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Theo Epstein Discusses Ben Zobrist

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The Cubs placed utility player Ben Zobrist on the restricted list May 8 because of a personal matter, though it wasn’t clear whether they were still paying him. Almost a month later, Zobrist still hasn’t returned to the Cubs, but we now know the 38-year-old hasn’t counted against their books in his absence.

With Zobrist on a $12MM salary in 2019, the last season of a four-year, $56MM contract, Chicago has saved just over $2MM since he left the team, per Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Cubs will continue to save the same amount for each month Zobrist spends on the restricted list, Greenberg notes.

There’s still no word on whether Zobrist will return this season, but president of baseball operations Theo Epstein spoke about him Wednesday, saying (via Greenberg): “He’s been communicative with us. We have an understanding of what’s going on with him.”

“Families and personal lives come first — that’s the rule we run our organization by,” continued Epstein, who added that Zobrist “[doesn’t] owe us anything.”

If we judge Zobrist solely by the on-field value he has provided during his run with the Cubs, he truly doesn’t owe the club anything. Although he got off to a subpar start this season before he went on the restricted list, Zobrist has been one of the Cubs’ most valuable players for a large portion of his tenure with the team. And if Zobrist never suits up for the Cubs again, he may have indirectly left them a parting gift in the form of all-time great closer Craig Kimbrel.

The Cubs were able to reach an agreement on a three-year, $43MM deal with Kimbrel on Wednesday, in part because they’re not paying Zobrist. Chicago shied away from big-money additions in the offseason because of luxury tax ramifications, but Zobrist’s exit – whether temporary or permanent – helped give the World Series hopefuls the necessary spending room to win the long-running Kimbrel sweepstakes.

Phillies Notes: Outfield, Kingery, Franco, Dominguez

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The latest out of Philadelphia…

  • Although the Phillies lost starting outfielder Andrew McCutchen for the season on Tuesday, they’re not shopping for help in that area right now, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic. The Phillies did just acquire outfielder Jay Bruce over the weekend, and they’re inclined to use him, Scott Kingery and the just-promoted Adam Haseley to complement right fielder Bryce Harper, per Stark, who notes the club also has the injured Roman Quinn working his way back. Indeed, manager Gabe Kapler indicated Haseley will see quite a bit of time in center, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. However, with almost two months left until the July 31 trade deadline, first-place Philadelphia could sour on its non-Harper outfielders, including Haseley, and acquire more aid as it tries to fend off its NL East rivals.
  • While Kingery has been an outfield option at times in 2019, he’s in position to take over as Philly’s regular third baseman, Salisbury observes. Kingery has been the Phillies’ primary choice at third of late, largely because of Maikel Franco’s struggles. Franco’s hitting an awful .212/.286/.399 (65 wRC+) through 220 plate appearances, while Kingery’s slashing .333/.375/.578 (149 wRC+) in 96 PA. Whether Kingery’s production is remotely sustainable is in question, but it’s easy to see why the Phillies want to improve on Franco at the hot corner. The 26-year-old Franco’s numbers have plummeted since he captured the franchise’s attention with a productive half-season in 2015.
  • Reliever Seranthony Dominguez departed the Phillies’ win over the Padres on Wednesday with a mild elbow strain, Kapler said (via Salisbury). Dominguez faced just three batters, retiring one, before exiting with a trainer. Team doctors will examine Dominguez on Thursday, though Kapler noted there’s no fear of ligament damage at this point. Dominguez hasn’t been as strong as he was during his 58-inning debut in 2018, but the 24-year-old has still thrown 24 2/3 frames of 4.01 ERA/3.96 FIP ball with 10.58 K/9, 4.38 BB/9 and a 54.5 percent groundball rate this season.

Mariners Sign Mac Williamson To Minors Deal, Select His Contract

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The Mariners have placed outfielder Braden Bishop on the 10-day injured list due to a lacerated spleen.  Taking Bishop’s spot on the 25-man roster is Mac Williamson, who signed a minor league contract with the Mariners just today and will immediately have that contract selected.

Williamson’s stint on the open market didn’t last long, as he only elected to become a free agent on June 1 after clearing waivers following his second designation for assignment of the season from the Giants.  Once an intriguing prospect who posted strong numbers in San Francisco’s farm system, Williamson has yet to turn that promise into results at the Major League level.  Williamson has a .207/.283/.359 slash line over 396 plate appearances, spread over parts of the last five seasons for the Giants.

A change of scenery seemed in order for the 28-year-old, and he’ll now get another big league opportunity in Seattle.  He’ll provide backup in both corner outfield spots for the Mariners, and he is currently the only backup outfielder on the M’s roster (behind regulars Mitch Haniger, Mallex Smith, and Domingo Santana).  Williamson is out of options, and his long-term chances of sticking with Seattle could be limited given that Dee Gordon and Ryon Healy are both slated to begin rehab assignments as they work their way back from the IL.

Bishop has appeared for 10 games in his rookie season, with just two hits to show for 24 plate appearances.  Bishop was only just promoted back up to the MLB roster on Sunday, though he told reporters (including Root Sports’ Jen Mueller) that he was hit in the ribs with a pitch while in the minors last week, which could have led to the spleen injury.

Blue Jays Call Up Teoscar Hernandez

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The Blue Jays have brought outfielder Teoscar Hernandez back from Triple-A Buffalo, according to a team announcement, with Jonathan Davis going back to Buffalo in the corresponding move.  Hernandez is in tonight’s starting lineup in center field, and general manager Ross Atkins told reporters (including Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi) that Toronto will regularly deploy Hernandez as a center fielder going forward.

The idea of Hernandez in such an important defensive role would have been unthinkable even a few months ago, as the 26-year-old looked borderline unplayable in left field for much of the 2018 season.  However, a lot of offseason work led to a big turnaround in the early portion of this season, as Hernandez had a 20.8 UZR/150 and a +1 Defensive Run Saved over 295 1/3 innings as a left fielder in 2019.

Center field presents a much larger challenge, as Hernandez hasn’t played the position at the big-league level since 2017.  The Jays would probably just be happy with average glovework from Hernandez in center as they continue to sort through their outfield picture.  Randal Grichuk has seen the bulk of center field work since Kevin Pillar was traded to the Giants, though Grichuk will now move back to right field.  Lourdes Gurriel Jr. should continue to see regular duty in left field, with Brandon Drury and Cavan Biggio also available for corner outfield work.

Beyond playing center field at Buffalo, Hernandez’s time at Triple-A was also intended as a way to get himself sorted at the plate.  Hernandez was hitting just .189/.262/.299 at the time of his demotion, with only three homers in 141 PA and suffering from a huge dropoff in his power.  Hernandez was a very hot-and-cold hitter in 2018, though he finished the season with a .239/.302/.468 slash line, 22 home runs, and a 107 wRC+ over 532 PA.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/5/19

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The latest minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Pirates outrighted Jesus Liranzo to Triple-A after the right-hander cleared waivers, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports (Twitter link).  Liranzo was designated for assignment last week to make 40-man roster room for the Bucs’ acquisition of Yefry Ramirez from the Orioles.  Over 22 2/3 innings at Triple-A Indianapolis this season, Liranzo has an ungainly 7.54 ERA and a 6.8 BB/9, continuing the control problems that have plagued the 24-year-old throughout his seven pro seasons.

Rockies To Promote Peter Lambert

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The Rockies will promote Peter Lambert from Triple-A in time for the 22-year-old right-hander to start tomorrow’s game against the Cubs, according to several reports.  The Athletic’s Nick Groke tweets that Lambert is already at Wrigley Field today in preparation for his upcoming Major League debut.

A second-round pick for the Rockies (44th overall) in the 2015 draft, Lambert has a 3.92 ERA, 7.5 K/9, and 3.61 K/BB over 508 professional innings.  Those numbers include a troubling 5.07 ERA in 60 1/3 Triple-A frames this season, though an inflated 1.5 HR/9 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League could be an explanation.

Prior to the season, ESPN.com’s Keith Law (subscription required) ranked Lambert as the 92nd-best prospect in baseball, describing the righty as owning a repeatable delivery and a quality four-pitch mix, even if nothing in Lambert’s arsenal is considered a true plus pitch.  Lambert’s fastball is in the 94-95mph range, while he has generated consistently good ground-ball rates of close to 50% throughout his minor league career.

Lambert will get his chance in a Rockies rotation that has struggled to match its strong results from last season, as German Marquez and Jon Gray have been Colorado’s only consistently good starters.  As of sign how quickly things have changed from 2018 to 2019 for the Rockies’ staff, Lambert will take the place of Kyle Freeland, a fourth-place finisher in NL Cy Young voting last season who was sent down to Triple-A last week after scuffling badly in his first 12 outings this year.

Giants Place Buster Posey On 10-Day IL, Activate Trevor Gott

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The Giants have placed catcher Buster Posey on their 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain (placement retroactive to June 2).  To fill Posey’s roster spot, right-hander Trevor Gott has been activated from his own IL stint.

Posey hasn’t played since last Saturday, when he was forced out of the Giants’ game in the seventh inning while running out a grounder.  The strain isn’t thought to be overly serious, though an IL stint was ultimately deemed necessary to give Posey full time to recover.

The longtime Giants catcher hasn’t hit much like his old self, with a modest .257/.321/.408 slash line and three home runs over 168 plate appearances.  Posey underwent hip surgery last August but recovered quickly enough to make San Francisco’s Opening Day lineup, though he also missed a week in May on the seven-day concussion IL.  It’s been a tough stretch overall for Posey, between these injuries and enduring what is looking like a third straight season of losing baseball in the Bay Area.

Gott was sidelined on May 25 with a forearm strain, though that worrisome diagnosis didn’t result in anything beyond a minimal stay on the injured list.  The quick return allows Gott to continue what has been a very strong season, as the right-hander had a 3.00 ERA, 9.4 K/9, and 4.17 K/BB rate through 24 innings out of the Giants’ bullpen.  If Gott is able to remain healthy and effective in the coming weeks, he could become a trade candidate for reliever-needy teams at the deadline.

Brewers Call Up Jimmy Nelson From Triple-A

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TODAY: Nelson has been officially recalled, as per the Brewers’ official Twitter feed.  Righty Taylor Williams was optioned to Triple-A to create roster space.

SUNDAY: Jimmy Nelson will make his long-awaited return to the majors on Wednesday, as Brewers manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy) that Nelson will be promoted from Triple-A to start the Brewers’ game against the Marlins.

Wednesday happens to be Nelson’s 30th birthday, making it double the cause for celebration as the right-hander will appear in a Major League game for the first time since September 8, 2017.  At the time, Nelson was in the midst of a breakout season that saw him post a 3.49 ERA, 10.2 K/9, and 4.15 K/BB rate over 175 1/3 innings, numbers that earned him a ninth-place finish in NL Cy Young Award voting.

Labrum surgery put Nelson on the shelf, however, and the recovery process lingered long enough that hopes of a midseason return (or even a late-season return to boost the Brewers’ pennant run) in 2018 were dashed.  Through the long rehab, a couple of setbacks due to soreness, extended Spring Training outings, and five recent appearances for Triple-A San Antonio to further regain his game-readiness, Nelson is finally set to take the ball for Milwaukee.

The return could hardly come at a more opportune time for the Brewers, who lost both Gio Gonzalez (arm fatigue) and Jhoulys Chacin (back strain) to the IL within the last two days.  Needless to say, the team will surely be careful about managing Nelson’s workload, and return to his 2017 form may be optimistic, but Nelson should be a boost to a Milwaukee rotation that has been looking for consistent results.  Brandon Woodruff and Zach Davies have been solid all year, with Gonzalez and Chase Anderson playing increasingly large roles over the course of the season, though the Brew Crew has again been leaning on its deep bullpen to carry the pitching load as the team battles for the NL Central title.

How Nelson holds up in the coming weeks will be a factor in the Brewers’ trade deadline plans, as pitching depth would surely seem to be an obvious need perhaps even if Nelson does perform well.  It should be noted that the Brewers have been linked to Dallas Keuchel’s market, though Milwaukee will be one of many teams vying for the free agent starter once Keuchel loses the compensatory draft pick (via the qualifying offer) attached to his services tomorrow.  If Keuchel proves to be too pricey, the Brewers could explore lower-cost options in trades.

Mets Activate Robinson Cano From IL, Designate Aaron Altherr

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The Mets have activated second baseman Robinson Cano from the 10-day injured list, according to multiple reports.  In a corresponding move, the Mets have designated outfielder Aaron Altherr for assignment.

A quad strain went Cano to the IL on May 23, so he’ll miss only a bit of time beyond the 10-day minimum.  The veteran was acquired with great fanfare in a blockbuster trade with the Mariners during the offseason, though Cano has yet to take off in a Mets uniform.  The 36-year-old has hit just .241/.287/.371 (on pace for his lowest career totals in all three slash-line categories) over 181 PA this season.

Despite the struggles, Cano will resume his regular spot at second base within a Mets lineup that is slowly starting to make its way back to full health.  Though the team is still short in the outfield with the absence of Brandon Nimmo, the returning Jeff McNeil and converted first baseman Dominic Smith should factor into the outfield picture, with J.D. Davis also on hand, the Carlos Gomez/Juan Lagares pairing in center field, and Michael Conforto holding down everyday duty in right field.

All of these names made Altherr an expendable piece, less than two weeks after the Mets claimed the 28-year-old off waivers from the Giants.  This is now the third time Altherr has been DFA’ed in a little over a month’s time, after going from the Phillies to the Giants on another waiver claim.  The constant roster shuffles certainly haven’t helped Altherr’s performance, as he has only an .050/.095/.150 slash over 42 combined plate appearances for Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New York this season.

This is the second consecutive year that Altherr has struggles, though the flashes of breakout potential he showed with the Phils in 2015 and 2017 could be enough to earn him a look on another roster.  Altherr is out of options, so he’d have to pass through the DFA period unclaimed for the Mets to keep him at Triple-A.

Cubs To Sign Sixth-Rounder Ethan Hearn

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The Cubs have reached an agreement with their sixth-round pick, high school catcher Ethan Hearn, NBC Sports Chicago’s David Kaplan reports (Twitter link).  Hearn had been committed to Mississippi State, though he will instead begin his pro career after receiving a substantially large signing bonus.  Kaplan reports that Hearn “will receive second round money,” rather than the $247K recommended slot price attached to the 192nd overall selection.  This likely means Hearn’s bonus is in the seven figures, as the second-round slot prices range from $929.8K to just over $1.771MM.

Hearn’s college commitment dropped him into the sixth round, though most draft pundits projected him in the low-second/high-third round area (Baseball America ranked him 66th among all draft prospects, and Hearn was ranked 67th by MLB.com, and 71st by Fangraphs).  Generally considered the top high school catcher in this year’s draft class, Hearn is described by Baseball America’s scouting report as possessing “above-average raw power but a below-average hit tool” for now.  He has a strong throwing arm and strong defensive potential behind the plate, though his overall defensive work may still need some seasoning, which isn’t unusual for such a young catcher.

By going significantly over slot to sign Hearn, the Cubs will eat into a big chunk of their $5,826,900 overall draft pool.  It’s worth noting that Hearn is the only high schooler taken within Chicago’s first seven picks, so the Cubs have positioned themselves to create some savings elsewhere.

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