hander has been more solid than great this season, he has shown he is capable of being a frontline arm when at his peak.  The Yankees, Padres, Astros, Brewers, and Twins have all been linked to Syndergaard in rumors, and the Mets are known to be looking for a huge return if they did move the young righty.

Yankees Place Brett Gardner On 10-Day Injured List

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The Yankees have placed outfielder Brett Gardner on the 10-day IL due to left knee inflammation, as per a team press release.  Gardner’s placement is retroactive to July 22.  Left-hander Stephen Tarpley will take Gardner’s spot on New York’s 25-man roster.

One of the only Yankees who hadn’t yet missed time due to injury this season, today’s placement marks the durable Gardner’s first trip to the injured list since 2012.  The longtime pinstripes fixture has bounced back from a down year in 2018 to become one of New York’s more underrated performers, hitting .243/.325/.460 over 354 plate appearances.  That slugging percentage represents by far a new personal best for Gardner over his 12 MLB seasons, and with 15 homers already, he seems like a safe bet to eclipse his career high of 21 home runs in a season.

Mike Tauchman looks to get the bulk of left field duty while Gardner is out, and Cameron Maybin is also nearing his own activation from the injured list.  Prospect Clint Frazier also looms at Triple-A, though Frazier has also often been mentioned in trade rumors and could be on the move prior to the deadline.

Troy Tulowitzki Announces Retirement

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Veteran shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has announced his retirement after 13 Major League seasons.  His full statement, as per a Yankees media release:

“I wanted to take this opportunity to announce my retirement as a Major League Baseball player.

For as long as I can remember, my dream was to compete at the highest level as a Major League Baseball Player … to wear a big league uniform and play hard for my teammates and the fans. I will forever be grateful for every day that I’ve had to live out my dream.  It has been an absolute honor.

I will always look back with tremendous gratitude for having the privilege of playing as long as I did. There is no way to truly express my gratitude to the fans of Colorado, Toronto and New York. They always made my family and I feel so welcome.

I want to thank the Yankees organization and Brian Cashman for giving me the opportunity to wear the Yankees uniform and live out another childhood dream. I wish that my health had allowed for a different ending to that chapter.

To the coaches, training staff and baseball executives who helped me in my career … I am incredibly grateful to all of you. To my teammates throughout the years, thank you for grinding with me. I truly value all the relationships that were built through this game.

None of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family and friends. To my wife, my son and my parents … you helped make my dreams come true. To my agent Paul Cohen and TWC Sports Management … thank you for taking care of everything. You all allowed me to play the game I love without distractions.

While this chapter is now over, I look forward to continuing my involvement in the game that I love … instructing and helping young players to achieve their goals and dreams. 

I’m saying goodbye to Major League Baseball, but I will never say goodbye 2 the game I love. Thanks again 2 all of you!“

Tulowitzki’s final season consisted of only five games, as he was sidelined by a calf strain early in his tenure with the Yankees.  It seems like his latest injury might have well been the last straw after a long series of ailments that have limited Tulowitzki for more or less his entire career, but particularly over the last few years.  Tulowitzki missed all of 2018 after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs from his heels, and after the Blue Jays released him in Spring Training, he caught on with the Yankees on a minor league deal in the hopes of following in the footsteps of his childhood hero Derek Jeter as New York’s shortstop.

One can’t discuss Tulowitzki’s career without mentioning his injury history, as he played more than 130 games just three times over his 13 seasons.  It’s quite possible that a healthy Tulowitzki could have potentially garnered himself some consideration as a Hall-of-Famer.  On the other hand, a more optimistic view is that given all of his health issues, the fact that Tulowitzki was still able to perform as well as he did is extraordinary.

Selected by the Rockies seventh overall in the 2005 draft, Tulowitzki will long be remembered for his glory days in Colorado.  “Tulo” racked up five All-Star appearances, two Silver Slugger Awards, two Gold Gloves and a pair of fifth-place NL MVP finishes over his 10 seasons and 1048 games in Rockies purple.  He was also a second-place finisher in NL Rookie Of The Year voting in 2007, as Tulowitzki’s emergence was a major factor in the vaunted “Rocktober” team that virtually ran the table down the stretch and through the postseason en route to a surprise NL pennant and the only World Series appearance in Colorado’s franchise history.

After signing a pair of long-term contract extensions with the Rockies, Tulowitzki seemed like a Rox lifer before a blockbuster trade deadline deal that sent him to the Blue Jays in July 2015.  Though Tulowitzki was openly surprised and even dismayed to be leaving his longtime team, Tulowitzki nevertheless helped stabilize Toronto’s shortstop situation as the Jays reached the ALCS in both 2015 and 2016.

Over his entire career, Tulowitzki will finish with a .290/.361/.495 slash line and 225 career home runs.  Like most hitters, Tulowitzki enjoyed a boost from playing the bulk of his home games at Coors Field, though his career 118 OPS+ and 119 wRC+ indicate that he was certainly an above-average offensive player full stop.

Tulowitzki earned slightly less than $164MM over the course of his career, as per Baseball Reference.  This includes the remainder of his current contract, which runs through the end of the 2020 season and the bulk of which is being covered by the Blue Jays after their release of the shortstop.

We at MLB Trade Rumors wish Tulowitzki our congratulations on an outstanding playing career, and we wish him the best in his future role teaching the next generations of players.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Brewers Place Jhoulys Chacin On 10-Day Injured List

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TODAY: The Brewers have officially announced Chacin’s IL placement.  A corresponding move will be announced tomorrow.

YESTERDAY: Brewers right-hander Jhoulys Chacin is on his way to the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. It’ll be the second IL stint of 2019 for Chacin, who previously missed time with a lower back strain.

When healthy, the 31-year-old Chacin has been a major disappointment for the reigning NL Central champion Brewers, which is one of the reasons why they’re out of a playoff spot right now. At 54-50, they’re two games behind the division-leading Cubs and one back of the NL’s second wild-card spot. Chacin helped guide the Brewers to a playoff spot a year ago, but he has pitched to a woeful 5.79 ERA/5.70 FIP with 8.12 K/9, 3.96 BB/9 and a 37.4 percent groundball rate in 88 2/3 innings this season.

Chacin’s struggles are among the reasons Milwaukee’s a prime candidate to acquire rotation help in advance of the July 31 trade deadline. General manager David Stearns downplayed the possibility Tuesday, but the Brewers are now without two starters in Chacin and their No. 1, Brandon Woodruff. Worsening the Brewers’ situation, their main healthy options – Zach Davies, Chase Anderson and Gio Gonzalez – don’t inspire a great deal of confidence.

Alex Wood Scheduled For Season Debut On Sunday

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TODAY: Wood is scheduled to start Sunday’s game against the Rockies, the Reds announced (Twitter link).

TUESDAY: Rehabbing Reds left-hander Alex Wood finally looks to be nearing his 2019 major league debut, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com writes. Barring setbacks, Wood – who began a 30-day rehab stint July 6 – figures to join the Reds sometime in the next two weeks.

The 28-year-old Wood, out all season with back spasms, created plenty of optimism during a rehab start Monday with Double-A Chattanooga. It was the fourth minor league start of 2019 for Wood, who threw six innings and 85 pitches of one-run ball. Reds manager David Bell was encouraged afterward, saying: “Excellent reports. He was really good. He felt great. He pitched really well, was really sharp. Everything was positive.”

Bell likely thought he’d be gushing over Wood all season, as the hurler was one of the Reds’ key pickups during the winter. He came aboard in a noteworthy December trade with the Dodgers that also delivered Yasiel Puig, Kyle Farmer and the now-unemployed Matt Kemp to Cincinnati. Wood was then coming off an eminently productive three-plus-year run in LA, with which he put up a 3.46 ERA/3.50 FIP, 8.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 52.1 percent groundball rate over 434 2/3 innings.

In light of what Wood accomplished as a Dodger, the Reds were banking on him to help fix what had been a terrible rotation. Even without Wood, though, the Reds’ starting staff has taken enormous steps forward this season. Luis Castillo has turned into a front-line performer, offseason additions Sonny Gray and Tanner Roark have met or exceeded expectations, and Tyler Mahle and Anthony DeSclafani have been fine in complementary roles.

Despite the vast improvement of their rotation, the long-suffering Reds possess the NL’s fourth-worst record (45-53, putting them 6 1/2 back of a playoff spot). Whether the team will sell at the July 31 trade deadline is unknown, but it’s clear the pending free agent Wood won’t be among its trade chips. However, it does appear that Wood will have around two months to showcase himself to Cincy and the rest of the league before a scheduled trip to the open market.

Athletics Designate Nick Hundley For Assignment

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The A’s have designated Nick Hundley for assignment after activating the catcher from the injured list, according to a team media release.

Hundley managed only a .200/.233/.357 slash line over 73 plate appearances for Oakland before going on the IL with back spasms back on June 8.  That seemingly minor IL stint led to a much lengthier absence as Hundley underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee ten days later, and the veteran backstop hasn’t since been back on the field.  This made Hundley the odd man out of an Oakland catching picture that consists of Chris Herrmann, Josh Phegley, and (at Triple-A) Beau Taylor.

With the experience of 12 MLB seasons on offer, Hundley is likely to find work with another team in need of catching depth, if he doesn’t end up remaining in Oakland’s system after an outright assignment.  He signed a minor league contract with the Athletics over the winter following two years serving as Buster Posey’s backup with the San Francisco Giants, with Hundley seeing more playing time than expected given Posey’s injury problems.  Over his career, Hundley has hit decently well for a catcher (.247/.299/.405 over 3373 PA), though his framing and caught-stealing numbers have recently been on the decline.

Nationals Activate Max Scherzer

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The Nationals announced Thursday that they’ve activated ace Max Scherzer from the injured list. Catcher Raudy Read was optioned to Triple-A to open a spot on the active roster.

Scherzer hasn’t taken the mound since July 6 due to a mid-back strain. His return will be a boost for an already-surging Nationals club that has flipped the script after an awful April/May showing raised questions about the team perhaps operating as a seller. The Nats needed a dramatic turnaround, and they managed to author exactly that, as they’ve played at an outstanding 30-13 pace dating back to June 1. Washington now finds itself just four games back of the Braves in the NL East and in possession of an NL Wild Card spot.

Getting a healthy Scherzer only strengthens a powerhouse roster. The three-time Cy Young winner, who’ll turn 35 in two days, is putting together one of the best seasons of his career. Through 129 1/3 innings, Mad Max has posted a 2.30 ERA with 12.6 K/9 against 1.6 BB/9. Even though he hasn’t pitched in nearly three weeks, he’s still leading the National League with 181 strikeouts — a total that ranks fourth in all of baseball (behind Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander and Chris Sale).

Scherzer’s return isn’t the only news pertaining to the Nats’ pitching staff today, however. An MRI of right-hander Austin Voth’s ailing shoulder revealed tendinitis, manager Dave Martinez announced to reporters (Twitter link via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com). He’s been shut down for the time being, and Martinez specified that the club will be “very careful” with the righty. Voth has made four starts and posted a 4.35 ERA through 20 2/3 innings with the Nats in 2019. He also has a 4.40 ERA and nearly 10 punchouts per nine innings pitched through 61 1/3 Triple-A frames, making him a key depth piece for the Nationals.

Blake Snell To Undergo Elbow Surgery, Miss At Least Four Weeks

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Rays ace Blake Snell is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery in his left elbow, as per The Athletic’s Josh Tolentino (subscription required).  The procedure will remove some a loose body from Snell’s elbow and will cost the southpaw at least four weeks of action, though he and the Rays “are confident he will pitch again this season.”

While Snell hasn’t been as dominant this year as he was during his Cy Young Award-winning 2018 season, Snell was still posting good numbers.  In fact, as per ERA predictors such as xFIP (3.16 in 2018, 3.23 in 2019) and SIERA (3.30 in 2018, 3.50 in 2019), Snell was pitching just as well this season as he did last year.  An increase in home run rate, however, has ballooned Snell’s ERA to 4.28 this season, plus he hasn’t gotten the strand rate and BABIP benefits that he enjoyed in 2018.

Overall, the left-hander has a 4.28 ERA, 12.1 K/9, and 3.89 K/BB rate over 101 frames this year, and he has been on a particular run of good form over his last four starts.  The Rays have been able to stay competitive in the wild card race even without Snell at the top of his game, so it’s a particularly tough bit of news for the team that Snell will hit the injured list just as he has been getting his season on track.

With Snell out, Charlie Morton now stands as the only full-time healthy starting pitcher on the Tampa Bay roster.  Yonny Chirinos has started most of his appearances but has also worked as a bulk pitcher behind an opener, while Tyler Glasnow is on the IL himself with a forearm problem and there is at least some doubt as to whether he’ll be able to return before season’s end.

Brendan McKay is probably the likeliest candidate to replace Snell, as the two-way star was optioned back to Triple-A last week following an impressive four-start beginning to his MLB career.  McKay has already pitched 86 innings between the minors and big leagues this year, however, and since his previous season-high was only 78 1/3 frames (in 2018), Tampa isn’t likely to push McKay’s arm too much as a long-term answer this year.

In theory, McKay (with some judicious innings-management and some openers picking up the slack) could fill in long enough for Snell to get healthy.  As Tolentino notes, Nathan Eovaldi ended up missing three months after undergoing a similar elbow procedure earlier this season, and while situations obviously vary from player to player, Snell’s four-week recovery timeline shouldn’t be set in stone.

As the trade deadline approaches, the Rays could seek out some pitching help, at least a second-tier veteran arm simply as an innings-eater to bail out the rotation while Snell recovers.  Tampa Bay has been loath, however, to acquire such pitchers over the last two years, preferring to rely on in-house answers and their opener strategy rather than an innings-eater type.  Being in the heat of a postseason race could adjust the Rays’ perspective, of course, particularly if a traditional starter could be had at a relatively low price.  Alternatively, the Rays could also opt to make a big splash for a front-of-the-rotation type of arm, if they’re willing to give up the big prospect package such a hurler would naturally cost.

Orioles Select Jace Peterson’s Contract

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The Orioles have selected the contract of utilityman Jace Peterson from Triple-A, as per a team announcement.  Rio Ruiz was optioned to the minors earlier today, and no 40-man move was required since Baltimore had open space on its 40-man roster.

Signed to a minor league deal by the Orioles in the offseason, Peterson opted out of that deal on July 16, though he quickly re-signed a new minors contract just a few days later.  Now, Peterson is headed back to the big leagues, which would mark his sixth season of MLB competition.

The 29-year-old Peterson was an everyday player for Atlanta in 2015 and has spent the last three years as a bench piece for the Braves, Yankees, and Orioles.  Peterson originally joined Baltimore’s organization in April 2018 after being claimed off waivers from New York.  While Peterson has only a .228/.318/.330 slash line over 1524 plate appearances in the Show, he brings a lot of defensive versatility to the table — Peterson has started at least one game at every fielding position except catcher, playing primarily as a second baseman and also seeing significant time as a third baseman and left fielder.

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