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Braves Reportedly Emerge As Favorites For Dallas Keuchel

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7:05pm: The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Braves and Keuchel are in “serious talks.” There’s “some thought” that the Braves are willing to offer multiple years to Keuchel, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Earlier this morning, the New York Post’s George A. King III reported that Keuchel did indeed have teams willing to push their offer to the multi-year deal range, whereas the Yankees were still set on limiting any offer to one year.

2:18pm: The Braves have emerged as the “frontrunners” to sign free-agent lefty Dallas Keuchel, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (via Twitter). The Yankees have been prominently connected to the southpaw since the draft-pick compensation tied to him expired on Monday, but Atlanta has long been mentioned as a potential landing spot as well. Feinsand notes that the Yankees are still in the mix, but Atlanta has recently stepped up its efforts.

Earlier today, SNY’s Andy Martino reported that the Yankees were also facing some degree of competition from the Cardinals. He, too, listed the Braves as a potential factor in the Keuchel market, along with the Twins, though Minnesota’s interest has yet to be characterized as particularly serious.

For the Braves, Keuchel would help to stabilize a rotation that is enjoying strong performances from high-upside young pitchers who are likely to eventually face some type of workload restrictions (e.g. Mike Soroka, Max Fried). Beyond that excellent pairing, the starting pitching hasn’t panned out as hoped in Atlanta so far this season. Mike Foltynewicz missed the first month of the season and hasn’t performed well since returning (today’s quality outing notwithstanding). Lefty Sean Newcomb was demoted to Triple-A early in the season due to significant control issues, and he’s come back as a reliever. Righty Kevin Gausman has an ERA north of 6.00 through a dozen starts. Of the Braves’ starters, Julio Teheran has been the most effective holdover, but there’s certainly room to add another veteran to the mix to help smooth things over.

Unlike fellow free agent Craig Kimbrel, Keuchel has been reported to be more amenable to the concept of a one-year contract. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman wrote earlier this week that agent Scott Boras has discussed some multi-year scenarios that would contain an opt-out after the current season, but a straight one-year pact would be less complicated and more palatable for a signing team. Braves leadership has previously spoken about payroll flexibility, though the exact level of financial resources Liberty Media is willing to provide to general manager Alex Anthopoulos is, of course, anyone’s guess.

Any one-year deal signed by Keuchel would come with a prorated salary; inking him for the same rate as the $17.9MM qualifying offer he rejected back in November, then, would cost a team just north of $11MM from today through season’s end. Atlanta has a payroll of about $121MM at present, and their previous franchise-record Opening Day payroll total was $122MM. Signing Keuchel would push the Braves into uncharted territory, financially speaking — particularly when considering the fact that they’ll likely still make some additions on the trade market in an effort to bolster the bullpen.

That said, the National League East is among the game’s more tightly contested divisions. The Braves are currently 1.5 games behind the division-leading Phillies, 3.5 games ahead of the Mets and five games ahead of the suddenly surging Nationals. Given the competitive nature of the division, it’s understandable that they’re perhaps willing to push beyond previous comfort zones as they vie for a second consecutive playoff berth. Atlanta is currently in possession of the second National League Wild Card spot, but the difference between a guaranteed ticket to the NLDS and a winner-take-all, one-game coinflip is significant for any club.

John Curtiss Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander John Curtiss has elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment from the Angels, as first reflected on the Pacific Coast League’s transactions log. Curtiss had been designated for assignment earlier in the week.

Curtiss, 26, will now be able to seek a new opportunity with any club seeking bullpen help. He once ranked among the more promising arms in the Twins’ system, but Minnesota cut him loose this offseason and flipped him to the Angels in exchange for minor league infielder Daniel Ozoria. He’s only tallied 17 1/3 innings in the big leagues and has yet to find much success (6.75 ERA), but Curtiss has a strong track record at the Triple-A level.

In 101 frames at the top minor league level, Curtiss has a 3.21 ERA and has averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, though he’s also averaged 4.8 walks per nine frames. He’s struggled there this season, logging a 5.91 ERA and 29-to-13 K/BB ratio in 21 1/3 innings, but his ability to miss bats should hold appeal to another club in need of some bullpen help.

Padres Activate Fernando Tatis Jr.

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June 6: The Padres announced that Tatis has indeed been activated. France was optioned to Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move.

June 5: The Padres are planning to activate shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. from the 10-day injured list Thursday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Tatis’ comeback will be a long-awaited return for the Padres, who have gone just 15-19 since the 20-year-old rookie last played April 28. San Diego jumped out to a 16-12 start with Tatis before he suffered a left hamstring strain. At that point, Tatis may have been the NL Rookie of the Year front-runner. He batted .300/.360/.550 with six home runs and six steals in 111 plate appearances prior to his IL placement, thus delivering on the considerable hype he garnered in his days as a minor leaguer.

Thanks in part to Tatis’ output thus far, the 31-31 Padres are within three games of a wild-card spot in the National League. The Padres haven’t earned a playoff berth since 2006, but if they’re going to return to the postseason this year, a healthy Tatis will likely play a key role. No matter how this season shakes out for the Friars, it’s fair to say Tatis is a sizable upgrade over Greg Garcia and Ty France – who have gotten significant playing time as a result of his injury.

Garcia and France have filled in at third during Tatis’ absence, while Manny Machado has occupied shortstop instead of the hot corner. Fortunately for San Diego, though, it appears Tatis and Machado are about to reunite along the left side of its infield.

Rangers Notes: Minor, Leclerc, DeShields

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Entering the season, it looked like a foregone conclusion that the Rangers would make Mike Minor available on the summer trade market, but their 31-28 record and current presence in the thick of the AL Wild Card picture has muddied things, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. At the very least, despite the fact that Minor is 31 years old and signed through 2020, the Rangers will have to at least explore the possibility of extending him, Grant surmises. At present, the team is in a strong position regardless; it’s easy to point to their record and proximity to a Wild Card spot in telling other clubs that they’d need to be blown away to consider a move. And if they’re able to sustain this play through late July, of course, then Minor will become a vital piece to a more legitimate push toward an unexpected playoff berth.

Minor, through 81 1/3 innings this year, has a 2.55 ERA with 9.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and 0.89 HR/9. As Grant notes, his dominance actually extends back into 2018, when he closed out the year with a terrific 17-start stretch. About two thirds of respondents in last week’s MLBTR poll on Minor’s future felt the organization should trade him; they’ve gone 4-2 in the six games since.

Here’s more out of Arlington…

  • Minor himself addressed the situation when talking with Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, acknowledging that he keeps up with trade rumors throughout the year. Minor feels that it’d be a mistake to make such a move with the Rangers playing well and voiced confidence that the team can continue to keep pace in its push for a postseason bid. “I know something could happen, but my honest opinion is if they do trade me, they’re going to go out there and buy a bunch of free agents this off-season,” said Minor. “Unless they’re getting young, controllable guys back.”
  • Jose Leclerc is “getting close” to reclaiming the ninth-inning role, manager Chris Woodward said again this week (link via Wilson). Leclerc had an absolutely awful start to the season due to shaky control, but over the past month he’s notched a 1.76 ERA with a ridiculous 28-to-6 K/BB ratio in 15 1/3 innings of work (16.4 K/9). “I just love the kid so much,” said Woodward of Leclerc. “He wants to win so bad. He’s willing to do whatever we ask. He’s been pitching lights out. Just the command with his fastball and getting the weird swings with his changeup. Yeah, it’s getting close.”
  • Delino DeShields connected with a walk-off single to cap a four-hit showing last night, and Wilson’s piece also looks at his chances of sticking on the roster. Woodward feels that DeShields’ swing “looks so much better and more efficient” after a brief reset in the minors. DeShields is getting another look at the moment due to injuries sustained by Joey Gallo and Willie Calhoun, but Texas will eventually have that trio, the resurgent Hunter Pence, Shin-Soo Choo and Nomar Mazara all in the mix for outfield and DH at-bats, creating a bit of a logjam. DeShields still needs to demonstrate that he can have some prolonged success, of course, but he’s off to a nice start in trying to force his way back into the mix. Notably, Wilson adds that Calhoun could begin a minor league rehab assignment next week.

Tigers’ GM Avila On Cabrera, Prospect Timelines

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The Tigers and Miguel Cabrera received some tough news recently when four different medical opinions agreed that the future Hall of Famer is dealing with “chronic changes” in his knee that will impact the remainder of his career. The immediate ramifications of that diagnosis brought about a position change for Cabrera, who is now relegated to DH duty on a full-time basis and won’t be seeing any action at first base for the foreseeable future. As detailed at the time, Cabrera is owed more than $150MM through the end of the 2023 campaign on a contract that looks to be more onerous than ever before.

General manager Al Avila met with reporters Thursday to discuss the situation (all links to Twitter via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com). “The bad news is that it’s going to get worse as it goes along,” said Avila of Cabrera’s knee condition. “It’s incumbent on him to stay in good shape and it’s incumbent on us to make sure we get him the proper treatment and proper rest.” If both sides are able to hold up their end of the bargain, Avila added, the organization is confident it can “keep [Cabrera] productive on the field through the remainder of his contract.”

That’d be a tall order even for a fully healthy Cabrera (or any player signed into his age-40 season). This version of Cabrera, though, is not only dealing with the recently revealed knee issue but also multiple herniated disks in his back and the perhaps lingering effects of last season’s surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon. The 36-year-old surely enjoyed proving some doubters wrong for a night when he ripped a grand slam just hours after the extent of his knee troubles became public knowledge Tuesday. His overall line of .287/.357/.376, however, illustrates the manner in which his power has yet to materialize in 2019.

Given that substantial commitment to Cabrera for another four years beyond the current campaign, it’ll be all the more imperative for the Tigers organization to produce cost-efficient young talent. To that end, Avila discussed a number of intriguing young prospects Thursday, touching on the timelines of infield prospect Willi Castro and several of the club’s top-ranked pitching prospects.

Castro, a shortstop, is hitting .335/.413/.505 through 232 plate appearances in Triple-A while the Tigers’ entire infield flounders at the plate in the Majors. However, Castro has also committed 10 errors in just 44 starts at short (398 1/3 innings) after making only 15 errors in all of 2018. Scouting reports agree that he’ll eventually be a solid defender at the position, but it seems that consistency has eluded him. For a player who just turned 22, that’s not necessarily a shock. It’s worth wondering whether he’ll get a look later this month, as we’re right around the period of time at which teams can begin promoting players without worrying about Super Two status.

As for the pitchers, Avila suggested that although right-handers Beau Burrows and Kyle Funkhouser have struggled, if they can return to “doing what they’re capable of doing,” they’ll likely get a look in the Majors later in the 2019 season. Tigers fans, though, are surely more interested in getting a look at last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, Casey Mize. The former Auburn standout is among the game’s top 10 pitching prospects and has decimated minor league lineups in 2019, pitching to a comical 0.83 ERA with a 65-to-10 K/BB in 70 2/3 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A.

However, Avila wasn’t shy about the fact that promoting Mize in the near future isn’t all that likely. While the GM didn’t expressly rule out a promotion at some point in 2019, he plainly stated that there’s “no purpose” in promoting Mize to the Majors right now, citing a wariness of undoing some of the progress he’s made thus far. Perhaps if the Tigers were postseason contenders with a pressing rotation need, there’d be more urgency, but Avila was candid in his assessment of his big league roster as well. “Quite frankly it’s not going to make us into playoff contenders this year,” he said of a near-term promotion for Mize.

David Phelps Begins Rehab Appearance

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Blue Jays reliever David Phelps formally launched his rehab assignment yesterday, as Scott Mitchell of TSN Sports notes on Twitter. Phelps recorded an inning of action at the High-A level.

With that news, we now have a good idea when Phelps could be back in action at the major league level. Pitchers may work on rehab assignments for up to thirty days. Those recovering from Tommy John surgery, as is Phelps, can have their assignments extended by ten days up to three times.

The hope, surely, will be that Phelps can return before the month of June is out. As a veteran relief pitcher, he’ll be handled differently than a youthful starter. While the Jays and Phelps have every incentive to exercise reasonable caution, both have an interest in seeing him on a MLB mound as soon as possible.

For the Toronto organization, Phelps represented a calculated gamble on a $2.5MM guarantee. If he’s able to return to his once-excellent form, Phelps could be utilized as a mid-2019 trade chip or kept for the 2020 campaign via club option.

On the pitcher’s side of the equation, his earnings are tied directly to his MLB activity levels. Phelps stands to earn $250K apiece upon making his 25th, 30th, and 35th appearances, with $350K apiece at numbers 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60. There are also bonuses for games finished. Plus, the option’s base rate of $1MM can rise to $3MM (if he reaches 30 games), $5MM (at 40 games), $7MM (50 games), or even $8MM (in the rather unlikely event he appears in fifty and finishes forty games).

Phelps had been a useful but hardly outstanding MLB starter before finding another gear in a relief role. Since the start of the 2016 season, he carries a 2.72 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 over 142 1/3 innings.

Rays Were Reportedly Runners Up For Craig Kimbrel

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While their offer wasn’t enough to get a deal done, the Rays evidently made a real effort to secure the services of veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the typically tight-fisted Tampa Bay organization was the runner-up in the bidding. (Subscription link.)

Kimbrel’s deal with the Cubs, which still isn’t official, goes for a reported three years and $43MM. He could instead have taken down $39MM from the Rays on a similar structure or instead gone for a two-year, $31MM offer from the Tampa Bay outfit.

Even though the ship has sailed on Kimbrel, this is certainly an interesting bit of information. The Rays obviously feel they can take on a rather significant additional salary this year and in the near future. Perhaps the star closer was something of a unique case, but it stands to reason that the club will also consider other opportunities at or approaching this price point.

Whether or not it takes money to make a move, it also seems the Rays can be counted on as a buyer of relief pitching at the deadline. That’s hardly a surprise, generally; the Rays are right in the thick of things in the AL East. Their relief unit has been good but could certainly stand to be improved. Plus, only one member of the current staff has more than three years of MLB service. In light of the aggressive stance on Kimbrel, the Rays now seem a favorite to put their well-stocked farm system to use in trade talks this summer.

D-Backs, Mariners Nearly Struck Trade Involving Mike Leake

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Details remain sparse, but it seems the Diamondbacks and Mariners nearly lined up on a trade involving veteran Seattle right-hander Mike Leake. According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, the teams “worked to finalize” the swap as late as Tuesday evening.

Clearly, talks fell through since Leake ended up on the bump. He says that he never caught wind of the possible deal, which certainly is notable given that he possesses full no-trade protection. Leake added that he’s willing to consider approving a deal in the right circumstances.

It seems quite likely Leake will at some point have an opportunity to consider approving a move. With the Mariners trying to move more veteran assets after already shipping out Jay Bruce, it’s not surprising to hear that the club went down the line on a swap involving the expensive pitcher.

Leake, 31, has managed to deliver 81 2/3 innings of 4.30 ERA ball this year despite some worrying peripherals. He has averaged 6.2 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 but has already surrendered 18 home runs. That said, Leake’s start last night was awfully impressive. He worked a 119-pitch complete game while allowing just one earned run.

While the Diamondbacks are obviously interested in adding Leake or another veteran starter to bolster their staff, it’s hard to imagine they’d take on anything close to his remaining contract. Leake is earning $16MM this year, $15MM in 2020, and a $5MM buyout for a 2021 mutual option. The Cardinals are on the hook for $5MM this year and $4MM next, but it’s still a hefty commitment. It’s not clear whether the Arizona organization remains a potential landing spot for Leake.

Draft Signings: 6/6/19

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We’ll track the latest draft signings of note in this post …

  • Giants 11th-rounder Trevor McDonald says he’s preparing to put pen to paper on a pro contract, as Patrick Clay of WLOX.com reports. Precise details aren’t known, but McDonald says he decided to forego his commitment to South Alabama after securing what he calls “a great overpay deal.” (That characterization was obviously intended to refer to his draft position, not to cast doubt upon the team’s decisionmaking.) 11th-round selections are always worthy of some added attention, as they offer the first chance for teams to take a shot at tough-sign players without worry of losing draft pool money. For players taken outside of the first ten rounds, any bonus amount over $125K counts against the pool money. Teams can utilize cost savings from earlier picks to free up some extra cash. McDonald, a Mississippi high-schooler who ranked 151st on Baseball America’s board, becomes the first early San Francisco selection to reportedly agree to terms.

Indians Sign Mitch Talbot

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The Indians have added right-hander Mitch Talbot on a minors deal. The Cleveland organization acquired his contract from the indy ball Sugar Land Skeeters and assigned him to Triple-A.

Talbot spent time with the Columbus Clippers last year after four seasons away from the affiliated ranks. He threw well in 17 starts and one relief appearance. Over 103 2/3 frames, Talbot ran up a 2.52 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9.

With the Indians needing to backfill depth after losing another top starter in Carlos Carrasco, it’s not surprising to see them turn to the former second-round pick. Talbot, 35, is well known to the Indians from his first run with the organization back in 2010-11, during which he made forty starts. He owns a lifetime 5.30 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 232 2/3 total MLB innings.

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