In the latest step of Tyler Glasnow’s recovery from Tommy John surgery, the Rays right-hander has started throwing, agent Joel Wolfe told Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. Glasnow underwent his surgery in early August, so while it’s very up in the air as to whether or not he’ll be able to make it back to action before the 2022 season is out, he is setting an in-season return as his goal. Beyond just his health, the other question concerning Glasnow is whether or not he’d be returning to the mound in a Rays uniform — projected for a $5.8MM salary this year, Glasnow has been widely speculated as a trade candidate for a Tampa club that is forever looking to manage its payroll.
Some other tidbits from around the American League…
- “Position addition” is the name for the Astros’ process of experimenting with its most athletic prospects at various other positions, The Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome writes. Naturally, the more versatile a player is, the better his chances at reaching the majors in some kind of role. “It always depends on what the major league roster is going to look like in the future, but I think it just raises a lot of those guys’ floors,” Astros field coordinator Jason Bell said. “I think our guys have been fairly open to it…and I think a lot of times they think it’s fun.” Of the 23 position players in Houston’s minicamp, 12 are designated as part of an “infielder/outfielder” defensive grouping, working at positions both in the grass and on the dirt.
- Tigers prospect Ryan Kreidler may know a few things about position changes, as the longtime shortstop saw Javier Baez suddenly emerge as a roadblock after Baez landed in the Motor City on a six-year, $140MM deal. While Baez can opt out of that contract after the 2023 season, Kreidler will likely be focusing on other positions in the interim — he has played a handful of games at third base and second base during his two minor league seasons. “I will do whatever the Tigers want me to do, whether it’s shortstop, shortstop and third base, or utility,” Kreidler told Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. “Whatever they deem me capable of doing I will do it to the best of my ability and just keep trucking…I think shortstops have the ability to play all over the field, that’s why continuing to take reps at shortstop is good for me.” After a strong performance at the plate in 2021, Kreidler drew the attention of prospect evaluators and other teams, and now looks like yet another promising young Detroit player on the cusp of the big leagues. Jonathan Schoop and Jeimer Candelario have second and third base spoken for, and are both also controlled through 2023, so a utility role might indeed be Kreidler’s best path to the Tigers’ active roster.
- Elbow problems limited Matt Canterino to 23 innings in 2021, and between that abbreviated season and the canceled 2020 minor league campaign, the Twins prospect has tossed only 48 professional innings since being selected in the second round of the 2019 draft. Canterino came to Minnesota’s minicamp on a clean bill of health, he told Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and he is now focused on staying on the field. “I can’t really worry too much about a shutdown period, like how my workload’s going to be managed, but I can do the things that I think are going to help me stay healthy in the long run,” Canterino said. The righty has looked tremendous when he has been able to pitch, posting a 1.13 ERA and a whopping 42.94% strikeout rate over his 48 innings (topping out at the high-A level).
Superstar Prospect Wander Javier
I have a feeling Glassnow wont miss a single game this year
dshires4
He might not, but Glasnow surely will.
JeffreyChungus
Glassnow more like GlassUCL haha
stymeedone
Kreidler is likely to stay at AAA this year and continue at SS. He needs to be ready when Baez opts out after two successful seasons in Detroit.
lucas0622
Bold of you to assume Javy is going to be great
For Love of the Game
Kreidler will probably spend time at Toledo to get regular at bats. If he forces his way onto the Tiger roster at some point in 2022, they will find a place for him to play. Injuries and ineffectiveness happen. Grossman is signed only through this year so there is one possibility.
dsett75
I have a feeling that Kreidler will be part of a trade for a front end SPer. Just a hunch!
tbfern
Glasnow for Shohei makes a lot of sense for both clubs.
DarkSide830
Ohtani is too expensive for the Rays, they say no.
dsett75
You can’t be serious!! After the year Ohtani just had, ya think he’s worth an inactive Glasnow?! I wouldn’t trade Ohtani for the actual city of Glasnow. Ok, I very well could be lying now, but……ya know what I’m sayin
mp2891
I suspect DarkSide was trying to be funny, but if not, he’s simply parroting a tired talking point regarding the Rays. The Rays would gladly trade for Ohtani. He’s on year to year contracts and the risk is low. That’s the perfect candidate for the Rays – Great performance, low risk of financial deadweight.
Astrobabg93
I’d love to have Glasnow on the Astros. Wonder what it would take to get him.
mp2891
I would think Korey Lee is the starting point for Glasnow. Astros and Rays don’t line up well in trade in my opinion.
tradepartner
Baez may not opt out after two years.
Tigers will be very competitive by that time.
Good money-Good team
stymeedone
I only see him staying if he’s not earning his money, which is why I hope he opts out. Detroit gets two years of surplus value but is not stuck with the decline. Same with E-Rod. Just hope Avila doesn’t make the mistake of extending either to prevent the opt out.
GinaNCRaysFan
It’s not really a problem to have Schoop and Jeimer ahead of Kreidler. He could spell both of them and Baez too in a utility role and get plenty of reps. If he turns out to be good the Tigers should be able to move Schoop or Candelario to another team, They’d be solid depth pieces and decent starter options to round out a team with a nearly full roster. They’d be miscast as a big time major addition, say if they were the only average-ish starter on a team with no other capable major leaguers (looking at you CJ Cron).
JoeBrady
Glasnow to the Padres for Weathers has Preller written all over it. It’ll be identical to the Clevinger trade, and Glasnow will in fact replace Clevinger.
mp2891
Rays aren’t trading Glasnow for Weathers only. Throw in a healthy Paddock and now we’re talking.
JoeBrady
mp2891
Rays aren’t trading Glasnow for Weathers only.
============================
They will do that in a heartbeat. For the Rays, Glasnow is in non-tender territory. Glasnow will make ~$11M for’ 22/23, and he will miss all of 2022, and will take part of ’23 to knock off the rust and recover his velocity.
They can trade Glasnow for value, but the chances of them getting a graduated top-100 prospect is slim. Theoretically, they could get more, but 5 years of Weather for one year of Glasnow is pretty solid.
mp2891
JoeBrady – Rays already tendered Glasnow, so that comment makes no sense. Second, Rays were happy to pay Charlie Morton 3 years at $15MM per year and Glas is a better pitcher when healthy. Third, the recovery rate for TJS is pretty good, so even if Glas doesn’t return fully in year 1, he’s still likely to be well worth $11-12MM for one year. Fourth, the CBA is likely to still reward teams that lose QO players with draft picks, even if the signing team isn’t penalized. The Rays used their last QO draft pick to draft their current Ace – Shane McClannahan. Rays would rather have the draft pick than Weathers, who frankly isn’t very good. Fifth, the Rays are in WS or Bust mode. Rays would prefer 1 year of Glas.
If you want to educate yourself on reasonable trade values, I suggest you check out http://www.baseballtradevalues.com.
Marcus Graham
I get this feeling Baez will be a bust in Detroit.
oldleftylong
I got this feeling he’ll be a star in Detroit
dsett75
I have a feeling that Kreidler may be part of a trade to get a top end SPer. Not really because we got Baez, but because so many teams have specifically asked about him before the lockout. Plus, Avila wants one, but all that’s left is an injury prone Rodon & a not his old self anymore Kershaw, who won’t sign with the Tigers anyway.
Hello, Newman
I think the Tigers would be best to hold out, and see what they have in the organization. They have been trading and drafting high on arms, these last few years. I wouldn’t mind getting Wily P back on a modest contract.
Unless the A’s are doing a fire sale for either Bassit or Manea, I don’t want to see the Tigers trade away their currently pretty average farm system. A trade for a veteran like the Rockies-Freeland, Mets-Carrasco, Cubs-Hendricks could make sense to me.
falconsball1993
Pretty average? What?
Hello, Newman
Yup, especially after Greene and Torkelson graduate.
falconsball1993
It’s not average at all lol. There are about 10-15 legit prospects who get a bump in the rankings once they come out later this summer. Jobe in particular, and a few under the radar hitters
Hello, Newman
Yes, and other organizations will also have that bump. Jobe looks to be the only one in the top 100 (per mlb.com), after Greene and Torkelson.
Kreidler might be the only one I see sneaking in the top 100. Dingler struggled at AA
Hello, Newman
I am by no means saying the farm is in bad shape. But, I don’t see how they are anything other than the middle of the pact. Who am I missing?
* Brieske might sneak in too
falconsball1993
Madden will be in there. Kreidler, Dingler, Brieske, Campos and Kohlhepp may sneak in too
Hello, Newman
I don’t see what literally any of those players (besides, Brieske) you mention suggest they are top 100. What stats are you looking at??
Hello, Newman
Campos & Kohlhepp? Are you joking?
Yes, Madden had a good career at UT. But, every single team passed on him. So unless the first 31 draftees are automatically top 100 prospects, I do not see how he’s getting in w/ no pro experience.
falconsball1993
They aren’t in the top 100 yet. When the revised rankings come out mid-summer, they’ll be in there
Hard to walk with four balls
Wrong, every team did not pass on him.
Hello, Newman
True-true, lol
warnbeeb
I’m willing to be proven wrong but I feel like Baez is going to remind me of (and he already does) of Gary Sheffield….the end of his career Gary Sheffield.
Hard to walk with four balls
he’s going to lead the team in homeruns and stolen bases?