Pablo Sandoval Drawing Trade Interest
Giants corner infielder Pablo Sandoval is drawing interest as the July 31 trade deadline comes closer, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports California. The question is whether the out-of-contention Giants will get a good enough offer to justify dealing the fan favorite, Pavlovic notes.
The second San Francisco act has been a successful one for Sandoval, whose career looked as if it was nearing an end when he signed a minor league contract with the Giants in July 2017. At that point, the Kung Fu Panda was coming off a terrible two-plus seasons with the Red Sox, who lured him away from the then-reigning World Series champion Giants on a five-year, $95MM guarantee entering the 2015 campaign. The switch-hitting Sandoval owned three World Series rings, a lifetime .294/.346/.465 slash (122 wRC+) and 20.1 fWAR over 3,533 plate appearances when he became a Red Sox.
Sandoval couldn’t have been much worse during an injury-limited stint in Boston, where he batted .237/.286/.360 (72 wRC+) with minus-1.8 fWAR in 620 PA. The Red Sox declared Sandoval a sunk cost when they released him in July 2017, and they’ll continue to pay him through the end of the current season.
With Sandoval a few months away from reaching free agency again, it makes sense for the out-of-contention Giants to gauge interest in the 32-year-old. Sandoval has boosted his trade value by offering resurgent production in San Francisco, especially during a 2019 campaign in which he has hit .286/.324/.571 (128 wRC+) with 10 home runs and 1.1 fWAR in 173 trips to the plate. There are red flags accompanying that output, however. As has been the case throughout his career, Sandoval has been a liability against left-handed pitchers. He’s also benefiting from a .327 batting average on balls in play – his highest since 2009 – and may have a difficult time sustaining a .286 isolated power mark that’s 118 points above his career average.
Of course, just as there’s cause for skepticism in regards to Sandoval’s numbers, there are reasons to expect he’ll keep it up. Sandoval ranks near the top of the majors in exit velocity (70th percentile), expected batting average (87th percentile), hard-hit rate (87th percentile) and expected slugging percentage (93rd percentile), according to Statcast. And Sandoval’s expected weighted on-base average (.373; 83rd percentile) is almost identical to his .372 real wOBA.
Although Sandoval isn’t the $95MM player the Red Sox mistakenly saw him as five years ago, he’s clearly back to serving as a useful contributor. Adding to his appeal, Sandoval’s essentially making the league minimum as the Red Sox foot the majority of the bill on him until his contract runs out. Those factors could certainly help the Giants find a taker for Sandoval over the next month.
White Sox Notes: Hamilton, Cease
The White Sox already lost injured right-handers Ryan Burr, Jimmy Lambert and Zack Burdi for the season earlier Friday. Add fellow righty Ian Hamilton to the list, according to James Fegan of The Athletic. Hamilton will require multiple surgeries to repair multiple fractures he suffered to his jaw on a line drive earlier this season, Fegan reports.
Now 24, Hamilton joined the White Sox as an 11th-round pick in 2016. He reached the majors for the first time last season, throwing eight innings of four-earned run ball, but pitched solely at the minors’ highest level this year before suffering his injury. Hamilton made 16 appearances with Triple-A Charlotte and allowed more than an earned run per inning (18 in 16 1/3 frames), but he did register 11.02 K/9 against 1.65 BB/9 and post a 51.9 percent groundball rate.
Although Hamilton has struggled to prevent runs this year, he entered 2019 as a well-regarded prospect. MLB.com (No. 13) and FanGraphs (No. 30) currently place him among Chicago’s top 30 farmhands. Hamilton could eventually turn into a major league closer, per MLB.com, but that quest is now on hold. He followed Lambert and Burdi as the third top 30 White Sox prospect to be ruled out for the season Friday.
In better news for the White Sox, one of their premier righty prospects, Dylan Cease, is moving closer to his first big league promotion. The prized 23-year-old is “getting awful close” to joining the White Sox, general manager Rick Hahn said Friday (via Scott Merkin of MLB.com). Hahn noted two-plus weeks ago Cease was working toward a call-up, and it seems he has continued to build a case since then. Cease has put up a 4.62 ERA/3.79 FIP with 9.51 K/9, 4.06 BB/9 and a 54.9 percent grounder rate in 64 1/3 innings during his first Triple-A experience this year.
Health Notes: Story, Kluber, Tigers, Brewers, Royals, Jays
Rockies shortstop Trevor Story will start a Triple-A rehab assignment Saturday, Nick Groke of The Athletic relays. It’ll be a two-game rehab stint for Story, whom the Rockies placed on the injured list June 20 with a right thumb issue. It seems Colorado dodged a bullet in this instance with the all-important Story, who missed a large portion of the 2016 campaign with a torn UCL in his left thumb.
- Indians ace Corey Kluber has received clearance to begin a throwing program, per Mandy Bell of MLB.com. The venerable Kluber has been out since suffering a non-displaced fracture in his right forearm May 1. Kluber’s absence, not to mention the other adversity the Indians have faced this season, has left the three-time reigning AL Central champions out of the playoff picture at the 80-game mark. They’re eight games back of the division-leading Twins and a half-game out of a wild-card spot.
- The Tigers put righty Spencer Turnbull on the injured list Friday with shoulder fatigue after he departed Thursday’s start early. The team plans to welcome Turnbull back after the All-Star break, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. That Turnbull seemingly isn’t dealing with a serious injury is undoubtedly a relief to Detroit, which has seen the 26-year-old post terrific production as a rookie this season. Turnbull has pitched to a 3.31 ERA/3.91 FIP with 8.43 K/9, 3.41 BB/9 and a 49 percent groundball rate in 89 2/3 innings.
- The Brewers announced that they’ve placed Jimmy Nelson on the 10-day IL, retroactive to June 26, with a right elbow effusion. It’s an issue that has bothered Nelson since spring training, Robert Murray of The Athletic tweets, and may help explain his 2019 struggles. Nelson made his season debut June 5 after sitting out since September 2017, when he underwent surgery on a torn shoulder labrum. The 30-year-old has since allowed 13 earned runs on 18 hits and 14 walks (with 15 strikeouts) in 14 innings. The Brewers pulled Nelson from their rotation last weekend.
- Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi will begin a rehab assignment at the Double-A level Saturday, Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star tweets. Mondesi has been on the IL since June 19 with a groin injury. Prior to that, the 23-year-old batted .269/.302/.441 (91 wRC+) with six home runs, 27 stolen bases on 30 tries and 2.1 fWAR in 312 plate appearances.
- Blue Jays lefty Ryan Borucki will need at least three to four minor league rehab starts before making his 2019 major league debut, manager Charlie Montoyo said Friday (via Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com). Borucki’s not on track to rejoin Toronto until the end of July as a result. Elbow problems have kept the 25-year-old Borucki from building on an encouraging 2018 rookie campaign. The starter turned in a 3.87 ERA/3.80 FIP with 6.17 K/9, 3.04 BB/9 and a 46.8 percent grounder rate over 97 2/3 frames last year.
Pirates Release Nick Franklin
The Pirates have released utilityman Nick Franklin, according to John Dreker of PiratesProspects.com. Franklin had been with the organization since signing a minor league deal in February.
The 28-year-old Franklin endured an injury-limited stint as a member of the Pirates, with whom he opened the season on the minor league IL because of hamstring tightness. When healthy, Franklin totaled 152 plate appearances in the minors with the Pirates this year. He managed a mere .193/.289/.316 line in 136 attempts with Triple-A Indianapolis before the organization cut him.
The 27th overall pick of the Mariners in 2009 and once a high-end prospect, Franklin will now have to look for another employer once again. The switch hitter hasn’t seen much major league action since 2017, and has only combined to hit .214/.285/359 (78 wRC+) in 923 PA with the Mariners, Rays, Angels and Brewers. Franklin has slashed a much better .261/.347/.419 in 1,559 tries in Triple-A ball.
Rockies Could Pull Wade Davis From Closer’s Role
Rockies closer Wade Davis has struggled immensely of late, which has led the team to discuss whether to make changes at the back of its bullpen, manager Bud Black told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post and other reporters Friday.
The three-year, $52MM contract the Rockies gave Davis entering 2018 hasn’t gone as hoped for the club thus far. The former Ray, Royal and Cub earned that deal with lights-out seasons over the prior few campaigns, but Davis has been shaky as a Rockie. He logged a 4.13 ERA – his highest since 2013 – with 10.74 K/9 and 3.58 BB/9 in 65 1/3 innings last season and has come back with even worse numbers in 2019.
The 33-year-old right-hander blew up Thursday against the Dodgers, allowing four earned runs on three hits and a walk in an inning of work. Davis now owns a horrid 6.00 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 over 24 frames this season. Black admitted Davis’ sky-high walk rate is “concerning.”
To this point, the Davis signing looks like the latest big-money acquisition that has gone haywire for the Rockies’ bullpen. Before the team signed Davis, it inked Jake McGee, Bryan Shaw and Mike Dunn for a combined $73MM in the preceding two offseasons. No one from that group has performed to expectations in Colorado, though McGee is enjoying a bounce-back season in 2019. McGee, Scott Oberg, Chad Bettis or Carlos Estevez could take over for Davis if the playoff contenders do make an end-of-game change.
Three White Sox Pitchers Out For Season
Three White Sox hurlers are out for the season, per reports from Scott Merkin of MLB.com and James Fegan of The Athletic. Right-handers Ryan Burr and Jimmy Lambert have undergone Tommy John procedures, while fellow righty Zack Burdi has a ligament tear in his patella.
Burr’s the lone member of the trio who has pitched in the majors to this point. The 25-year-old debuted with the White Sox last season and has since registered a 5.52 ERA/5.60 FIP with 7.98 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and a 43.7 percent groundball rate in 29 1/3 innings. Chicago placed him on the injured list May 28 with a right elbow capsule strain.
Lambert, 24, has posted a 4.55 ERA/4.68 FIP with 10.62 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 11 starts and 59 1/3 frames at the Double-A level this season. MLB.com ranks Lambert, a fifth-round pick of the White Sox in 2016, as the team’s 18th-best prospect.
Burdi follows his brother, Pirates reliever Nick Burdi, in missing the rest of the season. Nick Burdi underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery earlier this week. Zack Burdi’s injury may not be that severe, but it still pushes back a potential major league promotion. The 24-year-old, whom the White Sox drafted 26th overall in 2016, has experienced his first Double-A action this season and logged a 6.41 ERA/6.11 FIP with 10.98 K/9 and 5.95 BB/9 in 19 2/3 innings. Burdi checks in at No. 15 on MLB.com’s list of White Sox prospects.
White Sox Place Tim Anderson On IL, Select Ross Detwiler
4:04pm: Anderson could miss four to six weeks, according to general manager Rick Hahn (via Scott Merkin of MLB.com).
2:37pm: The White Sox announced that they’ve placed shortstop Tim Anderson on the injured list due to a right ankle sprain, recalled outfielder Daniel Palka from Triple-A Charlotte and selected the contract of left-hander Ross Detwiler from Charlotte. The team’s previously reported DFA of Yonder Alonso is now also official.
There’s still no official word on how long Anderson will be sidelined, though he was wearing a walking boot earlier this week when it became apparent that an IL stint was quite likely. The 26-year-old shortstop is in the midst of a his best season, having batted .317/.342/.491 with 11 homers and 15 steals in 281 plate appearances. The free-swinging Anderson is still loath to take a walk (2.5 percent) and has benefited from a .373 average on balls in play, but he’s also made dramatic improvements in his hard-hit rate and average exit velocity, per Statcast.
Detwiler, 33, will start tonight’s series opener against the Twins. The journeyman left-hander opened the season with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League but quickly landed with the White Sox and has thrown 43 innings of 3.89 ERA ball thus far in Triple-A (albeit with a 6.21 FIP and 4.75 xFIP). The longtime Nats hurler has bounced around the league since being cut loose by Washington — most recently appearing in one big league game for the Mariners in 2018. Detwiler has a career 4.36 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 46 percent ground-ball rate in 584 big league innings.
White Sox Outright Odrisamer Despaigne
White Sox right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte, James Fegan of The Athletic tweets. The club designated Despaigne on June 24.
Despaigne could have rejected an outright in favor of a return to free agency, but he’ll stick with Chicago, which signed him to a minor league deal May 19 after he opted out of a minors contract with the Reds. The 32-year-old Cuba native then recorded a 2.00 ERA/4.27 FIP with 8.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 over 18 innings in Charlotte.
Despaigne’s output with the White Sox’s top affiliate earned him a promotion to the majors, though he wasn’t able to carry his success to the game’s highest level. Despaigne made three starts with the ChiSox and managed a 9.45 ERA/6.86 FIP with a matching 4.73 K/9 and BB/9 across 13 1/3 frames before they designated him.
Astros Place Brad Peacock On Injured List
The Astros have placed right-hander Brad Peacock on the 10-day injured list with shoulder discomfort and recalled lefty Reymin Guduan from Triple-A Round Rock, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle was among those to report.
The severity of Peacock’s injury is unknown, but regardless, it’s the latest unfortunate turn of events for the slumping Astros. The club has lost nine of 11, including a 10-0 drubbing at the hands of the Pirates on Thursday. Peacock started that game for the Astros and yielded six earned runs on seven hits and a walk (with two strikeouts) in three innings. The 31-year-old has now logged a nearly matching 4.13 ERA/4.14 FIP with 9.42 K/9 and 2.65 BB/9 across 85 innings and 17 appearances (15 starts) in 2019.
Houston already looks as if it’ll be in the market for starting pitching leading up to the July 31 deadline, and Peacock’s injury could further put the onus on the team’s front office to add reinforcements if he misses a solid amount of time. Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are once again enjoying excellent seasons, and Peacock and Wade Miley have done well in complementary roles. However, Collin McHugh, Corbin Martin (now injured and in the minors) and Framber Valdez (just demoted to the minors) have failed to nail down the No. 5 spot in the Astros’ rotation this season.
Twins Place Eddie Rosario On Injured List, Promote Lewis Thorpe
The Twins announced that they’ve placed left fielder Eddie Rosario on the injured list prior to tonight’s series opener against the White Sox in Chicago. Utility infielder Ehire Adrianza has been activated from the IL in a corresponding move. Minnesota also optioned righty Zack Littell to Triple-A and promoted lefty Lewis Thorpe for his MLB debut.
Rosario exited Wednesday’s game after spraining his ankle while rounding first base. After the game, manager Rocco Baldelli indicated that the injury wasn’t believed to be severe. That may very well still be the case, but the issue is apparently enough to push Rosario, an All-Star hopeful, to the sideline for at least the next nine days.
Rosario, 27, has already belted 20 homers on the season while frequently serving as the Twins’ cleanup hitter. He’s batting .282/.312/.529 through 324 plate appearances and has added 14 doubles and a triple to go along with those 20 long balls. He’s also played above-average defense in left field according to both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating.
The Twins have had a series of injuries in the outfield recently, as Byron Buxton and utilitymen Marwin Gonzalez and Willians Astudillo (both capable of playing in the outfield) have all landed on the IL. Buxton is reportedly close to returning from the IL, but the Twins are presently relying on Max Kepler, Jake Cave and infielder Luis Arraez in the outfield. Minnesota called up outfield prospect Lamonte Wade Jr. yesterday to help out in the short term, and designated hitter Nelson Cruz is of course no stranger to the outfield corners (although the Twins have yet to play him in the field). A healthy Minnesota outfield is among the best defensive units in the game, but it’ll apparently be a bit before Twins fans see Rosario, Buxton and Kepler roving the outfield.
As for Thorpe, the 23-year-old Aussie will add some length to a pitching staff that was depleted in yesterday’s 18-inning marathon. Thorpe, signed as an international free agent back in 2013, has long been considered one of the Twins’ most promising young arms. He cracked Baseball Prospectus’ Top 101 prospects in 2014 (No. 101) and in 2015 (No. 91). He entered the year ranked ninth among Twins prospects at MLB.co and 15th at Fangraphs.
Thorpe’s development was slowed when he missed all of the 2015-16 seasons due to elbow troubles that culminated in Tommy John surgery. He enjoyed a strong season between Double-A and Triple-A in 2018, pitching to a combined 3.54 ERA with 10.9 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in 129 2/3 innings of work. He’s been knocked around for a 5.71 ERA through 69 1/3 innings thus far in 2019 thanks to a bloated home-run rate (1.48 HR/9) and some poor fortune on balls in play (.348). Thorpe’s K/BB numbers remain excellent, as he’s averaged 11.4 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9. He’s also pitched considerably better since an awful start to the year. After surrendering 15 runs in his first two outings, he’s notched a 4.30 ERA with A 79-to-14 K/BB ratio in 60 2/3 innings.