Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for August 2019

Tony Sipp Clears Waivers, Becomes Free Agent

By | at

Three days after the Nationals requested released waivers on Tony Sipp, the left-handed reliever has cleared and is now a free agent, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. Washington will pay Sipp the remainder of his $1MM salary for this year and a $250K buyout for 2020.

The fact that the 36-year-old Sipp couldn’t stick in what has been a dicey Nationals bullpen looks damning. He logged a 4.71 ERA (albeit with a far more encouraging 3.55 FIP) and 7.71 K/9 against 3.86 BB/9 in 21 innings with the club this year after it signed him to a low-cost deal a couple weeks before the season.

Along with posting shoddy run prevention numbers, Sipp saw his velocity and strikeout rates tumble compared to where they were last year as an Astro. At the same time, though, Sipp limited same- and right-handed hitters to sub-.290 weighted on-base average marks as a Nat this season. Sipp’s also just a year removed from an exemplary showing in Houston, where he posted a 1.86 ERA/2.41 FIP with 9.78 K/9 and 3.03 BB/9 over 38 2/3 innings. Now, considering Sipp’s only in line to collect the league minimum on his next contract, some contender looking for an established late-game lefty may well take a flier on him in the coming weeks.

NL West Notes: Giants, Harper, Padres, Gore, Green, D’Backs

By | at

A roller coaster of a season has seen the Giants go from league doormats to wild card contenders, while deploying a seemingly endless revolving door of outfielders along the way.  With this in mind, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic looks back on the Giants’ pursuit of Bryce Harper last winter, which obviously would have completely changed the shape of the season had the future Phillie opted to come to San Francisco.  While the pursuit of value signings, particularly in the outfield, have defined Farhan Zaidi’s first season running the Giants’ front office, it was Zaidi who led the interest in Harper’s services, with Giants ownership feeling that Harper’s large salary demands would’ve been somewhat offset by an increase in attendance and overall fan interest.  “It’s a what-if game they’ll be playing at Oracle Park for years to come,” Pavlovic writes.

More from around the NL West…

  • The Padres are shutting down MacKenzie Gore from competitive innings in the coming weeks, Jeff Saunders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes, though the star prospect will continue to throw on the side and could possibly return to help Double-A Amarillo reach their playoffs.  The left-hander has tossed 99 1/3 combined innings this season at Double-A and high-A ball this season, a sizeable jump up from the 60 frames Gore tossed at A-level Fort Wayne in 2018 (and his 21 1/3 innings in rookie ball in 2017).  While there aren’t any real injury concerns with Gore, San Diego is naturally being as cautious as possible with Gore’s development, given his importance to the Padres’ future plans.
  • The Padres face several questions heading into the offseason, as The Athletic’s Dennis Lin (subscription required) addresses in a reader mailbag piece.  The Padres still have to learn whether several young players, such as Francisco Mejia and Manuel Margot, can be reliable everyday big leaguers, but Lin also feels some of the uncertainty could extend to manager Andy Green.  While winning wasn’t a priority in Green’s first three seasons since the team was rebuilding, more than a 52-61 mark was expected in 2019, particularly after Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. joined the roster.  “Has Green proven himself particularly adept at player development or capable of steering a competitive team? No one will dispute his work ethic, but nearly four years in, the jury remains out on both counts,” Lin writes.  While Green’s contract runs through the 2021 season, Lin notes that other rebuilding teams in recent years (i.e. the Cubs and Joe Maddon, the Phillies and Gabe Kapler) have made a managerial change once they felt on the cusp of returning to contention.
  • Now that the Diamondbacks have dealt Zack Greinke, GM Mike Hazen estimates the team could have around $20MM in extra funds in both 2020 and 2021.  “I’m assuming there’s going to be some more freedom to explore some things we haven’t explored in the past,” Hazen told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, though specifics aren’t yet known about what the club’s payroll capacity will be without Greinke on the books.  2018 and 2019 saw the D’Backs post the two highest Opening Day payrolls in club history, topping out at over $131.5MM at the start of the 2018 season.  Now, the D’Backs have just under $68MM in guaranteed money for 2020, though that number will increase significantly due to arbitration raises.  While it doesn’t seem likely that the Snakes will again approach $206.5MM on a future signing, Hazen didn’t feel the Greinke contract was a mistake given how well the ace righty pitched, crediting the much-maligned former D’Backs front office led by Tony La Russa and Dave Stewart.  “They were right on Zack Greinke.  We weren’t able to put it together the way we would have hoped while he was here,” Hazen said.  “But they were right on him. It was a good deal.”

East Injury Notes: Yankees, Braves, Mets

By | at

The latest on a few notable injury situations from the East Coast…

  • Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton has resumed baseball activities, but the club doesn’t expect him to return before rosters expand in September, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. Stanton has been on the injured list since June 26 with a sprained right knee – the latest ailment in a season packed with them for the former NL MVP. The 29-year-old slugger has collected just 38 plate appearances, but the injury-ravaged Yankees have persevered through his absence and many others en route to the American League’s top record (75-39). Key right-handers Luis Severino and Dellin Betances have accompanied Stanton among this year’s unavailable Yankees, though King explains that both pitchers continue to progress. Shoulder and lat problems have prevented either from throwing a single pitch in the majors this season. They could be crucial late-season reinforcements for a pitching-needy New York club that was unable to make upgrades at last week’s trade deadline.
  • The Braves still have no timetable for the return of shortstop Dansby Swanson, manager Brian Snitker said Thursday (via David O’Brien of The Athletic). Swanson has been dealing with a heel issue for more than two weeks, which has primarily left short to Johan Camargo in his stead. Unfortunately for the Braves, though, Camargo has put up a year to forget. Since Swanson went down, Camargo has seen his already weak batting line drop to .217/.267/.333 in 222 plate appearances this season. On the other hand, Swanson was hitting a career-high .265/.330/.468 with 17 home runs in 431 PA when he hit the injured list.
  • The Mets sent outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the 60-day IL Thursday in a procedural move, though he could begin a rehab assignment within a week, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. After what looked like a breakout 2018 campaign, in which Nimmo slashed .263/.404/.483 with 17 HRs in 535 PA, he has struggled through injuries and poor performance this season. Nimmo hasn’t played since late May because of a bulging disk in his neck, and he limped to a .200/.344/.323 line with three long balls over 161 PA before then. Even without Nimmo, the Mets have gone on an improbable run over the past couple weeks to put themselves firmly in NL wild-card contention. Some of Nimmo’s fellow outfielders, including Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis, have helped lead the charge.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/8/19

By and | at

Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the game…

Latest Moves

  • The Marlins announced that infielder Yadiel Rivera cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A, after he was designated for assignment on Tuesday.  Rivera has seen action in each of the last five MLB seasons, but doesn’t have much to show for it at the plate, including a .183/.258/.217 slash line in 66 PA for Miami in 2019.

Earlier Today

  • The Reds announced that infielder Blake Trahan has been outrighted to Triple-A Louisville after clearing waivers.  Trahan was designated for assignment earlier this week.  The 25-year-old has spent much of his season at Louisville already, hitting only .230/.280/.324 over 323 plate appearances, continuing Trahan’s struggles at the plate during his five-year pro career (which included 11 games for the Reds at the big league level in 2018).
  • The Royals released 23-year-old first baseman Samir Duenez from their Triple-A club, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports (via Twitter). Duenez ranked as Kansas City’s No. 13 prospect, per Baseball America, as recently as the 2017-18 offseason. However, he’s endured a miserable season at the plate in 2019, batting a combined .199/.261/.307 in 361 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A. BA’s 2017-18 report on him tabbed him as a potential “impact power bat” with average glovework at first base and below-average speed. That outlook has clearly become more clouded with Duenez’s recent struggles, though as a 23-year-old who posted solid Double-A numbers in 2018 (when he was still rather young for the Texas League), he’ll likely find another opportunity elsewhere.

Giants Place Shaun Anderson, Steven Duggar On IL

By | at

The Giants announced Thursday that they’ve placed right-hander Shaun Anderson and outfielder Steven Duggar on the injured list. Anderson is dealing with a blister on his right middle finger, while Duggar’s down with a left shoulder AC joint sprain. The club recalled lefty Sam Selman and outfielder Joey Rickard from Triple-A Sacramento in corresponding moves.

The injury comes amid a rough stretch for the 24-year-old Anderson, who hasn’t recorded a quality start since June 23. The Nationals roughed up Anderson in his most recent start Wednesday, contributing to the rookie’s 5.33 ERA on the season. Anderson also owns a 4.97 FIP with 5.99 K/9 and 3.38 BB/9 in 82 2/3 innings.

This will be his second IL placement of the year for Duggar, who has been among the least valuable players in the majors this season. The 25-year-old has taken 281 trips to the plate in 2019 and slashed .234/.278/.341 (63 wRC+) with four home runs and minus-0.5 fWAR. It’s possible he’ll now require season-ending surgery, Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group tweets. Duggar previously underwent a season-ending procedure on his left shoulder as a rookie in 2018.

Duggar’s latest issue will open the door for Rickard, who hasn’t taken a major league at-bat since the Giants claimed him from the Orioles in late June. The 28-year-old Rickard has been great in Sacramento, where he has batted .358/.406/.568 (134 wRC+) with four homers in 165 plate appearances. But Rickard wasn’t nearly that productive in the majors as a member of the Orioles, with whom he hit .245/.299/.372 (80 wRC+) with 19 HRs and 16 steals across 924 PA from 2016-19.

Angels To Reinstate Andrew Heaney From IL On Saturday

By | at

The Angels are set to bring Andrew Heaney back from the injured list on Saturday to start that day’s game against the Red Sox.  (MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger was among those to report the news.)  Heaney has been sidelined with shoulder inflammation for a little more than three weeks, as per a retroactive IL placement for July 17.

Between this injury and an elbow issue that kept him from debuting until May 26, Heaney has been limited to just 46 innings this season.  The southpaw has a 5.09 ERA over that brief stretch, as his career-long problems with home runs have again surfaced — Heaney has surrendered nine big flies.  The home runs have obscured some otherwise decent numbers, as he has a 10.6 K/9, 2.84 K/BB rate this year.

2018 marked the first full and healthy season of Heaney’s career, as he pitched 180 innings after missing virtually all of 2016 and 2017 due to Tommy John surgery.  A return to that 2018 performance (4.15 ERA, 4.00 K/BB rate, 9.00 K/9, albeit with a 1.4 HR.9) would be a big help for an Angels team that has been desperate for any type of consistent starting pitching.

A strong finish to his 2019 campaign would also allow Heaney to get a bigger raise on his $3.4MM salary from this season.  As a Super Two player, Heaney is eligible for arbitration two more times before hitting the free agent market after the 2021 season.

Cubs Sign Chih-Wei Hu To Minors Deal

By | at

The Cubs have signed right-hander Chih-Wei Hu to a minor league contract, according to Roster Roundup.  Hu had been pitching in the Indians’ farm system before being released from that minors deal in late July.

After posting a 3.52 ERA, 8.2 K/9, and 3.00 K/BB rate over 23 relief innings with the Rays in 2017-18, Hu was dealt to Cleveland last November but struggled badly with Triple-A Akron this season.  Hu managed only a 7.18 ERA over 57 2/3 innings (starting nine of 18 games), thanks in large part to 18 home runs allowed.  The Tribe outrighted Hu off their 40-man roster in early July, so it seemed like a change of scenery was probably inevitable.

Hu has always been an extreme fly-ball pitcher, so it could be that the changes to the baseball used in Triple-A leagues this season have turned his fly-ball issues into a potentially insurmountable problem.  Still, given the solid numbers he posted in the minors prior to 2019, there’s little risk for the Cubs in seeing if they can correct Hu’s problems.

Phillies Reinstate Jay Bruce From 10-Day IL

By | at

The Phillies have activated Jay Bruce from the 10-day injured list, as per a team announcement.  Outfielder Adam Haseley has been optioned to Triple-A to create space for Bruce on the 25-man roster.

A right oblique strain sent Bruce to the IL on July 17, so such a relatively short absence is good news for both Bruce and the Phils, considering how oblique injuries often sideline players for at least a month, and often longer.  Now, the left-handed slugger will return to the Philadelphia lineup after already contributing a .256/.273/.564 slash line and 10 homers over 121 PA since being traded from the Mariners in June.

It remains to be seen how Bruce will be regularly deployed, since the newly-acquired Corey Dickerson will be taking over left field and obviously right fielder Bryce Harper isn’t going anywhere.  Both Dickerson and Harper are left-handed, so there’s even less opportunity for Bruce to get platoon action.  Rather than relegate Bruce to bench duty, however, Haseley’s demotion would seemingly indicate that Dickerson (or maybe even Harper in a pinch) could play center field against some right-handed starters, with the switch-hitting Roman Quinn playing in center when a lefty is on the mound.  It doesn’t exactly make for an ideal defensive alignment, but the Phillies might see it as a necessary evil if Bruce’s bat sparks a middling offense.

Haseley, the eighth overall pick of the 2017 draft, made a respectable accounting of himself in his first taste of big league action.  Haseley hit .274/.315/.452 with three homers over 89 plate appearances, while flashing some above-average glovework in the outfield.

Padres Place Adrian Morejon On 10-Day IL, Reinstate Jose Castillo

By | at

The Padres announced that young left-hander Adrian Morejon has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a shoulder impingement.  Southpaw Jose Castillo has been reinstated from the 60-day IL to take Morejon’s spot on the active roster.

It’s been a rough beginning to Morejon’s big league career, as he has been tagged for a 10.13 ERA over his eight innings of work (five outings) since making his Major League debut back on July 21.  There were a couple of silver linings to Morejon’s first taste of the Show, as he averaged 96.4mph on his fastball and recorded nine strikeouts over his eight frames.  MLB.com and Baseball America ranked Morejon within the top 50 of their midseason prospects rankings, making him one of the many intriguing youngsters coming out of the loaded San Diego farm system.

Castillo didn’t have nearly the same prospect pedigree when he made his Major League debut for the Padres last season, though the southpaw had much better early results.  He posted a 3.29 ERA, 4.33 K/BB, and 12.2 K/9 over 38 1/3 relief innings for San Diego in 2018, though a flexor strain has kept him on the sidelines for all of 2019.

Braves Place Austin Riley On Injured List

By | at

4:12pm: Riley has suffered a partially-torn LCL, manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).  Riley is set to visit Dr. James Andrews on Monday to determine the full extent of the injury.

TODAY, 12:50pm: The Braves announced that Riley has been placed on the IL with a sprained right knee. No timetable for his return was provided. Right-hander Jeremy Walker is up from Triple-A in his place.

Aug. 7: The Braves will place third baseman/left fielder Austin Riley on the 10-day injured list due to an injured ligament in his right knee, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Riley sustained the injury in the weight room this week but didn’t initially believe it to be serious. His knee stiffened overnight, however, and he’ll undergo some testing to determine the extent of the issue. Atlanta will announce a corresponding move (and perhaps further details on the injury) tomorrow.

Riley, 22, debuted to great fanfare in Atlanta earlier this season and quickly established himself as a serious power threat in the Braves’ lineup. He’s homered 17 times in 255 plate appearances, but his considerable pop has been overshadowed by alarming contact issues of late.

Riley batted .298/.336/.628 with 11 homers in his first 30 big league games (128 plate appearances) but did so with a 32 percent strikeout rate, a .362 average on balls in play and a 29.7 percent homer-to-flyball ratio that’d currently rank fifth in MLB behind Nelson Cruz, Christian Yelich, Pete Alonso and Franmil Reyes if sustained. Suffice it to say, his instant success was impressive but didn’t appear likely to be fully maintained. A drop of this magnitude, however, wasn’t exactly foreseeable itself. Over his past 127 trips to the dish, Riley has batted just .183/.252/.374 with a strikeout rate of nearly 39 percent.

With his injury, the Braves will rely on a primary outfield trio of Adam Duvall in left, Ender Inciarte in center and Ronald Acuna Jr. in right field, with Matt Joyce serving as the fourth outfielder. Charlie Culberson figures to be the primary backup to both Josh Donaldson at third base and Johan Camargo at shortstop. Dansby Swanson is also on the injured list at the moment and is not yet ready to be activated, O’Brien tweets.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows FOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top