Click here for a transcript of tonight’s baseball chat, moderated by MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk
NL West Notes: Bumgarner, Wingenter, Clarke, D’Backs
Trade speculation has swirled around Madison Bumgarner for months, and such buzz figures to grow even louder as we approach the trade deadline due to Bumgarner’s solid results. After a pair of injury-marred seasons, Bumgarner has been healthy and effective this year, with a 3.92 ERA, 8.9 K/9, and a 6.14 K/BB rate that projects as the best of his career. As ESPN’s Buster Olney notes in a subscriber-only column, Bumgarner is throwing his fastball more often than in recent years, and with better velocity. While “the front offices of 2019 don’t necessarily believe in intangibles and mostly won’t pay for them,” Olney wonders if a proven postseason performer like Bumgarner might also benefit from a move to a contending team, similar to how Cole Hamels was reinvigorated after being dealt from the Rangers to the Cubs last summer. With the Giants in last place in the NL West and looking like a deadline seller, it will be interesting to see what San Francisco can acquire for its longtime ace in July, assuming the team indeed does want to move Bumgarner.
Some more from around the NL West…
- The Padres placed right-hander Trey Wingenter on the 10-day IL today (retroactive to Saturday) due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder, as per a team announcement. Phil Maton was recalled from Triple-A to Wingenter’s place in the bullpen. After making his Major League debut in 2018, Wingenter was off to a strong start this season, with a 2.93 ERA and 12.3 K/9 over 15 1/3 innings, albeit with some issues with his control (4.7 BB/9) and home run rate (1.2 HR/9).
- With Zack Godley now pitching out of the bullpen, the Diamondbacks will give rookie Taylor Clarke a shot at the starting rotation, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. Clarke is scheduled to start Tuesday’s game against the Rays, and there certainly seems to be opportunity for Clarke to stick if he pitches well, as manager Torey Lovullo said “we haven’t looked past Tuesday” in terms of a long-term rotation plan. A third-round pick for the D’Backs in the 2015 draft, Clarke is ranked by MLB.com as Arizona’s 10th-best prospect. The 25-year-old righty has a 3.55 ERA, 7.8 K/9, and 3.06 K/BB rate over 492 1/3 career minor league frames, and he made his MLB debut earlier this season, a three-inning relief outing on April 20.
- In another piece from Piecoro, he talks to Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen about the team’s good start, and how Hazen’s reluctance to fully rebuild (even while parting ways with the likes of Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, and Patrick Corbin) kept the D’Backs in position to potentially contend in 2019. While the losses of those big-name players drew the most headlines, Arizona has gotten some excellent early results from somewhat unheralded offseason pickups, i.e. Adam Jones, Greg Holland, Merrill Kelly, Luke Weaver. As to whether the D’Backs could be buyers or sellers at the deadline, “we are hoping this team tells us what to do – directs us what to do – as we move through the season. To this point, we’ve played good baseball,” Hazen said.
Giants Claim Andrew Moore, Designate Breyvic Valera
The Giants have claimed right-hander Andrew Moore off waivers from the Rays, according to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (Twitter link). Moore will report to San Francisco’s Double-A affiliate in Richmond. To create a 40-man roster spot for Moore, the Giants have also designated infielder Breyvic Valera for assignment.
Valera’s stint on the Giants’ 40-man roster has come to an end before he appeared in a game with the team, which acquired Valera in January when he was designated by the Orioles. In 24 games at Triple-A this season, Valera has posted a .257/.397/.338 slash line, including an impressive 16-to-10 BB:K ratio. The 27-year-old Valera has made only 86 MLB plate appearances and has produced a .529 OPS across parts of the last two seasons, which he spent with the Cardinals, Dodgers, and Orioles.
Moore has appeared in only 11 games in the Major Leagues — nine starts with the Mariners in 2017 — posting a 5.34 ERA in those games. Triple-A has not treated him well this season, as Moore has conceded 9 home runs in 17 1/3 innings while walking as many batters as he has struck out. Moore, a former second-round selection of the Mariners, was recently DFA’d by the Rays, but will hope to make a home in San Francisco. He is just 24 years old and is not far removed from successful seasons in the minors in 2016 and 2017.
NL East Notes: Mets, Rosario, Nats’ Injuries, Marlins, Cooper
Amed Rosario’s defensive struggles have emerged as a point of concern for the scuffling Mets, who will weigh what to do with the shortstop if he can’t correct his errors soon. Ken Davidoff of the New York Post outlines the problem, writing that general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, who has been aggressive in his first year at the helm, cannot afford to keep Rosario in the lineup for much longer when his lackluster defense could cost the club crucial wins. Rosario, just 23 years of age, is still a developing player and sustained reps could be the best remedy to his early-season challenges. However, a competitive Mets team that finds itself in the thick of a heated division race may run out of patience with Rosario, who is not hitting enough to quell the defensive concerns. To be sure, Davidoff notes that Rosario went eight straight games without an error before Saturday, when his two errors didn’t help the Mets’ cause in a marathon loss to the Brewers. The Mets are not yet considering a demotion—it will take another week or more before that becomes a serious possibility, per Davidoff—but Rosario could get a few days off if he can’t correct things in the next few games. Rosario has already accumulated -11 DRS—last season, he checked in at -16—and the Mets have Adeiny Hechavarria and Luis Guillorme as backup options, if it comes to that.
Here’s the latest news from around the NL East…
- Nationals right-hander Erick Fedde will be deployed as a reliever moving forward, writes Mark Zuckerman of MASN. After an impressive 4-inning outing against the Padres last week—his first Major League relief appearance—the club has decided that he will continue to work out of the bullpen in Double-A rather than returning to the Harrisburg rotation. The plan is for Fedde to rejoin the Nationals soon, in hopes that he will help remedy a bullpen that has arguably been the worst in the Majors.
- The Nationals will have to work around yet another injury, as Matt Adams was placed on the 10-day IL with a left shoulder strain on Saturday, recalling infielder Jake Noll. Meanwhile, the team will certainly welcome a piece of good news: Anthony Rendon is expected to rejoin the team on Tuesday, when he is eligible to return from his stint on the injured list, per Todd Dybas of NBC Sports. Rendon had been dealing with an elbow contusion that refused to heal, but he was finally able to take swings, indicating that a return is on the horizon.
- The Mets’ bullpen took another hit on Saturday, as southpaw Luis Avilan was placed on the 10-day IL with elbow tightness, according to Tim Healey of Newsday. Avilan, who has posted a dismal 9.28 ERA in 2019, joins fellow bullpen arms Jeurys Familia and Justin Wilson on the injured list. Tim Peterson and Tyler Bashlor were promoted to replace Chris Flexen and Ryan O’Rourke, both of whom were optioned to the minors. Flexen took Avilan’s place for Saturday’s game because Peterson and Bashlor were unavailable.
- In a stroke of bad luck, Marlins OF/1B Garrett Cooper finds himself once again on the injured list, this time with a left hand contusion, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. After a calf strain held him out of action for a month, Cooper returned on April 30, only to be hit in the hand by a pitch, causing the injury. Peter O’Brien has been recalled from Triple-A to replace Cooper, who has been limited to just 4 appearances so far this season.
Dodgers To Sign Travis d’Arnaud
The Dodgers have agreed to a one-year deal with catcher Travis d’Arnaud, tweets Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times. Castillo adds via Twitter that infielder Matt Beaty has been optioned to Triple-A to make room for the former Mets backstop, who was released Friday after he was designated for assignment. Because he was released, his former club is on the hook for all of the $3.515MM contract he signed in the offseason, while the Dodgers will pay him at the league-minimum rate.
For the time being, the Dodgers will move forward with a trio of catchers on the active roster, with d’Arnaud joining Austin Barnes and Russell Martin in Los Angeles. That combination has provided the Dodgers with solid production, so don’t expect d’Arnaud to supplant either incumbent behind the plate. Interestingly, though, manager Dave Roberts said that he plans to deploy d’Arnaud not only as a catcher, but also in the infield and outfield. In his 7-year Major League career, d’Arnaud has never played the outfield and has appeared in just one game at both second and third base. Of course, both Martin and Barnes have experience playing the infield, so perhaps they are more viable candidates to move into a utility role.
With outfielder A.J. Pollock undergoing elbow surgery after he was placed on the 10-day IL, manager Dave Roberts and company found themselves in need of an additional right-handed bat. Without Pollock, the Dodgers’ starting outfield consists of Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, and Alex Verdugo, all lefties. Chris Taylor is the only other bench bat capable of playing the outfield, so the addition of d’Arnaud could afford Roberts additional flexibility to rest his lefty bats against southpaws: Taylor and Enrique Hernandez could slide to the outfield, with one of Barnes, Martin, and d’Arnaud filling an infield spot. This would allow for righty-dominant lineups with a host of left-handed batters available off the bench.
His new club will look for d’Arnaud to return to the form he showed in the 2015 season, when he hit 12 home runs in just 67 games to go along with a career-best .825 OPS. Notably, d’Arnaud has played more than 100 games in a season just twice in his career. Injuries have represented a repeated source of frustration for the veteran, including last year, when a partial UCL tear cost him all but 4 games of his age-29 campaign. Perhaps the Dodgers hope that reducing the number of innings d’Arnaud spends behind the plate will reduce his risk of injury and allow him to contribute throughout the year.
Regardless, it’s a low-risk transaction for the Dodgers, who have to spend virtually nothing to get a player who could pay dividends if he proves capable of playing several positions while hitting capably. If A.J. Pollock returns from injury in a timely fashion or d’Arnaud doesn’t pan out, the Dodgers aren’t obligated to keep him around, with Barnes and Martin holding down the fort behind the plate.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Harper, Bellinger, Brewers, Scherzer, Kershaw, CC
This week in baseball blogs…
- theScore delves into Bryce Harper’s recent struggles.
- Sports Info Solutions (links: 1, 2) examines the effectiveness of the four-man outfield and the “infield in” defense.
- MLB & Fantasy Baseball Analyzed argues that serious regression is in store for Cody Bellinger.
- Chin Music Baseball (links: 1, 2) names the 10 best and worst players of the season thus far.
- statsswipe focuses on the state of the Brewers.
- The Dugout checks in on some of the offseason’s biggest free-agent signings.
- Bronx to Bushville believes Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw are on their way to Cooperstown.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) looks at CC Sabathia’s Hall of Fame case and profiles the Astros’ Mexican talent.
- Mets Daddy writes about Noah Syndergaard’s historic previous start.
- East Village Times sees the Padres and Blue Jays as potential trade partners.
- KC Kingdom lists four positives from the Royals’ April.
- Call to the Pen addresses the concerns within the Phillies’ pitching staff.
- Chipalatta takes a look at Jose Altuve’s recent slump.
- Pinstriped Prospects reports on demoted Yankees reliever Chad Green’s progress.
- Everything Bluebirds opines that Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s future is in the outfield, not the infield.
- Notes from the Sally scouts Phillies prospects Francisco Morales and Dominic Pipkin.
- Baseball Prospect Journal shares feature stories on 50 prospects from the upcoming draft.
- Pinstripe Alley praises Yankees GM Brian Cashman for his 2018 acquisition of Gio Urshela.
- NatsGM.com talks with Alfred Ford, who co-owns JJ’s Bread and Butter Food Truck with Jeremy Jeffress.
Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com
Reds Select Josh VanMeter
SUNDAY: Cincinnati has announced VanMeter’s promotion. The club made room for him by optioning lefty Cody Reed.
SATURDAY: The Reds will select infielder Josh VanMeter’s contract from Triple-A Louisville, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. VanMeter’s promotion will give the Reds a full man 40-man roster.
VanMeter has made a case for a call-up by serving as one of the minors’ best hitters and the International League leader in OPS early this season. Thus far, the 24-year-old has slashed a remarkable .346/.432/.757 (191 wRC+) with 13 home runs, five stolen bases and 15 walks against 23 strikeouts in 126 plate appearances. The lefty-swinging VanMeter was also effective in his first Triple-A exposure last year, albeit with numbers that pale in comparison to this season’s eye-popping output, as he hit .253/.309/.464 (114 wRC+) with 11 homers and five steals across 362 PA.
Despite his excellence in 2019, no outlet ranks VanMeter among the Reds’ top farmhands. Back in January 2018, FanGraphs prospect guru Eric Longenhagen wrote that emerging as a versatile bench piece may be VanMeter’s “absolute ceiling” in the majors. VanMeter has played first, second and third this year alone, and has also garnered significant experience at shortstop and in the outfield since the Padres chose him in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. He later joined the Reds in a December 2016 trade for catcher Luis Torrens, who debuted in the majors in 2017 but is currently in Double-A.
Brewers Select Burch Smith, Designate Jay Jackson
The Brewers have selected right-hander Burch Smith from Triple-A San Antonio, designated righty Jay Jackson for assignment and optioned righty Taylor Williams, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com tweets.
Smith will provide pitching depth in the wake of the Brewers’ 18-inning marathon victory over the Mets on Saturday, when Williams threw four frames of one-run ball. It’ll be the first time the 29-year-old Smith has suited up for Milwaukee, which signed him to a minor league deal in January.
Previously a member of the Padres and Royals at the big league level, Smith owns an ugly 6.77 ERA/5.41 FIP with 9.68 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 114 1/3 innings – a career-high 78 of which came with Kansas City in 2018. The former Tommy John surgery patient opened this season with a sparking 1.37 ERA and 9.23 K/9 against 3.76 BB/9 across 26 1/3 innings in the Brewers’ system, though ERA estimators FIP (3.74) and xFIP (5.48) have been far less bullish on Smith’s work.
As MLBTR’s Steve Adams detailed when the Brewers promoted Jackson on April 29, the 31-year-old endured a long journey back to the majors. Unfortunately, Jackson totaled just 2 1/3 innings before the Brewers booted him from their 40-man. He yielded five earned runs on four hits, including two homers, along the way.
James Paxton Placed On 10-Day Injured List
SUNDAY: Paxton will miss a maximum of three weeks, general manager Brian Cashman told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM on Sunday (Twitter links). His rotation spot will go to Loaisiga in the meantime.
SATURDAY: James Paxton has been placed on the 10-day IL, per the team (via Twitter). Jake Barrett will be recalled to take Paxton’s roster spot. While no MRI results have been released, Paxton expressed frustration more than concern when questioned about the pain in his left knee, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
The move comes after the Yankee southpaw was pulled from his start yesterday after just three innings. Paxton’s velocity readings did dip a bit during a long third inning, though he still hit 95-96 in his final frame of action. There’s no reason at present to be particularly concerned, though it’s never great to see a key rotation piece leave with any kind of health concern. In Paxton’s case, he has had arm problems in recent years, though that’s not implicated here. The knee joint hasn’t been an issue of late, but it was noted as an issue during his amateur days.
Paxton’s main concern stems from the affect the knee was having on his mechanics. The discomfort was causing him to occasionally open up his motion early, shifting his weight off his back leg – which would certainly account for a dip in velocity. Paxton has been treating the knee with ice, laser treatments and range of motion exercises, and there’s no reason at this time to think Paxton would be unable to continue this strategy moving forward. It’s certainly something to monitor, as Paxton is a critical piece of the New York rotation, going 3-2 so far with a 3.11 ERA and 12.4 K/9.
The Yankees have awaited many an MRI this year, so this is a familiar position for the club. While the position-player side of the roster has been hit hardest, the team lost Luis Severino for a significant stretch and was already missing Tommy John rehabber Jordan Montgomery.
The depth has been up to the task thus far. Jonathan Loaisiga could still be called upon to fill in Paxton’s rotation spot, though Barrett joins the club for now. Barrett, 27, carries a career 4.03 ERA in 103 games with the Diamondbacks, though the most substantial chunk of that came in 68 appearances in 2016. That season, Barrett managed a 3.49 ERA (4.14 FIP) across 59 1/3 innings. He took a circuitous route to New York this winter. The Giants bought his contract from Arizona, but then lost him on waivers to the Pirates, who lost him to the Yankees. He does have an option remaining.
AL Notes: Glasnow, Astros, Alvarez, Ohtani, Jays
Even though Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow has been incredible this season, the club still plans to tamp down his workload as the year progresses, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The towering 25-year-old has recorded a dazzling 1.47 ERA/2.39 FIP with 9.63 K/9, 1.47 BB/9 and a 51.4 percent groundball rate, but at 43 innings pitched, he’s already closing in on last season’s total. “He threw 112 innings last year and we have to monitor that,’’ said manager Kevin Cash, who added: “If we can get him extra days, we’re going to do that. If we’ve got to shave an inning off of him per start, like (Friday) night we could have taken him out after the sixth. Those are things we have to monitor and consider here early in the season.’’ For what it’s worth, Glasnow’s season-high innings total as a professional came as a member of the Pittsburgh organization in 2017, when the formerly wild hurler racked up 155 1/3 frames. A year later, the Pirates traded him and outfielder Austin Meadows to the Rays for righty Chris Archer in what now looks like a heist for the first-place Tampa Bay franchise.
Elsewhere around the American League…
- Astros outfield/first base prospect Yordan Alvarez has gotten off to a scorching start this year at Triple-A Round Rock, where he has slashed an awe-inspiring .418/.505/.923 with 12 home runs in 107 plate appearances. The Astros have taken notice of the 21-year-old’s brilliance, according to president of baseball ops/general manager Jeff Luhnow, who said Saturday that Alvarez “certainly is making it a conversation” within the team to promote him (via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). Luhnow also declared, “It’s pretty clear he can hit right now in the big leagues,” and noted Alvarez would likely slot in as a left fielder for the Astros in order to make a maximum impact. At the same time, though, the Astros already have a more-than-capable regular there in Michael Brantley, and Luhnow cautioned, “The same people who were clamoring for Kyle Tucker to come up because he was destroying AAA pitching are the same people now clamoring for Yordan Álvarez to come up.” That indicates it’s not a slam dunk Alvarez will head to Houston imminently, as Tucker disappointed during a 77-plate appearance major league debut in 2018 and has gotten off to a terrible start in Round Rock this year.
- Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani’s much-anticipated 2019 debut could come as early as Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register suggests. Ohtani has been on the shelf thanks to October 2018 Tommy John surgery, which will stop the two-way star from pitching this year but won’t keep him out of the Angels’ lineup. To their credit, Kevan Smith and Albert Pujols – especially the former – have offered respectable DH production in Ohtani’s absence. [UPDATE: Regarding Ohtani’s potential activation, GM Billy Eppler said Sunday (via Fletcher): “We hope to be able to activate on him this trip but he has to get through every step of the progression so we’re not going to say anything till the progression is finished.”]
- Prospect Jesus Lopez, whom the Blue Jays acquired from the Athletics for Kendrys Morales in March, is switching from infielder to catcher, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet tweets. The 22-year-old’s adjusting to his new position in extended spring training, per Davidi.
