Free Agent Stock Watch: First Basemen
MLBTR’s Connor Byrne recently previewed the upcoming offseason market for catchers, highlighting that there’s effectively one star option, a series of potential regulars and several backups/role players who could still help in the latter stages of their respective careers. The market for first basemen is even thinner, though there are still some intriguing names for clubs seeking a veteran to fill that role.
A Free-Agent in Name Only?
- Jose Abreu: The 32-year-old Abreu would be the top first base option on the open market — if anyone believes he’s actually going to explore offers from all 30 teams. The mutual admiration between Abreu and the organization has been covered ad nauseum throughout years of him being listed as a potential trade candidate. Both White Sox GM Rick Hahn and Abreu himself have spoken frequently about the desire to work out an extension, with Abreu making his most emphatic statement to date just last week. “Like I said before, if the team doesn’t sign me, I’m going to sign myself here,” Abreu told Daryl Van-Schouwen of the Sun-Times. Abreu later added that owner Jerry Reinsdorf has strongly suggested to him that he’ll be with the Sox beyond 2019. The big man is hitting .284/.323/.503 with 28 homers, but the smart money is on him staying with the South Siders.
The Top Option
- Justin Smoak: With Abreu not likely to change uniforms, the switch-hitting Smoak becomes the best bet on the open market. Traditionalists will bristle at Smoak’s paltry .216 batting average, but he’s in the midst of a third straight season with a .350 OBP or better. He’s homered 20-plus times in each of those seasons and posted an ISO (slugging minus batting average) above .200 four times in the past five years (including this year’s even .200 mark). Smoak is sitting on a career-high 16.6 percent walk rate and has cut his strikeout rate to 20.4 percent. Smoak may never match 2017’s total of 38 big flies, but he’s a switch-hitting on-base threat with above-average pop who can play a respectable first base.
Platoon/Bench Bats
- David Freese: Turning to the short side of the platoon, the 36-year-old Freese (37 next April) has never had a below-average offensive season by measure of wRC+. He’s long tormented left-handed pitching (.301/.380/.468 in 1180 PAs) and has more than held his own against same-handed opponents over the past couple seasons. Freese’s role with the Dodgers has been extremely limited in 2019 (163 PAs), but there’s little indication that his offensive capabilities are eroding. His age and part-time role in recent seasons will probably prevent him from getting a full-time gig in the offseason, but Freese would be a terrific veteran addition to the bench of many contenders.
- Mitch Moreland: Soon to turn 34, Moreland has drawn consistently positive reviews for his defense at first base. It’s a big reason that Boston has deployed him at the position over the past three seasons, most recently inking him to a two-year deal prior to the 2018 season. Moreland has all of 36 plate appearances against left-handed pitching in 2019 — spoiler alert: they haven’t gone well — but he’s clobbered righties at a .265/.341/.556 line through 189 plate appearances. He’s missed time due to back and quad injuries this season, and it’s possible that those maladies have contributed to his uncharacteristically below-average defensive ratings. Moreland’s history of plus glovework and still-potent bat against righties should land him a big league pact.
- Steve Pearce: A postseason hero in 2018, Pearce has had an utterly miserable season. A back injury has limited him to 99 plate appearances, during which time he’s posted a putrid .180/.245/.258 output. Pearce doesn’t look healthy and, heading into his age-37 season, will almost certainly need to settle for a minor league deal. His outstanding 2018 showing and lifetime .264/.347/.491 line against right-handed pitching are points in his favor.
- Neil Walker: As of this writing, Walker’s batting line is effectively league average (100 wRC+, 96 OPS+), making last year’s season with the Yankees the lone aberration on an otherwise strong track record. He’s no longer an everyday option at second base, but Walker can handle first, second, third and some corner outfield work while giving professional at-bats from both sides of the dish. He had to settle for a $2MM guarantee on a non-contender this season, but a better showing at the plate in 2019 (.267/.344/.394 with a pitcher-friendly home park in Miami) should convince clubs he has some mileage left.
- Martin Prado: Walker’s teammate, Prado will soon turn 36 and is coming off several seasons ruined by hamstring and quadriceps injuries. Those issues have relegated him primarily to first base duties. The fact that each of his batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage all check in south of .300 doesn’t bode well for Prado. But, in 81 trips to the plate against lefties, he’s hit .311/.346/.378 with an eight percent strikeout rate. Prado is, by all accounts, a boon to any clubhouse into which he steps foot, but interest is going to be limited.
Veterans with Club Options
- Anthony Rizzo: Dream on. Rizzo’s $14.5MM club option is among the easiest calls in the game. He won’t sniff the open market.
- Eric Thames: The $7.5MM option on Thames’ contract comes with a $1MM buyout — making him a $6.5MM decision for the Brewers. The former KBO superstar’s bat looked to be on the downswing in 2018, but he’s bounced back in 2019 and is currently sporting a haughty .256/.355/.508 slash with 19 dingers and doubles apiece in 379 plate appearances (plus a couple of triples). Thames is best paired with a right-handed-hitting platoon partner, but his production against righties looks to be worth this modest price.
- Ryan Zimmerman: Nationals icon or not, Zimmerman won’t have his $18MM club option exercised on the heels of an injury-shortened year that has currently consisted of a .246/.311/.390 output through 132 plate appearances. It’s possible that the Nats will bring him back at a (much) lower rate, but Zimmerman will turn 35 years old next month. He’ll have to earn his way back into a full-time role regardless of where he’s playing.
- Matt Adams: Another Washington first baseman, Adams has a $4MM mutual option (or a $1MM buyout) for next season. It’s safe to assume at this point that Adams is never going to be much of a threat against opposing lefties, but he’s hit righties at a .243/.300/.514 clip this year. This is his third straight 20-homer season, although that mark is accompanied by heretofore unseen contact issues (33.1 percent strikeout rate). Adams will turn 31 on Saturday, which, paired with his platoon issues, could well keep him from signing a multi-year deal if he returns to free agency. But he’s an established bat against righties who can probably be had on an affordable one-year offer this winter.
Depth Options
Yonder Alonso, Mark Reynolds, Lucas Duda and Hanley Ramirez were all released this season. Alonso is hitting well as a Rockie. Ramirez underwent shoulder surgery. Reynolds has yet to latch on elsewhere. Duda was cut loose for a second time earlier this week.
The Phillies have a trio of options who can handle first base in Brad Miller, Sean Rodriguez and Logan Morrison. Of the bunch, Morrison is the wild card who could be of the greatest intrigue. A torn labrum in his hip ruined LoMo’s 2018 season, but he decimated Triple-A pitching this season to earn another look in the big leagues and has hit well through a tiny sample of 15 PAs in Philly. Morrison belted 38 home runs as recently as 2017 with Tampa Bay.
Logan Forsythe had a hot start with the Rangers but has seen his bat tail off in recent months. He’s not a prototypical first baseman but can play all over the infield and has generally handled lefties well. Gerardo Parra isn’t a first baseman by nature, either, but he’s seen some time there with the Nats this season and been reasonably productive in a limited role.
Early Trade Deadline Re-Assessment: AL Central
It has only been four weeks, so it’s too soon to judge with finality how this year’s trade deadline maneuvers will play out. That said, we’re already half of the way through the period — the regular season portion, at least — for which rental players were acquired. Even players with future control are usually added first and foremost for their immediate contributions (though there are some exceptions). It’d be awfully premature to say anything conclusive about the prospect side of any deals, but we do now have some additional information with which to work.
So, that’s why we’re going to take a glance back over our shoulders at the moves (and major non-moves) that organizations made in the run-up to this year’s trade deadline. We’ll take things one division at a time, starting with the AL Central.
Twins
Many wanted to see the Minnesota organization make a splash, and that didn’t really occur. But it wasn’t a quiet deadline, either. The bullpen was the focus, with Sam Dyson (link) and Sergio Romo (link) added to upgrade the late-inning mix. While the former was clearly the bigger add, the latter has been the more impactful so far. Dyson has struggled with biceps tendinitis and has not impressed in nine appearances (seven earned runs, 7:4 K/BB ratio). Romo, on the other hand, has turned in solid results (five earned in 11 2/3 innings) with an impressive combination of 10.8 K/9 against 1.5 BB/9. He has even picked up three saves.
On the prospect side, parting with Jaylin Davis could hurt, though he’s still awaiting an MLB opportunity while continuing to obliterate Triple-A pitching at Triple-A. Kai-Wei Teng and Prelander Berroa, the other two youngsters sent to San Francisco for Dyson, are far-off pitching prospects, so it’s tough to gauge much from their recent showings. First baseman Lewin Diaz, who went to Miami in the Romo swap, has tailed off a bit in the on-base department since changing hands, though he’s still producing lots of power and may just be experiencing a sample blip.
Notably, the Twins also acquired a youngster in the Romo deal: 22-year-old Chris Vallimont, who was promoted to High-A and has responded with a 28:4 K/BB ratio in 22 1/3 innings. He’ll be an interesting player to track. The Minnesota front office also made a few low-cost depth/future-oriented moves, acquiring Jeremy Bleich (link) and Marcos Diplan (link). Neither has appeared at the MLB level to this point, though it’s possible one or both could be called upon once rosters expand.
It remains to be seen whether the Twins will regret their modest approach to the summer trade period. A big-game starter or high-powered reliever might’ve made sense. The club has slightly extended its division lead (from 3.0 to 3.5 games) since the deadline, though the Indians twice pulled into a tie. There’s still a lot of work to be done over the final month of the season to hold off the Cleveland organization. Even if they take the division, the Twins will need every bit of talent they can muster in an ALDS match-up with the Astros or Yankees (whichever finishes with the lesser record). Of course, the presence of those powerhouses also speaks in favor of something less than all-in deadline. The Twins entered the season saying they’d rise or fall with their internal talent, and that largely remains the case.
Indians
The Cleveland organization entered the deadline in hot pursuit of the Twins and eventually caught up. It seemed then that they might zip right past, but that didn’t come to pass. Indeed, the Indians have since lost one of their best players (Jose Ramirez) and are again looking up at a significant (but hardly insurmountable) gap.
So … what to make of their deadline efforts? They added a trio of players from the Rays in a pair of deals. Reliever Hunter Wood has been solid, with three earned runs and nine strikeouts against a single walk over 8 1/3 innings. Infielders Andrew Velazquez and Christian Arroyo haven’t appeared in the majors. Another relief arm, Phil Maton, has just filled in briefly since his arrival (link).
Hang on, we’re forgetting something here. Oh, right, that mind-bending deal in which the win-now Indians sent an excellent veteran starter to the win-soon Reds for a portfolio of player assets with varying present and future value. It’s working out so far. Trevor Bauer has not impressed in Cincinnati. The Indians have kept receiving great pitching even without three members of the vaunted rotation heading into the season. Yasiel Puig has hit well. Franmil Reyes hasn’t, though there’s still reason to hope for a bounce back and he’s a long-term piece as well. Lefty Logan Allen has made just one MLB relief appearance and has been drubbed at Triple-A; he’ll need to improve, but he was acquired with the future in mind. Allen has been outperformed handily by the lesser-known Scott Moss, who is throwing well with his new organization. The final piece of the deal, Victor Nova, is too far off to warrant close attention at this stage.
It’s going to take a long time to fully unpack that deal. There’s still a chance the Indians will end up missing Bauer rather badly, whether late in 2019 or in the 2020 campaign. But the club is probably feeling rather pleased with the early returns.
White Sox
The signature South Side deadline move was … to shed the contract of injured reliever Nate Jones for some international spending capacity and obscure righties Joseph Jarneski and Ray Castro. The former has struggled badly since the swap. The latter has reached new strikeout levels, but it’s a short-sample at rookie ball.
That seemed like a worthwhile deal for the organization, but it’s utterly unremarkable as a headliner for the summer trade period. It’s not as if the rebuilding Chicago organization lacked trade candidates. Closer Alex Colome was chief among them. We’ll see how things turn out, but that seems to be a missed opportunity. Colome is still securing saves, but he carries marginal peripherals and has allowed nearly as many walks as runs this month (seven of the former and eight of the latter).
Most of the club’s other potential trade pieces weren’t obvious trade candidates by the time the deadline came around. Jose Abreu is on track to return on some kind of new arrangement. Kelvin Herrera, Yolmer Sanchez, Jon Jay, and Welington Castillo had all struggled. So had Ivan Nova, apart from two strong starts before the deadline. (That ultimately kicked off an excellent — and still-ongoing — run of success for the veteran, though it wasn’t really apparent at the time and it’s still now clear how sustainable it is.) It’s understandable that the White Sox didn’t make further deals, then, though that is also a bit of a disappointment in its own right.
Royals
Adding Mike Montgomery for Martin Maldonado was a sensible move to get some innings and perhaps add a piece that can help in the future. Montgomery has been steady since returning to his first professional organization, though his addition doesn’t seem to be laden with upside. Auctioning off Jake Diekman was an obvious move. That netted young righty Ismael Aquino and outfield prospect Dairon Blanco. The former is a rookie ball reliever, so his recent results are all but irrelevant. The latter is scuffling a bit at Double-A, with a .250/.302/.333 slash in 116 plate appearances since the swap. Fortunately, the Royals won’t be pressed to put him on the 40-man. Blanco is already 26 but is only in his second professional season, having come over from Cuba. And the Royals spun off Homer Bailey for infielder Kevin Merrell, who hasn’t hit well on either side of the swap.
That was all the action, until the Royals lucked out a bit when the Braves claimed Billy Hamilton off waivers. Those moves were just fine in isolation. But should the K.C. org have done more?
Alex Gordon has special status with the club. While he has had a nice season, he was never going to be in great demand anyway. Moving Danny Duffy might have made sense, but he probably hasn’t thrown well enough to press a deal at this stage.
In two other cases, though, the arguments were stronger in favor of a move. Ian Kennedy seems to have found new life as a late-inning reliever. He’s not showing dominant form, but probably was pitching well enough for the Royals to have saved a pretty big chunk of the remaining money owed. (The Braves took on all the remaining salary owed to Mark Melancon, for one point of reference.) Kennedy has been getting the job done since the deadline, except for one rough outing, but has been knocked around a bit in August (.303/.378/.576). Perhaps the Royals really are content just to hang on to him, but it seemed the deadline offered a good opportunity to move on.
That brings us to Whit Merrifield, who was the most interesting trade piece the Royals held this summer. There’s evidently a sense that the 30-year-old will still be an important piece when this team is ready again to contend. It’s certainly possible he’ll still be a good player by that time, but the most valuable portion of his contractual control is the near future. While it is plenty understandable that the K.C. club wanted to keep Merrifield in the fold, it wouldn’t be altogether surprising if we end up looking back and wondering if there was a missed opportunity. It’s worth noting that Merrifield ought to be quite marketable in the offseason, though teams presumably would’ve given up more to have him down the stretch in 2019.
Tigers
The cellar-dwelling Tigers did what they needed to do by moving veterans Shane Greene (link) and Nicholas Castellanos (link). As for the returns … let’s just say that initial reports they were chasing top prospects didn’t come to fruition. From the Greene swap, Joey Wentz has turned in four dominant starts at Triple-A, which is nice to see. Travis Demeritte was popped right onto the MLB roster. He’s striking out a lot but generally holding his own (.250/.320/.391) and has probably shown enough to warrant a longer look next year.
The two pitchers acquired for Castellanos — Paul Richan and Alex Lange — have mostly continued doing what they had been before the swap. Neither is considered a top prospect, but both certainly buttress the already impressive group of upper-minors arms in the Detroit system. You might wish you could rewind and tell everybody what kind of production Castellanos was destined to provide — he has already matched the tally of home runs (11) he produced in 100 games with the Tigers over 27 with the Cubs — but that’s just not how the world works.
While some might say the Tigers should have done better in those deals, we really can’t say without knowing what the alternatives were. It’s hard to question the decision to pull the trigger on the best-available deal for those particular players. And we can’t reasonably argue that the front office should have pushed harder to deal other players on the roster … with one possible exception, at least.
Breakout lefty Matthew Boyd is a bit of a polarizing figure among hot-stove fans. The 28-year-old reached the trade deadline with a sub-4.00 ERA and an extremely impressive combination of 178 strikeouts and 29 walks. There were surely quite a few contenders with keen interest, particularly since Boyd was not just a potential difference-maker now but also comes with three seasons of team control.
The Tigers evidently did not feel rushed to make a deal, as word emerged just before the deadline that the team was not intrigued by any of the chatter to that point. Things can always change at the last minute, but when the dust settled he had not changed hands.
Will they come to regret it? Only time will tell. Boyd has had some struggles in August, surrendering a whopping ten long balls in his past 26 2/3 innings. That doesn’t necessarily indicate he’s about to turn into a pumpkin, but it does dent his trade value heading into the offseason.
Latest On CC Sabathia
C.C. Sabathia‘s longstanding right knee problems reared their head again Friday, when the southpaw exited after just three innings in a loss to the Athletics. The Yankees announced that Sabathia departed with knee discomfort, and the 39-year-old was “dejected” afterward, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Sabathia still hopes to pitch again this season, though, and will have his knee drained and potentially undergo a cortisone shot in hopes of making a quick recovery, Feinsand reports.
There is plenty at stake for Sabathia as the season winds down. The possible Hall of Famer’s set to retire at the end of the campaign, for one, so he obviously doesn’t want his illustrious career to conclude with an injury. Beyond that, Sabathia’s aiming to help pitch the Yankees to a World Series title, which would be their second since they inked him to a mega-deal as a free agent heading into the 2009 season.
As great as Sabathia has been during his Yankees tenure, it no longer looks as if the longtime workhorse has much left in the tank. Sabathia’s knee, on which he has undergone surgery multiple times, has already forced him to the IL on three occasions this year. When he has taken the mound, Sabathia has had difficulty going deep into games, having amassed 100 1/3 innings over 20 starts. Sabathia has also had uncharacteristic trouble preventing runs. He owns a below-average 4.93 ERA/5.96 FIP – both of which represent massive steps backward relative to his career and the numbers he put up just a year ago (3.65/4.16).
Of course, Sabathia’s hardly the lone member of New York’s starting staff who has come up shy of expectations in 2019. With the exception of Domingo German, the same also applies to every other regular starter the Yankees have run out (Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ). Because of the vulnerability of the Yankees’ rotation, there’s skepticism regarding their chances of hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy in a couple months and sending Sabathia out on a high note.
Red Sox Interested In Jhoulys Chacin
Free-agent right-hander Jhoulys Chacin conducted a workout with the Red Sox on Friday, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager Alex Cora were on hand to watch Chacin throw a bullpen session in Anaheim, but it’s unknown whether Boston will sign the hurler.
Chacin has been available since the Brewers released him Monday, which was an especially damning transaction when considering the adversity their rotation has gone through this season. After back-to-back quality seasons with the Padres and Brewers, Chacin dealt with multiple injuries and struggled to a 5.79 ERA/5.68 FIP with 8.12 K/9 and 3.86 BB/9 in 19 starts and 88 2/3 innings this year. The Brewers elected to cut ties with Chacin as a result, even though they’re short on viable starters and had to eat the rest of his $6MM salary in releasing him.
The Red Sox are also in dire straits in their rotation, leading to their interest in Chacin. They’re likely to go without injured ace Chris Sale for the rest of the year, while David Price (nearing activation from the IL), Nathan Eovaldi and Rick Porcello haven’t given the team the type of production it expected entering the campaign. Thanks in part to their starting staff’s issues, the defending champion Red Sox are a strong bet to miss the playoffs. Nevertheless, they could take a late-season flier on Chacin, who has a fan in Sox scout Steve Peck, according to Silverman. The club worked out Chacin at Peck’s recommendation.
Brewers Notes: Hiura, Shaw, Woodruff
At 68-66 and five games out of wild-card position, the reigning National League Central champion Brewers have seen their playoff hopes drift away over the past several weeks. Now, if they’re going to make a miraculous run to another postseason berth in the final month of 2019, they may have to make do without one of their top players. Second baseman Keston Hiura is headed back to Milwaukee to have his hamstring examined after suffering an injury in the Brewers’ loss to the Cubs on Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. In the wake of that news, the Brewers are set to recall infielder Travis Shaw from Triple-A San Antonio on Friday, according to Robert Murray of The Athletic.
The brilliance of the rookie Hiura has helped phase Shaw out of the Brewers’ plans for most of the season. Hiura has overcome a 30 percent strikeout rate to slash an excellent .301/.369/.571 with 16 home runs and 2.0 fWAR over his first 295 major league plate appearances. Along the way, the 23-year-old Hiura has established himself as one of 2019’s hardest hitters, ranking near the top of the league in several Statcast metrics.
The woes Shaw has unexpectedly endured played a large role in the Brewers’ decision to call up Hiura for the second time back in July (they optioned Shaw in a corresponding move). But now that Hiura’s potentially bound for the IL and third baseman/second baseman Mike Moustakas is dealing with a wrist issue, the Brewers are left to hope for a Shaw revival.
While Shaw was an integral piece of the Brewers’ position player group from 2017-18, this year’s version has limped to a disastrous .145/.276/.279 line with six homers and a sky-high 32.5 percent K rate through 228 PA. Shaw has raked in the minors, however, having batted .286/.437/.586 (good for a 145 wRC+ in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League) and mashed 12 HRs in 174 trips to the plate.
The Brewers’ rotation, like Shaw, has gone through a less-than-ideal season – in part because emergent righty Brandon Woodruff went to the IL in late July with an oblique injury. They’re hopeful Woodruff will take the mound again in 2019, though.
“We’re trying to get him healthy for October,” manager Craig Counsell said (via McCalvy). “I mean, I think Brandon can play a huge part in this thing. The best-case scenario is obviously sometime late in the second half of September and October.”
Realistically, there won’t be an October for the sinking Brew Crew, but it would still be nice from the team’s perspective to see Woodruff finish this season healthy. The 26-year-old held his own in 117 2/3 innings before his IL placement, posting a 3.75 ERA (with a far better 3.09 FIP) and 10.4 K/9 against 2.22 BB/9. Woodruff has unquestionably been the Brewers’ most effective starter this year, and the fact that they’ve gone without him for several weeks has helped take a sledgehammer to their playoff chances.
Padres Place Francisco Mejia On IL
The Padres have placed backstop Francisco Mejia on the 10-day injured list, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced by Austin Allen on the active roster.
Mejia is said to be dealing with an oblique strain. The severity isn’t yet apparent, but it seems likely to put the remainder of his season in jeopardy. While the youngster is optimistic of a quick turnaround, as AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets, the club will surely exercise caution. With just a month left to go, Mejia would have to bounce back rather quickly in order to see any further action in 2019.
If this is the end of the line for the current campaign, it’ll still go down as a reasonably successful one. The 23-year-old has bounced back from a dreadful start to the year with a strong second half, leaving him with a solid .263/.315/.439 slash over 222 plate appearances. He has graded well enough behind the plate.
Clearly, there’s still room to improve for a player who once rated as one of the game’s top prospects. But it seems fair to say that things have been headed in the right direction. Just how the Friars will handle the catching position for 2020 isn’t yet clear. The club could continue to platoon Mejia and Austin Hedges, though the latter has endured a miserable offensive campaign. It’s also possible that Mejia could be handed the reigns to the starting job with a veteran backup brought in to supplement him.
Dodgers Place Max Muncy On IL With Fractured Wrist
The Dodgers have seemingly avoided a worst-case scenario with injured infielder Max Muncy, but he’ll still hit the 10-day IL, the team announced Friday. The title contenders recalled infielder/outfielder Kristopher Negron from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
Muncy left the Dodgers’ win over the Padres on Wednesday after taking a fastball off the right wrist from the Friars’ Matt Strahm. Although Dodgers manager Dave Roberts initially indicated Muncy had avoided a break, that isn’t the case. He did indeed suffer a fracture, according to the club. However, it’s not as dire as it sounds – Muncy called it “average” news, and added he could return within one or two weeks, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times tweets.
The Dodgers are laden with depth (star prospect Gavin Lux may be among second base possibilities if Muncy can’t come back quickly), but they obviously don’t want to go without Muncy for long as the playoffs near. The 2018 breakout performer has continued to stand out this year with a .253/.375/.525 line and 33 home runs across 534 plate appearances. Along with giving the Dodgers yet another formidable bat, Muncy has been one of many prominent multi-position options for the club. The 29-year-old has started at second base 59 times, first on 35 occasions and third for 24 games.
While the Dodgers can only hope Muncy will be back in short order, infielder David Freese and righties Dylan Floro and Ross Stripling (previously reported) are all set to come off the IL when rosters expand Sunday, per Castillo. Freese will slot back into the Dodgers’ lineup on a regular basis, Roberts announced, after sitting out more than a month with a left hamstring strain. The 36-year-old first baseman has missed time on two occasions this season with the same injury, but he has still enjoyed a marvelous campaign with the bat. On a per-PA basis, few major leaguers have been more effective than Freese, owner of a .300/.399/.579 line (155 wRC+) with nine homers in 163 trips.
Statistically, Floro has been among the Dodgers’ most reliable relievers in what has been a rickety bullpen in 2019. That’s not to say Floro has been lights-out, though – the team optioned him to the minors earlier this month, and he posted a 3.89 ERA/3.78 FIP with 7.3 K/9, 2.92 BB/9 and a 52.3 percent groundball rate before hitting the shelf Aug. 20 with a left intercostal strain. But he and Stripling still look as though they’ll help bolster the Dodgers’ staff to some degree with the postseason approaching.
Jonny Venters Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Nationals southpaw Jonny Venters has undergone shoulder surgery, according to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (via Twitter). The oft-injured hurler had a procedure to repair a torn capsule three weeks ago.
This is the latest major surgery for a player that has had more than his fair share of them already. Most notably, Venters has undergone three Tommy John procedures — making his presence on the big-league mound rather astounding.
Unfortunately, this’ll be another big rehab effort for the 34-year-old. He’ll need four months of rest and rehab before he’s even able to resume throwing. Dougherty says that Venters isn’t yet sure whether he’ll attempt yet another comeback.
After an exceptional early-career run with the Braves, Venters went five full seasons between MLB appearances. He bounced back with the Rays before coming home to Atlanta last year via trade, ultimately throwing 34 1/3 innings of 3.67 ERA ball with a monster 69.1% groundball rate for the season. Venters was cut loose after struggling early this year, but had just found a new opportunity in D.C. before the shoulder problems intervened.
Angels Exercise 2020 Option Over GM Billy Eppler
The Angels have exercised a club option over general manager Billy Eppler for the 2020 season, according to Fabian Ardaya and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link). His original contract came with a four-year term, with the club option for another.
That decision leaves the front office under Eppler’s guidance for at least one more campaign. Unless further contract talks take place, however, he won’t enjoy a longer-term commitment.
Eppler, who was previously one of Yankees general manager Brian Cashman’s top lieutenants in New York, took over the Angels’ front office in October 2015. The franchise hasn’t achieved ideal on-field results since Eppler grabbed the reins, though, as it has finished below .500 in each of his years at the helm. At 64-71 in 2019, the Halos are on their way to another disappointing campaign in the standings, and they’re sure to extend their playoff drought to a half-decade.
Of course, it would be unfair to place the Angels’ current struggles solely at Eppler’s feet. The sudden passing of quality starter Tyler Skaggs back on July 1 has been among the reasons the Angels’ season has come off the rails. Most teams likely would’ve had difficulty carrying on in the wake of such a tragedy.
Skaggs looked like a long-term building block for the Angels’ rotation – a group that’s lacking in that department. Consequently, upgrading the team’s starting staff will perhaps be the chief objective for Eppler during the upcoming offseason. Eppler swung and missed in that category last offseason with the short-term signings of Matt Harvey (one year, $11MM) and Trevor Cahill (one year, $9MM). Harvey’s no longer on the club, which released him last month, while Cahill lost his starting job earlier in the season and hasn’t exactly been a lights-out reliever. Eppler acknowledged a few weeks ago that there are some strong starters set for free agency, so he may well go that route to ameliorate his roster.
Regardless of whether Eppler reels in any prominent free agents in the coming months, the return of right-hander Shohei Ohtani in 2020 should go a long way toward bettering the Halos’ rotation. Eppler’s signature free-agent signing to date, Ohtani hasn’t been able to pitch this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery last October. Ohtani, Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning (a second-round pick of the Eppler regime in 2017) are among a few promising starting options for the Angels going forward.
The 25-year-old Ohtani’s also indispensable to the team’s offense, which makes the hurler/DH arguably the most unique player in baseball. He’s among a few excellent offensive complements to the top player in the sport, center fielder Mike Trout, whom Eppler inherited. However, it’s obviously a feather in Eppler’s cap that he was able to extend the future Hall of Famer to a record 10-year, $360MM contract prior to the season. The Angels haven’t capitalized on Trout’s presence yet, but considering he’s now in line to finish his career with the organization, there’s plenty of time for that to occur.
Trout could be joined in the Angels’ outfield next season by young outfielder Jo Adell, who’s among the majors’ elite prospects. Adell, the 10th overall pick of the Angels in 2017, is the face of a farm system that has made notable improvements during Eppler’s tenure. Eppler inherited a group of farmhands that ranked near the bottom of the league, but FanGraphs recently placed it 11th in the game.
There have clearly been hits and misses during Eppler’s run in Anaheim, but at least for now, deep-pocketed owner Arte Moreno believes the good outweighs the bad. It remains to be seen, though, whether the Angels will exercise the same patience with Eppler a year from now if there isn’t legitimate progress in the win-loss department.
Braves Acquire Caleb Thielbar
The Braves have acquired lefty Caleb Thielbar from the Tigers, per an announcement from the Detroit organization. Cash considerations are going back in return.
Thielbar, 32, is several years removed from his last appearance in the big leagues. After wrapping up his time with the Twins, he spent two years in indy ball and then joined the Tigers before the 2018 campaign.
Since the start of the 2018 campaign, Thielbar has been a fixture in the Tigers’ upper-minors relief corps. He has been effective in fifty games this year, pitching to a 3.30 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 over 76 1/3 frames.
Since he is not playing on a MLB contract, Thielbar was eligible to be traded after July 31st. He’ll potentially be eligible for the postseason roster if the Braves decide to add him to their 40-man roster before tomorrow evening (or if they add him thereafter to replace an injured player). Odds are, the primary objective is to add some organizational depth and protect against any unforeseen problems that may arise.