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Archives for July 2019

Braves To Acquire John Ryan Murphy

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The Braves are set to acquire catcher John Ryan Murphy from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations, Robert Murray of The Athletic tweets.

It’s a pure depth move to safeguard against injuries to Brian McCann and Tyler Flowers down the stretch — and possibly to roster a third catcher in September. Murphy, 28, is regarded as a premium defensive catcher but has had scant success at the plate in the Majors. He was outrighted off Arizona’s 40-man roster earlier this season after hitting .177/.250/.419 in 69 plate appearances and is a career .219/.265/.357 hitter in 673 MLB trips to the plate.

Twins Acquire Marcos Diplan From Brewers

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The Twins have acquired right-handed pitching prospect Marcos Diplan from the Brewers for cash considerations, Robert Murray of The Athletic reports. The Brewers designated Diplan for assignment earlier this week.

The 22-year-old Diplan ranked as FanGraphs’ 18th-best Brewers prospect as recently as the offseason, but that wasn’t enough to keep him in the organization after he struggled to start the 2019 campaign. He has made 30 appearances (five starts) at the Double-A level this season and pitched to a 4.99 ERA/4.41 FIP with 9.83 K/9 and 5.77 BB/9 in 57 2/3 innings.

Diamondbacks Acquire Zac Gallen From Marlins For Jazz Chisholm

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2:10pm: The deal is now official.

1:48pm: The Diamondbacks and Marlins have reportedly struck a deal involving two intriguing young players. Righty Zac Gallen is going to Arizona and shortstop Jazz Chisholm heading to Miami in return, according to reports from Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link) and Craig Mish of MLB Network Radio (via Twitter).

Both of these players have gone in different directions in 2019, evidently meeting in the middle in a sense. Gallen, who’ll soon turn 24, was seen as a solid but unspectacular prospect. Chisholm was widely regarded as a top-100 pre-MLB player leaguewide.

Gallen, acquired as part of the Marcell Ozuna swap, opened eyes with a dominating romp through the International League to open the year. Even as others were mowed down by a opposing hitters, buoyed by a newly long-flying baseball, Gallen carried a 1.77 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 through 14 starts.

It was still fair to wonder whether the relatively un-hyped hurler would find success at the MLB level. On the whole, his first seven starts have been a big success. He has allowed just 11 earned runs on 25 hits while recording 43 strikeouts and 18 walks. It seems Gallen’s stuff is playing just fine, as he’s generating a 12.1% swinging-strike rate.

As they sell at a relative high point on Gallen, the Marlins will buy at a low point on Chisholm. It’s not all that surprising to see the Miami club moving an arm for a position player, as the team has had greater success at transitioning its young hurlers to the majors. But taking a risk on Chisholm represents an interesting move.

Chisholm, a 21-year-old from the Bahamas, is lauded for his ability to stay at shortstop in the long term along with his upside at the plate. But he hasn’t quite followed upon his 25-homer 2018 campaign, which he polished off with a big run through the Arizona Fall League. Through 364 plate appearances this year at the Double-A level, Chisholm carries a .204/.305/.427 slash. While his walk rate is up to 11.3%, and he has popped 18 home runs and 13 steals, he’s also striking out at a worrying 33.8% clip.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Athletics Acquire Tanner Roark

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The Athletics have struck a deal to acquire righty Tanner Roark plus cash from the Reds, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link). Outfielder Jameson Hannah is headed to Cincinnati in return, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).  Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle notes that the Reds will pick up $2.1MM of Roark’s remaining salary, which looks to be a bit more than $3MM.  The trade is now official.  As is commonplace, Roark learned of the trade in an Arby’s parking lot.

Roark is earning $10MM this year before hitting free agency at season’s end. He was a clear trade candidate for a Cincinnati organization that is largely looking ahead to the 2020 campaign. The club’s recent acquisition of Trevor Bauer, combined with the recent return of Alex Wood, left a bit of a rotation overload even with Tyler Mahle hitting the injured list.

The Athletics have scrambled all season long to keep their own rotation afloat. Anticipated arrivals of a variety of injured, younger hurlers just haven’t happened yet. With the club competing hard for a Wild Card slot — if not a late dash for the division — there was a clear need for more starters, even after the prior acquisition of Homer Bailey (who has struggled in Oakland).

Roark, who’s closing in on his 33rd birthday, has taken a step back after a strong opening to the season. He’s now sitting on a 4.24 ERA through 110 1/3 innings on the year, with 8.8 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 1.14 HR/9, and 36.7% groundball rate in 110 1/3 innings.  Roark, a 25th round pick by the Rangers in 2008, joined the Nationals in 2010 as part of the Cristian Guzman trade.  He greatly exceeded expectations with the Nationals, logging 935 innings of 3.59 ball across six seasons.  2016 was a particular high point, as Roark finished 10th in the NL Cy Young voting.  The Reds picked him up in a December trade.

Soon to turn 22, Hannah was a second-round pick in the 2018 draft. He has been playing at the High-A level, where he carries a .284/.341/.381 batting line in 414 plate appearances. It seems his power will need to come around a bit, but he’s regarded as possessing a quality hit tool with an advanced approach.  Prior to the season, Baseball America considered Hannah a 50 grade prospect, citing a “sweet left-handed swing paired with plus athleticism and double-plus speed.”  BA sees Hannah as a strong defensive center fielder and likely big leaguer, making him a nice score for two months of Roark.  It appears the Reds were able to pick up most of the tab on Roark’s salary and extract a better prospect as a result.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nationals To Acquire Roenis Elias

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After first picking up reliever Daniel Hudson from the Blue Jays, the Nationals have reached an agreement to acquire lefty Roenis Elias from the Mariners. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was first to report a deal was close, with Joel Sherman of the New York Post indicating that Elias had indeed been traded to the Nats.  Minor leaguers Elvis Alvarado and Taylor Guilbeau will head to Seattle in the deal, according to Rosenthal.

Elias, 31 tomorrow, broke in as a starter with the Mariners in 2014 and was re-acquired by the club in April 2018 after a two-year stint with Boston.  Working exclusively out of Seattle’s pen this year, he has a 4.40 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 1.53 HR/9, and 34.1% groundball rate in 47 innings.  He’s faced 60 left-handed hitters in 2019, and they’ve teed off to the tune of a .353/.441/.549 batting line.  He’s been much more effective against lefties in the past.  With Hunter Strickland going down with a lat injury in April, Elias was able to slide into the Mariners’ closer role and rack up 14 saves in 16 opportunities.  Elias is earning $910K this year and is under team control through 2021.

The Nationals notoriously own the worst bullpen ERA in baseball, with their crew tallying a 5.97 ERA in 321 1/3 innings. Aside from closer Sean Doolittle, they’ve currently got Matt Grace and Tony Sipp coming out of the bullpen from the left side.  Neither has been particularly effective.  The Nationals signed veteran lefty Jonny Venters in late May and selected his contract a month later, but he’s on the IL with a shoulder strain.

Guilbeau, a lefty reliever who was promoted to Triple-A earlier this month, ranked as the Nationals’ 15th-best prospect according to MLB.com.  The site rated him as a 40 grade prospect, suggesting he can ride a mid-90s heater and above-average slider to a career as a left-handed specialist.  Alvarado was signed as an international free agent for $700K out of the Dominican Republic in 2015.  He played right field regularly in 2017 in the Dominican Summer League, moving to the mound in 2018-19 in the Gulf Coast League.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rays Pursuing Zack Wheeler

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Having lost Blake Snell to the injured list last week, the Rays are in pursuit of Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler, Andy Martino of SNY reports.

This isn’t the first time the Rays have been connected to Wheeler, though Snell wasn’t on the IL when Wheeler was initially said to be on the club’s radar. Snell underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery last week, which should shelve him for close to a month. His absence leaves a Rays team already low on traditional starters with Charlie Morton, Yonny Chirinos and the soon-to-be recalled Brendan McKay as its top options.

Despite their lack of conventional starters, the Rays are in possession of a 61-48 record and just a half-game behind a wild-card spot. Acquiring Wheeler may give the Rays the over-the-top push they’re seeking, though the Mets aren’t a sure thing to trade the 29-year-old soon-to-be free agent. They’ve climbed to within five games of a playoff spot thanks to a recent hot streak, and keeping Wheeler along with Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz would give them one of the best rotations in baseball on paper. Wheeler has provided New York 124 innings of 4.71 ERA/3.65 FIP pitching with 9.92 K/9 and 2.46 BB/9 this year.

Nationals To Acquire Hunter Strickland

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The Nationals will acquire reliever Hunter Strickland from the Mariners, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Lefty Aaron Fletcher’s going to Seattle in return.

Strickland’s the third reliever of the day heading to the bullpen-needy Nationals. He’s the second on his way from the Mariners, who previously traded lefty Roenis Elias to the Nationals. The Nats also landed righty Daniel Hudson from the Blue Jays.

Strickland, a former Giant whom the Mariners signed to a $1.3MM guarantee in the offseason, has barely pitched this year. A lat strain kept him out of action from the end of March until earlier this week. Strickland made his first appearance in almost four months last Sunday, throwing a clean inning against the Tigers.

Considering the 30-year-old Strickland has totaled just 3 1/3 frames this year, there’s not much to glean from his performance. But he was largely an effective option with the Giants from 2014-18, a 226-inning span in which the hard thrower notched a 2.91 ERA/3.40 FIP with 8.4 K/9 and 3.15 BB/9. Strickland also had a memorable dustup with then-Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper during that period, though that’s obviously not a concern now with Harper a member of the Phillies.

Strickland could be a multiyear piece for the Nationals, who will have a chance to control him via arbitration for two seasons after this one. Meanwhile, the hope for the Mariners is that Fletcher will be around for much longer. The 23-year-old, whom the Nationals chose in the 14th round of the 2018 draft, has divided this season among the Single-A, High-A and Double-A levels, pitching to a sterling 1.79 ERA with 10.3 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 60 1/3 innings. Fletcher ranked as the Nationals’ 21st-best prospect prior to the trade, according to MLB.com, which sees him as a potential major league reliever.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brewers To Acquire Drew Pomeranz, Ray Black

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1:27pm: ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweets that hard-throwing righty Ray Black will also go to Milwaukee.

1:25pm: Lefty Drew Pomeranz is one player headed to the Brewers in the swap, tweets Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. If the Brewers are parting with a prospect of Dubon’s caliber, there’ll surely be other names in play.

1:23pm: The Brewers ad Giants are in agreement on a “significant” trade, reports Robert Murray of The Athletic (via Twitter). The big league players involved in the swap remain unknown, but well-regarded second base prospect Mauricio Dubon is headed from Milwaukee to San Francisco as part of the exchange. Madison Bumgarner is *not* going to Milwaukee, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

In Dubon, the Giants will acquire a Major League-ready 25-year-old who can step directly onto the roster. Dubon’s 2018 season was cut short by a torn ACL, but he’s returned to bat .297/.333/.475 with 16 home runs, 22 doubles, a triple and nine steals in the hitter-friendly Triple-A Pacific Coast League. He’ll face a much more daunting offensive environment in the big leagues when he plays his home games at the cavernous Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Scouting reports on Dubon peg him as a hit-over-power prospect, and the move to Oracle Park doesn’t figure to do his power numbers any favor. But he’s never batted lower than .274 in a full minor league season, and he’s maintained strikeout rates south of 15 percent on a year-over-year basis. Dubon doesn’t walk much, but his knack for putting the ball in play should help his on-base skills in the big leagues. He’s considered capable of playing an average or better second base even after last year’s knee injury.

The veteran Pomeranz is the more well-known of the two arms being acquired by the Brewers, but he seems like a secondary piece in this swap. Pomeranz had an awful year in the Giants’ rotation but has garnered some attention following a (very) recent shift to the bullpen. In four relief outings, he’s tossed 5 1/3 shutout frames with just one hit and one walk allowed against eight strikeouts. The lefty has ample experience in the rotation and could return to that role if the Brewers feel he’s a mechanical adjustment or pitch-selection alteration away from returning to hi 2017 form, but his recent success in a return to the bullpen is more intriguing.

Black is already 29 years old but is the more appealing piece for Milwaukee. Durability has been an issue for the right-hander, but if he’s healthy he’ll be among the hardest-throwing pitchers in Major League Baseball. Black has averaged 99.1 mph on his heater in a tiny sample this season and regularly hits triple digits with a fastball that draws 80 grades on some scouting reports. Black has averaged nearly 17 strikeouts per nine innings pitched in his minor league career and might not even finish the season with a full year of MLB service, meaning he can be controlled through 2025.

Angels Reinstate Jonathan Lucroy, Designate Dustin Garneau

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The Angels have reinstated catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the injured list and designated fellow backstop Dustin Garneau for assignment, the team announced.

Lucroy’s back after an awful July 7 collision at home plate with Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick sent him to the shelf. Lucroy suffered a concussion and a broken nose that day. He later had to undergo surgery on his nasal fracture. Before the injury, the 33-year-old former star hit an underwhelming .237/.307/.364 with seven home runs in 264 plate appearances. Lucroy’s once-pristine defense also continued to trend downward.

Garneau, whom the Angels already designated once this year before Wednesday, has performed respectably at the plate this season. The 31-year-old owns a .232/.346/.362 line with a pair of homers in 82 trips to the plate. If Garneau doesn’t end up with another team in the next week, he’ll be able to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency should he choose. For now, he’ll go into DFA limbo as the Angels opt for a Lucroy-Kevan Smith setup at catcher.

Mets Reportedly Plan To Keep Edwin Diaz

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Mets closer Edwin Diaz has frequented the rumor mill this week, but it appears he’ll remain in place beyond the deadline. The “belief” is that the Mets will retain Diaz, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Several teams have shown interest in Diaz of late, but the Mets wouldn’t exactly be selling him when his value’s at its zenith. The Mets already bought high on Diaz last offseason, sending two top prospects – outfielder Jarred Kelenic and righty Justin Dunn – to the Mariners in a deal for Diaz and the $100MM left on second baseman Robinson Cano’s contract. At the time, Diaz was coming off an otherworldly season in which he converted 57 of 61 save chances, logged a 1.96 ERA/1.61 FIP and posted 15.22 K/9 against 2.09 BB/9 in 73 1/3 innings.

This season hasn’t been the same story for the 25-year-old Diaz, who has blown five saves in 28 opportunities, recorded an ugly 5.05 ERA (with a better, albeit not great, 3.93 FIP) and 13.83 K/9 against 3.29 BB/9 over 41 frames. There’s still appeal in the hard-throwing Diaz, who’s making a near-minimum salary and under arbitration control for the next three seasons. But the suddenly surging Mets seem inclined to keep Diaz for at least the rest of the season to see if he can restore some of the value he has lost this year.

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