Marlins Open To Trading Starters
The rebuilding Marlins reportedly aren’t inclined to trade any of their controllable starting pitchers, but that isn’t necessarily the case, according to president of baseball operations Michael Hill (via Joe Frisaro of MLB.com).
The Marlins plan to “explore” ways to improve, said Hill, who added: “I think you look at ways to get better. I think you look at where we are organizationally, and we’ve said our pitching is a little bit ahead of our position players.”
Specifically, the Marlins would like to add a middle-of-the-order bat to their lineup, Frisaro reports. Whether they’d be able to get that type of offensive piece for any of their starters is the question.
Although Miami’s a National League-worst 30-47 this season, its starting staff has been a legitimate bright spot. The Marlins’ rotation ranks a surprising sixth in the majors in ERA and a similarly encouraging eighth in FIP, and all of their prominent starters are controllable 20-somethings.
The Marlins haven’t gotten ace-caliber production from anyone, but each of Trevor Richards, Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Jose Urena and Caleb Smith have logged respectable or better numbers over at least 12 starts apiece. Meanwhile, Jordan Yamamoto has been brilliant through three starts, Elieser Hernandez has done well during his first three starts this year, and the just-promoted Zac Gallen shut down the Cardinals in his five-inning introduction June 20.
One problem for the Marlins is that there are currently injuries spread throughout their starting group. The strikeout-heavy Smith has been out since June 7 with left hip inflammation, Lopez went down June 19 with shoulder inflammation, and Urena will be out until at least August with a herniated disc in his back. Smith and Lopez are reportedly progressing toward returns, however. Therefore, aside from Urena, any of the Marlins’ starters might end up in play around the July 31 deadline.
If you’re another team, acquiring one of Miami’s starters could mean adding a long-term solution to your staff. Richards, Alcantara and Lopez are all controllable through 2024, while Lopez and Hernandez are under wraps through 2023. Yamamoto and Gallen obviously come with even more control, having just emerged in the majors. So, whether it happens this summer or a bit down the line, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Marlins deal from their surplus of starters to improve a toothless offense that ranks among the majors’ worst. Aside from first baseman Garrett Cooper, third baseman Brian Anderson, outfielder Harold Ramirez and veteran stopgap infielder Neil Walker, they’ve struggled to get any production at the plate in 2019.
Rangers Notes: Deadline, Pence, Cabrera
The Rangers continue to defy the odds and rack up victories. Winners of three straight, the team’s 43-36 and in a three-way tie with Cleveland and Boston for the American League’s second wild-card spot. Because of their unexpected success, the Rangers may end up as buyers prior to the July 31 trade deadline. General manager Jon Daniels recently discussed the club’s mindset leading up to the deadline with ESPN Dallas 103.3, per the Dallas Morning News. While Daniels indicated the Rangers’ main focus is on building a successful team for the long haul, he admitted that “you can’t ignore the fact that it’s fun every night at the park.” With that in mind, Daniels added Texas will “be very open-minded” when trade season begins in earnest, saying: “We’re not going to set any limits on this team, but we’re also not going to do anything to take shortcuts and endanger what we feel is a really bright future for the club. We’re just going to try to be smart about it. See what opportunities are out there — how do we get better both now and in the future? Bottom line, this club’s done a lot of good things. They’re a lot of fun to watch, certainly would like to support them if we can.”
More from Arlington…
- Outfielder/designated hitter Hunter Pence is eligible to come off the injured list Thursday, but that won’t happen, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Pence is dealing with a Grade 2 right groin strain that could shelve him into the start of next week, Grant suggests. The benefit of Pence’s continued absence is that the Rangers won’t have to option or designate another player they like when he returns, as Grant notes, but they’d still welcome back the resurgent 36-year-old’s bat. Left for dead after two bad seasons with the Giants, Pence signed a minor league contract with the Rangers over the winter and has since turned back the clock. He’s slashing a stupendous .294/.353/.608 (142 wRC+) with 15 home runs in 215 trips to the plate.
- Infielder Asdrubal Cabrera is one player the Rangers could drop when Pence comes back, Grant observes. Jettisoning Cabrera would be a surprising move on the Rangers’ part, especially considering he’s on a guaranteed $3.5MM salary, but Grant doesn’t rule out it occurring sooner than later. Cabrera, who’s serving a three-game suspension stemming from an altercation with an umpire, hasn’t delivered much on-field value when he has played this season. The 33-year-old switch hitter’s off to a .231/.312/.409 start (83 wRC+) in 279 PA and has accounted for minus-5 Defensive Runs Saved as the Rangers’ primary third baseman. The Rangers could replace Cabrera with Logan Forsythe, who has been the better of the two in 2019.
Dodgers Promote Tony Gonsolin
WEDNESDAY: The Dodgers have optioned catcher Will Smith to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for Gonsolin, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times tweets. They also transferred injured reliever Tony Cingrani to the 60-day IL, Gurnick relays.
MONDAY: Right-hander Tony Gonsolin will start for the Dodgers in Arizona on Wednesday, manager Dave Roberts told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and other media (Ron Cervenka of ThinkBlueLA.com first reported Gonsolin’s promotion). The Dodgers’ 40-man roster is full, so they’ll need to make a corresponding move to create a spot for Gonsolin.
The 25-year-old Gonsolin has been a member of the Los Angeles organization since it used a ninth-round pick on him in 2016. This year, in Gonsolin’s first Triple-A experience, he has recorded a terrific 2.77 ERA/3.57 FIP with 10.74 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9 in 26 innings. Gonolsin has averaged only a little over three frames per start in eight appearances this year, in part because of an early season oblique injury, though he did amass 128 innings in a 2018 campaign divided between the High-A and Double-A levels.
MLB.com (No. 4) and FanGraphs (No. 6) each regard Gonsolin as one of the Dodgers’ best prospects. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com note Gonsolin boasts a fastball capable of hitting triple digits and solid secondary offerings in the form of a splitter, curveball and slider.
With the help of his expansive repertoire, Gonsolin could develop into a No. 3 major league starter eventually, though he won’t face such pressure immediately. The front of the Dodgers’ rotation is already in enviable shape with Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler and Hyun-Jin Ryu leading the way, but the club’s dealing with an injury to Rich Hill. As a result, Gonsolin will have a chance to join Kenta Maeda and Tuesday starter Ross Stripling toward the back of LA’s loaded rotation.
White Sox To Sign First-Rounder Andrew Vaughn
The White Sox have agreed to sign first-rounder Andrew Vaughn, the third pick in this year’s draft, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports. Vaughn will receive a bonus worth $7.2212MM, right in line with the recommended slot value of his selection.
Vaughn, a 21-year-old first baseman from the University of California, entered the draft as a consensus elite prospect. All of ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 2), MLB.com (No. 3), Baseball America (No. 3) and FanGraphs (No. 4) ranked Vaughn as one of the four best players on the board. Law, the most bullish of the bunch, wrote in his subscription-only draft preview that Vaughn possesses the “best pure bat in the class” and likely the best plate discipline in the group. There are, however, questions about Vaughn’s 5-foot-10 frame, Law notes.
Vaughn’s a year removed from winning the Golden Spikes Award, which is given to the premier player in college baseball. The honor in 2019 went to Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman, whom the Orioles took No. 1 this year and then signed to a record bonus.
Dodgers Reportedly Interested In Felipe Vazquez
The Dodgers, looking to bolster a bullpen that has had its share of slipups this season, are interested in acquiring Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports. There is no indication the Pirates would be amenable to trading Vazquez, however.
Factoring in the 27-year-old Vazquez’s age, track record and contract, he’s one of the most valuable relievers in the sport. The hard-throwing left-hander debuted with the Nationals in 2015 but truly burst on the scene in 2017, a year after the Pirates acquired him from the Nats in a deal for fellow reliever Mark Melancon.
Vazquez has been a dominant late-game workhorse since his first full season in Pittsburgh, having posted a 2.12 ERA/2.43 FIP with 11.51 K/9, 2.67 BB/9 and a 46.2 percent groundball rate in 178 1/3 innings. He has also saved 77 of 85 opportunities over the past two-plus seasons, including 19 of 20 in 2019. This may go down as the best season yet for Vazquez, who has pitched to a 1.91 ERA/2.36 FIP with 13.91 K/9 and 2.45 BB/9 across 33 frames.
Vazquez wouldn’t be the closer with the Dodgers; he’d instead team with game-ending righty Kenley Jansen to form a duo that would be one of the envies of the league. Owners of the majors’ best record (55-26), the Dodgers aren’t hard up for help. However, their bullpen has been more middle of the pack than excellent this season. Jansen and Pedro Baez have performed well (though the former has fallen off a bit since his halcyon days), but there’s room for improvement otherwise.
There is little question convincing the Pirates to part with Vazquez would mean offering an impossible-to-reject package of young talent. While the 36-41 Pirates probably aren’t on their way to the playoffs this season, the low-budget club has Vazquez potentially under wraps through 2023 on a sweetheart contract, so it’s not in any rush to move him. He’s on a $4MM salary this year, a $5.25MM salary in 2020 and a $7.25MM figure in 2021. After that, Vazquez has affordable club options worth $10MM apiece from 2022-23.
Orioles Acquire Patrick Dorrian To Complete Yefry Ramirez Trade
The Orioles have acquired infielder Patrick Dorrian from the Pirates, the teams announced. This completes the May 27 trade that sent right-hander Yefry Ramirez to the Pirates.
Baltimore’s the third organization for the 23-year-old Dorrian, whose pro career began in strange fashion. The Braves spent a 12th-round pick on Dorrian in 2014, but after he signed and reported to their Gulf Coast team, he decided to go to college instead, as Sal Interdonato of the Times Herald-Record explained last summer.
Dorian played at Herkimer County Community College in upstate New York and Division II Lynn University in Florida before signing with the Pirates as an undrafted free agent last year. He has since logged impressive production at the lower levels of the minors, including a .256/.346/.443 with six home runs in 255 plate appearances this year in Single-A ball. Dorrian will report to the High-A level with the Orioles.
White Sox To Place Tim Anderson On Injured List
WEDNESDAY, 11:27am: Anderson’s going to the IL, though the severity of his injury is still unknown, per Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Garcia will start at short for the White Sox on Wednesday.
9:39am: Anderson has a high ankle sprain and is wearing a walking boot, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times was among those to report. An IL stint does seem likely for Anderson, but the team will know more after he goes for an MRI.
TUESDAY: White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson left the team’s game Tuesday against the Red Sox because of a sprained right ankle. X-Rays came back negative, though a stint on the injured list is still a legitimate possibility, James Fegan of The Athletic suggests. Anderson will undergo an MRI on Wednesday to determine the severity of the sprain.
An IL stay would temporarily halt what has been a career offensive season for Anderson. After combining for an 86 wRC+ in 1,643 plate appearances during his first three seasons from 2016-18, Anderson’s up to 122 in that category this year.
Over 281 trips to the plate in 2019, the 26-year-old Anderson has slashed .317/.342/.491 with 11 home runs and 15 stolen bases. Anderson’s production has dropped as the season has gone on, however, and further regression could be in store. After all, he owns the league’s worst K/BB ratio, a sky-high .375 batting average on balls in play and a 22-point gap between his .354 weighted on-base average and .332 expected wOBA.
While good fortune has aided Anderson’s numbers this year, he’s still one of Chicago’s most valuable players and building blocks. It’s fair to say Anderson’s absence would further damage the team’s fading playoff hopes. During the rare occasions Anderson hasn’t lined up at shortstop this year, the White Sox have turned to Jose Rondon and Leury Garcia in his stead. Rondon has been dreadful this season, though, while Garcia is the club’s preferred starter in center field.
Mike Elias On Potential Dylan Bundy, Andrew Cashner Trades
As members of a Baltimore team that isn’t teeming with trade chips, right-handers Dylan Bundy and Andrew Cashner stand out as players who could end up on the move by the July 31 deadline. However, general manager Mike Elias said Wednesday it would be challenging for the Orioles to trade either hurler because of the team’s lack of major league-ready starting depth, as Dan Connolly of The Athletic was among those to cover.
Even if Elias does wind up dealing from the Bundy-Cashner tandem, neither would warrant a return capable of providing a noticeable boost to the Orioles’ farm system. The 26-year-old Bundy’s the more desirable of the two, though, considering his age, cheap 2019 salary ($2.8MM) and two remaining seasons of arbitration eligibility. The former star prospect hasn’t developed into the ace Baltimore’s prior regime wanted when it drafted him fourth overall in 2011, however, having instead settled in as a back-end starter to this point.
Bundy owns a 4.76 ERA/4.88 FIP with a paltry 34.3 percent groundball rate in 88 career starts and 493 1/3 innings. Those mediocre numbers have come in spite of a quality strikeout/walk ratio, as Bundy has fanned about nine batters per nine and walked a bit fewer than three. Bundy’s K/9 has climbed closer to 10 since 2018, yet his velocity has tumbled into the 91 mph range – down from 92-94 from 2016-17 – and home runs have plagued him. Dating back to last year, Bundy has surrendered HRs on 17.3 percent of fly balls. Only three other qualified starters have struggled worse in that department.
Homers haven’t troubled Cashner to any major degree this year, on the other hand. In fact, the 32-year-old is having somewhat of a bounce-back season as he concludes the guaranteed portion of a two-year, $16MM pact. After logging an unsightly 5.29 ERA/5.32 in 153 1/3 frames last year, Cashner has recorded a playable 4.37 ERA/4.62 FIP with 6.12 K/9, 3.06 BB/9 and a 48.5 percent grounder rate in 82 1/3 frames this season. Cashner has also seen his average velocity increase from 92.4 mph to 93.7 since 2018. That said, it has been a bit of an odd season for Cashner in that right-handed hitters – not lefties – have done almost all of the damage against him. He has yielded far more runs the first time through the opponents’ order than the second.
Looking to 2020, Cashner has a $10MM option that will become guaranteed if he throws a combined 340 innings from 2018-19. He’ll come up well short of that mark, so the option’s not a concern to the Orioles or other teams. But Cashner did tell Connolly back in May that he’d at least consider not reporting to a new club if the O’s traded him. That may go down as a moot point, depending on whether Elias is willing to trade Cashner or if teams would even pursue a deal for the well-traveled hurler.
Royals Designate Brad Boxberger, Reinstate Eric Skoglund
The Royals have designated reliever Brad Boxberger for assignment and reinstated left-hander Eric Skoglund from the restricted list, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.
Boxberger was one of the Royals’ most notable pickups during a modest offseason for the rebuilding club. The Royals gave the former Padre, Ray and Diamondback $2.2MM with the hope he’d revive his career. Instead, Boxberger stumbled to a 5.40 ERA/4.65 FIP with 9.11 K/9 and 5.74 BB/9 in 26 2/3 innings. In the process, the 31-year-old’s average fastball velocity fell to 90.2 mph, down from the 92-93 range in his younger days.
At his best, Boxberger recorded a 2.37 ERA/2.84 FIP with 14.47 K/9 and 2.78 BB/9 in 64 2/3 innings with the Rays in 2014. Boxberger came back the next season to log worse numbers, yet the right-hander still made the AL All-Star team and led the league in saves (41). But injuries helped limit Boxberger’s effectiveness over the next couple seasons, which led Tampa Bay to trade him to Arizona prior to the 2018 campaign.
The Boxberger acquisition didn’t work out for the Diamondbacks, however. Boxberger registered a 4.39 ERA/4.55 FIP and 5.4 BB/9 in 53 1/3 innings last year, thus offsetting an 11.98 K/9 and a 46.1 percent groundball rate. The D-backs non-tendered Boxberger over the winter, and now he may return to free agency just a few months after catching on with the Royals. They still owe him approximately $1.14MM.
Skoglund, 26, is back after serving an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, though he’ll report to Triple-A Omaha for now. The 6-foot-7 Skoglund got his first significant look as a major leaguer in 2018. He put up a 5.14 ERA/5.06 FIP with 6.3 K/9 against 2.44 BB/9 across 70 innings (14 appearances, 13 starts).
Twins Reportedly Interested In Madison Bumgarner, Will Smith
9:09am: The Twins and Giants haven’t held “high-level talks in recent weeks” regarding Bumgarner, Jeff Passan of ESPN hears. On the other hand, the Twins are interested in Giants closer Will Smith, per Passan. The 29-year-old Smith may be an even more enticing rental than Bumgarner. Not only is Smith on an appealing $4.23MM salary, but the southpaw has been one of the most dominant relievers in the game this season. Smith has registered a 1.95 ERA/2.01 FIP with 13.64 K/9 and 1.95 BB/9 across 32 1/3 innings, and has converted all 21 of his save opportunities.
8:15am: While Minnesota owns the American League’s best record at 51-27, it’s not resting on its laurels with the July 31 trade deadline approaching. The club has “strong interest” in Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. The Twins are not on Bumgarner’s limited no-trade list, as Nightengale notes, so he wouldn’t be able to stand in the way of a deal.
The Twins’ starting staff has statistically been one of the most productive in the majors’ this year, having put together a 3.74 ERA/3.95 FIP with 8.27 K/9 against 2.36 BB/9. Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi have offered excellent production, while Kyle Gibson and Martin Perez have given the team a pair of fine complements. Perez has struggled of late, though, and while Michael Pineda hasn’t posted great aggregate production this year in his return from Tommy John surgery, he has picked it up since the start of May.
For the Twins, acquiring Bumgarner would likely mean sending one of Perez or Pineda into their bullpen. And landing Bumgarner would also keep him away from AL rivals, including the Yankees, who may pursue the three-time world champion in an effort to bolster their rotation. While the 29-year-old Bumgarner is no longer performing like the front-line starter he was during his halcyon days, he remains a quality option who will draw no shortage of interest over the next month-plus.
In his most recent start Tuesday, Bumgarner fired six innings of 11-strikeout ball in a win over the Rockies, who mustered three hits, three walks and two earned runs off him. Bumgarner has now pitched to a 4.21 ERA/4.16 FIP, which isn’t spectacular, though he has recorded 9.12 strikeouts per nine against 2.1 walks. He has also averaged six innings per start, having totaled 102 2/3 frames in 17 appearances, and maintained his normal velocity. It’s also worth noting Bumgarner has a reputation as one of the game’s elite playoff pitchers, though it’s unclear how much that will matter to modern front offices when it comes time to pony up for him via trade.
The Giants, for their part, don’t necessarily have to deal Bumgarner. While Bumgarner’s only under contract through this season, during which he’s earning $12MM, he’s a franchise icon they may try to extend. At the same time, though, the Giants aren’t contenders this year and seem unlikely to put together a playoff-caliber team by next season. Considering that and the Giants’ weak farm system, it’s likely they’ll cash Bumgarner in for prospects – perhaps at least one top 100 farmhand – in the coming weeks.