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Archives for July 2021

Marlins Discussing Extension With Sandy Alcantara

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The Marlins and right-hander Sandy Alcantara have exchanged offers about a possible contract extension, Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports.  The latest salvo appears to have come from Alcantara’s representatives at CAA Baseball, who “recently” presented a counter to an earlier Marlins offer.

Sherman reported the item within a larger piece suggesting the the Marlins should actually considering trading Alcantara if they are “overwhelmed” by an offer of young position players, to bolster the team’s overall balance considering that Miami already has several younger arms both on the MLB roster and in the farm system.  That said, the extension negotiations are likely not connected to Alcantara’s availability at the trade deadline, given that past reports have suggested the Marlins aren’t interested in moving any of their young, controllable starting pitchers — namely, the trio of Alcantara, Trevor Rogers, and Pablo Lopez.

Alcantara doesn’t reach arbitration eligibility until this winter, so he isn’t eligible for free agency under after the 2024 season.  There is therefore no real rush to hammer out a deal immediately, though an extension obviously offers some natural appeal to both sides.

An extension would give Alcantara the first major payday of his professional career.  Since he doesn’t turn 26 until September, an extension of even two seasons beyond Miami’s current control would allow him to test free agency heading into his age-31 season, when he could still be at the back edge of his prime.  For the Marlins, locking up a talented young pitcher and gaining cost certainty over his arb years could prove to be a bargain, and the team could count on Alcantara as a cornerstone piece as Miami looks to get back into contention.

There would also some symbolism attached to a deal, as the Marlins have yet to hand out a major extension since Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter took over the franchise in late 2017.  Miguel Rojas’ two-year, $10.25MM deal in September 2019 represents the only extension of any kind in the Sherman/Jeter era, and it’s fair to say that contract was more about rewarding a team leader than it was looking to the future, not that Rojas hasn’t more than lived up to his end of the deal (and could even be a candidate for another extension).  Perhaps even beyond last season’s surprise run to a berth in the expanded playoff field, locking up Alcantara or another young building block would announce to the baseball world that Sherman, Jeter, and general manager Kim Ng are done with rebuilding.

Since the start of the 2019 campaign, Alcantara has a 3.56 ERA, 19.6% strikeout rate, 8.8% walk rate, and 48.4% grounder rate over 359 innings.  That is the 17th-highest innings total of any pitcher in that span, and Alcantara’s only injury absence was missing most of August 2020 amidst the Marlins’ COVID outbreak.

This season has seen Alcantara make the changeup a much bigger part of his arsenal, so while he is throwing his sinker (his signature pitch) and his four-seam fastball less often, he has been able to increase his average fastball velocity up to 97.7mph.  Alcantara often approached the 100mph threshold as a prospect in the Cardinals’ farm system, though he has only slowly increased his velo over his three full seasons as a big league starter.

Rangers Exploring Contract Extension With Joey Gallo

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Joey Gallo’s name has been at the forefront of multiple trade rumors for months, though Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports that the Rangers “have become more aggressive” in their pursuit of a possible contract extension with the outfielder.  Gallo has one year of arbitration remaining before being eligible for free agency following the 2022 campaign.  It isn’t known whether Texas has actually made Gallo an offer, as agent Scott Boras declined to comment on the subject yesterday.

It isn’t unusual for teams to make what might essentially be a last-ditch effort at a long-term deal prior to the deadline.  (Just earlier this week, Starling Marte and the Marlins held negotiations that didn’t end up panning out, so Marte is now looking like a prime candidate to be dealt prior to the July 30th deadline.)  Of course, it also isn’t common for these midseason talks to actually result in a new contract.  While Gallo has expressed his fondness for remaining with the Rangers, striking a new deal in the midst of the season would certainly count as a surprise for multiple factors — perhaps chief amongst them that Gallo is represented by Boras, whose clients usually end up testing the free agent market.

An extension would mean that Gallo would be putting a lot of faith in the Rangers’ front office that their current rebuild would bear fruit, as the team doesn’t look in position to contend by next season.  From the Rangers’ perspective, obviously they would like to keep a player like Gallo in the fold, but his greatest value to the club at this point might be as a trade chip.

Gallo’s name has already been linked to the Yankees and Padres on the rumor mill, and Grant adds that the Blue Jays (who have been scouting Texas games over the past week) are “perhaps the Rangers’ most favored potential trade partner.”  The Jays could have interest in any number of possible Rangers trade chips, and considering Toronto’s need for arms, Gallo might perhaps be lower on the Blue Jays’ radar than pitchers like Kyle Gibson or Ian Kennedy.

AL Notes: Rogers, Bregman, Athletics, Kluber

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Unsurprisingly, Twins southpaw Taylor Rogers “is very popular on the trade market,” MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets.  There is enough interest that the reliever has a “good chance to be dealt” even though Minnesota is reportedly reluctant to move players who are under team control beyond this season.  Rogers has one more arbitration year remaining before free agency in the 2022-23 offseason.

Rogers has somewhat quietly been one of baseball’s most effective relievers since just about the moment of his MLB debut in 2016, as the left-hander has a 3.15 ERA, 27.9% strikeout rate, and a 22% K-BB rate over 314 2/3 career innings out of Minnesota’s bullpen.  He has kept up that form in 2021, with a 3.35 ERA and a whopping 35.5% strikeout rate that ranks 11th among all hurlers with at least 40 innings pitched this season.  This is the type of high-level performance that could be the difference-maker in a pennant race, so while the Twins undoubtedly have a huge asking price for Rogers, another team could be willing to take the plunge to upgrade its bullpen for both the rest of this season and into 2022.

More from around the American League…

  • Alex Bregman will start a Triple-A rehab assignment within the next few days, the Astros star told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters.  A left quad strain sent Bregman to the 10-day injured list on June 17, and though there was initial uncertainty around exactly how long Bregman might be out, the Astros’ series against the Twins on August 5-8 seems to look like the target date.  At the time of his injury, Bregman was hitting .275/.359/.428 with seven home runs over 262 plate appearances.
  • Before the Rays traded for Nelson Cruz, the Athletics gave some consideration to acquiring the slugger themselves, Shayna Rubin of the Bay Area News Group writes.  The A’s seemingly didn’t get close to a move, however, due to both the financial and prospect cost attached to Cruz, and Rubin wonders if payroll concerns in particular will keep the Athletics from making any particularly big deadline splashes.  While spending is always an issue for the club, money could be tighter than ever now that the A’s no longer receive revenue-sharing money — as per the last collective bargaining agreement, the Athletics were gradually phased out of the league’s revenue-sharing plan over a multi-year period.  That said, Billy Beane and company have been adept at finding lower-cost help at past deadlines, such Oakland’s trade for Tommy La Stella last year.
  • Corey Kluber threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Friday, and the Yankees veteran told reporters (including ESPN’s Marly Rivera) that he is “very confident” that he’ll be able to return in 2021.  Kluber was initially targeted for a late-July return at the time of his IL placement for a shoulder strain, though Yankees GM Brian Cashman later threw some doubt into Kluber’s exact timeline, saying that the right-hander might not be back until September.  While Kluber certainly doesn’t look immediately close to an activation just yet, his mound work does represent progress, even if he described his 25 pitches as “easy fastballs…nothing like I would do in a regular bullpen session.”

NL West Injury Notes: Weathers, Bellinger, Betts, Kershaw, Belt, Crawford, Kelly

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Padres left-hander Ryan Weathers was activated off the 10-day injured list earlier today, and he marked the occasion with four shutout innings and his first career home run in San Diego’s 3-2 loss to the Marlins.  Weathers had to be helped off the field after suffering what looked like an ugly leg injury on July 11, though he ended up only fracturing a small bone in his right ankle.  He looked none the worse for wear today, which is a nice boost to a Padres team that has battled through multiple pitching injuries and might yet look to add more arms by the trade deadline.

More injury updates from around the NL West…

  • Cody Bellinger is day-to-day after leaving Friday’s game due to hamstring tightness, though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told The Los Angeles Times’ Jeff Miller and other reporters that Bellinger was on the field working out prior to today’s game.  When he does return, Bellinger might be utilized at first base in order to reduce his running, Roberts said.
  • Roberts also had more updates on other injured Dodgers stars, including Mookie Betts’ continuing right hip problems.  Betts received a cortisone shot and the plan is for the outfielder to play on Tuesday when the Dodgers begin a series with the Giants.  Betts hasn’t played since July 19 and hasn’t started a game since July 17.  Clayton Kershaw (placed on the 10-day IL with forearm inflammation on July 7) threw a bullpen session today and is slated for a simulated game on Tuesday.
  • Brandon Belt may be close to a rehab assignment, as the Giants first baseman ran the bases today as he continues to work his way back from knee inflammation.  Belt told reporters (including John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle) that he feels “way better than I thought I was going to feel at this point,” considering that there was some consideration of knee surgery when he initially hurt his knee almost exactly one month ago.  Belt intends to wear a protective sleeve over his knee when he returns to the field.
  • In other positive injury recovery news for the Giants, Brandon Crawford began baseball activity today.  Crawford was placed on the 10-day IL with what was considered to be a minor left oblique strain on July 19, and it looks like Crawford will indeed only be out of action for a minimal amount of time.
  • Diamondbacks catcher Carson Kelly will began a rehab assignment on Thursday and will move to High-A Hillsboro on Sunday, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert tweets.  A fractured wrist sent Kelly to the injured list on June 20, interrupting an outstanding season for the 27-year-old backstop.  Kelly has hit .260/.385/.460 with eight home runs over 187 plate appearances.

Pirates Release Kyle Crick

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The Pirates have placed right-hander Kyle Crick on release waivers, according to Alex Stumpf of DK Pittsburgh Sports (via Twitter).  Crick was designated for assignment earlier this week and cleared DFA waivers, and the Bucs elected to part ways with Crick rather than outright him to Triple-A.

The move ends Crick’s three-plus seasons in Pittsburgh after 139 1/3 innings and several ups and downs within the righty’s overall solid 3.62 ERA.  Crick had a very strong 2018 season but struggled in 2019, missed most of 2020 due to injury, and again couldn’t find any consistency this year.  Control has been Crick’s biggest problem, as he has an ungainly 16% walk rate since the start of the 2019 season.

Crick is still only 28 years old and he has two seasons of arbitration control remaining.  Between these points and the “change of scenery” factor, it seems likely that another team will look to pick him up on a minor league deal and see if they can solve Crick’s lack of command.

Draft Signings: 7/24/21

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Here are the latest Day Two draft picks to sign with their teams.  For more on the 2021 draft class, check out the prospect rankings and scouting reports compiled by Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.  As well, here is MLB Pipeline’s breakdown of the slot values assigned to each pick in the first 10 rounds, as well as the bonus pool money available to all 30 teams.

All signings were reported by MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, unless specified otherwise.

  • The Angels signed St. Mary’s College left-hander Ky Bush for a $1.75MM bonus, spending slightly beyond the 45th overall pick’s assigned value of $1,650,200.
  • The Nationals signed Daylen Lile for $1.75MM, going a bit overslot ($1,580,200) for the 47th overall pick to get the high school outfielder to forego his commitment to Louisville.
  • The White Sox went overslot to sign second-round pick Wes Kath, signing the high school third baseman for a $1.8MM bonus.  The 57th overall selection has an assigned price of $1,243,600, but the Sox had some money to spare after going well underslot to sign college players picked within their first 10 selections.
  • The Athletics signed University of Virginia third baseman Zack Gelof for $1,157,400, matching the slot price for the 60th overall pick.  Oakland has now signed all of its picks from the first 10 rounds of the draft.
  • The Royals signed 66th overall pick Peyton Wilson for an at-slot ($1,003,300) bonus.  Wilson is listed as a second baseman, but Callis notes that the University Of Alabama product can also play catcher and center fielder.
  • The Indians signed Florida right-hander Tommy Mace for $1.1MM, according to MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo.  Mace’s bonus is above the $929.8K slot price for the 69th overall pick.
  • The Orioles have reached agreements with 20 of their 21 picks, with some notable overslot bonuses among the signings  Eighth-rounder Creed Willems had the most eye-opening number, as the high school catcher landed a $1MM bonus that went way over the $187.7K assigned slot price for the 227th pick.  MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports that the Orioles also went well above the $818.2K slot price for 76th overall pick John Rhodes, who signed for $1.375MM.

Mets’ David Peterson To Undergo Foot Surgery

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The Mets moved left-hander David Peterson to the 60-day injured list earlier today, though the placement didn’t have anything to do with the oblique strain that was already projected to keep Peterson out for roughly two months.  Instead, Peterson suffered a Jones fracture in his right foot on Friday, and will need to undergo surgery.

The injury apparently occurred in rather freakish fashion, as Mets manager Luis Rojas told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters that Peterson “was just walking” though the team clubhouse on Friday “and he felt a pop.  That’s it.  He was very frustrated.  He didn’t understand how this could happen.”  Rojas wasn’t sure whether or not the surgery would end Peterson’s season, though between the recovery from the foot fracture and the still-ongoing rehab of a significant oblique strain, the odds don’t look good on Peterson getting back on the mound until at least late September.

The bad injury news compounds an already tough sophomore season for Peterson.  After emerging with a 3.44 ERA over 49 2/3 innings in 2020, the southpaw was looking to build on that strong rookie year as a fully-minted member of New York’s rotation.  Instead, Peterson posted a 5.54 ERA over 15 starts and 66 2/3 innings, with below-average Statcast numbers across the board.  It wasn’t too different from Peterson’s 2020 numbers, except the lefty benefited from a .233 BABIP last year, and that number was normalized to a .306 mark in 2021.

Though Peterson already wasn’t expected to be back for another month, potentially losing him for the rest of the season will remove one more starting option for the injury-riddled Mets rotation.  The Amazins just acquired Rich Hill to join a current rotation mix of Marcus Stroman, Taijuan Walker, and rookie Tylor Megill, as ace Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, Noah Syndergaard and more pitchers are still on the injured list.

Marlins Sign Comp Balance Round Pick Joe Mack

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The Marlins have signed catcher Joe Mack for a $2.5MM bonus, MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis reports (via Twitter).  It is a slight overslot deal for Mack, as the 31st pick in the draft — and the first pick of Competitive Balance Round A — has an assigned slot price of $2.312MM.

A product of Williamsville East High School in western New York state, Mack has a 60-grade throwing arm, and MLB Pipeline’s scouting report figures “he’ll be at least a solid average receiver” with a little more development behind the plate.  Mack’s left-handed bat has a lot of power potential, though there is some debate on that topic amongst scouts.  As Baseball America’s report puts it, “those highest on Mack see an advanced hitter with good bat speed and a chance to hit for plus power in his prime, though others see more of a hit-first offensive profile with average power.”

Miami went heavy on four-year college players in its draft class, as Mack as one of only three high schoolers selected within the Marlins’ first 11 picks.  The tactic allowed the Marlins to save some money on those college signings, thus creating more pool space for overslot deals for Mack and third-rounder Jordan McCants.  Miami’s first-round pick, Kahlil Watson, could possibly be looking for a bonus significantly above the $3,745,500 assigned to the 16th overall selection considering that Watson was seen as a top-five choice heading into draft night.

Dombrowski: Phillies Will “Be Aggressive” As Trade Deadline Approaches

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5:22PM: Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spoke with MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and other reporters today, reiterating that the team will “be aggressive” in its pursuit of roster help, and the Phillies are “kind of open to anything” in regards to adding pieces to the roster.

Unless “we got crushed seven games in a row, and the Mets won seven games in a row” before Friday’s trade deadline, Dombrowski said that the Phillies are planning to be buyers.  “The one thing I can safely say is we’re not in a position where we’re looking to move players,” the PBO said.  “That is not where we are.  We’re looking to add players to our club, if we can.”

Dombrowski declined to publicly comment on whether or not Phillies ownership was willing to let the team cross the $210MM luxury tax threshold, only saying that “ownership here is very supportive of trying to win.”  In terms of trades, Dombrowski didn’t rule out the addition of rental players, but “would not anticipate” that the Phillies would move top prospects for such short-term upgrades.

8:52AM: Though the Phillies are sporting a -12 run differential on the year, they may represent the most viable threat to the Mets division lead in the National League East. The Nationals are 3-7 in their last ten, now seven games behind the Mets, and the cavalry may not be coming. The Braves know they’ll be without their biggest star, and despite having the best run differential in the division right now at +26, it’s hard to consider Atlanta as a viable threat without Ronald Acuna Jr. The Marlins are 41-57, 12 games out, and they’re in full-on sell mode.

That leaves the Phillies. Though they’re exactly .500 at 48-48, that leaves them right where they’ve been for most of the Bryce Harper era. This team didn’t re-sign J.T. Realmuto and hire Dave Dombrowski to run the front office just to stand pat, however. Not only are rival executives expecting the Phillies to be aggressive this trade deadline, but they think the Phillies will be willing to exceed the luxury tax, if that’s what it takes to find the right upgrades, per Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (via Twitter).

As for what the Phillies might be pursuing, there are plenty of avenues to improve the roster. Heyman suggests they could use a starter, multiple relievers and a centerfielder. Alec Bohm has not been good at third base (-0.1 fWAR), but they’re not close to moving on from the 25-year-old former top prospect.

The bullpen’s shortcomings have been thoroughly noted, and it now seems a near certainty that they’ll add at least one bullpen arm. The question is whether they’ll shell out for a premium arm like the Cubs’ Craig Kimbrel, or if they’ll target cheaper options like the Pirates’ Richard Rodriguez or Ian Kennedy of the Rangers.

They could aim even lower and shop in the non-premium section of opposing bullpens where there are plenty of viable options for the right price: the Cubs’ Ryan Tepera and Andrew Chafin, the Twins’ Caleb Thielbar and Tyler Duffey, or Anthony Bass, Dylan Floro, and Yimi Garcia of the Marlins are a few names worth checking in on.That said, if there’s any team that might look for a fire-tested closer to take the reins, Philly would be it.

In center, Starling Marte would be the obvious target, though it’s unclear how willing the Marlins are to move him within the division — nor is it clear if the Phillies have what Miami GM Kim Ng desires in a return package. For starters, the Marlins are seeking a long-term replacement for Marte in center, per Craig Mish of the Swings and Mishes podcast. That’s going to slow trade discussions, as most teams will balk at moving a younger, cheaper option in center, especially if the Marlins are prioritizing near ML-ready prospects.

The Phillies do have some centerfield prospects they could dangle, such as Simon Muzziotti, their 10th-ranked prospect by Fangraphs, Mickey Moniak, their 8th-ranked prospect, or Johan Rojas, their 4th-ranked prospect. Of the three, Muzziotti probably comes closest to starting the conversation for Marte.

None of the three are blue-chippers, however, and only Moniak has advanced beyond High-A. Moniak, of course, was the former No. 1 overall draft pick,but he’s fallen down prospect charts since his selection in the 2016 draft. Baseball America calls him “a fourth or fifth outfielder,” and he wouldn’t likely be viewed as a centerpiece in a Marte deal.

Without a ton of options on the market, Philly might need to stick with their in-house options. Odubel Herrera has returned to action after missing all of 2020, but he’s rocking just an 86 wRC+. Travis Jankowski’s been a revelation through 68 plate appearances, though the 30-year-old was a 76 wRC+ hitter through 994 plate appearances prior to this season. The fact remains that outside of Marte, there aren’t a ton of available centerfielders on the market.

The Phillies might have an easier time upgrading their pitching staff, especially given the low bar. Beyond the bullpen, Philadelphia needs more for the rotation, though Dombrowski hasn’t exactly succeeded in that regard thus far, writes Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Offseason additions Matt Moore and Chase Anderson have posted -0.1 fWAR apiece while earning a combined $7MM.

Philly starters have a 4.21 ERA, which ranks 21st in the Majors overall, though they’re 12th by the measure of a 3.97 combined FIP. They rank 10th overall in innings pitched. Still, they could conceivably find upgrades for 60 percent of the rotation, given the uncertain track records of Vince Velasquez and rookie Spencer Howard. It’s unlikely they’ll find three starters, but it’s also hard to reason Dombrowski coming away from the trade deadline without any new arms in the rotation.

Cole Hamels has been a popular name of late, and it would certainly be fun to see the 37-year-old back in a Phillies uniform. He also comes with the added benefit of not costing prospects. Hamels alone won’t be enough, but there’s not much risk in seeing if he can upgrade Moore’s spot in the rotation.

Asher Wojciechowski Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander Asher Wojciechowski has rejected the Yankees’ outright assignment to Triple-A and elected to become a free agent, the team announced.  New York designated Wojciechowski for assignment earlier this week.

After signing a minors deal with the Yankees this past offseason, Wojciechowski’s tenure in the Bronx lasted just one Major League game — a spot start against the Phillies on Wednesday that saw the righty allow two runs in four innings of what ended up as a 6-5 Yankees victory.

Wojciechowski will now head back onto the open market, after having already been a member of 10 different organizations during a pro career that began when the Blue Jays selected him 41st overall in the 2010 draft.  Wojciechowski has pitched for five teams at the MLB level, with a 5.93 ERA over 202 career innings over parts of five seasons.  Since Wojciechowski had also been outrighted off a big league roster in the past (by the Orioles last September), it was his right to refuse another outright assignment and opt for free agency.

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