Jon Jay To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
White Sox outfielder Jon Jay will undergo surgery on his hip, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times was among those to report on Twitter. Jay will not be able to return this year.
This news wraps up a less-than-productive tenure on the South Side for Jay. He had inked a $4MM, one-year pact over the winter. At the time, the Sox were adding affordable veterans while pursuing young star Manny Machado, whose personal ties to both Jay and also-acquired veteran Yonder Alonso didn’t lead to a signing.
Of course, the White Sox also hoped that Jay would represent a stabilizing force in an outfield mix that was short on sure things. That simply hasn’t come to pass. Jay has been sidelined for lengthy stretches and has not performed when available. In 182 plate appearances on the year, he has slashed just .267/.311/.315 with nary a home run.
Jay has typically been more useful than that at the plate. He’s an accomplished pure hitter, with a .285 lifetime average, and has done enough in the on-base and slugging departments to carry a 101 wRC+ through more than four thousand career plate appearances. With the ability to line up anywhere in the outfield, Jay was a solid semi-regular player at his peak.
Now, with a diminished recent history at the plate and increasingly worrisome slate of maladies, it’s quite likely that Jay will be looking at a minor-league deal when he reenters the market this fall.
Phillies Release Nick Hundley
The Phillies’ top affiliate announced today that catcher Nick Hundley has been given his release. He had joined the club on a minors deal after being cut loose earlier this year by the Athletics.
Hundley is closing in on his 36th birthday. A veteran of a dozen MLB campaigns, he’s a highly respected signal-caller and clubhouse member. He had signed on with the A’s on a minors deal but made the club out of camp.
Unfortunately, Hundley was not able to keep pace offensively in Oakland. Over 73 plate appearances in the majors, he scratched out a .200/.233/.357 batting line with just two walks and two homers. The struggles have continued at Lehigh Valley, where he struck out 17 times in just 36 trips to the plate.
The timing of the move will allow Hundley to catch on with another organization while retaining his postseason eligibility — if he inks a new deal tomorrow, before the end of the month. While it’s hard to imagine a contender planning for a playoff roster that includes Hundley, he’d be a useful insurance policy given his extensive experience.
Owner David Glass Reaches Agreement To Sell Royals
4:17pm: The Royals have issued a press release confirming the agreement.
11:31pm: Royals owner David Glass has agreed to sell the team to Kansas City businessman John Sherman for a sum of one billion dollars, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (via Twitter). Sherman, currently the vice chairman of the division-rival Indians, will divest himself from the Cleveland organization once the agreement is ratified by the other 29 ownership groups in November. Talks of a potential sale were first reported by Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark of The Athletic earlier this week.
Nightengale tweeted yesterday that the sale of the Royals was motivated by health reasons for Glass, 83. The former CEO of Wal-Mart, Glass purchased the Royals for the sum of $96MM back in 2000. He was responsible for appointing Dayton Moore as the club’s general manager — a decision that resulted in a lengthy rebuild but ultimately culminated in consecutive World Series appearances, including the team’s drought-breaking World Series win over the Mets in 2015.
Sherman, 64, purchased a minority stake in the Indians back in 2016 and has since upped his share of the club. As Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer explored last year, Sherman was a Royals season-ticket holder at the time who’d made a fortune in starting natural gas and energy companies (LPG Services Group, Inergy L.P.) and selling them to larger entities. Indians majority owner Paul Dolan referred to Sherman as his “partner” in that interview with Pluto, underscoring his prominence in that ownership group. Suffice it to say, today’s reported agreement has ramifications for both organization — the specifics of which remain to be seen.
The Royals, under Glass and Moore, have been in the midst of a rebuild over the past couple of seasons. The organizational hope has been that by targeting near-MLB-ready players in trades and prioritizing college players (pitchers, specifically) in the past couple of drafts, that retooling can progress at a considerably more rapid pace than Kansas City’s prior rebuilding effort. The Royals have cut payroll by nearly $50MM in that time and figure to see further dollars stripped from the books this season with Alex Gordon‘s four-year, $72MM contract coming off the ledger.
As with any ownership change, the effects could be far-reaching. Recent examples of team sales highlight but a fraction of the possibilities. The Padres, for instance, hired new front-office leadership (headed by GM A.J. Preller) and embarked on an aggressive, win-at-all-costs approach in the first season that the group led by Ron Fowler and Peter Seidler took over the club. When that boom or bust approach fell well short, the Friars embarked on a lengthy rebuilding effort that has yet to reach its terminus.
More recently, Jeffrey Loria sold the Marlins to a group led by billionaire Bruce Sherman and future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter. While Sherman and Jeter added some new front office personnel — most notably, longtime Yankees exec Gary Denbo — their group also retained president of baseball operations Michael Hill and manager Don Mattingly. A long-term approach headlined by the trades of Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna was nevertheless put into motion in the Sherman/Jeter group’s first season in place.
What the sale of the club remains for the Royals, of course, can’t be immediately known. Moore is not only among the game’s longest tenured baseball operations leaders, he’s also widely respected by colleagues and peers alike. His contract reportedly runs through the 2020 season. Manager Ned Yost, meanwhile, is signed only through season’s end. There’s been plenty of speculation about the 65-year-old Yost’s future, particularly in the wake of a near-fatal accident last offseason in which he shattered his pelvis upon falling out of a deer stand while hunting. The general belief has been that Yost is in excellent standing with the organization, but the skipper himself has previously hinted that he may not manage beyond his current contractual agreement.
Payroll mandates and the corresponding roster-construction implications for both the Royals and the Indians that stem from the ownership change will play crucial roles in steering both organizations’ immediate futures.
Authorities Release Autopsy Report On Tyler Skaggs
The Tarrant County (Texas) medical examiner’s office has released a toxicology report regarding the untimely death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. As Maria Torres and Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times report, the 27-year-old was determined to have died after imbibing a toxic combination of opioids and alcohol.
Specifically, the report found that Skaggs had taken the painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone. Thereafter, he died accidentally of “aspiration of gastric contents.”
The Skaggs family has issued a statement on the matter, which remains under investigation by the local police department. Attorney Rusty Hardin has been retained to look into things from the family’s perspective.
In addition to expressing surprise at the manner of death, the family revealed a troubling allegation. The statement reads: “We were shocked to learn that [Skaggs’s death] may involve an employee of the Los Angeles Angels. We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including who supplied them.”
It is clear that there will be further examination and investigation of the circumstances leading to Skaggs’s death. An MLB spokesperson tells Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times (Twitter link) that the league had not been aware of any allegation of team involvement but will now investigate the matter. Beyond that, speculation would be unwise. It’s a tragedy regardless — one of many linked in recent years to the opioid epidemic.
Rays Select Contract Of Ricardo Pinto
The Rays have selected the contract of righty Ricardo Pinto, as MLB.com’s Juan Toribio was among those to tweet. Righty Jose De Leon was optioned. To create 40-man space, infielder Yandy Diaz was placed on the 60-day injured list.
Pinto, 25, will get his second crack at the big leagues after previously appearing with the Phillies back in 2017. His 25-appearance debut didn’t go well, as he was tagged for 26 earned runs in 29 2/3 innings.
Since joining the Rays organization over the offseason, Pinto has worked as a bulk guy. He has spent most of the year at Triple-A, where he carries a 4.13 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 over 104 2/3 innings. It remains to be seen how extensively the Rays will utilize Pinto. He could hold a job for the month of September or be designated in a few days if the club has other ideas for his roster spot.
Lane Thomas Diagnosed With Fractured Wrist; Cards Activate Tyler O’Neill
The Cardinals have made another outfield change, as MLB.com’s Anne Rogers reports on Twitter. Lane Thomas has been diagnosed with a fractured wrist, sending him to the injured list. Taking his place is Tyler O’Neill, who’s returning from his own IL stint.
It’s not yet known how long Thomas will be sidelined, but it certainly doesn’t sound promising. With only a month left in the regular season, it seems unlikely he’ll have time to heal and strengthen the joint in time to gear back up and return this year.
Thomas, a first-time major-leaguer who recently turned 24, has hit quite well in limited duties this year with the Cards. Through 44 plate appearances spread over 34 games, he’s slashing .316/.409/.684 with four long balls. He hadn’t been quite as productive at Triple-A, where his .268/.352/.460 batting line was actually slightly below the league average in the offensively stout International League.
Thankfully for the Cards, the loss of Thomas coincides with O’Neill’s return. O’Neill has yet to play this month owing to his own wrist injury. He’s sporting a .279/.316/.434 batting line over 136 plate appearances for the season. He’ll take up a spot in what figures to be a deep rotation of St. Louis position players down the stretch.
Nationals Designate Matt Grace; Activate Elias, Strickland
The Nationals announced today that they have designated lefty Matt Grace for assignment. His roster spot was needed for the activation of fellow southpaw Roenis Elias from the injured list.
In other news, the club has formally activated righty reliever Hunter Strickland. Backstop Spencer Kieboom was optioned back down to Double-A.
The Nats could’ve kept Grace around had they waited two more days. At that point, both pitchers could’ve occupied the same active roster. But it may well be that the club already anticipates needing a 40-man roster spot for the addition of another player.
A variety of veteran hurlers remain stashed at Triple-A or on the injured list. Greg Holland, J.J. Hoover, Justin Miller, and Sam Freeman are just a few of the reliever possibilities. And the Nats would need a 40-man spot to activate Jeremy Hellickson if and when he’s ready.
Grace certainly hasn’t helped his own cause this season. He has been a regular part of the middle-relief rotation over the past three years but has never been blitzed like this. Through 46 2/3 innings in 2019, Grace has coughed up 11 long balls and owns a 6.36 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9.
Acquired at the deadline, Elias made just one appearance before hitting the IL with a hamstring injury. He had been a solid performer for the Mariners dating back to the start of the 2018 campaign. Elias was added to function as the Nats’ new top setup lefty.
Cubs To Activate Ben Zobrist
The Cubs will activate veteran utilityman Ben Zobrist when active rosters expand on Sunday, Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com reports on Twitter. That’ll necessitate a 40-man roster move, as Zobrist has been on the restricted list.
Zobrist, 38, has been away from the Chicago organization since early May for personal reasons. He has slowly worked his way back into playing shape and game speed over recent weeks, playing a dozen rehab games while also spending stretches at home. It’s an unusual situation, but one that has unfolded with the blessings of the team.
When he returns, Zobrist will not only be looking to shake off the rust and re-adjust to the grind while entering a full-throated postseason race. He’ll also be looking to bounce back from a brutal stretch of play to open the season. Zobrist reached base at a .343 clip but managed only a single extra-base hit in 99 plate appearances. He hasn’t exactly shredded minor-league pitching on his rehab stint, slashing .189/.333/.405 in 45 trips to the plate.
Despite that tepid recent showing, skipper Joe Maddon says he won’t have any issue plugging Zobrist in at the top of the order. Zobrist surely won’t be thrown back into everyday duties, particularly with so many other mouths to feed in the Cubs position-player mix. But when he is written into the lineup, it makes sense that he’d be utilized at the top. Despite his recent power outage, Zobrist has walked more than he has struck out in his game action this season.
It’s unclear as yet how the Cubs will distribute playing time. David Bote just re-joined the roster. Presumably, Albert Almora and Daniel Descalso will as well in short order. Backstop Willson Contreras isn’t far behind. So long as the 40-man logistics and player expectations can be managed, that ought to leave Maddon with loads of options in any given game.
Yankees Activate Luke Voit, Place Gio Urshela On IL
The Yankees announced Friday that they’ve reinstated first baseman Luke Voit from the injured list and placed third baseman Gio Urshela on the 10-day IL due to a left groin injury.
Voit, 28, hasn’t played in a month thanks to an abdominal injury that, at one point, looked like it could require surgery. Rather than undergo a sports hernia procedure, though, the burgeoning slugger was able to rest and rehab the injury sufficiently enough to suit up for a minor league rehab assignment recently. To say that Voit didn’t miss a beat would perhaps be putting things mildly; in four games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he went 8-for-17 with two doubles, two home runs and two walks (against two strikeouts).
This marked the second time in 2019 that Voit missed time due to abdominal injuries, but those have been the only blemish on an otherwise excellent showing in his first full season of big league duty. In 94 games (416 plate appearances), he’s hitting .278/.392/.493 with 19 home runs, 16 doubles and a triple. Overall, he’s raked at a .293/.395/.547 clip in Yankee Pinstripes, although the trade that brought him from St. Louis to the Bronx now looks quite a bit less lopsided in light of righty Giovanny Gallegos‘ own breakout in the Cardinals’ bullpen.
Speaking of breakouts (and of players named Giovanny), the 27-year-old Urshela has erupted at the plate this summer. Long touted as a steady defender with questionable offensive capabilities, he’s not only looked like a potential regular but been one of the Yankees’ best hitters. In 414 trips to the dish, he’s laid waste to MLB pitching with a .331/.370/.555 batting line.
While his .366 average on balls in play still looks ripe for some regression, Urshela’s hard-hit rate and average exit velocity are both well above the league average. Statcast pegs him as one of the game’s leaders in expected batting average, slugging percentage and weight on-base average. In short: he’s hitting with excellent power and demonstrating previously unseen levels of power. Offensive breakouts throughout the league abound in 2019 amid questions about structural changes to the baseball itself, but it’s impossible to ignore just how valuable Urshela has been for the Yankees to date.
The Yankees didn’t provide any sort of timeline on Urshela, so it remains unclear just how long he’ll be sidelined. Presumably, manager Aaron Boone will have an update later tonight. In his absence, the Yankees can still lean on a high-quality quartet of Voit, DJ LeMahieu, Didi Gregorius and Gleyber Torres around the infield, though the roster is unequivocally stronger with a healthy Urshela in tow.
Indians Sign Ryan Lavarnway
The Indians announced Friday that they’ve signed veteran catcher Ryan Lavarnway to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Columbus.
Lavarnway, 32, appeared in five games with the Reds this summer amid a series of injuries to Cincinnati’s catching corps, hitting .278/.316/.722 with a pair of homers in 19 plate appearances. He’s a lifetime .211/.270/.343 hitter at the MLB level and a .271/.363/.426 hitter in parts of nine seasons of Triple-A ball.
The Indians have both Roberto Perez and Kevin Plawecki as catching options on the big league roster, but Lavarnway will become a candidate to get a look once rosters expand on Sunday. He’ll provide some direct competition to Columbus catcher Eric Haase, who previously appeared a good bet to join the Indians as a September call-up.