Report: No Untouchables In Yankees’ Farm System
The first-place Yankees are aiming for a championship this year, and it seems they’re prepared to pay steep prospect prices at the July 31 trade deadline in order to increase their chances. The team has no “untouchable” players in its farm system, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports.
No Yankees prospect has generated more hype lately than right-hander Deivi Garcia, whom they promoted to Triple-A ball last week. The 20-year-old Garcia is now the youngest player at the minors’ highest level, Davidoff notes. Garcia’s elevation to Scranton came in response to a great season-opening performance at Double-A Trenton, where he posted a 3.00 ERA/2.18 FIP with 14.49 K/9 against 4.41 BB/9 in 10 starts and 51 innings. Although he’s just 5-foot-9, Garcia’s tremendous early season showing helped earn him a 29th-place ranking in the midseason top 50 list ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription required) just released.
General manager Brian Cashman said last week Garcia could be a factor on the Yankees’ roster down the stretch, but he wouldn’t be off limits in a deal, Davidoff suggests. The goal would be to acquire a controllable rotation piece in any swap involving Garcia, it seems. On the other hand, the Yankees “certainly wouldn’t” trade Garcia for Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner or another rental, per Davidoff. The same obviously goes for Mets righty Zack Wheeler, as Andy Martino of SNY.tv relays, but it may be a different story for controllable fireballer Noah Syndergaard. The Yankees have shown interest in Syndergaard, reports Martino, who points out the Mets sent special assistant Omar Minaya to scout Garcia’s Triple-A debut Monday. With that said, there’s little optimism the crosstown rivals will come together on a trade this month, Martino adds on Twitter.
Meanwhile, outfielder Estevan Florial – the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect in the most recent team rankings at MLB.com, FanGraphs and Baseball America (subscription required) – would be movable “in the right deal,” Davidoff writes. Unlike Garcia, the 21-year-old Florial hasn’t enjoyed a banner 2019 season in the minors. Currently at the High-A level after fracturing his right wrist in the spring, Florial has hit .229/.282/.359 (91 wRC+) with four home runs in 142 plate appearances.
In fairness to Florial, the injury may have a role in his underwhelming production this year. Moreover, Florial entered the season as a consensus top 100 prospect, so it stands to reason he’s someone who would interest other teams in trade talks. The Yankees generally aren’t short on enticing minor leaguers, according to a rival talent evaluator who spoke with Davidoff.
“It’s a really good system,” the evaluator said. “They certainly have the pieces to be aggressive.”
Angels Acquire Anthony Bemboom
The Angels announced that they’ve acquired catcher Anthony Bemboom from the Rays for cash considerations.
This is the second transaction of the day involving Bemboom, whom the Rays designated for assignment in the afternoon. The 29-year-old had been on the 60-day injured list for two-plus months before then because of a knee issue, but his return led to his departure from Tampa Bay.
Bemboom is now reuniting with the Angels, who spent a 22nd-round pick on him in the 2012 draft. He was with the club until Colorado grabbed him in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft, though Bemboom never reached the majors in two seasons in the Rockies organization. He debuted in MLB earlier this year with the Rays, who signed him to a minor league deal in the offseason, logging just five plate appearances prior to his injury. Over a far larger sample size of 636 PA at the minors’ highest level, Bemboom has slashed .250/.341/.381 with 11 home runs.
The Angels’ acquisition of Bemboom comes on the verge of surgery for starting catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who will undergo a procedure to repair a nasal fracture Tuesday. Lucroy last played June 7, when he was involved in a gruesome collision at home plate with Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick, and will miss at least three more weeks. The Angels have turned to Dustin Garneau and Kevan Smith in his absence. Bemboom will provide further insurance as Lucroy recovers.
Cubs’ Mike Montgomery Reportedly “Involved” In Trade Discussions
The Cubs are seeking a left-handed reliever in advance of the July 31 deadline, but one of their own southpaws – Mike Montgomery – “has been involved in trade talks,” Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com writes. However, it’s unclear whether there’s a deal featuring Montgomery on the horizon.
Now 30, Montgomery joined the Cubs in July 2016 as part of a trade with the Mariners for then-first base prospect Daniel Vogelbach, who has emerged as a formidable piece of the M’s offense this year. Montgomery was a quality member of the Cubs in his own right from 2016-18, notching 99 appearances and 38 starts of 3.56 ERA/4.10 FIP ball with 6.88 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 54.9 percent groundball rate over 293 innings.
The Cubs surely expected more of the same from Montgomery this year, but his production has cratered across 20 appearances and 27 frames (all in relief). To this point, Montgomery owns an ugly 5.67 ERA/6.21 FIP. His K/9 (6.0) has declined, albeit not a ton from its already underwhelming levels, while Montgomery’s control and ability to induce grounders have also faded. He’s walking a career-worst 4.33 batters per nine and generating grounders at a personal-low 43.3 percent clip.
Unsurprisingly, with hitters having an easier time elevating the ball against Montgomery, more of his pitches have been leaving the yard. Montgomery has yielded home runs on a whopping 28.6 percent of fly balls, which is the eighth-highest figure among all pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings in 2019. Part of the problem for Montgomery has been a sudden inability to retire left-handed hitters, whom he fared decently against coming into this season. They’ve teed off on him for a ridiculous .557 weighted on-base average this season. Lefties and righties have combined for a .416 wOBA against Montgomery, which is right in line with a .415 expected wOBA that Statcast ranks fourth from the bottom among qualified pitchers.
Needless to say, the 2019 version of Montgomery hasn’t done his trade value any favors. He does have his pre-2019 performance to fall back on, though, not to mention a couple years of team control. Montgomery’s earning $2.44MM this season and comes with two more years of arbitration eligibility. While the struggling Montgomery’s current salary doesn’t look onerous, the Cubs may want him and his money out of the picture as they try to upgrade their roster by the end of the month.
Latest On Tyler Glasnow
Rays righty Tyler Glasnow will not be allowed to throw for at least two weeks after his latest MRI, manager Kevin Cash told reporters including MLB.com’s Juan Toribio (Twitter link). The skipper says he doesn’t know whether the young righty will have time to ramp back up in order to return this season.
That’s not terribly encouraging news for the Tampa Bay organization, which is battling to stay within shouting distance of the division lead while holding on to Wild Card position. Glasnow has been sidelined for more than two months with forearm issues. He had raised hopes recently of a valiant return down the stretch, but the hour is beginning to get late.
With Glasnow reaching new performance levels early this year, the Rays had the makings of a three-headed monster in the rotation with veteran Charlie Morton and reigning AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell. Though Morton has been an exceptional performer, Glasnow has been on the shelf since his eighth start of the year and Snell has failed to match his 2018 effort (in terms of earned run average, at least).
Understandably, the Rays are taking a cautious path with a key player-asset. Glasnow is set up for arbitration eligibility in the offseason as a Super Two, meaning he won’t be a free agent until 2024. That makes him an important piece in the long-term puzzle.
Glasnow’s long-term future remains bright, so long as he’s able to put this nebulous forearm problem behind him. He followed up a strong 2018 effort with 48 1/3 innings of 1.86 ERA ball to open the current campaign. Best of all, Glasnow averaged 10.2 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9 with a 51.7% groundball rate. With a 97+ mph heater, 12.0% swinging-strike rate, and increasing ability to start batters off with strikes and stay in the zone, the talented righty has threatened to establish himself as a front-line starter.
MLBTR Chat Transcript: 7/15/19
Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat with host Jeff Todd.
Trade Candidates: Top 5 Hitters By xwOBA
Plenty of major league hitters are trade candidates leading up to the July 31 deadline, but which ones truly stand out as players who could help a team’s offense down the stretch? Let’s take a look at the cream of the crop (minimum 100 plate appearances), with help from the enormous trade candidates list MLBTR’s Jeff Todd and Steve Adams put together last week and Statcast’s expected weighted-on base average metric…
Justin Smoak, 1B, Blue Jays: expected weighted-on base average: .387; real wOBA: .332
- Smoak’s .211/.350/.406 line (106 wRC+) isn’t pretty, nor does the impending free-agent first baseman play a premium position. However, judging by the 55-point gap between his xwOBA and wOBA, the switch-hitting Smoak has been one of the unluckiest batters in baseball this year and someone whose presence could be a late-season boon for a playoff-level team. He’s also sporting an unfortunate .219 batting average on balls in play, down from a lifetime .267, and has amassed almost as many unintentional walks (49) as strikeouts (60).
Franmil Reyes, OF, Padres: xwOBA: .379; real wOBA: .350
- Unlike Smoak, Reyes comes with several seasons of control. The 24-year-old won’t be eligible for arbitration until after 2021 or free agency until the conclusion of 2024, so prying Freyes from the up-and-coming Padres wouldn’t be an easy task. While Reyes’ work in right field hasn’t been great this year (minus-6 Defensive Runs Saved, neutral Ultimate Zone Rating), he has established himself as an above-average offensive player dating back to his 2018 debut. This season, the right-handed slugger’s slashing .253/.307/.540 (115 wRC+) with the majors’ seventh-most home runs (25). Reyes is also a Statcast favorite, not just because of his impressive xwOBA. He ranks in the 76th percentile or better in expected batting average, hard-hit percentage, expected slugging percentage and exit velocity.
Brandon Belt, 1B, Giants: xwOBA: .370; real wOBA: .343
- The numbers aren’t quite up to date for Belt, who collected a pair of hits during the Giants’ destruction of the Rockies on Monday afternoon. They don’t alter the picture much, though – with or without them, the 31-year-old Belt has long been a quality major league hitter. Belt has dealt with his fair share of injuries, however, and isn’t locked up to an appealing contract, which are factors that hamper his trade value. He’s on a $16MM salary this year and will earn the same total in each of the next two seasons. Belt also has the right to block a trade to 10 teams.
Trey Mancini, OF/1B, Orioles: xwOBA: .354; real wOBA: .353
- There are large xwOBA/wOBA gaps for Smoak, Reyes and Belt, but Mancini’s production is apparently just about where it should be. The 27-year-old has batted a strong .281/.340/.500 (119 wRC+) with 17 homers in 373 PA, and as someone who’s on a minimum salary in 2019 and has three seasons of arbitration control left, he could interest teams as a long-term offensive building block. That said, Mancini brings little to the table on the defensive side, and Orioles general manager Mike Elias doesn’t seem inclined to trade him unless a highly beneficial offer comes along.
Kole Calhoun, OF, Angels: xwOBA: .351; real wOBA: .337
- Whether the Angels are poised to sell this month is up for debate. After all, they’re a decent 48-46 and five games back of a wild-card spot. If they do deal veterans, though, the 31-year-old Calhoun may hold appeal to other teams. Calhoun has bounced back from a miserable 2018 at the plate to hit .238/.323/.485 (112 wRC+) with 21 homers and a career-high .247 ISO in 373 PA this season, helping put him on track for his fifth campaign of at least 2.0 fWAR. He’s also an adept defender who has posted 2 DRS and a 1.6 UZR in the outfield (mostly right) this year. Because of his solid production this season, Calhoun might not be a pure rental. He’s making $10.5MM now and is controllable through 2020 on a $14MM club option (with a $1MM buyout).
Dodgers Designate Zac Rosscup
The Dodgers have designated lefty Zac Rosscup for assignment, per a club announcement. Taking his active roster spot is fellow reliever Casey Sadler. The swap clears a 40-man opening for the Los Angeles org.
Rosscup, 31, has traveled far and wide over the past several seasons. This year alone, he has appeared in the majors with three clubs. While he’s getting loads of swinging strikes, Rosscup is walking batters with alarming frequency (19 in 18 innings).
Sadler was added in a recent swap with the Rays that followed his own DFA. He has only made two appearances with the Dodgers’ top affiliate, allowing four earned runs in six innings but compiling nine strikeouts against one walk in that stretch.
Rays Designate Anthony Bemboom For Assignment
The Rays have reinstated catcher Anthony Bemboom from the 60-day injured list and designated him for assignment, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
Bemboom, 29, made his MLB debut earlier this season after grinding through seven years in the minors. Unfortunately, in the same game that saw Bemboom collect his first two MLB hits, he also sustained a knee injury that sidelined him for two-plus months. Because he’d been on the 60-day IL, the Rays would’ve had to designate someone else for assignment in order to bring Bemboom back into the mix; instead, they opted to designate Bemboom himself now that he is apparently recovered from injury.
It’s a tough series of events for Bemboom, although if there’s a silver lining, it’s that he received MLB pay and service time while on the injured list. Tampa Bay will have a week to trade Bemboom, a career .250/.341/.381 hitter in Triple-A, or pass him through outright waivers. If he clears waivers, he can be retained without requiring a 40-man roster spot.
Mariners Activate Sam Tuivailala From 60-Day Injured List
The Mariners announced Monday that they’ve reinstated right-hander Sam Tuivailala from the 60-day injured list, thus filling one of the two vacancies on their 40-man roster. Tuivailala will join the MLB bullpen as righties Parker Markel and David McKay are optioned to Triple-A Tacoma, per the club. An additional move to fill the 25th spot on the active roster will be announced tomorrow when the M’s return from today’s off day.
It was less than a year ago that the Cardinals traded Tuivailala to Seattle in exchange for minor league righty Seth Elledge as part of a dramatic midseason roster shakeup. The Mariners were surely pleased to acquire four and a half seasons of a reliever who appeared to have established himself as a solid middle reliever, but Tuivailala suffered a torn Achilles tendon just weeks after being traded and hasn’t pitched in the Majors since.
The now-26-year-old Tuivailala allowed just one run in 5 1/3 innings with Seattle prior to his injury. In 79 1/3 innings from 2017-18, the 2010 third-round pick worked to a 2.95 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 0.8 HR/9 and a 49 percet ground-ball rate. For a team with baseball’s fourth-worst ERA (5.06), the return of a potential long-term option like Tuivailala will be a welcome sight.
Tigers Select Trevor Rosenthal
The Tigers announced that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Trevor Rosenthal from Triple-A Toledo. The former Cardinals closer signed a minor league pact with Detroit after being released by the Nationals in late June. Detroit’s 40-man roster is now full.
Rosenthal, 29, slogged through a catastrophic few months in the Nationals organization prior to being cut loose. In his return to the Majors following Tommy John surgery in late 2017, he turned in a stunning 22.74 ERA with nearly as many walks issued (15) as outs recorded (19). Rosenthal allowed 16 runs on eight hits and those 15 walks in just 6 1/3 innings pitched. He struck out five batters but also hit three and lost the handle on five wild pitches.
While one would think that Rosenthal’s promotion to the big leagues is a sign that his bout with the yips has improved, that curiously doesn’t appear to be the case. In 5 1/3 innings with Detroit’s affiliate in Toledo, he’s allowed six runs on eight hits and six walks. Rosenthal has punched out nine hitters, which is a mildly encouraging development, but he’s also plunked another hitter and thrown yet another wild pitch.
In spite of those ugly results, he’ll get another look in the Majors as he hopes to salvage his season before another offseason trip through free agency. For the Tigers, it’s a free look at a once-dominant reliever, but given the team’s rebuild and the extent of Rosenthal’s struggles, it seems likely that he’ll be on a short leash. If there’s no indication of legitimate improvement, there’s little reason for the Tigers to give those innings to someone who likely won’t be with the organization in 2020.